H-1B wage level check · 2026
Software Engineer in Seattle, WA: estimated H-1B wage levels and what they buy you in the 2026 lottery
Since the March 2026 registration, the H-1B lottery weighs entries by OFLC wage level. For a Software Engineer offer in Seattle, WA (mapped to Software Developers, SOC 15-1252), here is where the four levels land — estimated from public BLS OEWS percentiles — and the lottery entries each level carries.
Estimated wage-level thresholds
| OFLC level | Estimated annual base threshold | Lottery entries | Projected selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level I | $114,900 | ×1 | ~15.3% |
| Level II | $142,400 | ×2 | ~30.6% |
| Level III | $170,000 | ×3 | ~45.9% |
| Level IV | $197,600 | ×4 | ~61.2% |
Estimates, not determinations. Thresholds are interpolated from BLS OEWS BLS OEWS May 2025 percentiles for Software Developers in Seattle, WA using the OFLC level methodology (Level I ≈ 17th percentile, Level IV ≈ 67th). The official prevailing wage depends on the exact worksite county — verify at flag.dol.gov.
The local salary picture
Published OEWS percentiles for Software Developers in Seattle, WA: 25th $132,800, median $167,280, 75th $211,860, 90th $257,960. An offer near the median lands around estimated Level II–III; clearing $197,600 is what typically reaches Level IV territory. Full benchmark breakdown on the Software Engineer salary page for Seattle, WA.
What employers actually filed for Software Developers (FY2026 so far)
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.
Have a real offer in hand?
Numbers on a page only go so far. Request a free H-1B Offer Briefand get your specific offer checked: estimated wage level, lottery entries, prevailing-wage sanity check, and the employer's own LCA record.
Common questions
What salary does a Software Engineer offer in Seattle, WA need for wage Level III or IV?
Interpolated from BLS OEWS percentiles for Software Developers in Seattle, WA, Level III starts around $170,000 and Level IV around $197,600. These are estimates — the official cutoffs come from the OFLC wage library for the exact county at flag.dol.gov.
Are these the official prevailing wage levels?
No. Official OFLC levels are set per SOC code and county in the FLAG wage library and can differ from metro-level OEWS percentile estimates. Use this page for orientation and negotiation framing, then confirm the exact figure on flag.dol.gov before relying on it.
How do wage levels change my H-1B lottery odds?
Under the DHS weighted-selection rule (first applied March 2026), registrations get 1–4 lottery entries matching wage levels I–IV. The rule's analysis projects selection rates from roughly 15% at Level I to roughly 61% at Level IV.