Staff Engineer H-1B salaries — 4,893 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 501
- Filings · FY2025
- $155k
- Median base · FY2025
- $103k–$195k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Vmware
- Top sponsor · 568 all-time
Staff Engineer: 4,893 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $155k across 501 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $103k and $195k. The biggest sponsors are Vmware, Samsung Austin Semiconductor, Bti Solutions; most filings are in Palo Alto, CA.
How much does a 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. $155k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Staff Engineer sponsorship changed?
352 certified filings in FY2016 → 424 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 424 | −15% | $161k |
| FY2025 | 501 | +40% | $155k |
| FY2024 | 359 | −16% | $150k |
| FY2023 | 429 | −4% | $155k |
| FY2022 | 448 | −8% | $157k |
| FY2021 | 488 | −3% | $146k |
| FY2020 | 503 | −5% | $138k |
| FY2019 | 528 | +16% | $130k |
| FY2018 | 454 | +12% | $128k |
| FY2017 | 407 | +16% | $101k |
| FY2016 | 352 | — | $88k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B 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 | Vmware | 568 | $195k |
| 2 | Samsung Austin Semiconductor | 219 | $165k |
| 3 | Bti Solutions | 192 | $58k |
| 4 | Samsung Semiconductor | 162 | $164k |
| 5 | Arm | 145 | $155k |
| 6 | Mediatek USA | 133 | $132k |
| 7 | Terracon Consultants | 119 | $69k |
| 8 | Nutanix | 114 | $193k |
| 9 | Seagate US | 110 | $121k |
| 10 | Marvell Semiconductor | 78 | $130k |
Where are H-1B Staff Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto, CA | 558 | $195k |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | 474 | $172k |
| 3 | Austin, TX | 344 | $151k |
| 4 | Santa Clara, CA | 190 | $142k |
| 5 | San Diego, CA | 174 | $135k |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | 138 | $185k |
| 7 | Houston, TX | 131 | $70k |
| 8 | Bellevue, WA | 129 | $64k |
| 9 | New York, NY | 120 | $192k |
| 10 | Sunnyvale, CA | 108 | $175k |
Common questions about Staff Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Staff Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Staff Engineer is $155k (FY2025), from 501 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $81k and $180k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Staff Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Staff Engineer are Vmware, Samsung Austin Semiconductor, Bti Solutions.
- Where are most H-1B Staff Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Staff Engineer roles are Palo Alto, CA, San Jose, CA, Austin, TX.
- Does a certified LCA mean 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 →