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What Cisco Systems certifies it pays.

Base-pay bands from 5,908 certified Department of Labor wage filings, through FY2025. Filed under penalty of perjury — not self-reported.

Base-salary bands by role

Software Developers

1,393 filings
p25 · $128Kmedian · $141Kp75 · $167K

Software Developers, Systems Software

756 filings
p25 · $113Kmedian · $133Kp75 · $157K

Information Technology Project Managers

753 filings
p25 · $109Kmedian · $131Kp75 · $148K

Software Quality Assurance Engineers and Testers

473 filings
p25 · $98Kmedian · $116Kp75 · $141K

Sales Engineers

350 filings
p25 · $117Kmedian · $133Kp75 · $158K

Network and Computer Systems Administrators

259 filings
p25 · $102Kmedian · $112Kp75 · $133K

Electronics Engineers, Except Computer

211 filings
p25 · $124Kmedian · $136Kp75 · $156K

Operations Research Analysts

190 filings
p25 · $98Kmedian · $113Kp75 · $134K

Median by state

CA2,925 filings$149K
NC860 filings$115K
TX712 filings$115K
WA195 filings$137K
MA155 filings$127K
NJ138 filings$131K
IL114 filings$108K
GA113 filings$115K

Median by seniority level

Level II · Qualified1,727 filings$109K
Level III · Experienced3,324 filings$139K
Level IV · Fully competent232 filings$195K

OES prevailing-wage levels from the filings — a defensible seniority proxy, not job ladders.

H-1B sponsorship profile

Cisco Systems certifies 5,908 H-1B / E-3 wage filings through FY2025 — filing volume steady. Below, how those offers compare to the legal prevailing-wage floor each role must clear.

Offered vs. prevailing floor
At floor

Median offer sits essentially at the required minimum.

Filings paid above the floor
52%

The rest are set exactly at the prevailing wage — legal, and common among high-volume filers.

Median offered · floor
$133K

vs. $124K prevailing-wage floor.

Seniority mix (OES wage level)

Level I · Entry0%
Level II · Qualified33%
Level III · Experienced63%
Level IV · Fully competent4%

Filing volume by fiscal year

FY22 2,138FY23 1,284FY24 1,242FY25 1,244

Filed across 1 legal entity under this brand — largest: Cisco Systems, Inc. (5,908).

Every H-1B role carries a legally required prevailing-wage floor (the OES rate for that occupation, area, and level). The offered wage on the certified filing must meet or exceed it — so “% above floor” distinguishes employers who genuinely pay a premium from those who file at the minimum. Certified DOL disclosure data, offered base wage only; reusable under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

What this data is — and isn't

These bands come from certified H-1B Labor Condition Application disclosures — the base salary employers commit to on the record. They exclude equity, bonus, and benefits, and they cover only roles companies sponsor, which skews technical. Read them as a conservative, citable floor on what Cisco Systems pays — not total compensation. Our sources.

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