Sales Engineers salary
in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Middle 50%
- $141,930–$209,730
- vs U.S. median
- +42%
- Metro rank
- #1 of 41
Sales Engineers in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro earn a median of $177,490 a year, based on BLS estimates for 1,600 jobs (May 2025). That is 42% above the U.S. median of $124,900 and 28% above the CA statewide median of $139,160. It ranks #1 of 41 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE1,600 jobs (estimate)
- SCOPEall employers, all experience levels
- PERIODMay 2025 estimates
Full percentile breakdown
BLS · metro vs U.S.
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Employers filing for this job in San Jose
12 employers · DOL
Median of each employer’s DOL LCA filings (5+ filings) in this metro, FY2026 Q3. Visa-sponsored positions only, base pay.
| Employer | Median base | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto Networks | $233,247 | 7 |
| HCL America | $209,351 | 6 |
| KLA | $203,484 | 5 |
| NVIDIA | $202,354 | 62 |
| $200,000 | 55 | |
| Cisco Systems | $199,714 | 18 |
| Microsoft | $194,605 | 5 |
| ServiceNow | $194,423 | 22 |
| Infineon Technologies Americas | $185,836 | 7 |
| Rubrik | $185,000 | 5 |
| Cadence Design Systems | $184,040 | 28 |
| Siemens Industry Software | $162,131 | 10 |
Sales Engineers pay in other CA metros
4 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $151,610 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $138,560 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $133,380 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $122,610 |
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Questions
What is the average Sales Engineers salary in San Jose?
The BLS median is $177,490 a year (May 2025). Half of the 1,600 jobs pay between $141,930 and $209,730. The 10th percentile is $100,830 and the 90th is $242,520.
Is San Jose a high-paying metro for Sales Engineers?
That is 42% above the U.S. median of $124,900 and 28% above the CA statewide median of $139,160. It ranks #1 of 41 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Sales Engineers make an hour in San Jose?
About $85.33 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $177,490 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $68.24–$100.83 an hour. Straight-time pay, before overtime and shift differentials.
Does this include experience levels?
BLS figures cover all experience levels together. Employer filings carry a DOL wage level, which the free checker can filter by (approximate).
Which employers pay Sales Engineers the most in San Jose?
Among employers with 5+ visa-sponsored filings here, the highest medians were Palo Alto Networks ($233,247), HCL America ($209,351), KLA ($203,484). These are base wages for sponsored positions, not all employees.
Sources: U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state) (metro area estimates, all employers); employer rows from U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Base pay only. Estimates can have sampling error, especially for smaller metros.