H-1B sponsor comparison · FY2026 Q2 (Oct 2025 – Mar 2026 decisions)
NVIDIA vs Tesla: the H-1B numbers, from the filings
Same public dataset, side by side: what each employer filed with the Department of Labor between October 2025 and March 2026, and what those wage levels mean under the weighted lottery.
| Metric | NVIDIA | Tesla |
|---|---|---|
| Certified LCA filings (FY2026 Q1–Q2) | 1,259 | 1,154 |
| Median offered base | $188,293 | $153,000 |
| Middle half of offers | $168,000 – $216,091 | $127,500 – $184,009 |
| Filed at Levels III–IV (3–4 lottery entries) | 84% | 56% |
| Filed at Level I (1 entry) | 4.4% | 4.2% |
| H-1B transfers vs new employment | 13% transfers | 52% transfers |
| Top occupation | Software Developers | Manufacturing Engineers |
| Top worksite state | CA | CA |
Wage and wage-level figures come from the DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q2 (H-1B only) public release (FY2026 Q2 (Oct 2025 – Mar 2026 decisions)). LCA filings are wage attestations filed with the Department of Labor — they are not petitions, lottery selections, or hires, and one filing can cover multiple positions. Projected lottery selection rates come from the DHS weighted-selection final rule analysis and are illustrative, not a guarantee.
Weighing offers from either?
Request a free H-1B Offer Brief: estimated wage level for your specific offer, lottery entries, prevailing-wage sanity check, and how it compares with what NVIDIA and Tesla actually filed.
Common questions
Who pays more on H-1B filings, NVIDIA or Tesla?
In FY2026 Q1–Q2 DOL filings, NVIDIA's median offered base was $188,293 vs $153,000 at Tesla. Base wage only — LCA data excludes equity and bonus, which can flip the total-compensation picture.
Which gives better 2026 lottery odds, NVIDIA or Tesla?
NVIDIA filed 84% of its FY2026 LCAs at wage Levels III–IV (3–4 entries each) vs 56% at Tesla. But your own offer's wage level — not the company average — is what enters the lottery.
Are these hires?
No — certified Labor Condition Applications are wage attestations to the Department of Labor. They signal an active H-1B pipeline and reveal real wage structure, but one filing can cover several positions and not every filing becomes a petition or a hire.