Software Principal Engineer H-1B salaries — 675 certified filings (FY2017–FY2026)
- 67
- Filings · FY2025
- $183k
- Median base · FY2025
- $173k–$200k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Emc
- Top sponsor · 239 all-time
Software Principal Engineer: 675 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2017. In FY2025 the median base salary was $183k across 67 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $173k and $200k. The biggest sponsors are Emc, Dell Products L P, Data Domain; most filings are in Round Rock, TX.
How much does a Software 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. $183k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Software Principal Engineer sponsorship changed?
47 certified filings in FY2017 → 44 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 44 | −34% | $187k |
| FY2025 | 67 | +10% | $183k |
| FY2024 | 61 | +17% | $171k |
| FY2023 | 52 | −42% | $163k |
| FY2022 | 89 | +19% | $165k |
| FY2021 | 75 | −13% | $137k |
| FY2020 | 86 | +5% | $135k |
| FY2019 | 82 | +14% | $128k |
| FY2018 | 72 | +53% | $125k |
| FY2017 | 47 | — | $116k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Software 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 | Emc | 239 | $165k |
| 2 | Dell Products L P | 203 | $140k |
| 3 | Data Domain | 45 | $156k |
| 4 | Secureworks | 36 | $143k |
| 5 | Dell USA L P | 29 | $120k |
| 6 | Boomi L P | 22 | $170k |
| 7 | Rsa Security | 16 | $129k |
| 8 | Dell Products | 14 | $127k |
| 9 | Isilon Systems | 14 | $147k |
| 10 | Boomi | 14 | $152k |
Where are H-1B Software Principal Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Round Rock, TX | 149 | $140k |
| 2 | Santa Clara, CA | 87 | $166k |
| 3 | Austin, TX | 77 | $140k |
| 4 | Hopkinton, MA | 69 | $140k |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | 45 | $160k |
| 6 | Research Triangle Park, NC | 17 | $142k |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA | 15 | $143k |
| 8 | Durham, NC | 14 | $144k |
| 9 | Chesterbrook, PA | 13 | $139k |
| 10 | Conshohocken, PA | 10 | $166k |
Common questions about Software Principal Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Software Principal Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Software Principal Engineer is $183k (FY2025), from 67 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $126k and $172k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Software Principal Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Software Principal Engineer are Emc, Dell Products L P, Data Domain.
- Where are most H-1B Software Principal Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Software Principal Engineer roles are Round Rock, TX, Santa Clara, CA, Austin, TX.
- Does a certified LCA mean Software 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 (FY2017–FY2026). An LCA is not an approved visa; pay figures are base salary and exclude bonus and equity. Methodology →