U.S. job seekers negotiating tech offers and employers setting competitive pay often turn to Levels.fyi for its comprehensive total compensation data in big tech. The site breaks down base salary, stock, and bonuses, while also offering company leveling clarity--essential for accurate benchmarking. The H1B Salary Database, by comparison, draws from public base salary data in LCA petitions but skips total compensation elements. PayScale provides city-based software engineer comparisons yet lacks the depth needed for big tech specifics.
Consider Google as an example. Levels.fyi reports a median total compensation of $385K, capturing the full package that H1B data--like a $147K base salary example--overlooks entirely. Job seekers rely on this for negotiations, and employers use it for pay transparency when crafting offers. As tech hiring shifts in 2026, Levels.fyi's visualization of H1B data across U.S. metro areas and top cities gives it an edge over the others.
What Each Salary Database Offers for Job Search Decisions
Levels.fyi stands out with total compensation breakdowns--base salary, stock, and bonuses--plus company-specific leveling to put roles in context. Tech professionals find it especially useful for comparing offers at companies like Google or Meta. The site also hosts and visualizes H1B data, letting users explore base salaries by company, job title, and location in U.S. metro areas. Discussions on Reddit's r/cscareerquestions often point to it for these features.
The H1B Salary Database pulls from public Labor Condition Application data tied to H1B petitions. It focuses only on base salaries, which underrepresent true earnings in tech, where equity and bonuses play major roles. A Levels.fyi blog post highlights these gaps for total compensation, as in cases where a $147K base falls well short of the full package.
PayScale enables software engineer salary comparisons across cities, with location-adjusted base pay estimates. Still, it doesn't deliver the same granularity as Levels.fyi for big tech total comp or H1B public data details.
These tools support job search decisions in distinct ways: Levels.fyi for a complete view, H1B for raw base benchmarks, and PayScale for broader geographic checks. Each has limits--H1B's base-only focus and PayScale's shallower tech coverage, for instance. For job seekers and employers in 2026, grasping these differences points to the best starting tool: Levels.fyi for total compensation and leveling, particularly when cross-referencing the public H1B bases it visualizes, while steering clear of over-reliance on base-only figures that ignore stock and bonuses central to tech roles.
Head-to-Head Comparison: Total Comp vs Base Salary Insights
Evaluating these tools for tech salary benchmarking means weighing data coverage, reliability, and visualization. Levels.fyi handles total compensation, while H1B covers just base salary.
| Metric | Levels.fyi | H1B Salary Database | PayScale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Coverage | Total comp (base + stock + bonus); leveling clarity | Base salary only from public LCA data | City-based software engineer base pay |
| Reliability | Most reliable for tech per Reddit r/cscareerquestions | Inaccurate for total comp (misses equity) | Suitable for city comparisons |
| Examples | Google median $385K total comp | $147K base (understates full package) | Software engineer pay by city |
| Visualization | U.S. metro areas, top cities, company/job title comparisons | Hosted on Levels.fyi for metro views | City-level breakdowns |
Levels.fyi's broad coverage delivers fuller insights, particularly through its H1B visualizations. Relying on H1B data alone can lead to underestimating negotiations, since base figures exclude the stock that powers big tech pay. LinkedIn career content and InterviewPal analyses back Levels.fyi's value for job seekers reviewing offers. The table underscores the key tension: Levels.fyi's total comp details paint a truer picture for 2026 tech job research, H1B's base-only lens needs supplements, and PayScale supplies basic geographic context without big tech precision.
How to Choose the Right Tool for Your Role in Hiring or Job Hunting
Pick tools to match your needs--total comp depth for negotiations, base benchmarks for checks, or city adjustments for relocation. In 2026, blending them yields the clearest picture: begin with Levels.fyi for total comp, then review H1B bases through its visualizations.
For Job Seekers Negotiating Tech Offers:
Prioritize Levels.fyi for total compensation and leveling, which clarify equivalent roles across companies. Use data like Google's $385K median to push back on low offers. Add H1B base salaries from Levels.fyi to confirm public benchmarks, making sure to negotiate the full package with stock and bonuses. Workflow: Input your role, location, and experience on Levels.fyi; cross-check H1B for base realism; reference PayScale for city norms if relocating.
For Employers Benchmarking Competitive Offers:
Turn to Levels.fyi for total comp data to build market-rate packages and draw talent. Its H1B visualizations reveal base pay trends in metros, helping avoid underpayment. Don't depend on H1B alone, since it covers only base--combine it with Levels.fyi for full transparency. Workflow: Query company-specific data on Levels.fyi; visualize H1B metros for regional insights; use PayScale for non-tech city baselines.
This method strengthens hiring and job hunting choices, filling H1B's base-only shortcomings with Levels.fyi's wider reach.
FAQ
When should I use Levels.fyi over H1B data for salary research?
Choose Levels.fyi when you need total compensation including stock and bonuses, or leveling clarity for big tech--it's more comprehensive than H1B's base-only data, per Reddit r/cscareerquestions.
Does H1B salary database show total compensation like stock and bonuses?
No, it covers only base salary from public LCA petitions, missing equity and bonuses that define tech pay, as noted in Levels.fyi's blog.
How reliable is Levels.fyi compared to other sites according to job seekers?
Job seekers on Reddit r/cscareerquestions call it the most reliable for tech salaries, ahead of alternatives due to total comp and leveling details.
Can PayScale help with software engineer salary comparisons across cities?
Yes, it provides base pay estimates adjusted for cities, useful for geographic benchmarking alongside other tools.
Why combine Levels.fyi and H1B data for big tech negotiations?
Levels.fyi offers total comp reliability; H1B adds public base verification via its visualizations--together, they provide a complete view, avoiding base-only underestimates.
What are the main limitations of H1B salaries for U.S. job searches?
H1B data is base salary only, inaccurate for total comp in tech where stock dominates, and requires tools like Levels.fyi for proper context.
Next, visit Levels.fyi to benchmark your role's total comp, then cross-reference H1B bases for negotiations or offers.