Software Engineering salary in California
A real-employer view of Software Engineering pay, clustered from DOL OFLC certified filings. Variants like Senior, Lead, and II/III titles fold into this cluster — the wage range below reflects all of them.
Software Engineering in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 46 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $212,000. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level II — qualified | 5 | $186,200 |
| Level III — experienced | 7 | $234,350 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 4 | $224,604 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Software Engineering in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings. Click a company for its full H-1B salary breakdown.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Corporation | Software Engineering | 42 | $212,000 |
| Adenza, Inc. | Lead - Software Engineering | 1 | $223,208 |
| Boardvantage Inc. | Lead - Software Engineering | 1 | $179,888 |
| Medallia, Inc. | Software Engineering, Staff | 1 | $223,000 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc | Software Engineering | 1 | $186,200 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Software Engineering at Microsoft Corporation$205,920Mountain ViewDecided —I-200-26084-727779
- Software Engineering at Meta Platforms, Inc$186,200Menlo ParkWage Level IIDecided Mar 24, 2026I-200-26076-707709
- Lead - Software Engineering at Adenza, Inc.$223,208San FranciscoWage Level IVDecided Mar 19, 2026I-200-26071-699371
- Software Engineering, Staff at Medallia, Inc.$223,000PleasantonWage Level IVDecided Mar 17, 2026I-200-26069-691150
- Software Engineering at Microsoft Corporation$214,000Mountain ViewDecided Mar 16, 2026I-200-26068-688245
- Software Engineering at Microsoft Corporation$171,315San JoseDecided Mar 16, 2026I-200-26068-688271
- Software Engineering at Microsoft Corporation$178,000Mountain ViewDecided Mar 16, 2026I-200-26068-688172
- Software Engineering at Microsoft Corporation$161,637San MateoWage Level IIDecided Mar 16, 2026I-200-26068-688279
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.