Software engineering is the most sponsored job title in the entire H1B visa program. Every year, companies across the United States file tens of thousands of petitions for software engineers, from big tech giants in Silicon Valley to consulting firms and financial institutions spread across the country. But the numbers behind those filings tell a story that most candidates never look at before accepting an offer.
UP Next: Best Indian IT Companies Sponsoring H1B Visas in the US: Approval Rates and Salaries.
The Top H1B Sponsors for Software Engineers
Google LLC leads the list with 21,664 LCA positions filed for software engineers and 45,064 total approvals across all roles, with a company-wide approval rate of 98.7%. The average salary for software engineers at Google based on LCA data is $180,674. Google’s combination of volume and near-perfect approvals makes it the most dominant software engineering H1B sponsor in the country.
Microsoft Corporation is second with 19,936 software engineer LCA positions and 43,977 total approvals at a 98.4% approval rate. Average software engineer salaries come in at $169,087. Microsoft and Google together account for a large share of all software engineering H1B filings from pure product companies.
Tata Consultancy Services ranks third with 8,326 software engineer positions, making it the largest consulting firm on this list by volume. Total approvals stand at 60,083, but TCS also recorded 5,257 denials, pushing its approval rate down to 92%. Average salaries for software engineers at TCS are $132,203. The denial count reflects ongoing USCIS scrutiny of third-party staffing arrangements that TCS commonly uses for placements.
Apple Inc. shows 8,287 software engineer positions with 32,586 total approvals and just 307 denials, giving it a 99.1% approval rate. Average software engineer salaries at Apple are $180,806, nearly identical to Google. Apple’s combination of high approvals and top-tier compensation puts it among the strongest sponsors on this list.
Capgemini America Inc has filed 7,467 software engineer positions with 24,353 total approvals and a 92% approval rate. Average salaries sit at $134,101. Capgemini operates as a consulting and outsourcing firm, which explains the higher denial rate compared to product companies.
JPMorgan Chase and Co. ranks sixth with 7,342 software engineer positions. The bank has recorded 19,016 total approvals against just 210 denials, producing a 98.9% approval rate. Average salaries are $155,450, the highest among financial institutions on this list. JPMorgan’s tech hiring has expanded significantly over the past several years, and its approval record is comparable to the top tech companies.
Deloitte Consulting LLP has filed 5,983 software engineer positions with 28,304 total approvals, but also 4,639 denials, resulting in an 85.9% approval rate. That is the lowest on this list. Average salaries are $131,229. Deloitte’s high denial volume is consistent with the broader pattern seen at large consulting firms that place workers at third-party client sites.
Cognizant Technology Solutions shows 5,836 software engineer positions with 20,433 total approvals and a 98.5% approval rate. Average salaries for software engineers are $103,892. Cognizant’s approval rate stands out significantly among consulting firms and is closer to the big tech companies than to TCS or Deloitte.
Mphasis Corporation has filed 4,308 software engineer positions with a 96.2% approval rate and average salaries of $113,970. For a mid-size consulting firm, Mphasis consistently posts stronger approvals and compensation numbers than the larger Indian IT companies.
HCL America Inc shows 3,264 software engineer positions with a 91.1% approval rate and average salaries of $100,919. HCL sits in the middle of the consulting firm pack on both metrics.
LTIMindTree Limited has filed 3,202 software engineer positions with a 99.1% approval rate, matching Apple for the highest on this list. Average salaries are $109,283. LTIMindTree’s approval record is exceptional for a consulting firm and makes it a standout option among Indian IT sponsors.
Accenture LLP shows 3,053 software engineer positions with a 92.9% approval rate and average salaries of $123,181. Accenture’s numbers are in line with other large consulting firms, with better compensation than the Indian IT companies but lower approval rates than the tech giants.
Intel Corporation has filed 2,833 software engineer positions with 18,687 total approvals and a 97.6% approval rate. Average salaries are $132,216. Intel’s approvals are strong for a hardware-focused company, though its hiring pace has slowed in recent years.
Wipro Limited shows 2,746 software engineer positions with a 90.1% approval rate and average salaries of $87,921, the lowest on this entire list. Wipro’s combination of lower approvals and the lowest salaries makes it one of the weaker options for software engineers comparing Indian IT firm offers.
IBM has filed 2,733 software engineer positions with 18,417 total approvals and a 95.3% approval rate. Average salaries are $168,692, the third highest on this list after Adobe and NVIDIA. IBM’s compensation for software engineers reflects a mix of senior technical and consulting roles.
LinkedIn Corporation shows 2,529 software engineer positions with a 99% approval rate and average salaries of $170,402. LinkedIn’s approval rate and salary figures are in the same range as Google and Microsoft, which makes sense given its ownership by Microsoft and the competition for engineering talent in that segment.
NVIDIA Corporation has filed 2,136 software engineer positions with a 99.2% approval rate and average salaries of $189,697, the second highest on this list. NVIDIA’s compensation reflects the premium the company pays for GPU and AI-related engineering talent.
CGI Technologies and Solutions shows 1,969 software engineer positions with a 98.1% approval rate and average salaries of $116,121. CGI is a Canadian IT firm with a strong US federal government contracting presence, which likely explains its high approval rate compared to other consulting firms.
Adobe Inc. rounds out the list with 1,884 software engineer positions, a 97.6% approval rate, and average salaries of $233,312, by far the highest on this list. Adobe’s software engineer LCA filings skew heavily toward senior and principal-level roles, which pulls the average salary well above the others.
What the Numbers Actually Tell You
The approval rate gap between the best and worst sponsors on this list is 13 percentage points, from Adobe and NVIDIA above 97% down to Deloitte at 85.9%. For software engineers with multiple offers on the table, that gap represents a real difference in petition risk. A denial means delays, legal costs, and in some cases, losing the job entirely.
The salary picture is equally telling. Consulting firms cluster between $88,000 and $134,000 for software engineers, while product companies and financial institutions range from $155,000 to $233,000. The consulting model, where workers are placed at client sites, structurally produces lower compensation and higher denial rates compared to companies hiring engineers for internal product work.
LTIMindTree is the one consulting firm that breaks this pattern, with a 99.1% approval rate that matches Apple. For candidates evaluating Indian IT firm offers specifically, LTIMindTree’s record is worth noting.
How to Research Any Sponsor Before You Accept
The 19 companies on this list are the largest software engineering H1B sponsors, but they represent only a fraction of employers filing petitions for this role. Thousands of mid-size tech companies, startups, hospitals, universities, and financial firms also sponsor software engineers regularly, and many of them offer better salaries and cleaner approval records than the larger firms.
Before accepting any offer, search the employer on H1BTrack to see their full petition history, year-by-year filing trends, and approval rates going back to FY2019. The database covers 132,000+ companies across all 50 states and is completely free with no signup required.
