Washington (WA)
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H1BIndex State Grade
i
C
FY 2026
2023
A+
2024
A+
2025
A+
Total State Visa Volume i
5,718
Filings in FY 2026
Median State Salary i
$162,000
Standard yearly salary
True Purchasing Power i
$140,747
Adjusted for Cost of Living
USCIS Approval Rate i
99.8%
Official Adjudication
State Economic & Immigration Overview
An automated macro-level review of Washington's tech ecosystem.Overall Washington Rating
Federal records show 5,718 total work visa filings for Washington. When we look at local wages and job availability, the region gets an official H1B Index Rating of "C".
Active Recruiting
Transferring workers is a primary hiring strategy in this state. Rather than bringing in new arrivals, 68.2% of applications shifted existing visa holders to new Washington employers.
Zero State Income Tax
Since Washington collects no state income tax, salaries naturally stretch further. Earning the median salary of $162,000 provides roughly $140,747 in true spending power after living costs.
Reliable Visa Process
If you want a stable career path, Washington is a great option. Companies successfully get 99.8% of their work visas approved, alongside 331 active Green Card sponsorships.
Seniority Focused
This state strongly utilizes seasoned expertise. Federal tracking confirms that 40.0% of the labor market here operates strictly at higher, senior wage tiers.
Biggest Job Market
Most of the businesses sponsoring visas in Washington are based in Seattle. This regional hiring is strongly driven by the Information & Tech industry.
Layoff Radar & Risk Indicators
US Worker Displacement Notice
State Economy Indicator: Currently, 75 Green Card employers (22.7%) in Washington operate under recent layoff conditions.
Top Metro Hubs in Washington
Hiring volume across major cities mapped against the state baseline compensation rate of $162,000.Talent Sourcing Pipeline
Are companies hiring fresh talent or poaching from competitors?Fresh Hires (31.8%)Corporate Poaching (68.2%)
State Wage Premium
$12,760
Above Legal Minimum
On average, employers in Washington offer salaries that are $12,760 higher than the baseline prevailing wage required by the Department of Labor.
10-Year Salary Trends
Comparing state-level base compensation growth for temporary H-1B visas versus permanent Green Cards (PERM). Long-Term Gain: +68.4%. The average salary here is notably higher now than in 2016.
Negative Difference: -$18,572. Getting permanent status in 2026 shows an unexpected pay drop of 11.4% across the state.
Top Hiring Employers
Companies sponsoring the most visas in this state.
Company & Median Pay
Total Approvals
Top Emerging Startups in Washington
Records show 2 recently founded companies actively expanding their foreign workforces in Washington.
O*NET Wage Level Distribution
Experience requirements matched against pay tiers across the state.| Experience Level | Total Filings | Cohort Size | Minimum Base | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (Level I) | 645 | 11.3% | $49,795 | $117,749 |
| Qualified (Level II) | 2,216 | 38.8% | $51,542 | $150,000 |
| Experienced (Level III) | 1,457 | 25.5% | $58,240 | $180,710 |
| Fully Competent (Level IV) | 833 | 14.6% | $80,288 | $213,850 |
| Not Disclosed (Blank) | 567 | 9.9% | $55,000 | $153,308 |
Geographic Deployment & Worksites
The top locations where state employers place their workers.| City/Metro Area | Workforce % | City Median Pay | Wage (Level IV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | 42.7% (2,439 Filings) | $157,800 | 11.6% |
| Redmond, WA | 21.3% (1,220 Filings) | $176,000 | 16.0% |
