Principal Hardware Engineer H-1B salaries — 51 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 4
- Filings · FY2025
- $193k
- Median base · FY2025
- $146k–$216k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Qualcomm Technologies
- Top sponsor · 12 all-time
Principal Hardware Engineer: 51 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $193k across 4 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $146k and $216k. The biggest sponsors are Qualcomm Technologies, Cadence Design Systems, Sambanova Systems; most filings are in San Diego, CA.
How much does a Principal Hardware Engineer make on an H-1B?
Certified base salary by fiscal year: each box is the p25–p75 range, the heavy line the median, the whiskers reach p10–p90. $193k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Principal Hardware Engineer sponsorship changed?
3 certified filings in FY2016 → 4 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 4 | 0% | $118k |
| FY2025 | 4 | −50% | $193k |
| FY2024 | 8 | +33% | $180k |
| FY2023 | 6 | +200% | $180k |
| FY2022 | 2 | 0% | $167k |
| FY2021 | 2 | −50% | $167k |
| FY2020 | 4 | −20% | $159k |
| FY2019 | 5 | −37% | $170k |
| FY2018 | 8 | +60% | $131k |
| FY2017 | 5 | +67% | $110k |
| FY2016 | 3 | — | $122k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Principal Hardware Engineers?
The employers with the most certified filings, all years, with their median base salary. Open any employer for its full profile.
| # | Employer | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qualcomm Technologies | 12 | $167k |
| 2 | Cadence Design Systems | 7 | $122k |
| 3 | Sambanova Systems | 4 | $178k |
| 4 | Cisco Systems | 3 | $212k |
| 5 | Microsoft | 3 | $230k |
| 6 | Covidien | 2 | $118k |
| 7 | Leap Motion | 2 | $170k |
| 8 | Palo Alto Networks | 2 | $170k |
| 9 | Sensormatic Electronics | 2 | $120k |
| 10 | Cruise | 2 | $311k |
Where are H-1B Principal Hardware Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego, CA | 10 | $167k |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | 10 | $134k |
| 3 | Santa Clara, CA | 5 | $170k |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | 4 | $170k |
| 5 | Austin, TX | 4 | $140k |
| 6 | Palo Alto, CA | 3 | $180k |
| 7 | Redmond, WA | 3 | $230k |
| 8 | Sunnyvale, CA | 3 | $159k |
| 9 | North Haven, CT | 2 | $118k |
| 10 | Westford, MA | 2 | $120k |
Common questions about Principal Hardware Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Principal Hardware Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Principal Hardware Engineer is $193k (FY2025), from 4 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $131k and $193k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Principal Hardware Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Principal Hardware Engineer are Qualcomm Technologies, Cadence Design Systems, Sambanova Systems.
- Where are most H-1B Principal Hardware Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Principal Hardware Engineer roles are San Diego, CA, San Jose, CA, Santa Clara, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Principal Hardware Engineer H-1B visas were approved?
- No. A Labor Condition Application (LCA) is the Department of Labor attestation an employer must have certified before filing an H-1B petition with USCIS. It records the job, worksite and offered wage, but not whether the petition was filed, selected in the lottery, or approved. Filing counts measure intent to sponsor, not headcount.
- What salary do these figures show?
- The base annual wage offered on the certified LCA, converted to a yearly amount. Bonus, equity, overtime and benefits are not included, so total compensation is typically higher. Figures are medians and percentiles over certified filings; wages above $5,000,000 a year are excluded as data-entry errors.
- What does the fiscal year mean here?
- Years are U.S. government fiscal years, October to September: FY2025 runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. This matches how the Department of Labor publishes the disclosure files. The most recent year may be partial until its final quarter is released.
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Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification — certified LCA disclosure data through June 2026 (FY2016–FY2026). An LCA is not an approved visa; pay figures are base salary and exclude bonus and equity. Methodology →