Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering H-1B salaries — 184 certified filings (FY2017–FY2026)
- 40
- Filings · FY2025
- $137k
- Median base · FY2025
- $119k–$155k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Western Digital Technologies
- Top sponsor · 172 all-time
Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering: 184 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2017. In FY2025 the median base salary was $137k across 40 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $119k and $155k. The biggest sponsors are Western Digital Technologies, Hgst, Western Digital Fremont; most filings are in San Jose, CA.
How much does a Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering 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. $137k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering sponsorship changed?
2 certified filings in FY2017 → 24 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 24 | −40% | $154k |
| FY2025 | 40 | +18% | $137k |
| FY2024 | 34 | +48% | $137k |
| FY2023 | 23 | −8% | $135k |
| FY2022 | 25 | +67% | $125k |
| FY2021 | 15 | 0% | $105k |
| FY2020 | 15 | +275% | $112k |
| FY2019 | 4 | +100% | $103k |
| FY2018 | 2 | 0% | $90k |
| FY2017 | 2 | — | $107k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineerings?
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 | Western Digital Technologies | 172 | $131k |
| 2 | Hgst | 11 | $110k |
| 3 | Western Digital Fremont | 1 | $107k |
Where are H-1B Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 75 | $135k |
| 2 | Fremont, CA | 70 | $125k |
| 3 | Milpitas, CA | 19 | $127k |
| 4 | Santa Clara, CA | 5 | $142k |
| 5 | Sunnyvale, CA | 3 | $142k |
| 6 | Elk Grove, CA | 2 | $94k |
| 7 | Irvine, CA | 2 | $102k |
| 8 | Newark, CA | 2 | $105k |
| 9 | Blacksburg, VA | 1 | $130k |
| 10 | El Cerrito, CA | 1 | $164k |
Common questions about Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering is $137k (FY2025), from 40 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $115k and $145k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineerings?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering are Western Digital Technologies, Hgst, Western Digital Fremont.
- Where are most H-1B Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering roles are San Jose, CA, Fremont, CA, Milpitas, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering 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 →