| Bellevue, WA | 20.9% (1,195 Filings) | $162,200 | 18.2% |
| Bothell, WA | 2.9% (164 Filings) | $149,240 | 15.9% |
| Kirkland, WA | 2.1% (121 Filings) | $174,000 | 20.7% |
| Issaquah, WA | 1.4% (81 Filings) | $149,240 | 14.8% |
| Vancouver, WA | 0.6% (37 Filings) | $127,800 | 16.2% |
| Richland, WA | 0.6% (35 Filings) | $114,546 | 5.7% |
| Lynnwood, WA | 0.6% (33 Filings) | $161,219 | 18.2% |
| Everett, WA | 0.5% (26 Filings) | $147,120 | 15.4% |
| Renton, WA | 0.5% (26 Filings) | $149,240 | 15.4% |
| Spokane, WA | 0.4% (24 Filings) | $105,276 | 12.5% |
| Sammamish, WA | 0.4% (21 Filings) | $187,408 | 47.6% |
| Snohomish, WA | 0.3% (17 Filings) | $154,565 | 5.9% |
| Olympia, WA | 0.3% (17 Filings) | $111,103 | 5.9% |
| Pullman, WA | 0.2% (14 Filings) | $102,564 | 0.0% |
| Kent, WA | 0.2% (13 Filings) | $156,652 | 23.1% |
| Tacoma, WA | 0.2% (12 Filings) | $126,470 | 0.0% |
| Marysville, WA | 0.2% (12 Filings) | $140,620 | 8.3% |
| Woodinville, WA | 0.2% (10 Filings) | $163,720 | 10.0% |
| Mercer Island, WA | 0.2% (9 Filings) | $185,000 | 33.3% |
| Maple Valley, WA | 0.2% (9 Filings) | $183,564 | 33.3% |
| Bellingham, WA | 0.2% (9 Filings) | $150,859 | 22.2% |
| Puyallup, WA | 0.1% (8 Filings) | $140,199 | 12.5% |
| Lake Stevens, WA | 0.1% (7 Filings) | $149,240 | 0.0% |
| Sumner, WA | 0.1% (7 Filings) | $133,229 | 0.0% |
| Federal Way, WA | 0.1% (6 Filings) | $144,269 | 16.7% |
| Black Diamond, WA | 0.1% (6 Filings) | $150,540 | 0.0% |
| Sultan, WA | 0.1% (6 Filings) | $160,120 | 33.3% |
| Seatac, WA | 0.1% (6 Filings) | $100,720 | 0.0% |
| Tukwila, WA | 0.1% (6 Filings) | $111,550 | 0.0% |
| Tumwater, WA | 0.1% (6 Filings) | $119,000 | 0.0% |
| Kenmore, WA | 0.1% (6 Filings) | $126,216 | 16.7% |
| Mountlake Terrace, WA | 0.1% (5 Filings) | $178,100 | 20.0% |
| Mill Creek, WA | 0.1% (5 Filings) | $163,322 | 40.0% |
| Monroe, WA | 0.1% (5 Filings) | $174,889 | 20.0% |
| Edmonds, WA | 0.1% (4 Filings) | $177,512 | 50.0% |
| Camas, WA | 0.1% (4 Filings) | $181,404 | 25.0% |
| Snoqualmie, WA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $149,240 | 0.0% |
| Lakewood, WA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $81,744 | 0.0% |
| Auburn, WA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $128,482 | 33.3% |
| Bothel, WA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $190,000 | 33.3% |
| Bonney Lake, WA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $160,000 | 33.3% |
| Covington, WA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $153,042 | 0.0% |
| West Richland, WA | 0.0% (2 Filings) | $112,270 | 0.0% |
| Walla Walla, WA | 0.0% (2 Filings) | $203,362 | 0.0% |
| Wenatchee, WA | 0.0% (2 Filings) | $112,154 | 50.0% |
| Sea-Tac, WA | 0.0% (2 Filings) | $132,805 | 0.0% |
| Prosser, WA | 0.0% (2 Filings) | $58,240 | 0.0% |
| Mount Vernon, WA | 0.0% (2 Filings) | $120,931 | 0.0% |
Most Poached Roles
Roles with the highest volume of H-1B transfers, indicating aggressive headhunting.
Role & Transfer Pay
Total Transferred
Dominant Industries
Distribution of cases by broad industry sector.34.2%
28.5%
24.6%
4.7%
2.3%
Historical Retention Rate
Year-over-year percentage of successful visa renewals and extensions.Top Third-Party End Clients i
Where consultants are deployed.
End Client & Placement Data
Total Approvals
Highest Compensation Roles i
Top positions ranked by median base pay.
Role & Market Data
Median Base
Law Firms & Third-Party Work i
Leading legal counsel for visas.
Law Firm & Market Data
Total Approvals
Visa Volume & Success
-84.9% YoY Decline
LCA approvals, denials, and overall certification rates.
