Amazon H-1B Salaries Revealed: SDE Tops at $263,700 Base

(UNITED STATES) Amazon’s latest H-1B visa filings offer a clear look at how one of the world’s biggest tech employers pays foreign workers in key technical roles—and where those numbers land in a shifting labor market. As of early 2025, the company employed about 11,300 H-1B visa holders in the United States 🇺🇸, according to recent disclosures. The filings, which come through required Labor Condition Applications tied to the ETA-9035 process, list top-end base pay for core jobs such as software development, data science, and product management.

These figures are important because they reflect what Amazon is willing to pay to compete for global talent, and they help current and future applicants benchmark offers.

Reported top base salaries (2025 filings)

The maximum reported base salaries in the 2025 filings include:

• Software Development Engineer (Amazon.com): $263,700
• Software Engineer (AWS): $185,000
• Data Scientist: $230,900
• Technical Product Manager: $235,200

These numbers represent the highest base pay recorded in recent Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) and do not include bonuses, stock grants, or benefits, which often make up a large share of total pay. In other words, these are ceilings on base salary for those roles — not the full compensation picture.

Important: LCAs show base-pay ceilings. They do not capture equity vesting schedules, sign-on bonuses, or performance bonuses.

Two themes the filings underline

1. Role-by-role variation is stark
   • The highest figure in this set belongs to a Software Development Engineer at Amazon.com — $263,700 — while the AWS Software Engineer category tops out at $185,000 in the same dataset.
   • Data Scientists and Technical Product Managers fall in between those marks.
2. Location matters
   • Amazon adjusts pay for local costs and labor markets. A posting in Seattle or the Bay Area may list higher base pay than the same job in a smaller metro.
   • H-1B pay is set by role, level, location, and individual performance.

Salary disclosures at a glance (levels & AWS specifics)

Internal leveling data from recent filings at Amazon.com Services LLC shows reported maximum base pay by level roughly as follows:

• Filings show an overall average base of $156,665 across levels.
• Some higher-level roles can exceed the role-specific ceilings shown earlier, especially when “all levels” categories are reported.

AWS-specific wage data shows a wide spread:

• Maximum H-1B salary at highest wage level: $323,200
• 90th percentile salary: ~$195,800

That apparent gap with the $185,000 AWS engineer figure reflects how LCAs categorize roles, seniority bands, and geographic assumptions.

Practical takeaway for applicants

• Use disclosed ceilings as reference points, but expect real offers to vary by level, team, and location.
• Remember that Amazon and peers often pay a large portion of compensation in stock and bonuses; a lower base can still mean strong total pay.
• Ask recruiters for full details on equity, sign-on bonuses, and performance bonuses—LCAs don’t capture those.

Broader policy context and company shifts

• As of September 21, 2025, new H-1B applicants must pay a one-time $100,000 fee. Failure to pay makes them ineligible. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, this raises the stakes for companies relying on global hiring.
• Amazon has been cutting jobs and reshaping divisions, including AWS. Workforce reductions matter for H-1B workers because immigration status is tied to employment.
  • Job changes can trigger tight timelines to find a new sponsor, change status, or leave the country.
  • Continuity of immigration status is as important as steady salary.

H-1B compliance steps (brief)

Employers must follow a paper-heavy process:

1. File a Labor Condition Application with the Department of Labor using the ETA-9035 to attest to wage and work site conditions.
2. File the Form I-129 petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to request H-1B classification.

• Official guidance: USCIS H-1B page
• Petition form: Form I-129
• Labor step details: ETA-9035 Labor Condition Application

What the numbers mean for workers and employers

For foreign professionals:

• Benchmark with care:
  • The $263,700 top base for a Software Development Engineer and the $230,900–$235,200 range for Data Scientists and Technical Product Managers confirm healthy ceilings.
  • Most offers may fall below these marks depending on level, location, and performance history.
• Look beyond base pay:
  • Equity grants and sign-on bonuses can add large value and affect total compensation materially.
• Factor in location:
  • Higher base pay in Seattle or the Bay Area may be offset by higher living costs.
• Plan for status security:
  • Keep records current, understand grace periods, and know steps if employment ends (switch employer, file amendments, or depart).

For employers:

• To win senior talent, companies appear willing to offer higher bases at upper levels — up to $327,300 in some combined level categories — while managing budgets through location strategies and equity mix.
• Consistent documentation is essential:
  • LCAs must reflect correct work locations and prevailing wage levels.
  • Form I-129 petitions must match the role and terms filed with the Department of Labor.
• Reporting categories affect public pay snapshots:
  • An “AWS engineer” at $185,000 may sit in a different job code than a more senior AWS role captured in a dataset showing $323,200.

Market implications and hiring strategy

• These numbers land amid intense competition for AI, cloud, and data skills. Even with layoffs in some groups, niche expertise remains in demand.
• Companies weigh base pay cost against speed-to-hire and project continuity.
• For H-1B candidates, that can mean quicker decisions and tailored packages for hard-to-fill roles.

The H-1B process timing matters:

• Spring filing cycles and lottery outcomes shape hiring plans.
• Employers may file cap-exempt petitions (for universities, nonprofits, research entities).
• For most private employers like Amazon, H-1B hiring falls under the cap unless the candidate already has H-1B status.
• Job seekers should ask early about filing strategy, start dates, and how employers handle requests for evidence.

Key negotiation tip: Use disclosed compensation figures as a floor. Prepare a comparison sheet listing base pay, annual bonus targets, equity size and vesting, relocation support, and immigration benefits to assess offers on a total-package basis.

As the new fee rule takes hold and tech employers continue to adjust teams, the H-1B landscape will keep evolving. For now, the 2025 filings show that Amazon continues to pay at the high end for senior roles while using level, location, and equity to shape offers — signaling the company remains intent on attracting top global talent even as it recalibrates headcount and budgets.