I managed engineers in Silicon Valley for many years, although I've been retired for awhile.
The problem with H1B visas (at least when I was a manager) was that there was a quota and it was about 3x oversubscribed: so most applicants won't get the visa. (There is a separate queue for people with an MS degree from a US university, but it sounds like that doesn't apply for you).
Have you considered just using a TN-1 visa to get started and then trying to switch to a H1B every year until you pass the lottery? That should make you eligible for employment right away. I think the downside to TN-1 is that it's not considered an immigrant visa, so you can't transition to permanent residency, which is why you would want to continue to transition to H1B once you've gotten employed.
(Interested in what others have to say: maybe my opinion is out-of-date. IANAL.)
Regarding states: the best salaries are in Silicon Valley, obviously, but the taxes and living expenses there are high. If I were looking for work, I'd go to Austin, Texas. The salaries aren't as high but there are still a lot of tech employers and there is no state income tax. You might also consider the Research Triangle Park area in North Carolina.
One nit: you can actually transition directly to permanent residency from TN status. The only challenge is that after you file, you can't leave the US! That's why, as you explained, generally the play is to wait to transition to an H1B before starting the process.
For the OP: entering the US with TN status is relatively trivial. FANG companies recognise this, and will interview you more or less as if you had work authorisation in the US. Totally doable also for smaller employers, and is honestly easy enough for you to do on your own if needed.
Either your employer will provide you with documents to show CBP at the border when you first enter and they'll adjudicate your application on the spot, or your employer will apply for the TN a priori which takes only a few weeks - this allows you to enter in a sort of pre-authorised way.
One note on permanent residency: there are limits for employment-based green cards on the basis of your country of birth (not your country of citizenship). This makes things difficult if you were born in India or China.
The problem with H1B visas (at least when I was a manager) was that there was a quota and it was about 3x oversubscribed: so most applicants won't get the visa. (There is a separate queue for people with an MS degree from a US university, but it sounds like that doesn't apply for you).
Have you considered just using a TN-1 visa to get started and then trying to switch to a H1B every year until you pass the lottery? That should make you eligible for employment right away. I think the downside to TN-1 is that it's not considered an immigrant visa, so you can't transition to permanent residency, which is why you would want to continue to transition to H1B once you've gotten employed.
(Interested in what others have to say: maybe my opinion is out-of-date. IANAL.)
Regarding states: the best salaries are in Silicon Valley, obviously, but the taxes and living expenses there are high. If I were looking for work, I'd go to Austin, Texas. The salaries aren't as high but there are still a lot of tech employers and there is no state income tax. You might also consider the Research Triangle Park area in North Carolina.