California leads the nation in H-1B filings — explore top sponsors across Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
California accounts for roughly 20% of all H-1B visa petitions filed in the United States, making it the undisputed leader in visa sponsorship. From the tech giants of Silicon Valley to entertainment companies in Los Angeles and biotech firms in San Diego, California offers the widest range of H-1B opportunities in the country.
No state comes close to California in H-1B filing volume. The state's dominance is driven by Silicon Valley's concentration of the world's largest technology companies, combined with significant activity in entertainment, biotech, finance, and academia. San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and San Diego each host thousands of H-1B sponsors.
California's H-1B sponsorship is driven by diverse industries:
The top H-1B sponsors in California include Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon (multiple CA offices), Intel, Cisco, Salesforce, Broadcom, Qualcomm (San Diego), and numerous consulting firms. The Bay Area alone hosts more H-1B sponsors than most entire states. Los Angeles also ranks among the top metro areas for total H-1B filings.
California offers the highest H-1B salaries in the country, with software engineers in the Bay Area earning $140,000 to $220,000 or more at top-tier companies. However, the high cost of living — particularly in San Francisco and Silicon Valley — is a significant factor. Los Angeles and San Diego offer somewhat lower salaries but also lower housing costs compared to the Bay Area.
Wisa's database includes thousands of verified California sponsors. Search by city, industry, or company name to find employers with active H-1B filing histories. Focus on companies with consistent multi-year filing patterns for the strongest sponsorship prospects.
Search thousands of verified H-1B sponsors by company, industry, and location.
Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →California accounts for approximately 20% of all H-1B petitions filed nationally, totaling over 80,000 filings per year. The San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley alone generate a significant portion of these filings, followed by Los Angeles and San Diego.
The San Francisco-San Jose metro area leads California and the nation in H-1B sponsorship volume. This region includes Silicon Valley, where the highest concentration of tech companies files tens of thousands of H-1B petitions annually. Los Angeles ranks second in California.
Yes, California offers the highest average H-1B salaries in the country, particularly in the Bay Area where tech salaries routinely exceed $150,000. However, the higher cost of living — especially housing in San Francisco and San Jose — offsets some of this advantage compared to states like Texas or Washington.
Absolutely. Los Angeles has a thriving tech and entertainment industry, San Diego is a major biotech and defense hub (Qualcomm, Illumina), and Sacramento has a growing tech sector. Southern California also hosts numerous consulting firms and healthcare systems that sponsor H-1B workers.