Data Scientist H-1B salary at IBM — 269 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 30
- Filings · FY2025
- $169k
- Median base · FY2025
- $136k–$190k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- −3%
- vs market median · all years
IBM filed 30 certified H-1B LCAs for Data Scientist in FY2025, with a median base salary of $169k and the middle 50% of offers between $136k and $190k. Across all years its $111k median is 3% below the $114k market median for Data Scientist. It has filed 269 Data Scientist LCAs since FY2016, most often in Armonk, NY.
How much does IBM pay a Data Scientist?
Certified base salary for Data Scientist at IBM by fiscal year: each box is the p25–p75 range, the heavy line the median, the whiskers reach p10–p90. $169k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
Does IBM pay Data Scientists above the market?
IBM's all-years median against every employer's certified Data Scientist LCAs — 3% below the market. Same cleaned DOL title, same base-salary definition, so the two rows compare like for like.
| Base salary for this title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| IBM | 269 | $111k |
| All employers · Data Scientist | 24,001 | $114k |
How has IBM's Data Scientist hiring changed by year?
9 certified Data Scientist filings in FY2016 → 7 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 7 | −77% | $166k |
| FY2025 | 30 | +88% | $169k |
| FY2024 | 16 | +14% | $150k |
| FY2023 | 14 | −33% | $160k |
| FY2022 | 21 | +11% | $102k |
| FY2021 | 19 | −17% | $103k |
| FY2020 | 23 | −66% | $115k |
| FY2019 | 68 | +48% | $102k |
| FY2018 | 46 | +188% | $96k |
| FY2017 | 16 | +78% | $97k |
| FY2016 | 9 | — | $92k |
Which wage levels does IBM file for Data Scientist?
DOL prevailing-wage levels I–IV approximate experience tiers (I = entry, IV = fully competent). 29% of IBM's Data Scientist filings sit at Level III–IV. Higher levels earn more entries in the wage-weighted H-1B lottery.
Share of 259 Data Scientist filings with a wage level · all years
- Level II71.0%184
- Level III14.7%38
- Level IV14.3%37
Where does IBM hire H-1B Data Scientists?
Worksite states and cities on the certified filings for this title, all years, with the median base salary at each.
| State | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 74 | $114k |
| California | 41 | $125k |
| Texas | 34 | $117k |
| North Carolina | 26 | $122k |
| Massachusetts | 22 | $108k |
| Michigan | 17 | $72k |
| New Jersey | 9 | $146k |
| Ohio | 8 | $91k |
| City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Armonk, NY | 37 | $112k |
| New York, NY | 28 | $118k |
| Durham, NC | 26 | $122k |
| San Jose, CA | 20 | $130k |
| Cambridge, MA | 18 | $106k |
| Austin, TX | 17 | $117k |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 16 | $72k |
| San Francisco, CA | 10 | $125k |
Also filed as
IBM's other sponsored titles, and the employers that file the most Data Scientist LCAs. All years.
Other titles at IBM
| Job title | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Application Developer | 3,199 | $86k |
| Software Developer | 1,263 | $110k |
| Managing Consultant | 854 | $124k |
| Software Engineer | 847 | $92k |
| Application Architect | 797 | $108k |
| Package Consultant | 730 | $104k |
| Test Specialist | 612 | $76k |
| Project Manager | 580 | $97k |
| IT Specialist | 420 | $81k |
| Senior Managing Consultant | 417 | $159k |
Top Data Scientist sponsors
| Employer | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Platforms | 1,194 | $189k |
| 813 | $155k | |
| 522 | $175k | |
| Apple | 513 | $168k |
| Intel | 424 | $97k |
| Walmart Associates | 383 | $130k |
| Microsoft | 332 | $127k |
| Uber Technologies | 284 | $116k |
| Aetna Resources | 227 | $127k |
Common questions about Data Scientist H-1B pay at IBM
- How much does IBM pay a Data Scientist on an H-1B?
- IBM's median certified H-1B base salary for Data Scientist is $169k in FY2025, from 30 filings; the middle 50% of offers fall between $136k and $190k. Across all years the median is $111k.
- How many Data Scientist H-1B LCAs has IBM filed?
- IBM has 269 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Data Scientist on record (FY2016–FY2026), 7 of them in FY2026. That is 1% of its 23,826 certified filings across all titles.
- Does IBM pay Data Scientists above the market?
- IBM's all-years median of $111k is 3% below the $114k median for Data Scientist across all H-1B employers (24,001 certified filings).
- Where does IBM hire H-1B Data Scientists?
- IBM's Data Scientist LCAs name worksites mostly in New York, California, Texas; the top cities are Armonk, NY, New York, NY, Durham, NC.
- 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 do prevailing-wage levels I–IV mean?
- The Department of Labor assigns each LCA an OES wage level from I (entry) to IV (fully competent) for the occupation and area. Under the FY2027 wage-weighted H-1B lottery rule, a higher level earns more selection entries, so an employer's level mix is a proxy for how senior its sponsored roles are.
Keep exploring
Calculate your H-1B lottery odds →orCheck out the insights →
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 →