Which city has the highest H-1B salaries?

Among cities with at least 1,000 H-1B filings, Menlo Park CA leads with an average annual wage of $197,065, followed by Mountain View CA ($185,874), San Mateo CA ($183,370), Palo Alto CA ($178,931), and Cupertino CA ($178,197). These Silicon Valley cities dominate because the area's tech employers — Google, Meta, Apple, LinkedIn — pay significantly above national averages. Data from DOL LCA disclosures, 2021-2026, annual wages only.

Which city has the most H-1B workers?

New York City has the most H-1B LCA filings of any U.S. city, with 81,324 certified filings from 2021-2026 at an average annual wage of $154,406. Seattle ranks second (35,222 filings, $152,299 avg), followed by Austin TX (34,009 filings, $129,162), San Francisco CA (30,616 filings, $174,822), and San Jose CA (27,202 filings, $169,391). Source: DOL LCA disclosure data.

What is the average H-1B salary in San Francisco?

The average H-1B salary in San Francisco is $174,822 per year, based on 30,616 certified LCA filings from 2021-2026 (annual wages). The San Jose metro area (Silicon Valley) is comparable at $169,391 average across 27,202 filings. These are among the highest H-1B wages in the U.S., reflecting the concentration of high-paying tech employers in the Bay Area.

What is the average H-1B salary in New York City?

The average H-1B salary in New York City is $154,406 per year, based on 81,324 certified LCA filings from 2021-2026 (annual wages). New York has the highest volume of any city — more than double Seattle in second place — driven by finance, consulting, and tech sector filings. Finance and consulting firms pay somewhat lower average wages than Bay Area tech companies.

What is the average H-1B salary in Austin, Texas?

The average H-1B salary in Austin TX is $129,162 per year, based on 34,009 certified LCA filings from 2021-2026 (annual wages). Austin is the third-largest H-1B city by volume, primarily due to Dell Technologies, Apple (Austin campus), Tesla, Oracle, and numerous consulting firms. Austin's lower cost of living combined with its tech growth has made it one of the fastest-growing H-1B markets since 2020.

What is the average H-1B salary in Seattle?

The average H-1B salary in Seattle WA is $152,299 per year, based on 35,222 certified LCA filings from 2021-2026 (annual wages). The Seattle metro area including Redmond ($160,280 avg, 22,540 filings) and Bellevue ($158,025 avg, 18,633 filings) is dominated by Amazon and Microsoft, which together account for a large share of the area's H-1B activity.

Why do Texas cities have lower H-1B salaries than California?

Texas H-1B cities (Dallas $117,438, Irving $111,010, Austin $129,162) show lower average wages than California metros (San Francisco $174,822, San Jose $169,391) for two reasons: (1) Texas has a higher proportion of IT consulting firm filings — Cognizant, TCS, HCL, Infosys all have major Texas operations and file at Level I-II wages — and (2) the DOL prevailing wage thresholds are lower in Texas metros, so the same job title legally qualifies for a lower minimum wage than in California.

H-1B Salaries by City: Where Do Visa Holders Earn the Most?

Updated June 2026 · Based on certified LCA filings with annual wages, 2021–2026 · Source: U.S. Department of Labor

Highest-Paying Cities for H-1B Workers

Cities ranked by average annual wage on H-1B LCA filings (minimum 1,000 filings, annual wages only to exclude hourly outliers):

#	City	State	Avg Annual Wage	Filings
1	Menlo Park	CA	$197,065	9,329
2	Mountain View	CA	$185,874	16,581
3	San Mateo	CA	$183,370	2,834
4	Palo Alto	CA	$178,931	8,137
5	Cupertino	CA	$178,197	8,587
6	San Francisco	CA	$174,822	30,616
7	Sunnyvale	CA	$173,322	25,041
8	Santa Clara	CA	$169,944	17,913
9	San Jose	CA	$169,391	27,202
10	Redwood City	CA	$166,444	2,591
11	Kirkland	WA	$163,489	2,420
12	Redmond	WA	$160,280	22,540
13	Bellevue	WA	$158,025	18,633
14	Seattle	WA	$152,299	35,222
15	New York	NY	$154,406	81,324

The top 14 cities are all in California and Washington state. Bay Area dominance reflects the concentration of direct tech employers (Google, Meta, Apple, Salesforce) paying Level III–IV wages. Source: DOL LCA Disclosure Data, 2021–2026, annual wages.

