Photonics Engineers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Employers filed 550 applications covering 643 positions for this role here, at a median of $164,218 a year. 285 of those state a minimum and no maximum — a Labor Condition Application commits an employer to a floor, not to a salary.
What the government requires here
The prevailing wage for Photonics Engineers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, wage year 2025-26 — the four levels an employer must meet depending on the experience the role demands.
| Level | Who it is for | A year |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | Entry: a role needing basic understanding and close supervision | $100,318 |
| Level II | Qualified: some experience, moderate supervision | $129,459 |
| Level III | Experienced: sound understanding, limited supervision | $158,621 |
| Level IV | Fully competent: judgement, may supervise others | $187,762 |
Who filed, and at what
| Employer | Level | Filings | Positions | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KLA Corporation | Level III | 28 | 28 | $174,404 |
| Apple Inc. | Level III | 23 | 49 | $158,621 |
| Apple Inc. | Level II | 21 | 65 | $147,400 |
| KLA Corporation | Level II | 20 | 20 | $151,100 |
| Apple Inc. | Level IV | 15 | 19 | $187,762 |
| Google LLC | Level II | 13 | 13 | $198,000 |
| Aurora Operations, Inc. | Level II | 12 | 12 | $139,000 |
| Aurora Operations, Inc. | Level III | 12 | 12 | $162,000 |
| Tesla, Inc. | Level II | 11 | 11 | $216,777 |
| Tesla, Inc. | Level III | 10 | 10 | $229,565 |
| Google LLC | Level IV | 9 | 9 | $233,000 |
| ASML US, LP | Level II | 8 | 8 | $131,425 |
| KLA Corporation | Level IV | 8 | 8 | $206,781 |
| Applied Materials, Inc. | Level III | 7 | 7 | $164,213 |
| Aurora Operations, Inc. | Level IV | 6 | 6 | $187,881 |
| KLA Corporation | Level I | 6 | 6 | $125,652 |
| Apple Inc. | Level I | 5 | 21 | $126,800 |
| Applied Intuition, Inc. | Level III | 5 | 5 | $158,621 |
| ASML US, LP | Level III | 5 | 5 | $160,125 |
| Ayar Labs, Inc. | Level III | 5 | 5 | $178,530 |
| General Motors | Level IV | 5 | 5 | $210,000 |
| Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. | Level II | 5 | 5 | $153,300 |
| Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. | Level IV | 5 | 5 | $188,000 |
| Kodiak Robotics, Inc. | Level III | 5 | 5 | $185,000 |
| Matic Robots, Inc. | Level II | 5 | 7 | $166,566 |
| Matic Robots, Inc. | Level IV | 5 | 5 | $200,000 |
| PsiQuantum Corp. | Level III | 5 | 5 | $158,621 |
| Waymo LLC | Level II | 5 | 5 | $205,000 |
| Applied Intuition, Inc. | Level I | 4 | 4 | $126,250 |
| Applied Materials, Inc. | Level IV | 4 | 4 | $194,431 |
| Auris Health, Inc. | Level III | 4 | 4 | $174,000 |
| Auris Health, Inc. | Level IV | 4 | 4 | $202,100 |
| Blue River Technology | Level IV | 4 | 4 | $215,000 |
| Dexmate Inc. | Level II | 4 | 4 | $129,459 |
| DiDi Research America, LLC | Level II | 4 | 4 | $129,459 |
| EDF Inc. | Level I | 4 | 4 | $100,318 |
| Kodiak Robotics, Inc. | Level IV | 4 | 4 | $204,000 |
| Perennial Autonomy LLC | Level I | 4 | 4 | $100,318 |
| RoboForce Inc. | Level II | 4 | 4 | $190,000 |
| TENSOR AUTO INC. | Level II | 4 | 4 | $129,459 |
| Aeva, Inc. | Level IV | 3 | 3 | $190,000 |
| Agility Robotics Inc. | Level I | 3 | 3 | $218,360 |
| Agility Robotics Inc. | Level II | 3 | 3 | $218,360 |
| Applied Intuition, Inc. | Level II | 3 | 3 | $129,459 |
| Applied Materials, Inc. | Level II | 3 | 3 | $131,100 |
| BYTEDANCE INC. | Level IV | 3 | 3 | $240,000 |
