Senior Staff Engineer H-1B salaries — 1,141 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 118
- Filings · FY2025
- $177k
- Median base · FY2025
- $133k–$206k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Samsung Austin Semiconductor
- Top sponsor · 74 all-time
Senior Staff Engineer: 1,141 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $177k across 118 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $133k and $206k. The biggest sponsors are Samsung Austin Semiconductor, Palo Alto Networks, Mediatek USA; most filings are in San Jose, CA.
How much does a Senior Staff 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. $177k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Senior Staff Engineer sponsorship changed?
69 certified filings in FY2016 → 109 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 109 | −8% | $180k |
| FY2025 | 118 | +15% | $177k |
| FY2024 | 103 | −23% | $172k |
| FY2023 | 134 | −26% | $162k |
| FY2022 | 181 | +57% | $160k |
| FY2021 | 115 | +21% | $152k |
| FY2020 | 95 | −4% | $148k |
| FY2019 | 99 | +60% | $153k |
| FY2018 | 62 | +11% | $135k |
| FY2017 | 56 | −19% | $136k |
| FY2016 | 69 | — | $106k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Senior Staff 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 | Samsung Austin Semiconductor | 74 | $198k |
| 2 | Palo Alto Networks | 61 | $160k |
| 3 | Mediatek USA | 59 | $174k |
| 4 | Comerica Management | 59 | $116k |
| 5 | Geosyntec Consultants | 49 | $70k |
| 6 | Marvell Semiconductor | 40 | $153k |
| 7 | Samsung Semiconductor | 39 | $180k |
| 8 | The Tjx Companies | 35 | $165k |
| 9 | Terracon Consultants | 34 | $85k |
| 10 | Uber Technologies | 21 | $243k |
Where are H-1B Senior Staff Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 179 | $180k |
| 2 | Santa Clara, CA | 138 | $167k |
| 3 | Austin, TX | 76 | $156k |
| 4 | Auburn Hills, MI | 49 | $115k |
| 5 | San Diego, CA | 46 | $155k |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | 43 | $235k |
| 7 | Sunnyvale, CA | 32 | $184k |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | 31 | $170k |
| 9 | Marlborough, MA | 29 | $160k |
| 10 | New York, NY | 24 | $198k |
Common questions about Senior Staff Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Senior Staff Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Senior Staff Engineer is $177k (FY2025), from 118 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $117k and $184k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Senior Staff Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Senior Staff Engineer are Samsung Austin Semiconductor, Palo Alto Networks, Mediatek USA.
- Where are most H-1B Senior Staff Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Senior Staff Engineer roles are San Jose, CA, Santa Clara, CA, Austin, TX.
- Does a certified LCA mean Senior Staff 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 →