USCIS Petition Processing
New vs. Renewed approvals and denials in the state.Green Card Sponsorships
PERM residency applications and median GC wages.Noticing a difference in dates? Salary metrics reflect real-time DOL filings, while approval metrics rely on finalized USCIS historical data. View timelines
Complete Employers Matrix
A detailed ledger of all corporate clients operating in Washington.| Sponsoring Employer | Market Share | LCA Count | Median Salary | Vs State Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Services LLC | 21.7% | 1,238 | $161,700 | Market Rate |
| Microsoft Corporation | 16.0% | 915 | $180,710 | +11.5% Avg |
| People Tech Group, Inc. | 5.8% | 330 | $117,749 | -27.3% Avg |
| Amazon Web Services, Inc. | 3.3% | 190 | $152,111 | -6.1% Avg |
| Amazon Development Center U.S., Inc. | 2.9% | 163 | $155,000 | -4.3% Avg |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. | 2.7% | 157 | $216,538 | +33.7% Avg |
| Google LLC | 1.6% | 90 | $175,500 | +8.3% Avg |
| Apple Inc. | 1.5% | 87 | $183,158 | +13.1% Avg |
| Expedia, Inc. | 1.1% | 65 | $150,886 | -6.9% Avg |
| Amazon Data Services, Inc. | 1.1% | 63 | $147,900 | -8.7% Avg |
| Salesforce, Inc. | 1.0% | 58 | $215,000 | +32.7% Avg |
| Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | 0.8% | 47 | $149,778 | -7.5% Avg |
| Linkedin Corporation | 0.8% | 43 | $180,710 | +11.5% Avg |
| Quadrant Technologies LLC | 0.7% | 41 | $115,170 | -28.9% Avg |
| T-Mobile USA, Inc. | 0.6% | 37 | $173,800 | +7.3% Avg |
| Battelle Memorial Institute | 0.6% | 35 | $113,832 | -29.7% Avg |
| University Of Washington | 0.6% | 34 | $86,856 | -46.4% Avg |
| Nvidia Corporation | 0.5% | 30 | $212,202 | +31.0% Avg |
| Infosys Limited | 0.5% | 29 | $111,550 | -31.1% Avg |
| Costco Wholesale Corporation | 0.5% | 28 | $150,000 | -7.4% Avg |
| Wipro Limited | 0.5% | 26 | $141,069 | -12.9% Avg |
| Snowflake Inc. | 0.5% | 26 | $188,812 | +16.6% Avg |
| Starbucks Coffee Company | 0.4% | 25 | $171,928 | +6.1% Avg |
| Nordstrom, Inc. | 0.4% | 25 | $165,000 | +1.9% Avg |
| Deloitte Consulting LLP | 0.4% | 25 | $157,978 | -2.5% Avg |
| Docusign Inc. | 0.4% | 22 | $180,710 | +11.5% Avg |
| Indeed, Inc. | 0.4% | 22 | $159,078 | -1.8% Avg |
| Ltimindtree Limited | 0.4% | 21 | $111,550 | -31.1% Avg |
| Doordash, Inc. | 0.4% | 21 | $153,600 | -5.2% Avg |
| Tata Consultancy Services Limited | 0.3% | 20 | $111,550 | -31.1% Avg |
| Snap Inc. | 0.3% | 20 | $180,710 | +11.5% Avg |
| Openai Opco, LLC | 0.3% | 19 | $255,000 | +57.4% Avg |
| Ust Global Inc. | 0.3% | 17 | $138,174 | -14.7% Avg |
| Uber Technologies, Inc. | 0.3% | 17 | $205,800 | +27.0% Avg |
| Wal-Mart Associates, Inc. | 0.3% | 17 | $195,396 | +20.6% Avg |
| At&T Services, Inc. | 0.3% | 16 | $171,542 | +5.9% Avg |
| Hcl America Inc. | 0.3% | 15 | $139,298 | -14.0% Avg |
| Qualtrics, LLC | 0.3% | 15 | $179,000 | +10.5% Avg |
| Pinterest, Inc. | 0.3% | 15 | $192,400 | +18.8% Avg |
| Servicenow, Inc. | 0.3% | 15 | $180,710 | +11.5% Avg |
Complete Jobs Matrix
The job titles most frequently sponsored in this state.| Job Title in State | LCA Count | Median Pay | Salary Variance | Legal Wage Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineering | 613 | $180,710 | $173,300 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Software Engineer | 345 | $177,000 | $218,392 Range | +$27,760 Over Min |
| Software Dev Engineer Ii | 308 | $164,650 | $43,600 Range | +$15,410 Over Min |
| Software Development Engineer Ii | 183 | $154,400 | $68,029 Range | +$5,160 Over Min |
| Software Dev Engineer Iii | 97 | $204,600 | $49,380 Range | +$23,890 Over Min |
| Senior Software Engineer | 87 | $188,000 | $173,450 Range | +$7,290 Over Min |
| Software Development Engineer Iii | 72 | $180,710 | $111,181 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Software Development Engineer I | 67 | $129,000 | $54,313 Range | +$11,251 Over Min |
| Software Dev Engineer I | 60 | $133,450 | $32,100 Range | +$15,701 Over Min |
| Software Development Engineer | 58 | $150,063 | $146,087 Range | Baseline Pay |
| It Consultant (Data Engineer) | 57 | $129,709 | $84,593 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Applied Scientist Ii | 52 | $169,600 | $92,680 Range | +$43,320 Over Min |
