Principal Software Engineer H-1B salaries — 7,525 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 830
- Filings · FY2025
- $167k
- Median base · FY2025
- $150k–$205k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Walmart Associates
- Top sponsor · 333 all-time
Principal Software Engineer: 7,525 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $167k across 830 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $150k and $205k. The biggest sponsors are Walmart Associates, Microsoft, Cadence Design Systems; most filings are in San Francisco, CA.
How much does a Principal Software 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. $167k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Principal Software Engineer sponsorship changed?
501 certified filings in FY2016 → 643 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 643 | −23% | $175k |
| FY2025 | 830 | +9% | $167k |
| FY2024 | 760 | 0% | $159k |
| FY2023 | 760 | −11% | $160k |
| FY2022 | 857 | +29% | $158k |
| FY2021 | 665 | +6% | $150k |
| FY2020 | 630 | −8% | $145k |
| FY2019 | 686 | +11% | $138k |
| FY2018 | 618 | +7% | $135k |
| FY2017 | 575 | +15% | $129k |
| FY2016 | 501 | — | $130k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Principal Software 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 | Walmart Associates | 333 | $186k |
| 2 | Microsoft | 237 | $190k |
| 3 | Cadence Design Systems | 171 | $138k |
| 4 | Palo Alto Networks | 163 | $204k |
| 5 | Nisum Technologies | 135 | $120k |
| 6 | Symantec | 122 | $139k |
| 7 | Intuit | 112 | $192k |
| 8 | Veritas Technologies | 100 | $138k |
| 9 | Staples | 98 | $113k |
| 10 | Splunk | 90 | $220k |
Where are H-1B Principal Software Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | 445 | $168k |
| 2 | Santa Clara, CA | 441 | $184k |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | 369 | $177k |
| 4 | Sunnyvale, CA | 298 | $171k |
| 5 | Mountain View, CA | 266 | $170k |
| 6 | Austin, TX | 160 | $140k |
| 7 | Redmond, WA | 157 | $185k |
| 8 | San Mateo, CA | 118 | $260k |
| 9 | New York, NY | 116 | $150k |
| 10 | Bellevue, WA | 111 | $189k |
Common questions about Principal Software Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Principal Software Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Principal Software Engineer is $167k (FY2025), from 830 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $129k and $180k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Principal Software Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Principal Software Engineer are Walmart Associates, Microsoft, Cadence Design Systems.
- Where are most H-1B Principal Software Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Principal Software Engineer roles are San Francisco, CA, Santa Clara, CA, San Jose, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Principal Software 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 →