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 %
Meridianlink Inc	27	$79,551	87.10%
Sdh Systems Llc	27	$109,776	87.10%
Theragen Llc	27	$93,430	87.10%
Conch Technologies Inc	27	$83,157	87.10%
Cbn Tech Force Inc	27	$91,386	87.10%
Xtracit Inc	27	$101,432	87.10%
Tnp Systems Llc	27	$102,413	87.10%
Systems Integration Solutions Inc	27	$111,138	87.10%
Social Annex Inc	27	$75,561	87.10%
Thales E Security Inc	27	$112,498	87.10%

Company	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %

Company	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %
Shotspotter Inc	2	$155,750	33.33%
Honda Research Institute Usa Inc	2	$117,812	33.33%
Areva Np Inc	2	$87,599	33.33%
E Dong Usa Inc	2	$36,546	33.33%
Donginagape Accupuncture	2	$29,463	33.33%
Rapid Consulting Services Llc	2	$94,983	33.33%
Videosurf Inc	2	$88,109	33.33%
Nihilistic Software	2	$70,741	33.33%
Bluearc Corporation	2	$98,530	33.33%
Nielsen Nrg	2	$169,135	33.33%

Top Industries in California (All Years)

Industry	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %
Advertising Agencies	1,966	$81,788	82.67%
Process Physical Distribution And Logistics Consulting Services	1,932	$91,841	85.71%
Research And Development In The Physical Engineering And Life Sciences Except Nanotechnology And Biotechnology	1,849	$112,158	87.46%
Radio Broadcasting Stations	1,800	$93,527	85.23%
Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing	1,648	$114,747	87.52%
Offices Of Dentists	1,577	$113,273	89.76%
Direct Property And Casualty Insurance Carriers	1,526	$103,838	89.29%
Department Stores	1,525	$143,848	90.77%
All Other Financial Investment Activities	1,521	$114,061	92.69%
Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing	1,464	$107,242	89.32%

Industry	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %
Other Grain Farming	3	$27,484	100.00%
Spectator Sports	2	$36,421	100.00%
Transportation Equipment And Supplies Except Motor Vehicle Merchant Wholesalers	2	$35,360	100.00%
Fruit And Vegetable Retailers	2	$33,571	100.00%
Oilseed Except Soybean Farming	2	$26,058	100.00%
Other Commercial And Industrial Machinery And Equipment Rental And Leasing	2	$30,722	100.00%
Floriculture Production	2	$29,796	100.00%
Food Crops Grown Under Cover	2	$37,606	100.00%
Rice Farming	2	$39,936	100.00%
Machinery Manufacturing	2	$32,053	100.00%

Industry	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %
Private Households	521	$144,777	100.00%
Other Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	511	$61,292	100.00%
Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing	494	$105,298	97.05%
Educational Support Services	493	$82,973	99.80%
Direct Health And Medical Insurance Carriers	490	$112,322	99.39%
Advertising Agencies	470	$93,562	95.92%
Other Management Consulting Services	455	$105,630	96.81%
Offices Of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners	441	$203,971	96.92%
Supermarkets And Other Grocery Retailers Except Convenience Retailers	439	$81,756	99.55%
Computer And Electronic Product Manufacturing	423	$91,011	96.36%

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.