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 %
Veterinarians	869	$92,401	86.21%
Credit Analysts	847	$66,508	86.34%
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary	832	$76,902	85.07%
Budget Analysts	806	$64,858	84.66%
Validation Engineers	804	$97,047	88.25%
Instructional Coordinators	791	$55,354	88.28%
Financial Quantitative Analysts	783	$91,457	87.58%
Robotics Engineers	779	$124,394	87.92%
Biological Technicians	737	$49,503	85.40%
Training and Development Specialists	722	$60,280	84.15%

Occupation	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %

Occupation	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %
Chief Executives	106	$179,849	42.74%
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	105	$70,169	42.51%
Landscape Architects	105	$65,890	42.68%
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	104	$60,657	42.28%
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	104	$53,724	42.62%
Chemists	104	$72,928	42.80%
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary	103	$75,121	42.56%
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	99	$69,093	40.91%
Fashion Designers	99	$53,100	42.31%
Managers, All Other	98	$137,559	42.42%

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 %
Nokia Solutions And Networks Us Llc	28	$103,906	87.50%
Acropetal Inc	28	$70,969	87.50%
Cybervision Inc	28	$70,278	87.50%
Towers Watson Pennsylvania Inc	28	$70,962	87.50%
Jm Information Systems Llc	28	$69,461	87.50%
Lmk Infotech	28	$103,542	87.50%
Sriven Technologies Llc	28	$84,611	87.50%
Industrial Light Magic A Div Of Lucasfilm Enter	28	$82,681	87.50%
Emulex Design And Manufacturing Corporation	28	$94,502	87.50%
Key Solutions Inc	28	$76,905	87.50%

Company	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %

Company	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %
Better Horizons Development Corporation	2	$35,412	33.33%
Fotokem Industries	2	$89,118	33.33%
Ttm Intertrading Co Inc	2	$67,819	33.33%
Barbaras At The Brewery	2	$35,547	33.33%
Greenbergfarrow	2	$83,782	33.33%
Interactive Data Managed Solutions Llc	2	$86,382	33.33%
Elliott Laboratories Llc	2	$69,982	33.33%
Royale Home Health Care Inc	2	$62,723	33.33%
Analytic Investors	2	$85,083	33.33%
Cal Family Health Inc	2	$116,678	33.33%

Top Industries in California (All Years)

Industry	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %
Jewelry And Silverware Manufacturing	14	$52,482	87.50%
Printing And Writing Paper Merchant Wholesalers	14	$64,294	87.50%
Lawn And Garden Tractor And Home Lawn And Garden Equipment Manufacturing	13	$80,120	81.25%
Water Sewage And Other Systems	13	$79,360	81.25%
Motor Vehicle Steering And Suspension Components Except Spring Manufacturing	13	$69,085	86.67%
Strawberry Farming	13	$94,880	86.67%
Specialized Freight Trucking	13	$61,477	86.67%
Specialized Freight Except Used Goods Trucking Long Distance	13	$101,232	86.67%
Ground Or Treated Mineral And Earth Manufacturing	13	$74,056	86.67%
Apparel Knitting Mills	13	$48,763	86.67%

Industry	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %

Industry	# of Jobs	Avg Wage	Approval %
Soap And Other Detergent Manufacturing	5	$56,389	83.33%
Mixed Mode Transit Systems	4	$92,363	66.67%
Performing Arts Companies	4	$52,140	66.67%
Unlaminated Plastics Film And Sheet Except Packaging Manufacturing	4	$100,787	66.67%
Funeral Homes And Funeral Services	4	$32,786	66.67%
Other Millwork Including Flooring	4	$55,401	66.67%
All Other Wood Product Manufacturing	4	$41,044	66.67%
Machinery Manufacturing	4	$58,729	66.67%
Linen Supply	4	$52,083	66.67%
Animal Food Manufacturing	4	$54,704	66.67%

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.