H-1B Demand for Validation Engineers Surges, California Leads Hiring
Explore H-1B visa filings for Validation Engineers. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $116,646 |
| Salary Range | $72,925 - $252,000 |
| Top Sponsor | Amazon.com Services LLC |
| Primary Location | California |
Validation Engineers is one of the H-1B visa categories with 516 filings and an average salary of $111,221. Hiring for Validation Engineers has seen a significant surge in recent fiscal years, particularly in FY2025. California is the leading state for H-1B hires in this role, followed by Texas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Michigan. The number of job postings (f) is slightly higher than the number of certified positions (c), indicating a competitive market. The data suggests a strong and growing demand for Validation Engineers within the H-1B landscape.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $116,646 |
| Median Salary | $102,149 |
| 25th Percentile | $91,541 |
| 75th Percentile | $141,963 |
| Minimum Salary | $72,925 |
| Maximum Salary | $252,000 |
| 10th Percentile | $82,160 |
| 25th Percentile | $91,541 |
| Median (50th) | $102,149 |
| 75th Percentile | $141,963 |
| 90th Percentile | $170,248 |
| Average | $116,646 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 87 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 6 |
| H-1B1 CHILE | 4 |
| H-1B1 SINGAPORE | 3 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Services LLC | 5 | $152k |
| Eliquent Life Sciences | 3 | $108k |
| Unicon Pharma Inc | 3 | $96k |
| St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc. | 3 | $102k |
| UNITED PHARMA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. | 3 | $99k |
| UNICON SCIENCES INC | 3 | $92k |
| Applied Materials, Inc | 2 | $167k |
| Micron Technology, Inc. | 2 | $195k |
| Tesla, Inc. | 2 | $178k |
| Vastek Inc | 2 | $78k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| California | 25 |
| Texas | 10 |
| Indiana | 6 |
| Florida | 6 |
| Massachusetts | 5 |
| North Carolina | 5 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 |
| Minnesota | 5 |
| Colorado | 4 |
| Michigan | 4 |
Focus on developing specialized skills in areas like software validation, hardware testing, or specific industry domains (e.g., automotive, medical devices) to stand out in the competitive H-1B market for Validation Engineers.
The average H-1B salary for Validation Engineers is $111,221, with a median of $102,627. The 25th-75th percentile range is $92,144 to $123,157.
Top H-1B sponsors for Validation Engineers include Vastek Inc, INTELLECTT, INC., Amazon.com Services LLC, Sathram Corporation, ND Global Consulting Services Inc.. A total of 258 employers have filed for this role.
There are 516 H-1B filings on record for Validation Engineers positions. 99.2% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Validation Engineers positions are California (114), Texas (39), Massachusetts (37), New Jersey (35), Michigan (30).
Yes, Validation Engineers is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 516 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Validation Engineers salaries range from $62,400 to $232,192. The median salary is $102,627.
The approval rate for Validation Engineers H-1B petitions is 99.2%. The dramatic increase in FY2025 (494 applications) suggests a substantial upcoming demand or a shift in hiring strategies.
California consistently attracts the highest number of H-1B Validation Engineers, likely due to its tech industry concentration.
Focus on developing specialized skills in areas like software validation, hardware testing, or specific industry domains (e.g., automotive, medical devices) to stand out in the competitive H-1B market for Validation Engineers.
The ratio of postings to certified positions (f/c) is close to 1:1, implying that most certified positions are filled.
The Validation Engineers occupation (SOC code 17-211202) is classified under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SOC system groups workers into occupational categories based on the type of work performed, providing a standardized framework for comparing wages, employment levels, and workforce trends across the United States.
Validation Engineers positions fall within the specialty occupation category required for H-1B visa sponsorship, meaning they typically require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in the specific specialty. Based on H-1B filing data, the most common education requirement for Validation Engineers positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Validation Engineers positions show an average offered salary of $116,646, with a range from $72,925 at the entry level to $252,000 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in California (25 filings) and Texas (10 filings).
Career outlook for Validation Engineers professionals is closely tied to industry demand for specialized skills. Employers sponsoring H-1B workers for this role are demonstrating that they could not find sufficient qualified U.S. workers to fill these positions, which often signals strong demand and competitive compensation. Workers in this occupation may also be eligible for other visa categories including L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, or employment-based green card sponsorship through the PERM process.
To sponsor a foreign worker for an H-1B visa in a Validation Engineers role, U.S. employers must satisfy several requirements established by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and enforced by both the Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
The position must qualify as a "specialty occupation," meaning it requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific specialty directly related to the position. For Validation Engineers roles, H-1B filings indicate that employers most commonly require a Not Specified degree. USCIS evaluates whether the position itself, not just the employer's preference, genuinely requires specialized education.
Employers must pay H-1B workers at least the prevailing wage for the occupation in the geographic area of employment, as determined by the DOL. The prevailing wage is based on four skill levels (Level 1 through Level 4) that reflect the complexity of the job duties and required experience. For Validation Engineers positions, the average offered salary of $116,646 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 10.8%, with 63% of filings offering above the prevailing wage.
Before filing the H-1B petition, employers must obtain a certified LCA from the DOL. The LCA requires employers to attest to four conditions: (1) paying at least the prevailing wage or actual wage, whichever is higher; (2) providing working conditions that do not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers; (3) no strike or lockout at the worksite; and (4) proper notice of the filing to workers. The overall LCA approval rate for Validation Engineers positions is 98%.
The annual H-1B cap is set at 65,000 regular visas plus 20,000 for beneficiaries with U.S. master's degrees or higher (the "master's cap"). Certain employers, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations, are exempt from the cap. Validation Engineers positions at cap-exempt employers can be filed at any time during the year, while cap-subject employers must participate in the annual H-1B lottery, typically held in March for the following fiscal year.
H-1B visas are initially granted for up to three years and can be extended for a maximum of six years total. Workers who have an approved I-140 immigrant petition (part of the green card process) may be eligible for extensions beyond the six-year limit under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21). The average contract duration for Validation Engineers H-1B filings is approximately 34 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Validation Engineers positions.
Other H-1B job categories related to Validation Engineers, grouped by similar SOC classification codes.