Sr. Staff Engineer H-1B salaries — 278 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 22
- Filings · FY2025
- $144k
- Median base · FY2025
- $135k–$227k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Comerica Management
- Top sponsor · 25 all-time
Sr. Staff Engineer: 278 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $144k across 22 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $135k and $227k. The biggest sponsors are Comerica Management, Seagate US, Samsung Semiconductor; most filings are in San Jose, CA.
How much does a Sr. 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. $144k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Sr. Staff Engineer sponsorship changed?
17 certified filings in FY2016 → 34 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 34 | +55% | $161k |
| FY2025 | 22 | +16% | $144k |
| FY2024 | 19 | −32% | $164k |
| FY2023 | 28 | −22% | $159k |
| FY2022 | 36 | +20% | $145k |
| FY2021 | 30 | +3% | $135k |
| FY2020 | 29 | +16% | $158k |
| FY2019 | 25 | +47% | $150k |
| FY2018 | 17 | −19% | $145k |
| FY2017 | 21 | +24% | $129k |
| FY2016 | 17 | — | $72k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Sr. 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 | Comerica Management | 25 | $126k |
| 2 | Seagate US | 17 | $146k |
| 3 | Samsung Semiconductor | 15 | $171k |
| 4 | Samsung Austin Semiconductor | 15 | $190k |
| 5 | Mediatek USA | 14 | $145k |
| 6 | Tenstorrent USA | 14 | $165k |
| 7 | Palo Alto Networks | 12 | $163k |
| 8 | Terracon Consultants | 11 | $77k |
| 9 | Goken America | 10 | $69k |
| 10 | Nutanix | 10 | $234k |
Where are H-1B Sr. Staff Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 42 | $177k |
| 2 | Austin, TX | 32 | $158k |
| 3 | Santa Clara, CA | 32 | $163k |
| 4 | San Diego, CA | 18 | $149k |
| 5 | Auburn Hills, MI | 18 | $125k |
| 6 | Longmont, CO | 16 | $145k |
| 7 | Dublin, OH | 10 | $69k |
| 8 | Frisco, TX | 7 | $130k |
| 9 | Grass Lake, MI | 6 | $86k |
| 10 | Irvine, CA | 6 | $149k |
Common questions about Sr. Staff Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Sr. Staff Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Sr. Staff Engineer is $144k (FY2025), from 22 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $123k and $175k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Sr. Staff Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Sr. Staff Engineer are Comerica Management, Seagate US, Samsung Semiconductor.
- Where are most H-1B Sr. Staff Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Sr. Staff Engineer roles are San Jose, CA, Austin, TX, Santa Clara, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Sr. 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 →