New visa filings reveal how the world’s top AI chipmaker rewards talent amid explosive growth.
Santa Clara, California, 2 February 2026 – In the financial year 2025–26, Nvidia, the world’s leading AI chip manufacturer, filed close to 1,900 certified H-1B visa applications in the United States. These filings covered key roles such as software engineers, research scientists, product managers, and hardware specialists, offering a rare look into how much the AI giant pays its workforce.
Despite having a relatively modest global workforce of around 36,000 employees, Nvidia has seen extraordinary growth over the past few years. Its dominance in artificial intelligence, data centers, and advanced computing has pushed its stock price sharply higher. What stands out now is that this success appears to be trickling down to employees, especially those working on H-1B visas.
According to Business Insider, newly available H-1B filings provide clear salary data across critical roles at Nvidia. These numbers show that the company is not only winning in the AI race but also investing heavily in top talent.
CEO involvement in pay decisions
One unusual aspect of Nvidia’s compensation culture is the personal involvement of its CEO, Jensen Huang. Huang has repeatedly said that he personally reviews employee compensation at the end of each cycle. Speaking on the All-In podcast last July, he shared that he still reviews everyone’s pay and added that he has helped create more billionaires within his management team than any other CEO.
This hands-on approach reflects Nvidia’s focus on retaining skilled professionals in a highly competitive AI job market.
What engineers earn at Nvidia
Engineering roles make up a large portion of Nvidia’s H-1B filings, and salaries vary widely based on expertise and responsibility.
- ASIC Engineers, who design custom chips, earn between $163,925 and $368,000.
- CAD Engineers supporting chip design tools are paid from $136,000 to $310,500.
- DevOps Engineers, who connect development and IT operations, earn between $140,000 and $270,250.
- Hardware Engineers working on electronics see salaries from $92,000 up to $368,000.
- Engineering Managers, responsible for teams and delivery, earn between $203,879 and $391,000.
- Mask Design Engineers involved in semiconductor manufacturing earn $110,187 to $230,000.
- Mechanical Engineers earn between $102,336 and $247,250.
- Mixed Signal Design Engineers earn from $151,091 to $310,500.
- Physical Design Engineers earn between $96,000 and $310,500.
- Senior ASIC Engineers earn from $128,000 to $310,500.
- Senior Systems Software Engineers earn between $117,499 and $356,500.
- Software Engineers earn from $92,000 to as high as $425,500.
- Software QA Engineers earn between $133,432 and $322,000.
- System Design Engineers earn from $124,197 to $253,000.
- Systems Software Managers earn between $208,125 and $425,500.
- Test Engineers earn from $124,197 to $287,500.
- Verification Engineers earn between $119,184 and $368,000.
Architect and leadership pay
Architecture-focused roles also command strong salaries at Nvidia.
- Architects earn between $104,000 and $425,500.
- Architecture Managers earn from $207,093 to $425,500.
- Senior Architects earn between $150,821 and $356,500.
- Solutions Architects earn from $108,722 to $356,500.
Research, product, and analyst roles
Beyond engineering, Nvidia also pays competitively in research and business-facing roles.
- Research Scientists earn between $104,000 and $431,250.
- Business Systems Analysts earn from $140,000 to $310,500.
- Product Managers earn between $131,029 and $379,500.
- Program Managers earn from $75,462 to $368,000.
These figures highlight how Nvidia’s rapid AI-driven growth is directly benefiting its employees. In a time when demand for AI talent is at an all-time high, Nvidia’s compensation strategy helps it attract and retain skilled professionals from around the world.
For those tracking AI jobs, H-1B visa trends, Nvidia salaries, or careers in artificial intelligence and semiconductors, these filings offer valuable insight into how one of the most influential tech companies rewards its people in the middle of a global AI boom.
