La Jolla, CA H-1B salaries — 2,484 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 253
- Filings · FY2025
- $82k
- Median base · FY2025
- $77k–$104k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- University of California San Diego
- Top sponsor · 1,016 all-time
Employers in La Jolla, CA have 2,484 certified H-1B LCAs on record since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $82k across 253 filings, with the middle 50% between $77k and $104k. The biggest sponsors are University of California San Diego, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, The Scripps Research Institute; the most-sponsored titles are Assistant Project Scientist, Postdoctoral Scholar Employee, Postdoctoral Fellow.
How much do H-1B workers in La Jolla, CA make?
Certified base salary by fiscal year: each box is the p25–p75 range, the heavy line the median, the whiskers reach p10–p90. $82k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has H-1B hiring in La Jolla, CA changed?
205 certified filings in FY2016 → 205 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 205 | −19% | $85k |
| FY2025 | 253 | +9% | $82k |
| FY2024 | 232 | +3% | $78k |
| FY2023 | 225 | +6% | $77k |
| FY2022 | 213 | +24% | $72k |
| FY2021 | 172 | −12% | $68k |
| FY2020 | 196 | −37% | $67k |
| FY2019 | 312 | +23% | $62k |
| FY2018 | 254 | +17% | $62k |
| FY2017 | 217 | +6% | $60k |
| FY2016 | 205 | — | $55k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B workers in La Jolla, CA?
The employers with the most certified filings, all years, with their median base salary. Open any employer for its full profile.
| # | Employer | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California San Diego | 1,016 | $74k |
| 2 | The Salk Institute for Biological Studies | 214 | $64k |
| 3 | The Scripps Research Institute | 187 | $69k |
| 4 | LA Jolla Institute for Immunology | 116 | $64k |
| 5 | Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute | 104 | $68k |
| 6 | Stepstone Group | 44 | $90k |
| 7 | Qualcomm Technologies | 43 | $113k |
| 8 | LA Jolla Institute for Allergy Immunology | 40 | $52k |
| 9 | Howard Hughes Medical Institute | 31 | $65k |
| 10 | Advanced Micro Devices | 27 | $160k |
What H-1B jobs get sponsored in La Jolla, CA?
The most-filed job titles on certified LCAs in this city, all years (DOL titles, pay-grade codes stripped).
| # | Job title | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assistant Project Scientist | 233 | $72k |
| 2 | Postdoctoral Scholar Employee | 214 | $59k |
| 3 | Postdoctoral Fellow | 179 | $63k |
| 4 | Postdoctoral Scholar-Employee | 129 | $74k |
| 5 | Postdoctoral Associate | 127 | $63k |
| 6 | Assistant Professor | 98 | $107k |
| 7 | Staff Scientist | 92 | $78k |
| 8 | Research Associate | 68 | $52k |
| 9 | Staff Research Associate III | 58 | $66k |
| 10 | Software Engineer | 38 | $91k |
Common questions about H-1B jobs in La Jolla, CA
- What is the median H-1B salary in La Jolla, CA?
- The median certified H-1B base salary in La Jolla, CA is $82k (FY2025), from 253 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $61k and $93k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B workers in La Jolla, CA?
- The top H-1B sponsors in La Jolla, CA are University of California San Diego, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, The Scripps Research Institute.
- What are the most common H-1B jobs in La Jolla, CA?
- The most-sponsored H-1B roles in La Jolla, CA are Assistant Project Scientist, Postdoctoral Scholar Employee, Postdoctoral Fellow.
- Does a certified LCA mean an H-1B visa was approved?
- No. A Labor Condition Application (LCA) is the Department of Labor attestation an employer must have certified before filing an H-1B petition with USCIS. It records the job, worksite and offered wage, but not whether the petition was filed, selected in the lottery, or approved. Filing counts measure intent to sponsor, not headcount.
- What salary do these figures show?
- The base annual wage offered on the certified LCA, converted to a yearly amount. Bonus, equity, overtime and benefits are not included, so total compensation is typically higher. Figures are medians and percentiles over certified filings; wages above $5,000,000 a year are excluded as data-entry errors.
- What does the fiscal year mean here?
- Years are U.S. government fiscal years, October to September: FY2025 runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. This matches how the Department of Labor publishes the disclosure files. The most recent year may be partial until its final quarter is released.
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Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification — certified LCA disclosure data through June 2026 (FY2016–FY2026). An LCA is not an approved visa; pay figures are base salary and exclude bonus and equity. Methodology →