Prevailing Wage in California
H-1B wage levels and prevailing wages from 117,645 certified filings in California
$152,599Median Prevailing Wage
$162,261Avg. Actual Salary
+11%Salary vs Prevailing Wage
117,645Filings
According to TheRealSalaries.com analysis of official US Department of Labor filings (October 2024 - December 2025), the median H-1B prevailing wage in California is $152,599 across 117,645 certified filings, with actual salaries averaging 11% above the wage floor.
Wage Levels in California
| Level | Filings | Median Prevailing Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | 16,666 | $88,400 |
| Level II | 35,390 | $128,398 |
| Level III | 23,046 | $157,581 |
| Level IV | 20,785 | $185,994 |
Wage levels reflect experience and responsibility: Level I is entry level (17th percentile of the local wage distribution), Level IV is fully competent (67th percentile). See the national prevailing wage guide for full definitions.
Top H-1B Roles in California: Salary vs Prevailing Wage
| Job Title | Filings | Avg. Prevailing Wage | Avg. Actual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | 11,198 | $167,527 | $183,915 |
| Senior Software Engineer | 2,262 | $170,597 | $184,632 |
| Staff Software Engineer | 1,100 | $185,876 | $203,272 |
| Software Developer | 1,025 | $136,456 | $139,214 |
| Data Scientist | 954 | $145,840 | $167,445 |
| SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER II | 919 | $161,495 | $182,175 |
| Software Engineering | 786 | $181,145 | $195,517 |
| Product Manager | 713 | $161,998 | $185,786 |
| Research Scientist | 708 | $172,591 | $197,022 |
| Software Development Engineer | 648 | $167,380 | $178,113 |
More H-1B data for California: salaries by city and employer · prevailing wage guide · all sponsor companies