| It Consultant(Software Systems Engineer) | 48 | $111,550 | $55,474 Range | Baseline Pay |
| It Consultant(Software Developer) | 42 | $149,240 | $96,886 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Technical Program Management | 42 | $190,843 | $127,865 Range | +$51,545 Over Min |
| Manager Iii, Software Development | 39 | $198,390 | $78,779 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Product Management | 38 | $194,968 | $118,600 Range | +$55,670 Over Min |
| Data Engineer Ii | 37 | $143,500 | $73,042 Range | +$13,791 Over Min |
| Applied Sciences | 36 | $185,670 | $120,400 Range | +$22,348 Over Min |
| Computer Systems Analyst | 36 | $115,170 | $22,984 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Business Intelligence Engineer Ii | 34 | $129,709 | $83,798 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Software Developer | 32 | $118,000 | $85,235 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Staff Software Engineer | 29 | $212,202 | $111,217 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Technical Program Manager Iii | 29 | $146,757 | $87,750 Range | +$7,459 Over Min |
| Business Intelligence Engineer Iii | 27 | $144,626 | $57,248 Range | +$1,136 Over Min |
| Data Engineer Iii | 26 | $166,870 | $55,924 Range | +$3,548 Over Min |
| Software Engineer Ii | 26 | $161,407 | $96,251 Range | +$12,167 Over Min |
| Software Development Engineering | 24 | $201,942 | $57,325 Range | Baseline Pay |
| It Consultant (Web Developer ) | 23 | $100,714 | $48,693 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Product Manager | 23 | $179,000 | $163,450 Range | +$39,702 Over Min |
| Data Science | 22 | $182,634 | $90,650 Range | +$19,312 Over Min |
| Data Engineer | 20 | $150,063 | $162,959 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Machine Learning | 20 | $180,710 | $67,451 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Sr. Software Engineer | 20 | $165,443 | $98,900 Range | +$8,892 Over Min |
| Architect | 20 | $111,550 | $44,760 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Applied Scientist Iii | 19 | $176,940 | $57,347 Range | +$20,109 Over Min |
| Manager Iii, Software Dev | 19 | $208,200 | $51,800 Range | +$9,810 Over Min |
| Product Manager Iii - Technical | 19 | $139,298 | $72,365 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Product Manager Iii | 19 | $139,298 | $46,794 Range | +$13,354 Over Min |
| Research Scientist | 18 | $214,767 | $184,000 Range | +$36,761 Over Min |
Historical Compensation Ledger
Year-over-year salary data comparing historical averages.| Fiscal Year | YoY Growth | Maximum | Median | Top-Heavy Skew i | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | In Progress | $400,000 | $163,322 | Balanced | $23.00/hr |
| 2025 | +3.8% | $400,000 | $158,100 | Balanced | $20.00/hr |
| 2024 | +5.1% | $375,000 | $152,366 | Balanced | $17.00/hr |
| 2023 | +2.9% | $400,000 | $145,000 | Balanced | $15.00/hr |
| 2022 | +7.1% | $400,000 | $140,920 | Balanced | $17.00/hr |
| 2021 | +2.1% | $400,000 | $131,618 | Balanced | $16.00/hr |
| 2020 | +12.1% | $400,000 | $128,900 | Balanced | $13.00/hr |
| 2019 | +2.2% | $400,000 | $115,000 | Balanced | $15.00/hr |
| 2018 | +10.3% | $375,000 | $112,549 | Balanced | $14.00/hr |
| 2017 | +5.2% | $375,000 | $102,000 | Balanced | $0.00/hr |
| 2016 | N/A | $400,000 | $97,000 | Balanced | $13.00/hr |
Recent Visa Filings (FY 2026)
Raw, unedited federal disclosures processed in this state.State Intelligence (FAQ)
Common questions and insights regarding Washington.Which city in Washington pays the highest H-1B salaries?
For candidates looking to maximize compensation, Seattle leads the state with a median salary of $157,800.
Will I pay state taxes working in Washington?
Workers pay 0% in state income tax here. The median base pay of $162,000 is completely exempt from state-level deductions.
Is it easy to get Green Card sponsorship in Washington?
Companies in Washington invest in long-term talent, filing 331 Green Card applications for a 5.8% conversion rate.
What is the biggest hiring sector in Washington?
The Information & Tech sector represents the biggest sponsor, making up 34.2% of all local visa requests.