Most Popular H-1B Cities by Filing Volume

New York City leads by a wide margin, driven by finance, consulting, and tech. Texas appears four times in the top 15 due to large IT consulting firm operations.

#	City	State	LCA Filings	Avg Annual Wage
1	New York	NY	81,324	$154,406
2	Seattle	WA	35,222	$152,299
3	Austin	TX	34,009	$129,162
4	San Francisco	CA	30,616	$174,822
5	San Jose	CA	27,202	$169,391
6	Sunnyvale	CA	25,041	$173,322
7	Chicago	IL	24,776	$123,384
8	Atlanta	GA	22,811	$118,719
9	Redmond	WA	22,540	$160,280
10	Dallas	TX	22,299	$117,438
11	Irving	TX	20,918	$111,010
12	Houston	TX	20,628	$112,127
13	Plano	TX	20,504	$116,192
14	Bellevue	WA	18,633	$158,025
15	Santa Clara	CA	17,913	$169,944

Key Insights

Silicon Valley vs. the Rest

The wage gap between Silicon Valley and other metro areas is stark. Menlo Park's $197,065 average is 68% higher than Austin's $129,162 and 78% higher than Dallas's $117,438. This gap persists even for identical job titles because (1) prevailing wage thresholds are higher in Bay Area metros, and (2) the employer mix in California skews heavily toward direct tech employers at Level III–IV, while Texas skews toward consulting firms at Level I–II.

New York's Volume Advantage

New York City's 81,324 filings make it the largest H-1B market by volume — more than Seattle (35,222), Austin (34,009), and San Francisco (30,616) combined. This reflects New York's diverse H-1B employer base: Wall Street financial firms (JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup), consulting firms, healthcare systems, and a large tech presence.

Texas: High Volume, Lower Wages

Texas cities (Austin, Dallas, Irving, Houston, Plano) appear disproportionately in volume rankings because large IT consulting firms — Cognizant, TCS, HCL, Infosys, Wipro — have major operations there. These firms file at Level I–II wages averaging $83,000–$110,000, pulling city averages below what direct employers pay.

The FY2027 Lottery Geography Effect

Under the FY2027 wage-weighted lottery, work location matters: prevailing wage thresholds vary by metro area, so a $150,000 salary might be Level II in San Jose but Level III in Dallas. Workers sponsored for high-cost metros may have a lottery advantage if their wage level is higher, even if their purchasing power is similar.

Use our Wage Level Calculator to check your level for any city and occupation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What city has the highest H-1B salary?

Menlo Park, CA leads with an average of $197,065 (9,329 filings, 2021–2026). It is home to Meta's headquarters. The broader Silicon Valley corridor — Mountain View, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Sunnyvale — clusters between $173,000 and $186,000.

What city files the most H-1B visas?

New York City files the most H-1B LCAs with 81,324 certified filings from 2021–2026, at an average annual wage of $154,406. Seattle ranks second (35,222 filings), Austin third (34,009).

Is Austin a good city for H-1B workers?

Austin has grown significantly as an H-1B destination (34,009 filings, third nationally) due to Dell, Apple, Tesla, Oracle, and a growing tech scene. The average wage of $129,162 is lower than Bay Area and Seattle, but Austin's lower cost of living partially offsets this. Dell Technologies, Amazon, and Google all have major Austin presences.

Why does Bellevue have high H-1B wages?

Bellevue WA averages $158,025 across 18,633 filings because it is home to Microsoft's major campus (Redmond is adjacent) and a large concentration of tech companies. The Seattle–Redmond–Bellevue corridor consistently shows wages at or above $150,000.

Explore H-1B Data by City

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