Software Developers H1B Salary in Palo Alto, CA
SOC 15-1252.00· Last updated from DOL OFLC Disclosure Data · FY2026
The median H1B base salary for Software Developers in Palo Alto, CA is $188,306, based on 4,838 disclosure filings to the U.S. Department of Labor through FY2026.
Source: DOL OFLC Disclosure Data (FY2026) · About
Median H1B Wage
$188,306
Total H1B Filings
4,838
Wage Range
$99,383 – $500,000
Prevailing Wage Premium
+9.0% above
Filings at prevailing wage
14%
Share of H-1B filings offering exactly the DOL prevailing wage.
Top H1B Employers in Palo Alto
H-1B Wage Distribution
- P25 $165,629
- P50 (median) $188,306
- P75 $216,905
- P90 $241,800
Counts are H-1B disclosure filings (LCA filing-level counts, not distinct individuals or hires). The median (P50) equals the headline median, $188,306.
H-1B Prevailing-Wage Level Mix
- Level I (entry)10.4%(514)
- Level II25.3%(1,257)
- Level III18.9%(936)
- Level IV (expert)12.7%(629)
- Unknown32.7%(1,624)
OEWS prevailing-wage levels claimed on the filings (Level I entry → Level IV expert); filing-level counts. Wage level affects lottery odds →
FY2027 Lottery Entry Weighting
Under the FY2027 weighted H-1B selection, a cap-subject registration earns pool entries equal to its OEWS wage level — Level IV gets 4×the entries of Level I. More entries mean proportionally better odds, but the actual odds also depend on the national applicant pool, which is unknown until the draw runs — so this card shows the entry weighting, not a chance of being selected.
2.50 entries
Average lottery entries per registration for this role and area under FY2027 weighting (1 = entry-level, 4 = highest).
- Level I (entry)1×15.4% of filings (514)
- Level II2×37.7% of filings (1,257)
- Level III3×28.1% of filings (936)
- Level IV (expert)4×18.8% of filings (629)
46.9% of level-tagged filings here are Level III–IV (3–4 entries each). The draw stays beneficiary-centric: one person is one unit no matter how many employers register them, and if the same beneficiary is registered at different wage levels, the lowest level sets the weight.
Rules as of July 24, 2026; effective for FY2027 (DHS weighted selection, eff. Feb 27 2026); subject to ongoing litigation.
FY2027 DHS weighted selection · OEWS wage levels · entry weighting only, not a guarantee of selection.
Where Does My Offer Stand?
Type an offered annual wage to see where it stands among this page's H-1B filings — and the FY2027 lottery entry weight it would earn in this metro. Your offer is computed in your browser and added to this page's link so you can share it; your last valid offer is also saved in this browser's local storage on this device to prefill your next visit. It is sent to our servers only if you download the snapshot card.
P10 $147,000 · P50 $188,306 · P90 $241,800
LCA filing-level counts, not distinct individuals or hires.
Entry weighting reflects 3,240 level-tagged filings in this metro's lottery pool (6-digit SOC × metro — a wider universe than this page's filing count). The draw stays beneficiary-centric: one person is one unit, and if the same beneficiary is registered at different wage levels, the lowest level sets the weight.
Official DOL OFLC prevailing wage levels, 2025–26 wage year (BLS May 2024 OEWS).
DOL has proposed raising the Level I–IV wage thresholds (rulemaking pending, 2026); the breakpoints shown reflect current OEWS levels.
Rules as of July 24, 2026; effective for FY2027 (DHS weighted selection, eff. Feb 27 2026); subject to ongoing litigation.
H-1B Year-Over-Year Trend
- FY2022 246 filings · $180,000
- FY2023 1,409 filings · $180,000
- FY2024 1,251 filings · $187,200
- FY2025 1,514 filings · $197,500
- FY2026 (partial) 540 filings · $197,621
Bars are LCA filing-level counts per fiscal year (not distinct cases; they don’t sum to the headline total). The latest FY is a partial year — shown hatched/faded with a dashed median line, not a completed trend point. Earlier years may be affected by SOC occupation-code revisions, so volumes aren’t strictly comparable across the full range.
Software Developers in Palo Alto, CA — H-1B wage summary (FY2021–2026)
As of FY2026, Software Developers (SOC 15-1252.00) in Palo Alto, CA has 4,838 H-1B LCA filings on record with a median annual wage of $188,306, representing a 9.0% premium above the DOL prevailing wage for this occupation in this metro area. The top employers were VMware, Amazon, and Tesla. Source: U.S. Department of Labor OFLC Disclosure Data, aggregated and analyzed by VisaSalaries Research. https://visasalaries.com/about
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median H1B salary for Software Developers in Palo Alto?
The median H1B base salary for Software Developers in Palo Alto, CA is $188,306, based on 4,838 labor condition application (LCA) filings disclosed by the U.S. Department of Labor through FY2026.
How many H1B applications are filed for Software Developers in Palo Alto?
There are 4,838 H1B LCA filings on record for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252.00) in Palo Alto, CA with the U.S. Department of Labor through FY2026.
What is the H1B salary range for Software Developers in Palo Alto?
Disclosed H1B annual wages for Software Developers in Palo Alto, CA range from $99,383 to $500,000, based on DOL OFLC filings through FY2026.
How do Software Developers H1B wages in Palo Alto compare to the prevailing wage?
The median H1B wage for Software Developers in Palo Alto, CA is 9.0% above the U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage for this occupation in this metro area.
Which employers file the most H1B applications for Software Developers in Palo Alto?
The top H1B sponsors for Software Developers in Palo Alto, CA are VMware, Amazon, and Tesla. Source: DOL OFLC Disclosure Data.
What SOC code is Software Developers?
Software Developers is classified under SOC code 15-1252.00 in the U.S. Department of Labor Standard Occupational Classification system.
Where does this Software Developers salary data for Palo Alto come from?
All figures are aggregated from U.S. Department of Labor OFLC disclosure filings (H-1B LCA records) for worksites in Palo Alto, CA by VisaSalaries and updated quarterly. See our data overview at https://visasalaries.com/about for details.