| Cyngn Inc. | Level III | 3 | 3 | $190,000 |
| Dexmate Inc. | Level IV | 3 | 3 | $187,762 |
| General Motors | Level III | 3 | 3 | $185,000 |
| Google LLC | Level I | 3 | 3 | $171,000 |
| Headway Technologies, Inc. | Level II | 3 | 3 | $135,013 |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | Level II | 3 | 3 | $125,000 |
| Lightmatter, Inc. | Level III | 3 | 3 | $166,566 |
| Matic Robots, Inc. | Level III | 3 | 4 | $166,566 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc | Level III | 3 | 3 | $218,408 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc | Level IV | 3 | 3 | $258,323 |
| Rhoda AI Corporation | Level II | 3 | 3 | $250,000 |
| Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies, LLC | Level II | 3 | 3 | $168,480 |
| Rivian Automotive, LLC | Level III | 3 | 3 | $180,057 |
| RoboForce Inc | Level III | 3 | 3 | $162,000 |
| Samsung Research America, Inc. | Level III | 3 | 3 | $158,621 |
| TENSOR AUTO INC. | Level III | 3 | 3 | $158,621 |
| Audi of America LLC | Level IV | 2 | 2 | $206,000 |
| C-Infinity, Inc. | Level IV | 2 | 2 | $190,000 |
| Cadence Design Systems, Inc. | Level II | 2 | 2 | $129,459 |
| Celestial AI Inc. | Level IV | 2 | 2 | $217,500 |
| Coherent Corp. | Level III | 2 | 2 | $158,621 |
| DiDi Research America, LLC | Level III | 2 | 2 | $158,621 |
| DiDi Research America, LLC | Level IV | 2 | 2 | $200,853 |
| EDF Inc. | Level II | 2 | 2 | $129,459 |
| Gatik AI Inc. | Level I | 2 | 2 | $173,500 |
| Gatik AI Inc. | Level III | 2 | 2 | $159,500 |
| Genista Biosciences INC. | Level II | 2 | 2 | $129,459 |
| Hitachi America, Ltd. | Level II | 2 | 2 | $144,730 |
| Honda Research Institute USA, Inc. | Level III | 2 | 2 | $164,461 |
| Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. | Level III | 2 | 2 | $162,594 |
| KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. | Level IV | 2 | 2 | $187,762 |
| LEADOPTIK, Inc. | Level II | 2 | 2 | $140,000 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc | Level II | 2 | 2 | $172,000 |
| Nexalis LLC | Level I | 2 | 2 | $126,000 |
| Palmetto Solar LLC | Level III | 2 | 2 | $190,000 |
| Pentangle Tech Services LLC | Level II | 2 | 2 | $140,000 |
| PsiQuantum Corp. | Level IV | 2 | 2 | $187,762 |
| QuantumScape Battery, Inc. | Level IV | 2 | 2 | $206,981 |
| Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies, LLC | Level I | 2 | 2 | $160,500 |
| Rivian Automotive, LLC | Level I | 2 | 2 | $175,000 |
| TENSOR AUTO INC. | Level I | 2 | 2 | $100,318 |
| Tesla, Inc. | Level IV | 2 | 2 | $264,464 |
| Toyota Research Institute, Inc. | Level III | 2 | 2 | $185,000 |
| Trackonomy Systems, Inc. | Level I | 2 | 2 | $125,000 |
| Verrus, LLC | Level III | 2 | 2 | $160,000 |
| 1X Technologies, Inc. | Level II | 1 | 1 | $180,000 |
| AAC TECHNOLOGIES IRVINE, INC. | Level II | 1 | 1 | $129,459 |
| AAC TECHNOLOGIES IRVINE, INC. | Level III | 1 | 1 | $158,621 |
| Adobe Inc. | Level IV | 1 | 1 | $235,000 |
| Aeva, Inc. | Level III | 1 | 1 | $170,000 |
| Aizip, Inc. | Level II | 1 | 1 | $130,000 |
| Akshaya Inc | Level III | 1 | 1 | $158,621 |
| ALGORIZED, INC. | Level II | 1 | 1 | $130,000 |
| Align Technology, Inc. | Level III | 1 | 1 | $164,218 |
Tell me when this moves
One email when the prevailing wage for Photonics Engineers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA changes — the library turns over every July, and what an employer must offer changes with it.
Source: OFLC disclosure data and prevailing wage library, US Department of Labor (public domain). Figures are what employers filed, not what they paid.