H1B Report
Salary comparison

Software Developers vs Materials Engineers

Side-by-side H-1B prevailing-wage comparison using the same DOL LCA data that drives every page on H1B Report. Quartiles, hiring geography, top sponsors and yearly wage drift.

Occupation A
Software Developers
SOC 15-1252Rank #1
Occupation B
Materials Engineers
SOC 17-2131Rank #66

Key metrics

Wage figures are offered annual wage; volume is total LCA count.

MetricSoftware DevelopersMaterials Engineers
Median wage$102,000$91,470
P25 wage$84,000$76,918
P75 wage$130,000$112,986
Wage spread (P75 − P25)$46,000$36,068
Total filings2,765,22612,778
Wage samples2,760,33412,727
Rank#1#66

Median wage by year

Year-over-year drift of the typical offered wage.

Software Developers
Time series: 17 points from FY2010 to FY2026
Time series
PeriodValue
FY2010$80k
FY2011$80k
FY2012$81k
FY2013$82k
FY2014$82k
FY2015$82k
FY2016$84k
FY2017$90k
FY2018$93k
FY2019$96k
FY2020$103k
FY2021$112k
FY2022$115k
FY2023$120k
FY2024$124k
FY2025$133k
FY2026$143k
Materials Engineers
Time series: 17 points from FY2010 to FY2026
Time series
PeriodValue
FY2010$75k
FY2011$75k
FY2012$76k
FY2013$78k
FY2014$78k
FY2015$80k
FY2016$80k
FY2017$80k
FY2018$84k
FY2019$86k
FY2020$85k
FY2021$91k
FY2022$96k
FY2023$97k
FY2024$110k
FY2025$110k
FY2026$124k

Top 5 hiring states — Software Developers

  • 1CA571,349$130,000
  • 2TX328,305$98,910
  • 3WA175,348$135,000
  • 4NJ152,178$100,000
  • 5NY127,190$110,460

Top 5 hiring states — Materials Engineers

  • 1CA2,612$107,298
  • 2OR1,711$120,640
  • 3MI996$84,032
  • 4TX954$90,000
  • 5NY779$80,699
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Software Developers vs Materials Engineers — H-1B Salary Comparison · H1B Report