Forward deployed engineer H-1B salaries: what the filings show and what they leave out

By FDE Interview Prep, a SourceStrongAI company

In this post12 sections

1. What an H-1B filing records, and what it doesn’t
2. Offered base wages on forward deployed titles
3. By employer and by city
4. Why a filing is not total pay
5. Filings, posted bands and self-reports side by side
6. How to look up a filing yourself
7. If you are the one being sponsored
8. What to ask for in writing
9. Practice the call before the number matters
10. Questions people ask
11. Keep reading
12. More from the blog

You want a real number for what forward deployed engineers are offered, and an H-1B filing carries a wage that the employer itself files with the US government. Maybe you’ll need sponsorship yourself; maybe you just want a figure nobody made up. This post is the H-1B part of our forward deployed engineer salary guide: what the filings record, what they leave out, and how to use them without being misled.

The short answer: in H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, 387 had “forward deployed” or “forward-deployed” in the job title, and their median offered base wage was $161,637, taking the lower bound of any filed range. ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 2LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q1.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 3LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q2.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data That is the base wage an employer offered a sponsored worker. It leaves out bonus and equity, it covers only sponsored workers, and a certified filing is not proof that anyone was hired.

What an H-1B filing records, and what it doesn’t

Before a US employer can sponsor an H-1B worker, it files a labor condition application, or LCA, with the Department of Labor. The Department of Labor’s record layout says the public file holds the LCA data as the employer or its representative provided it, plus the department’s decision, and defines the wage fields as the wage for the sponsored worker at the first worksite. ^[6]Source 6Public Disclosure File: LCA (H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3), Form ETA-9035, FY2026 record layoutPublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data

What one filing tells you:

• the employer’s legal name and the job title it chose
• the occupation code it filed under
• the worksite city and county
• the offered wage, as one figure or a from-to range, with its unit
• the prevailing wage for the job and, when the employer used the Department of Labor’s OES wage survey data, a wage level from I to IV

What it does not tell you:

• bonus, equity, sign-on or commission, because the form has no field for them
• the level on the company’s own ladder
• whether the worker was hired, or whether one worker had several filings
• anything about people the employer did not sponsor

What a lower bound hides

Say “offered base wage”, not salary, and count filings, not people. In H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, employers stated a range rather than one offered base wage on 157 of the 607 filings in the wider pool of forward deployed and deployment titles. ^{[1, 4]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data Every median in this post uses the lower bound, which can understate the offer.

Anthropic’s filings show the problem. In H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, Anthropic had two, both for “Member of Technical Staff (Forward Deployed Engineer)” in San Francisco and decided in May 2026: one stated an offered base wage of $264,514 to $300,000 a year, and the other $161,637 to $300,000. ^[1]Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data Same title, same city, same month, same top of range. Read only the lower bounds and they look like two different jobs. Read the ranges and they share a ceiling.

As of September 2026, Anthropic’s Forward Deployed Engineer posting for New York, San Francisco and Seattle lists an annual salary of $280,000 to $320,000. ^[7]Source 7Forward Deployed Engineer (New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA)PublisherAnthropic (Greenhouse)Source typecompany job posting The band is the range Anthropic states for the role now. The filings are two offered base wages, on H-1B filings certified in May 2026. ^[1]Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data Use the band for the number and the filings for the title.

Offered base wages on forward deployed titles

In H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, the 387 with forward deployed titles came from 119 employers, and their offered base wage had a 25th percentile of $145,000, a median of $161,637 and a 75th percentile of $190,000, and ran from $77,376 to $350,000. ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 2LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q1.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 3LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q2.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data Trust the middle of that range more than its ends; one filing at either extreme is one record.

Filings rose between fiscal years. Forward deployed titles went from 70 certified filings in FY2025 ^{[2, 3, 4, 5]}Source 2LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q1.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 3LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q2.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data to 317 in FY2026 through June. ^[1]Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data Those are filings, not hires.

