Software Developers: H-1B wage levels by area (2026-27)
For Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), the salary that reaches H-1B wage Level II ranges from $94,806 in Grand Rapids, MI to $187,075 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): $148,100
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
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 121,000 | $109,845 | $137,717 | $165,589 | $193,461 | 1 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 92,770 | $111,613 | $143,104 | $174,595 | $206,086 | 1 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 87,350 | $152,797 | $187,075 | $221,374 | $255,653 | 1 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 69,060 | $102,086 | $127,462 | $152,838 | $178,214 | 1 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 69,030 | $137,093 | $165,131 | $193,149 | $221,187 | 1 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 67,030 | $95,202 | $116,896 | $138,590 | $160,285 | 1 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 55,540 | $106,787 | $134,202 | $161,637 | $189,051 | 1 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 42,310 | $114,275 | $138,237 | $162,198 | $186,160 | 1 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 40,370 | $92,789 | $117,083 | $141,398 | $165,693 | 1 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 36,300 | $91,915 | $113,776 | $135,658 | $157,518 | 1 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 31,960 | $95,888 | $119,642 | $143,395 | $167,149 | 1 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 29,380 | $92,123 | $113,714 | $135,304 | $156,894 | 1 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 28,480 | $91,874 | $113,859 | $135,824 | $157,810 | 1 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 27,410 | $91,624 | $110,926 | $130,208 | $149,510 | 1 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 27,010 | $104,624 | $126,901 | $149,178 | $171,454 | 1 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 24,870 | $89,877 | $108,950 | $128,003 | $147,077 | 1 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 22,940 | $87,776 | $110,344 | $132,891 | $155,459 | 1 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 20,820 | $99,029 | $118,934 | $138,840 | $158,746 | 1 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 20,610 | $105,664 | $134,347 | $163,010 | $191,693 | 1 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 19,040 | $87,173 | $109,179 | $131,186 | $153,192 | 1 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 18,900 | $88,774 | $116,605 | $144,456 | $172,286 | 1 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 18,260 | $103,605 | $128,773 | $153,962 | $179,130 | 1 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 16,850 | $93,454 | $123,531 | $153,608 | $183,685 | 1 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 14,230 | $84,448 | $108,909 | $133,390 | $157,851 | 1 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 13,440 | $89,003 | $110,573 | $132,122 | $153,691 | 1 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 12,580 | $89,398 | $112,902 | $136,406 | $159,910 | 1 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 12,160 | $82,160 | $101,962 | $121,742 | $141,544 | 1 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 10,320 | $81,702 | $103,958 | $126,194 | $148,450 | 1 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 9,900 | $83,699 | $103,106 | $122,512 | $141,918 | 1 |
| Columbus, OH | 9,880 | $85,800 | $104,624 | $123,427 | $142,251 | 1 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 9,820 | $84,718 | $105,310 | $125,882 | $146,474 | 1 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 9,790 | $105,955 | $127,067 | $148,179 | $169,291 | 1 |
| Cleveland, OH | 8,460 | $83,013 | $101,234 | $119,434 | $137,654 | 1 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 8,010 | $89,877 | $109,886 | $129,875 | $149,885 | 1 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 7,870 | $83,949 | $108,722 | $133,494 | $158,267 | 1 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 7,750 | $86,174 | $105,290 | $124,426 | $143,541 | 1 |
| Richmond, VA | 7,680 | $94,162 | $116,646 | $139,110 | $161,595 | 1 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 7,460 | $107,078 | $129,896 | $152,714 | $175,531 | 1 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 7,200 | $88,400 | $109,346 | $130,312 | $151,258 | 1 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 7,160 | $84,448 | $106,787 | $129,106 | $151,445 | 1 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 7,140 | $77,667 | $95,805 | $113,942 | $132,080 | 1 |
| Boulder, CO | 7,130 | $112,778 | $139,485 | $166,213 | $192,920 | 1 |
| Huntsville, AL | 7,030 | $83,096 | $105,082 | $127,067 | $149,053 | 1 |
| Madison, WI | 6,720 | $88,109 | $108,451 | $128,814 | $149,157 | 1 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 6,170 | $84,677 | $102,586 | $120,494 | $138,403 | 1 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 6,010 | $95,077 | $114,733 | $134,368 | $154,024 | 1 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 5,030 | $90,085 | $111,883 | $133,702 | $155,501 | 1 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 5,020 | $91,915 | $111,530 | $131,165 | $150,779 | 1 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 4,850 | $95,784 | $119,974 | $144,186 | $168,376 | 1 |
| Rochester, NY | 4,650 | $85,114 | $104,270 | $123,427 | $142,584 | 1 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | 4,370 | $105,664 | $129,626 | $153,566 | $177,528 | 1 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 4,310 | $76,086 | $94,806 | $113,526 | $132,246 | 1 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 4,240 | $85,925 | $104,354 | $122,803 | $141,232 | 1 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 4,150 | $92,082 | $115,710 | $139,339 | $162,968 | 1 |
| Tucson, AZ | 4,060 | $84,198 | $104,083 | $123,968 | $143,853 | 1 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 3,960 | $84,760 | $106,558 | $128,357 | $150,155 | 1 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 3,920 | $85,405 | $102,565 | $119,746 | $136,906 | 1 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 3,910 | $80,662 | $99,840 | $119,018 | $138,195 | 1 |
| Birmingham, AL | 3,830 | $78,437 | $100,610 | $122,803 | $144,976 | 1 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 3,820 | $81,141 | $100,818 | $120,474 | $140,150 | 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 software developers is $148,100 (median $135,980). In 2 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
- Software Developers in New York, NY: Level II from $137,717
- Software Developers in Seattle, WA: Level II from $143,104
- Software Developers in San Jose, CA: Level II from $187,075
- Software Developers in Washington, DC: Level II from $127,462
- Software Developers in San Francisco, CA: Level II from $165,131
- Software Developers in Dallas, TX: Level II from $116,896
- Software Developers in Los Angeles, CA: Level II from $134,202
- Software Developers in Boston, MA: Level II from $138,237
- Software Developers in Chicago, IL: Level II from $117,083
- Software Developers in Atlanta, GA: Level II from $113,776
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 software developers?
They depend on the area. Among the 60 areas with the most jobs, Level I starts between $76,086 and $152,797 a year, and Level IV between $132,080 and $255,653.
What is the H-1B wage level for a software developer?
It depends on the salary and the area. In Seattle, WA, for example, Level I starts at $111,613, Level II at $143,104, Level III at $174,595 and Level IV at $206,086 a year (SOC 15-1252).
What is the H-1B Level II salary for software developers?
From $94,806 in Grand Rapids, MI to $187,075 in San Jose, CA among the main areas; in 2 of the 60 areas it is above the US mean wage of the occupation ($148,100).
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