Senior Staff Software Engineer H-1B salaries — 1,461 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 195
- Filings · FY2025
- $185k
- Median base · FY2025
- $173k–$227k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Qualcomm Technologies
- Top sponsor · 184 all-time
Senior Staff Software Engineer: 1,461 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $185k across 195 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $173k and $227k. The biggest sponsors are Qualcomm Technologies, Palo Alto Networks, Qualcomm Atheros; most filings are in Santa Clara, CA.
How much does a Senior Staff 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. $185k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Senior Staff Software Engineer sponsorship changed?
63 certified filings in FY2016 → 159 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 159 | −18% | $198k |
| FY2025 | 195 | +2% | $185k |
| FY2024 | 191 | +23% | $180k |
| FY2023 | 155 | −17% | $172k |
| FY2022 | 187 | +25% | $168k |
| FY2021 | 150 | +26% | $162k |
| FY2020 | 119 | +5% | $148k |
| FY2019 | 113 | +53% | $155k |
| FY2018 | 74 | +35% | $138k |
| FY2017 | 55 | −13% | $135k |
| FY2016 | 63 | — | $136k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Senior Staff 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 | Qualcomm Technologies | 184 | $155k |
| 2 | Palo Alto Networks | 139 | $178k |
| 3 | Qualcomm Atheros | 87 | $171k |
| 4 | Servicenow | 64 | $193k |
| 5 | Qualcomm Innovation Center | 63 | $142k |
| 6 | Continental Automotive Systems | 59 | $120k |
| 7 | Intuit | 56 | $234k |
| 8 | Hartford Fire Insurance | 32 | $135k |
| 9 | Blackhawk Network | 28 | $143k |
| 10 | Gigamon | 23 | $166k |
Where are H-1B Senior Staff Software Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara, CA | 264 | $179k |
| 2 | San Diego, CA | 231 | $155k |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | 137 | $172k |
| 4 | Mountain View, CA | 82 | $226k |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | 58 | $225k |
| 6 | Auburn Hills, MI | 53 | $120k |
| 7 | Austin, TX | 42 | $142k |
| 8 | San Ramon, CA | 33 | $171k |
| 9 | Pleasanton, CA | 29 | $168k |
| 10 | Seattle, WA | 23 | $230k |
Common questions about Senior Staff Software Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Senior Staff Software Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Senior Staff Software Engineer is $185k (FY2025), from 195 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $142k and $193k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Senior Staff Software Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Senior Staff Software Engineer are Qualcomm Technologies, Palo Alto Networks, Qualcomm Atheros.
- Where are most H-1B Senior Staff Software Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Senior Staff Software Engineer roles are Santa Clara, CA, San Diego, CA, San Jose, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Senior Staff 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 →