Research Specialist H-1B salary at University of Illinois at Chicago — 50 certified filings (FY2016–FY2024)
- 6
- Filings · FY2024
- $55k
- Median base · FY2024
- $55k–$59k
- Middle 50% · FY2024
- −19%
- vs market median · all years
University of Illinois at Chicago filed 6 certified H-1B LCAs for Research Specialist in FY2024 (up 50% from the year before), with a median base salary of $55k and the middle 50% of offers between $55k and $59k. Across all years its $50k median is 19% below the $62k market median for Research Specialist. It has filed 50 Research Specialist LCAs since FY2016, most often in Chicago, IL.
How much does University of Illinois at Chicago pay a Research Specialist?
Certified base salary for Research Specialist at University of Illinois at Chicago by fiscal year: each box is the p25–p75 range, the heavy line the median, the whiskers reach p10–p90. $55k median in FY2024. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
Does University of Illinois at Chicago pay Research Specialists above the market?
University of Illinois at Chicago's all-years median against every employer's certified Research Specialist LCAs — 19% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 50 | $50k |
| All employers · Research Specialist | 969 | $62k |
How has University of Illinois at Chicago's Research Specialist hiring changed by year?
7 certified Research Specialist filings in FY2016 → 6 in FY2024. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 6 | +50% | $55k |
| FY2023 | 4 | −20% | $48k |
| FY2022 | 5 | −17% | $54k |
| FY2021 | 6 | +20% | $50k |
| FY2020 | 5 | −29% | $50k |
| FY2019 | 7 | +75% | $44k |
| FY2018 | 4 | −33% | $42k |
| FY2017 | 6 | −14% | $47k |
| FY2016 | 7 | — | $45k |
Which wage levels does University of Illinois at Chicago file for Research Specialist?
DOL prevailing-wage levels I–IV approximate experience tiers (I = entry, IV = fully competent). 0% of University of Illinois at Chicago's Research Specialist filings sit at Level III–IV. Higher levels earn more entries in the wage-weighted H-1B lottery.
Share of 41 Research Specialist filings with a wage level · all years
- Level I80.5%33
- Level II19.5%8
Where does University of Illinois at Chicago hire H-1B Research Specialists?
Worksite states and cities on the certified filings for this title, all years, with the median base salary at each.
| State | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 50 | $50k |
| City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | 46 | $51k |
| Peoria, IL | 2 | $42k |
| Rockford, IL | 2 | $50k |
Also filed as
University of Illinois at Chicago's other sponsored titles, and the employers that file the most Research Specialist LCAs. All years.
Other titles at University of Illinois at Chicago
| Job title | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Professor | 136 | $106k |
| Postdoctoral Research Associate | 120 | $52k |
| Research Assistant Professor | 77 | $63k |
| Visiting Research Assistant Professor | 76 | $60k |
| Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics/Physician Surgeon | 68 | $165k |
| Visiting Research Specialist | 64 | $45k |
| Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine/Physician Surgeon | 32 | $200k |
Top Research Specialist sponsors
| Employer | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Howard Hughes Medical Institute | 316 | $70k |
| Brigham and Women’s Hospital | 35 | $70k |
| Weill Cornell Medical College | 24 | $67k |
| University of Pittsburgh | 24 | $40k |
| University of Wisconsin-system | 23 | $47k |
| University of Illinois Chicago | 22 | $66k |
| North Dakota State University | 20 | $52k |
| The University of Iowa | 19 | $62k |
| 3M | 18 | $130k |
Common questions about Research Specialist H-1B pay at University of Illinois at Chicago
- How much does University of Illinois at Chicago pay a Research Specialist on an H-1B?
- University of Illinois at Chicago's median certified H-1B base salary for Research Specialist is $55k in FY2024, from 6 filings; the middle 50% of offers fall between $55k and $59k. Across all years the median is $50k.
- How many Research Specialist H-1B LCAs has University of Illinois at Chicago filed?
- University of Illinois at Chicago has 50 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Research Specialist on record (FY2016–FY2024), 6 of them in FY2024. That is 4% of its 1,166 certified filings across all titles.
- Does University of Illinois at Chicago pay Research Specialists above the market?
- University of Illinois at Chicago's all-years median of $50k is 19% below the $62k median for Research Specialist across all H-1B employers (969 certified filings).
- Where does University of Illinois at Chicago hire H-1B Research Specialists?
- University of Illinois at Chicago's Research Specialist LCAs name worksites mostly in Illinois; the top cities are Chicago, IL, Peoria, IL, Rockford, IL.
- 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–FY2024). An LCA is not an approved visa; pay figures are base salary and exclude bonus and equity. Methodology →