Senior Principal Engineer H-1B salaries — 229 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 29
- Filings · FY2025
- $199k
- Median base · FY2025
- $156k–$220k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Autodesk
- Top sponsor · 21 all-time
Senior Principal Engineer: 229 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $199k across 29 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $156k and $220k. The biggest sponsors are Autodesk, Sambanova Systems, Hughes Systique Private; most filings are in San Francisco, CA.
How much does a Senior Principal 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. $199k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Senior Principal Engineer sponsorship changed?
11 certified filings in FY2016 → 18 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 18 | −38% | $161k |
| FY2025 | 29 | +12% | $199k |
| FY2024 | 26 | +18% | $140k |
| FY2023 | 22 | −24% | $190k |
| FY2022 | 29 | +38% | $170k |
| FY2021 | 21 | −16% | $160k |
| FY2020 | 25 | +79% | $169k |
| FY2019 | 14 | −30% | $160k |
| FY2018 | 20 | +43% | $143k |
| FY2017 | 14 | +27% | $111k |
| FY2016 | 11 | — | $118k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Senior Principal 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 | Autodesk | 21 | $190k |
| 2 | Sambanova Systems | 14 | $201k |
| 3 | Hughes Systique Private | 13 | $110k |
| 4 | Palo Alto Networks | 10 | $226k |
| 5 | Arm | 6 | $157k |
| 6 | Hazen and Sawyer D P C | 6 | $94k |
| 7 | Teksystems Global Services | 5 | $110k |
| 8 | Baxalta US | 5 | $139k |
| 9 | Marvell Semiconductor | 5 | $173k |
| 10 | Aspect Software | 5 | $109k |
Where are H-1B Senior Principal Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | 23 | $192k |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | 22 | $200k |
| 3 | Santa Clara, CA | 19 | $206k |
| 4 | Austin, TX | 11 | $161k |
| 5 | Palo Alto, CA | 11 | $215k |
| 6 | Irvine, CA | 9 | $143k |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA | 6 | $137k |
| 8 | Rockville, MD | 6 | $97k |
| 9 | Milpitas, CA | 5 | $170k |
| 10 | Manteca, CA | 4 | $127k |
Common questions about Senior Principal Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Senior Principal Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Senior Principal Engineer is $199k (FY2025), from 29 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $125k and $200k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Senior Principal Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Senior Principal Engineer are Autodesk, Sambanova Systems, Hughes Systique Private.
- Where are most H-1B Senior Principal Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Senior Principal Engineer roles are San Francisco, CA, San Jose, CA, Santa Clara, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Senior Principal 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 →