To see how much location moves pay, we took one occupation, Software Developers, and compared certified H-1B wages across every state with at least 500 filings, for applications received from October 2025 through June 2026. That leaves 28 states.
The highest and lowest medians
| State | Filings | Median wage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 25,758 | $187,741 | $160,000-$215,894 |
| Washington | 13,345 | $171,823 | $149,240-$194,400 |
| New York | 6,081 | $167,000 | $135,000-$200,000 |
| Massachusetts | 2,757 | $152,100 | $131,082-$175,000 |
| Oregon | 538 | $139,540 | $127,878-$161,740 |
| Colorado | 922 | $137,468 | $120,536-$160,000 |
| Texas | 20,589 | $126,000 | $112,923-$150,600 |
| Ohio | 2,230 | $114,754 | $101,899-$139,027 |
| South Carolina | 516 | $114,000 | $107,788-$139,266 |
| Indiana | 710 | $112,507 | $95,202-$130,000 |
The top four states are well ahead of everyone else. After Massachusetts the median falls by more than $12,000 in one step, and the other 24 states all sit between $112,000 and $140,000.
Texas is the surprise
Texas has 20,589 filings, the second most in the country, at a median of $126,000. That is $61,741 below California for the same occupation and lower than Illinois or Georgia. We read this as a difference in who files there as much as in what Texas employers pay, but the data alone cannot separate the two.
Cities matter more than states
State medians hide a lot. Among cities with at least 1,000 filings, the top of the list is all in the Bay Area:
| City | Filings | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Menlo Park, CA | 1,438 | $214,032 |
| San Francisco, CA | 3,368 | $200,000 |
| Mountain View, CA | 2,573 | $200,000 |
| San Jose, CA | 2,960 | $188,000 |
| Redmond, WA | 2,684 | $180,710 |
| New York, NY | 4,922 | $177,522 |
| Seattle, WA | 6,435 | $166,200 |
| Austin, TX | 3,520 | $140,000 |
A single employer can move these numbers. Meta's median for this occupation is $215,731, and Menlo Park's median sits close to it, so read that row with Meta in mind.
How to use this
These are wages employers attested to on filings, for H-1B workers, and they leave out bonus and equity. A filing is also not proof of a hire. For a closer comparison, look up the exact job title or employer, because a state median mixes junior and senior roles. We do not adjust for cost of living here.