Staff Software Engineer H-1B salaries — 11,475 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 1,713
- Filings · FY2025
- $181k
- Median base · FY2025
- $153k–$216k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Walmart Associates
- Top sponsor · 1,608 all-time
Staff Software Engineer: 11,475 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $181k across 1,713 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $153k and $216k. The biggest sponsors are Walmart Associates, Linkedin, Intuit; most filings are in Sunnyvale, CA.
How much does a 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. $181k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Staff Software Engineer sponsorship changed?
555 certified filings in FY2016 → 1,227 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 1,227 | −28% | $203k |
| FY2025 | 1,713 | +11% | $181k |
| FY2024 | 1,537 | +14% | $174k |
| FY2023 | 1,347 | −8% | $171k |
| FY2022 | 1,462 | +46% | $175k |
| FY2021 | 1,000 | +34% | $160k |
| FY2020 | 744 | −3% | $155k |
| FY2019 | 768 | +29% | $150k |
| FY2018 | 594 | +13% | $143k |
| FY2017 | 528 | −5% | $130k |
| FY2016 | 555 | — | $118k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B 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 | Walmart Associates | 1,608 | $160k |
| 2 | 634 | $184k | |
| 3 | Intuit | 563 | $171k |
| 4 | Qualcomm Technologies | 451 | $120k |
| 5 | Servicenow | 312 | $174k |
| 6 | 240 | $258k | |
| 7 | IBM | 237 | $94k |
| 8 | Uber Technologies | 225 | $234k |
| 9 | Home Depot Management | 208 | $155k |
| 10 | Qualcomm Atheros | 185 | $145k |
Where are H-1B Staff Software Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnyvale, CA | 1,550 | $179k |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | 909 | $204k |
| 3 | Mountain View, CA | 761 | $184k |
| 4 | San Diego, CA | 753 | $130k |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | 644 | $157k |
| 6 | Santa Clara, CA | 615 | $160k |
| 7 | Austin, TX | 434 | $133k |
| 8 | Bentonville, AR | 425 | $141k |
| 9 | Seattle, WA | 294 | $204k |
| 10 | New York, NY | 239 | $200k |
Common questions about Staff Software Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Staff Software Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Staff Software Engineer is $181k (FY2025), from 1,713 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $140k and $193k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Staff Software Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Staff Software Engineer are Walmart Associates, Linkedin, Intuit.
- Where are most H-1B Staff Software Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Staff Software Engineer roles are Sunnyvale, CA, San Francisco, CA, Mountain View, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean 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 →