Tesla H-1B Visa Sponsorship Data 2026
Tesla filed 2,896 H-1B labor condition applications in fiscal year 2026, ranking #11 out of 1,000 sponsoring employers in our database — up 9.4% from last year.
Of those filings, 89.0% were certified by the Department of Labor, with a median offered salary of $150,000, 19% above the national H-1B median of $126,403.
35% of Tesla's filings were at prevailing-wage Level III or above. Under the 2026 wage-weighted lottery, that translates to an average of 2.3 lottery entries per candidate — meaning its candidates get meaningfully better odds than the typical Level I–II filing.
Tesla's most-sponsored roles in FY2026 were Software Development Engineer (268 cases), Manufacturing Engineer (182 cases), Mechanical Design Engineer (159 cases). Its heaviest H-1B hiring was in CA (1,761), TX (610), NV (421).
FY2026 filings
2,896
Rank #11 nationally
Approval rate
89.0%
2,578 certified
Median salary
$150,000
National median $126,403
Avg. lottery entries
2.3×
Wage-weighted system
H-1B lottery positioning
Under the 2026 wage-weighted lottery, Level I filings receive 1 entry, Level II get 2, Level III get 3, and Level IV get 4. 35% of Tesla's FY2026 filings were Level III or above, giving its candidates an average of 2.3 entries per filing.
Most-sponsored job titles
| Job title | Filings | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|
| Software Development Engineer | 268 | $197,318 |
| Manufacturing Engineer | 182 | $144,422 |
| Mechanical Design Engineer | 159 | $157,403 |
| Process Engineer | 124 | $117,412 |
| Manufacturing Equipment Engineer | 115 | $126,120 |
| Sourcing Engineer | 110 | $150,296 |
| Manufacturing Controls Dev Engineer | 86 | $146,392 |
| Qa Engineer | 80 | $128,088 |
| Technical Program Mgr | 78 | $164,695 |
| Supplier Industrialization Engineer | 71 | $155,983 |
Top worksite states
CA
1,761 filings
TX
610 filings
NV
421 filings
NY
60 filings
WA
14 filings
UT
7 filings
MI
5 filings
MN
3 filings
IL
3 filings
SC
2 filings
Year-over-year trend
Tesla filed 2,647 H-1B applications in FY2025 versus 2,896 in FY2026 — an increase of 9.4%.
Tesla H-1B FAQs
Does Tesla sponsor H-1B visas?
Yes. Tesla filed 2,896 H-1B labor condition applications in FY2026, ranking #11 nationally. A labor condition application (LCA) is the required first step before an H-1B petition, so this filing volume is a strong signal of active sponsorship.
What is Tesla's H-1B approval rate?
89.0% of Tesla's FY2026 H-1B filings were certified by the Department of Labor, with 4 denied. Note that LCA certification is distinct from USCIS petition approval, but a high certification rate indicates clean, compliant filings.
How much does Tesla pay H-1B workers?
Tesla's median offered salary for H-1B roles in FY2026 was $150,000 (average $161,854). Individual offers vary by role, level, and worksite — the tables above break it down by job title.
Which jobs does Tesla sponsor most on H-1B?
Software Development Engineer leads with 268 filings in FY2026 at an average offered salary of $197,318. Other frequently sponsored roles are listed in the table above.
Where does Tesla hire H-1B workers?
CA is Tesla's top H-1B worksite state with 1,761 filings in FY2026, followed by TX (610) and NV (421). Worksite reflects where the job is performed, which may differ from headquarters.
What are the H-1B lottery odds at Tesla?
No employer can guarantee lottery selection, but wage levels matter: under the 2026 wage-weighted system, Level I filings get 1 entry while Level IV get 4. Based on Tesla's FY2026 wage mix, its candidates averaged 2.3 entries per filing. Higher-wage offers at the same employer carry better odds.
Other top H-1B sponsors
Deloitte
4,230 filings
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
2,923 filings
Jpmorgan Chase
2,751 filings
Nvidia
2,457 filings
Data source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification — Labor Condition Application disclosure data, FY2024–FY2026. An LCA is filed by the employer before an H-1B petition; disclosure data does not indicate USCIS petition outcomes. Last updated: October 2026.