Spell it both ways. In H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, 374 used “forward deployed” and 13 used “forward-deployed”, all 13 filed by Braze, Lorikeet AI or Qventus. ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 2LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q1.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 3LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q2.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data ^[1]Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data

Leave out “deployment engineer”. In filings certified over the same October 2024 to June 2026 window, 75 had “deployment engineer” in the title, 69 of them for jobs that are not forward deployed, such as network, OTA, robotics and build or release engineers, with a median offered base wage of $113,580. ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 2LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q1.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 3LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q2.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data A loose search drags that into your number.

Search the strategist title separately. In H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, Palantir had 106 for Deployment Strategist, with a median offered base wage of $138,500. ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 2LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q1.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 3LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q2.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data A “forward deployed” search misses all of them. Our post on deployment strategist vs forward deployed engineer covers how the roles differ.

Read the occupation code. Of the 387 forward deployed filings certified in that window, 242 were filed under Software Developers and 92 under Data Scientists. ^{[1, 4]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data If your job is integrations and pipelines, a “Forward Deployed Data Scientist” filing is a neighbor, not a match.

By employer and by city

In H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, ten employers had at least 5 filings with forward deployed titles, and the other 109 employers had 4 or fewer each. ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 2LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q1.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 3LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q2.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data Here are all ten, each with its filing count and the median offered base wage across those filings, at the lower bound of any range. FY25-26 in the table means the same window.

The title on the filing may not be the title on the posting. OpenAI’s filings use “Member of Forward Deployed Staff” and “Member of Go To Market Staff (Forward Deployed Engineer)” variants. ^{[1, 5]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data Boston Consulting Group’s filings are mostly “Forward Deployed AI Scientist” and “Forward Deployed AI Engineer”. ^[1]Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data

A few filings at companies people search

These are one or two records each. Read each on its own; none is a company rate.

• Google: one H-1B filing certified in May 2026, a Forward Deployed Engineer in New York at an offered base wage of $174,000 a year. ^[1]Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data
• Databricks: two Senior Forward Deployed Engineer filings in New York, certified from October 2024 to June 2026, each with an offered base wage lower bound of $189,592. ^[1]Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data
• Scale AI: one H-1B filing certified in August 2025, a Forward Deployed Engineer in San Francisco at an offered base wage of $188,000 to $218,000. ^{[1, 5]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data
• Snowflake: one H-1B filing certified in May 2026, a Forward Deployed Engineer in Menlo Park at an offered base wage of $135,699 to $230,000. ^[1]Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data
• C3.ai: two filings certified in May 2025, Forward Deployed Engineers in Redwood City at offered base wages of $133,700 and $131,850. ^[4]Source 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data

New York and San Francisco

In H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, the New York metro area had 160 with forward deployed titles and the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area 102, which excludes San Jose; the two Bay Area metros together had 115. ^{[1, 4]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data

• New York. The 160 filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026 had a median offered base wage of $150,000, with a 25th percentile of $145,000 and a 75th percentile of $180,000. ^{[1, 4]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data
• San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont. The 102 filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026 had a median offered base wage of $172,040, with a 25th percentile of $160,000 and a 75th percentile of $200,000. ^{[1, 4, 5]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data

Worked example: a Palantir role in New York

Say you are interviewing for Palantir’s Forward Deployed Software Engineer role in New York. Three figures are in reach:

• The posting. As of September 2026, it states a salary range of $135,000 to $200,000 and says total compensation may also include RSUs, a sign-on bonus and other potential future incentives. ^[8]Source 8Forward Deployed Software Engineer (New York, NY) - Palantir on LeverPublisherPalantir Technologies (Lever)Source typecompany job posting
• The company’s filings. In H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, Palantir’s 72 with forward deployed titles, across all cities, had a median offered base wage of $146,666. ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 2LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q1.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 3LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q2.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data
• The city’s filings. In H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, New York’s 160 had a median offered base wage of $150,000. ^{[1, 4]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data

How to read them: the band is today’s stated base range, and it is the number to anchor on. The filings are past offers. Use them to check that the title, occupation code and wage level on a Palantir filing match the job you are interviewing for, not to pick a spot inside the band.

