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 %
Orthodontists 20 $173,416 76.92%
Acupuncturists 20 $53,420 76.92%
Insurance Sales Agents 20 $56,126 80.00%
Audio-Visual and Multimedia Collections Specialists 20 $39,556 80.00%
Farm and Home Management Advisors 19 $45,985 76.00%
Electrical and Electronics Drafters 19 $67,613 76.00%
Agricultural and Food Science Technicians 18 $37,069 75.00%
Podiatrists 18 $83,758 75.00%
Business Continuity Planners 18 $80,886 78.26%
Technical Directors/Managers 18 $76,722 78.26%
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 %
Tata Elxsi Ltd 32 $104,162 88.89%
Ca Technologies Inc 32 $90,194 88.89%
True Partners Consulting Llc 32 $67,193 88.89%
Apsi Construction Management 32 $80,731 88.89%
Wajao Inc 32 $87,265 88.89%
Cibersystems Inc 32 $78,811 88.89%
Elance Inc 32 $104,561 88.89%
Innovative Consulting Solutions Llc 32 $88,881 88.89%
Yashraj Technologies Inc 32 $71,440 88.89%
Cintel Systems Inc 32 $65,395 88.89%

Top Industries in California (All Years)

Industry # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Custom Roll Forming 3 $74,374 75.00%
Passenger Car Leasing 3 $59,280 75.00%
Coal And Other Mineral And Ore Merchant Wholesalers 3 $51,873 75.00%
Knit Fabric Mills 3 $57,817 75.00%
Fertilizer Mixing Only Manufacturing 3 $114,656 75.00%
Skiing Facilities 3 $78,776 75.00%
Plate Work Manufacturing 3 $65,534 75.00%
Airport Operations 3 $80,683 75.00%
Fastener Button Needle And Pin Manufacturing 3 $56,902 100.00%
Paper Bag And Coated And Treated Paper Manufacturing 3 $79,761 100.00%

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