Computer Programmers: H-1B wage levels by area (2026-27)
For Computer Programmers (SOC 15-1251), the salary that reaches H-1B wage Level II ranges from $47,299 in San Juan, PR to $124,405 in San Jose, CA among the 60 areas with the most jobs in the occupation (Department of Labor wage file for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, read on 7 November 2026). Level II gives 2 lottery entries, Level IV gives 4.
US mean wage (OEWS May 2025): $105,170
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor (OFLC), wage data file 2026-27 (OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip, updated 1 July 2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Read on 7 November 2026. U.S. government data, public domain.
Not legal or immigration advice. This page reports the Department of Labor wage file and the DHS rule as we read them. The level on a registration also depends on the job duties, the SOC code and the place of work chosen for the job, and the employer attests to it. Check with USCIS and the Department of Labor, and ask an immigration lawyer about your own case.
Wage levels in the 60 areas with the most jobs
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 6,670 | $82,430 | $105,539 | $128,648 | $151,757 | 1 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,400 | $69,181 | $88,504 | $107,827 | $127,150 | 1 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,260 | $71,843 | $89,003 | $106,163 | $123,323 | 1 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 2,680 | $78,936 | $103,230 | $127,546 | $151,840 | 1 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,440 | $76,565 | $101,670 | $126,776 | $151,882 | 1 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,990 | $91,291 | $110,323 | $129,376 | $148,408 | 2 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,770 | $65,125 | $86,070 | $107,037 | $127,982 | 1 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 1,770 | $38,397 | $59,966 | $81,515 | $103,085 | 3 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,600 | $85,634 | $107,016 | $128,378 | $149,760 | 1 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,600 | $82,846 | $106,080 | $129,293 | $152,526 | 1 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,570 | $75,941 | $91,853 | $107,744 | $123,656 | 1 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 1,430 | $65,686 | $76,794 | $87,922 | $99,029 | 1 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1,380 | $62,941 | $78,686 | $94,411 | $110,157 | 1 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1,340 | $63,482 | $81,370 | $99,237 | $117,125 | 1 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,260 | $73,902 | $89,523 | $105,165 | $120,786 | 1 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 1,150 | $89,565 | $107,827 | $126,090 | $144,352 | 1 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,100 | $67,517 | $86,133 | $104,728 | $123,344 | 1 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 980 | $98,280 | $124,405 | $150,509 | $176,634 | 1 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | 840 | $36,837 | $47,299 | $57,782 | $68,245 | 1 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 830 | $53,872 | $79,290 | $104,728 | $130,146 | 1 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 820 | $85,280 | $98,550 | $111,821 | $125,091 | 1 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 780 | $76,086 | $96,928 | $117,749 | $138,590 | 1 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 740 | $78,936 | $90,022 | $101,109 | $112,195 | 1 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 670 | $55,370 | $74,360 | $93,330 | $112,320 | 1 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 660 | $67,454 | $82,368 | $97,282 | $112,195 | 1 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 650 | $63,045 | $83,096 | $103,126 | $123,178 | 1 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 640 | $63,752 | $81,120 | $98,467 | $115,835 | 1 |
| Tallahassee, FL | 640 | $52,790 | $64,085 | $75,358 | $86,653 | 1 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 580 | $61,110 | $75,629 | $90,147 | $104,666 | 1 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 580 | $75,421 | $93,974 | $112,528 | $131,082 | 1 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 550 | $74,360 | $90,314 | $106,246 | $122,200 | 1 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 550 | $45,781 | $58,406 | $71,053 | $83,678 | 1 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 540 | $73,195 | $91,915 | $110,614 | $129,334 | 1 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 540 | $56,472 | $75,546 | $94,619 | $113,693 | 1 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 500 | $68,349 | $84,011 | $99,674 | $115,336 | 1 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | 490 | $89,690 | $109,782 | $129,896 | $149,989 | 1 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 480 | $63,710 | $84,344 | $104,957 | $125,590 | 4 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 450 | $74,901 | $91,270 | $107,640 | $124,010 | 1 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 430 | $74,672 | $86,362 | $98,051 | $109,741 | 1 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 420 | $67,496 | $86,008 | $104,499 | $123,011 | 1 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 420 | $57,678 | $74,027 | $90,355 | $106,704 | 1 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 420 | $63,939 | $83,845 | $103,771 | $123,677 | 2 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 410 | $69,306 | $86,611 | $103,917 | $121,222 | 1 |
| Columbus, OH | 410 | $56,742 | $72,405 | $88,067 | $103,730 | 1 |
| Cleveland, OH | 400 | $55,286 | $74,298 | $93,330 | $112,341 | 1 |
| Montgomery, AL | 390 | $62,192 | $78,333 | $94,494 | $110,635 | 1 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 390 | $68,910 | $86,674 | $104,437 | $122,200 | 1 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 370 | $61,402 | $74,922 | $88,442 | $101,962 | 1 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 370 | $78,478 | $93,746 | $108,992 | $124,259 | 1 |
| Bloomington, IN | 360 | $69,576 | $79,123 | $88,670 | $98,218 | 1 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 350 | $67,475 | $83,762 | $100,027 | $116,314 | 1 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 330 | $48,984 | $72,696 | $96,408 | $120,120 | 2 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 330 | $75,421 | $91,416 | $107,390 | $123,386 | 1 |
| Anchorage, AK | 320 | $72,405 | $85,530 | $98,675 | $111,800 | 1 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 320 | $58,781 | $72,134 | $85,509 | $98,862 | 1 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 310 | $51,709 | $69,264 | $86,798 | $104,354 | 1 |
| Richmond, VA | 310 | $73,237 | $92,498 | $111,758 | $131,019 | 1 |
| Tulsa, OK | 310 | $67,309 | $90,563 | $113,797 | $137,051 | 2 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 290 | $75,234 | $91,416 | $107,578 | $123,760 | 1 |
| Rochester, NY | 290 | $60,923 | $75,504 | $90,106 | $104,686 | 1 |
Yearly salary from which each level starts. Jobs: people employed in the occupation in the area (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Geo level 1 = wage computed from the area itself; 2 = area plus contiguous areas; 3 = statewide; 4 = national (OFLC). Tap a column heading to sort.
The US mean wage for computer programmers is $105,170 (median $100,390). In 7 of these 60 areas Level II starts above the US mean.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor (OFLC), wage data file 2026-27 (OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip, updated 1 July 2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Read on 7 November 2026. U.S. government data, public domain.
Area pages
Lottery entries
Level I = 1 entry, Level II = 2, Level III = 3, Level IV = 4 (90 FR 60864). DHS estimated a 15.29% chance at Level I and 61.16% at Level IV for its assumed pool: how the odds work.
Questions people ask
What are the H-1B wage level salary ranges for computer programmers?
They depend on the area. Among the 60 areas with the most jobs, Level I starts between $36,837 and $98,280 a year, and Level IV between $68,245 and $176,634.
What is the H-1B Level II salary for computer programmers?
From $47,299 in San Juan, PR to $124,405 in San Jose, CA among the main areas; in 7 of the 60 areas it is above the US mean wage of the occupation ($105,170).
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