What to say on the call:

“The posting I saw in September 2026 lists a salary range of $135,000 to $200,000 ^[8]Source 8Forward Deployed Software Engineer (New York, NY) - Palantir on LeverPublisherPalantir Technologies (Lever)Source typecompany job posting. Where in that range does the level you have in mind sit, and what does the RSU grant look like at that level?”

That question moves the talk to level and equity, the two things no filing shows.

Why a filing is not total pay

An FDE offer can have more lines than base, as the Palantir posting shows. A filing captures only the first of them. Two things it can’t carry:

• Equity. A filing has no field for grants, vesting or refreshers. Our post on FDE equity: RSUs, options and what to get in writing covers how to value the grant.
• Time. A filing records an offer when it was filed, not raises or bands since.

Variable pay is missing too. In Bloomberry’s sample of 1,000 FDE postings, 8% mentioned on-target earnings. ^[9]Source 9What I learned analyzing 1K forward deployed engineer jobsPublisherBloomberrySource typeindependent analysis The post on what OTE means for an engineer explains the split, and a filing has no field for commission.

Filings, posted bands and self-reports side by side

A filing is one past offer to a sponsored worker. A posted band is the range stated for a role on a date. Levels.fyi is self-reported pay from whoever submitted. Posted bands are the easiest to find. In our September 2026 count of postings on the job boards we checked, 364 of the 415 US-located FDE postings published a pay figure. ^[10]Source 10Our analysis: FDE posting censusPublisherfdeinterviewprep.com researchSource typeour analysis of public data So for a US role, read the posting first. Our free lesson on how to read an FDE job posting line by line shows where the pay line sits and what its label means.

OpenAI, three ways

• Posted. As of September 2026, OpenAI’s job board lists its Forward Deployed Engineer roles in San Francisco, Seattle and New York at a salary of $185K to $300K, with “Offers Equity”. ^[11]Source 11OpenAI job board: Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) - SFPublisherOpenAI (Ashby)Source typecompany job posting
• Filings. In H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, OpenAI’s 8 had offered base wages from $220,000 to $280,000, at the lower bound. ^{[1, 5]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data
• Self-reported. Levels.fyi’s OpenAI FDE page shows no median and holds 1 submission, a self-reported US total of $902,000. ^[12]Source 12OpenAI Forward Deployed Engineer SalaryPublisherLevels.fyiSource typeself-reported pay on Levels.fyi

One self-report is an anecdote. Read the three together, but never set a filing against a band as if they measured the same thing.

How to look up a filing yourself

You don’t need a lookup site. The Department of Labor publishes the files on its OFLC performance data page, along with the record layout that defines every field. Its latest files, including the FY2026 Q3 LCA file, cover determinations issued from October 2025 to June 2026. ^{[6, 13]}Source 6Public Disclosure File: LCA (H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3), Form ETA-9035, FY2026 record layoutPublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 13OFLC Performance DataPublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data

Install pandas and openpyxl first (pip install pandas openpyxl). The file runs to a few hundred megabytes, so the default reader is slow; passing engine="calamine" (package python-calamine) to read_excel is much faster.

import pandas as pd

path = "LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx"
df = pd.read_excel(path)

title = df["JOB_TITLE"].str.contains(
    r"forward[ -]deployed", case=False, na=False)
ok = df["CASE_STATUS"] == "Certified"
fde = df[title & ok]

cols = ["EMPLOYER_NAME", "JOB_TITLE", "SOC_TITLE",
        "WORKSITE_CITY", "WAGE_RATE_OF_PAY_FROM",
        "WAGE_RATE_OF_PAY_TO", "WAGE_UNIT_OF_PAY",
        "PW_WAGE_LEVEL"]
emp = fde["EMPLOYER_NAME"].str.contains(
    "anthropic", case=False)
print(fde[emp][cols].to_string())

The pattern catches both spellings; swap "anthropic" for another employer. This file alone holds the 317 forward deployed filings certified in FY2026 through June, and the 70 from FY2025 are in the four FY2025 quarterly files on the same page. ^[1]Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data ^{[2, 3, 4, 5]}Source 2LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q1.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 3LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q2.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data Our methodology page describes how we built the figures here.

