Electrical Engineers: H-1B wage levels by area (2026-27)
For Electrical Engineers (SOC 17-2071), the salary that reaches H-1B wage Level II ranges from $87,818 in Cleveland, OH to $159,890 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): $125,100
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
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 8,970 | $89,794 | $117,645 | $145,475 | $173,326 | 1 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 6,290 | $88,358 | $108,930 | $129,522 | $150,093 | 1 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 6,060 | $84,302 | $100,651 | $117,021 | $133,370 | 1 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 5,770 | $81,182 | $108,035 | $134,909 | $161,762 | 1 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 5,720 | $79,435 | $103,771 | $128,086 | $152,422 | 1 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 4,930 | $101,670 | $123,531 | $145,413 | $167,274 | 1 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 4,450 | $89,544 | $111,779 | $133,994 | $156,229 | 1 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4,290 | $81,411 | $99,715 | $118,040 | $136,344 | 1 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 4,160 | $130,686 | $159,890 | $189,072 | $218,275 | 1 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 4,070 | $93,205 | $125,403 | $157,602 | $189,800 | 1 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 4,030 | $87,818 | $109,616 | $131,435 | $153,234 | 1 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 3,910 | $80,995 | $102,939 | $124,883 | $146,827 | 4 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3,520 | $87,235 | $107,827 | $128,398 | $148,990 | 1 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3,420 | $75,795 | $92,539 | $109,262 | $126,006 | 1 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 2,770 | $81,182 | $104,562 | $127,941 | $151,320 | 1 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 2,620 | $86,840 | $107,037 | $127,254 | $147,451 | 1 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,470 | $106,038 | $133,973 | $161,886 | $189,821 | 1 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 2,410 | $85,155 | $103,022 | $120,910 | $138,778 | 1 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 2,400 | $82,638 | $106,808 | $130,978 | $155,147 | 1 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 2,320 | $92,040 | $108,826 | $125,611 | $142,397 | 1 |
| Huntsville, AL | 2,190 | $91,957 | $114,795 | $137,613 | $160,451 | 1 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 2,050 | $72,571 | $90,750 | $108,930 | $127,109 | 1 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 2,010 | $76,190 | $94,661 | $113,131 | $131,602 | 1 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 1,770 | $67,850 | $91,811 | $115,773 | $139,734 | 1 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 1,760 | $82,243 | $100,069 | $117,894 | $135,720 | 1 |
| Tucson, AZ | 1,690 | $87,173 | $105,269 | $123,344 | $141,440 | 1 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 1,630 | $78,645 | $95,035 | $111,426 | $127,816 | 1 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 1,500 | $74,693 | $105,227 | $135,782 | $166,317 | 1 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,500 | $72,405 | $90,958 | $109,512 | $128,066 | 1 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,420 | $93,142 | $117,000 | $140,837 | $164,694 | 1 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 1,410 | $82,077 | $96,366 | $110,677 | $124,966 | 1 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 1,380 | $78,395 | $91,374 | $104,333 | $117,312 | 1 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 1,290 | $81,099 | $102,648 | $124,218 | $145,766 | 1 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 1,280 | $112,341 | $135,179 | $157,997 | $180,835 | 1 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 1,260 | $76,794 | $93,434 | $110,094 | $126,734 | 1 |
| Cleveland, OH | 1,180 | $73,195 | $87,818 | $102,440 | $117,062 | 1 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 1,170 | $79,310 | $95,701 | $112,112 | $128,502 | 1 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 1,160 | $73,736 | $88,587 | $103,438 | $118,290 | 1 |
| Richmond, VA | 1,160 | $85,363 | $101,629 | $117,874 | $134,139 | 1 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,150 | $79,893 | $98,259 | $116,605 | $134,971 | 1 |
| Columbus, OH | 1,100 | $74,922 | $90,584 | $106,246 | $121,909 | 1 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | 1,050 | $103,251 | $126,069 | $148,907 | $171,725 | 1 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 1,020 | $80,413 | $104,707 | $129,022 | $153,317 | 1 |
| Rochester, NY | 1,000 | $82,638 | $99,154 | $115,648 | $132,163 | 1 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 990 | $84,074 | $99,237 | $114,421 | $129,584 | 1 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 960 | $80,995 | $100,131 | $119,246 | $138,382 | 1 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 930 | $74,214 | $91,603 | $109,013 | $126,402 | 1 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 910 | $80,933 | $103,438 | $125,965 | $148,470 | 1 |
| Birmingham, AL | 900 | $76,336 | $96,845 | $117,374 | $137,883 | 1 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 830 | $82,680 | $103,979 | $125,299 | $146,598 | 1 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 820 | $73,757 | $97,323 | $120,890 | $144,456 | 1 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 810 | $79,082 | $97,219 | $115,336 | $133,474 | 1 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 810 | $76,315 | $97,864 | $119,413 | $140,962 | 1 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 740 | $79,394 | $97,344 | $115,315 | $133,266 | 1 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 720 | $76,648 | $95,909 | $115,170 | $134,430 | 1 |
| Tulsa, OK | 710 | $82,930 | $97,011 | $111,093 | $125,174 | 1 |
| Syracuse, NY | 700 | $84,531 | $100,360 | $116,168 | $131,997 | 1 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 690 | $77,251 | $94,224 | $111,176 | $128,149 | 1 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 690 | $75,150 | $93,101 | $111,072 | $129,022 | 1 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 660 | $76,170 | $93,829 | $111,509 | $129,168 | 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 electrical engineers is $125,100 (median $120,630). In 5 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
- Electrical Engineers in Los Angeles, CA: Level II from $117,645
- Electrical Engineers in New York, NY: Level II from $108,930
- Electrical Engineers in Detroit, MI: Level II from $100,651
- Electrical Engineers in Houston, TX: Level II from $108,035
- Electrical Engineers in Dallas, TX: Level II from $103,771
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 electrical engineers?
They depend on the area. Among the 60 areas with the most jobs, Level I starts between $67,850 and $130,686 a year, and Level IV between $117,062 and $218,275.
What is the H-1B Level II salary for electrical engineers?
From $87,818 in Cleveland, OH to $159,890 in San Jose, CA among the main areas; in 5 of the 60 areas it is above the US mean wage of the occupation ($125,100).
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