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
1,132,362 86.89% $100,819 H-1B
137,987 10.59% $145,140 PERM
27,949 2.14% $107,091 E-3 Australian
4,960 0.38% $29,309 H-2A

As of May 2023, California has seen a total of 1,303,258 visa workers across all visa types. The most common visa class in California is the H-1B visa with 1,132,362 H-1B visas on record over all years accounting for 86.89% of California's total visas. The second most prevalent visa is the PERM visa with 137,987 PERM visas on record over all years accounting for 10.59% of California's total visas.

Top Occupations in California (All Years)

Occupation # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Occupation # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Commercial Pilots 8 $72,754 12.12%
Automotive Body and Related Repairers 8 $43,612 12.31%
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects 8 $87,300 12.31%
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary 8 $60,856 12.31%
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers 8 $63,037 12.31%
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists 7 $68,574 10.94%
Curators 7 $44,367 10.94%
Hydrologists 7 $76,969 11.11%
Automotive Master Mechanics 7 $34,998 11.11%
Architectural Drafters 7 $46,660 11.11%
California Employees Over Time
California has been in the H1B Visa program since 2011 where 50,870 employees were hired. California peaked in 2022 with 107,868 employees, and has since been on a decline with the most recent number of employees being 90,720 in 2023.

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

Country # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
India 42,735 $178,228 48.91%
China 15,777 $108,656 53.06%
South Korea 4,032 $154,868 40.97%
Canada 3,684 $145,079 47.74%
Taiwan 1,769 $272,719 36.38%
Philippines 1,733 $517,903 45.04%
Mexico 1,231 $85,995 37.92%
United Kingdom 913 $111,050 45.38%
Japan 796 $241,546 40.24%
France 786 $107,939 47.61%

Top Hiring Companies in California (All Years)

Company # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Thermo Fisher Scientific 121 $104,203 88.32%
Stratedge Inc 121 $74,538 88.97%
General Motors Company 121 $123,594 88.97%
Teamsoft Technologies Llc 121 $87,076 88.97%
Southern California Edison 121 $90,700 88.97%
Opendoor Labs Inc 121 $140,223 88.97%
Bofa Securities Inc 121 $99,109 88.97%
I3 Infotek Inc 121 $92,809 88.97%
Cintel Systemsinc 121 $62,486 89.63%
Cougar Tech 121 $66,301 89.63%
Company # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Company # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Stellus Technologies Inc 9 $145,034 33.33%
Clever Inc 9 $122,017 33.33%
Vings Technologies Limited 9 $108,125 33.33%
Jayway Inc 9 $143,825 33.33%
Nativo Inc 9 $96,775 33.33%
Schneider Electric Software Llc 9 $111,040 33.33%
Pacific Dental Services 9 $120,702 33.33%
Reltio 9 $138,981 33.33%
Fastly Inc 9 $148,279 33.33%
Motor Vehicle Software Corporation 9 $129,762 33.33%

Top Industries in California (All Years)

Industry # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers 97 $73,871 86.61%
Environment Conservation And Wildlife Organizations 96 $69,457 85.71%
Business Associations 95 $100,358 85.59%
Securities And Commodity Exchanges 94 $124,375 85.45%
Oil And Gas Extraction 94 $124,818 85.45%
Motor And Generator Manufacturing 93 $102,688 85.32%
Surveying And Mapping Except Geophysical Services 92 $85,166 87.62%
Commercial And Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing 92 $101,960 87.62%
Cheese Manufacturing 92 $80,851 88.46%
Beverage Manufacturing 91 $91,553 88.35%
Industry # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %

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 $100,819. 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 $99,834.

State Avg Wage