We now have Quarter 4 H1B visa FY 2023 data and Quarter 4 PERM visa FY 2023 data and Quarter 4 H2A visa FY 2023 data.
Employer Search tool is moved to it's own page: "H1B Visa Data Search Tool"

California Foreign Labor Visa Stats (All Years)

Total Visas % of all Visas Average Wage Visa Type
1,236,055 87.25% $104,510 H-1B
144,051 10.17% $144,477 PERM
30,331 2.14% $109,456 E-3 Australian
6,165 0.44% $31,590 H-2A

As of May 2023, California has seen a total of 1,416,602 visa workers across all visa types. The most common visa class in California is the H-1B visa with 1,236,055 H-1B visas on record over all years accounting for 87.25% of California's total visas. The second most prevalent visa is the PERM visa with 144,051 PERM visas on record over all years accounting for 10.17% of California's total visas.

Top Occupations in California (All Years)

Occupation # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Treasurers and Controllers 145 $129,948 82.39%
Quality Control Systems Managers 144 $120,664 84.21%
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary 142 $63,844 83.53%
Chiropractors 141 $55,020 85.98%
Rehabilitation Counselors 139 $31,884 85.28%
Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products 139 $45,127 86.34%
Compliance Managers 136 $154,025 87.74%
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary 134 $62,261 87.01%
Administrative Services Managers 134 $66,265 87.58%
Hospitalists 132 $174,595 87.42%
Occupation # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
California Employees Over Time
California has been in the H1B Visa program since 2011 where 50,870 employees were hired. California peaked in 2018 with 106,682 employees, and has since been on a decline with the most recent number of employees being 18,356 in 2025.

Top Countries with Workers in California From PERM Program (All Years)

Country # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
India 45,730 $175,901 47.43%
China 16,844 $109,259 50.79%
South Korea 4,340 $147,936 41.14%
Canada 3,905 $143,888 46.41%
Philippines 1,927 $470,682 35.63%
Taiwan 1,908 $260,805 44.94%
Mexico 1,361 $87,276 34.68%
United Kingdom 967 $111,850 44.71%
Japan 844 $231,744 40.04%
France 821 $108,315 46.73%

Top Hiring Companies in California (All Years)

Company # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
The Leland Stanford Jr University 1,741 $67,514 88.74%
Kpmg Llp 1,732 $82,717 88.55%
Visa Usa Inc 1,722 $123,699 88.13%
Oath Holdings Inc 1,722 $147,364 88.81%
University Of California San Diego 1,692 $60,589 87.53%
Amgen Inc 1,680 $92,746 87.50%
University Of California Davis 1,678 $57,868 87.53%
Compunnel Software Group Inc 1,646 $91,158 87.51%
Autodesk Inc 1,640 $123,250 88.17%
Srs Consulting Inc 1,634 $94,817 92.53%
Company # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
William F Hofman 15 $26,810 100.00%
Zack Ranch Llc 15 $34,495 100.00%
Brothers Best Labor Inc 15 $34,245 100.00%
Paesano Hay Livestock 15 $31,018 100.00%
Jacco Farms Inc 15 $30,476 100.00%
Dutton Ranch Corporation 15 $27,964 100.00%
Blue Tent Farms 15 $29,790 100.00%
Etchamendy Sheep Company Inc 15 $26,765 100.00%
Jean B Jaureguy 15 $26,242 100.00%
Indart Group Inc 15 $27,711 100.00%
Company # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Infogain Corporation 184 $120,916 42.59%
Ariba Inc 180 $116,299 42.06%
Esurance Insurance Services Inc 176 $104,681 42.41%
Texas Instruments Incorporated 176 $119,705 43.14%
Aruba Networks Inc 175 $113,254 43.64%
Denken Solutions Inc 172 $98,203 43.00%
Genentech 168 $84,529 43.98%
Panasonic Avionics Corporation 168 $115,561 44.33%
Snw Infotech Inc 160 $126,102 43.01%
Zillow Inc 155 $112,405 41.78%

Top Industries in California (All Years)

California Wage Comparison to Other States (All Years)

The chart below compares The average wage in California to that of the other top 9 states with the highest overall average H1-B wage. The average wage in California over all years is $104,510. California has the highest average wage of H1-B workers for all states, with the second highest average wage being WA with an average wage of $103,635.

State Avg Wage