What Tesla certifies it pays.
Base-pay bands from 7,470 certified Department of Labor wage filings, through FY2025. Filed under penalty of perjury — not self-reported.
Base-salary bands by role
Validation Engineers
2,071 filingsSoftware Developers
1,200 filingsMechanical Engineers
963 filingsElectrical Engineers
457 filingsQuality Control Systems Managers
306 filingsLogistics Engineers
241 filingsSoftware Developers, Applications
234 filingsData Scientists
198 filingsMedian by state
| CA | 5,166 filings | $151K |
| TX | 1,451 filings | $133K |
| NV | 574 filings | $115K |
| WA | 91 filings | $159K |
| NY | 81 filings | $101K |
| IL | 25 filings | $113K |
| UT | 18 filings | $98K |
| MN | 13 filings | $119K |
Median by seniority level
| Level I · Entry | 410 filings | $100K |
| Level II · Qualified | 1,573 filings | $122K |
| Level III · Experienced | 1,649 filings | $146K |
| Level IV · Fully competent | 1,010 filings | $175K |
OES prevailing-wage levels from the filings — a defensible seniority proxy, not job ladders.
H-1B sponsorship profile
Tesla certifies 7,470 H-1B / E-3 wage filings through FY2025 — filing volume rising. Below, how those offers compare to the legal prevailing-wage floor each role must clear.
Median certified offer runs 13% above the floor.
The rest are set exactly at the prevailing wage — legal, and common among high-volume filers.
vs. $127K prevailing-wage floor.
Seniority mix (OES wage level)
Filing volume by fiscal year
Filed across 3 legal entities under this brand — largest: Tesla, Inc. (5,012).
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 Tesla pays — not total compensation. Our sources.
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