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 %
Optometrists	56	$105,540	83.58%
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	56	$37,588	87.50%
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects	56	$92,731	87.50%
Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School	55	$92,928	85.94%
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	55	$51,506	87.30%
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers	55	$68,925	87.30%
Fundraisers	53	$59,847	84.13%
Orthotists and Prosthetists	53	$59,569	84.13%
Compensation and Benefits Managers	51	$146,709	82.26%
Physician Assistants	51	$101,518	83.61%

Occupation	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %

Occupation	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	10	$85,473	13.16%
Audio and Video Equipment Technicians	10	$48,345	13.16%
Recreational Therapists	10	$62,311	13.16%
Surgeons	10	$136,635	13.16%
Teacher Assistants	10	$32,752	13.33%
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	10	$49,032	13.33%
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors	10	$46,530	13.33%
Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary	10	$61,924	13.33%
Regulatory Affairs Specialists	10	$76,263	13.51%
Civil Engineering Technicians	10	$64,305	13.70%

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 %
Right Click Systems Llc	28	$73,691	87.50%
Varnar Inc	28	$94,662	87.50%
Sony Music Holdings Inc	28	$89,444	87.50%
Mci Communications Services Llc	28	$153,897	87.50%
Nominum Inc	28	$114,981	87.50%
Kiranam Technologies Inc	28	$85,232	87.50%
Hughes Network Systems Llc	28	$83,809	87.50%
Anjus Llc	28	$88,991	87.50%
M9 Consulting Inc	28	$100,243	87.50%
Therapy Mantra Inc	28	$78,484	87.50%

Company	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %

Company	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %
Int Technologies Llc	2	$78,364	33.33%
Otis Spunkmeyer	2	$80,423	33.33%
Js Auto Tech Inc	2	$68,422	33.33%
Mellanox Technologies Inc	2	$98,634	33.33%
Ljb Group Llc Dba For Speed Oil Change Center	2	$74,495	33.33%
Saion Corp	2	$71,094	33.33%
Edgile Inc	2	$127,774	33.33%
Heschong Mahone Group Inc	2	$64,407	33.33%
Sabocor Co Llp	2	$67,902	33.33%
German American International School	2	$86,039	33.33%

Top Industries in California (All Years)

Industry	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %
Sales Financing	302	$98,198	88.05%
Agents And Managers For Artists Athletes Entertainers And Other Public Figures	297	$67,880	87.35%
Medical And Diagnostic Laboratories	296	$87,602	87.32%
Services For The Elderly And Persons With Disabilities	293	$60,832	87.46%
Language Schools	291	$51,251	87.65%
Sporting And Athletic Goods Manufacturing	290	$94,475	87.35%
Other Grocery And Related Products Merchant Wholesalers	289	$65,233	87.31%
Electronic Connector Manufacturing	288	$99,548	87.54%
Other Social Advocacy Organizations	284	$74,174	86.59%
Offices Of Mental Health Practitioners Except Physicians	278	$59,349	85.02%

Industry	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %

Industry	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing	94	$33,082	97.92%
Fish And Seafood Merchant Wholesalers	94	$54,960	98.95%
Research And Development In The Social Sciences And Humanities	94	$85,279	100.00%
Motor Vehicle And Motor Vehicle Parts And Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	92	$61,624	97.87%
Translation And Interpretation Services	92	$60,453	97.87%
Bottled Water Manufacturing	92	$88,622	97.87%
Other Direct Insurance Except Life Health And Medical Carriers	91	$128,414	96.81%
Dairy Cattle And Milk Production	90	$20,247	95.74%
Diet And Weight Reducing Centers	90	$107,701	97.83%
Sales Financing	90	$101,027	97.83%

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.