If you are the one being sponsored

Three Department of Labor rules work in your favor:

• The wage floor. The employer must pay you at least the greater of what it pays similar workers and the prevailing wage for the job and area, under the wage rule for H-1B employers. So check PREVAILING_WAGE and PW_WAGE_LEVEL on your LCA as well as the offered wage.
• Your copy. The employer must give you a copy of the certified LCA no later than the day you start work, under the notice rule for H-1B employers.
• The public file. The employer must keep the LCA in a public access file with the documentation of the wage.

Check that the wage, title and worksite on your LCA match your offer letter.

What to ask for in writing

A filing gives you one line of an offer. When the verbal offer comes, ask for the rest in writing:

“Thank you, I’m excited about this. Before I respond, could you send the full offer in writing: base, level, the equity grant with its vesting schedule, any bonus target and what it’s measured on, and the sign-on terms? I want to compare the whole package, not just the base.”

If the recruiter asks for your number before there is an offer, don’t lead with a filing figure. Say something like: “I’ve read the posted range and the public filings for this title. I’d like to understand the level you have in mind first. Can you share the band for that level?” Our free question What are your compensation expectations? has a full model answer, and What level do you think you are, and why? prepares you for the level conversation that follows. When you are ready to push on the numbers, how to negotiate an FDE offer covers which parts move.

Practice the call before the number matters

Saying your number calmly while a recruiter waits takes practice. Start with the free compensation and level questions. The three questions that come once an offer exists are in Pro: If we make an offer, we will need an answer within a week, the equity number is final and we’re offering a level down. Pro opens every lesson and every model answer in a bank of 180 interview questions, and starts with a 7-day free trial. See Pro on the pricing page.

Questions people ask

What do H-1B filings show about forward deployed engineer salaries?

In H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, 387 had ‘forward deployed’ or ‘forward-deployed’ in the job title, and their median offered base wage was $161,637, using the lower bound of any filed range. It is the base wage offered to sponsored workers; bonus and equity are not in it.^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 2LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q1.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 3LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q2.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this data

Do H-1B salary figures include stock and bonus?

No. An H-1B filing states the base wage an employer offers a sponsored worker, as a single wage or a range, for the first worksite. Bonus, equity and sign-on are not part of it, so read a filing figure as base pay only.

Why is the H-1B figure lower than Levels.fyi for the same company?

They measure different things. In H-1B filings certified from October 2024 to June 2026, Palantir’s 72 filings with forward deployed titles had a median offered base wage of $146,666, while Levels.fyi’s self-reported Palantir Forward Deployed Engineer page shows a median total package of $201K from the 51 submissions behind its percentiles.^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 14]}Source 1LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 2LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q1.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 3LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q2.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 4LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q3.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 5LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2025_Q4.xlsx (DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data)PublisherUS Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor CertificationSource typeUS Department of Labor filing dataHow we used this dataSource 14Palantir Forward Deployed Engineer SalaryPublisherLevels.fyiSource typeself-reported pay on Levels.fyi

Keep reading

Guides

• Forward deployed engineer salary: what employers post and file

Lessons

• How to read an FDE job posting line by line
• The evidence map: what employers publish, what candidates report, how to read both
• FDE, software engineer, solutions architect, sales engineer: telling them apart

Questions

• What are your compensation expectations?
• What level do you think you are, and why?
• If we make an offer, we will need an answer within a week. Is that workable?

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