Physicist H-1B salaries — 196 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 13
- Filings · FY2025
- $139k
- Median base · FY2025
- $122k–$226k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Brookhaven National Laboratory
- Top sponsor · 61 all-time
Physicist: 196 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $139k across 13 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $122k and $226k. The biggest sponsors are Brookhaven National Laboratory, Gundersen Lutheran Administrative Services, Uchicago Argonne; most filings are in Upton, NY.
How much does a Physicist make on an H-1B?
Certified base salary by fiscal year: each box is the p25–p75 range, the heavy line the median, the whiskers reach p10–p90. $139k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Physicist sponsorship changed?
11 certified 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 | −46% | $199k |
| FY2025 | 13 | +63% | $139k |
| FY2024 | 8 | −20% | $103k |
| FY2023 | 10 | −9% | $107k |
| FY2022 | 11 | −8% | $108k |
| FY2021 | 12 | −43% | $123k |
| FY2020 | 21 | −12% | $144k |
| FY2019 | 24 | −62% | $118k |
| FY2018 | 64 | +327% | $142k |
| FY2017 | 15 | +36% | $120k |
| FY2016 | 11 | — | $161k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Physicists?
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 | Brookhaven National Laboratory | 61 | $142k |
| 2 | Gundersen Lutheran Administrative Services | 18 | $163k |
| 3 | Uchicago Argonne | 16 | $102k |
| 4 | Michigan State University | 10 | $74k |
| 5 | Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory | 10 | $89k |
| 6 | Upci Cancer Services | 10 | $206k |
| 7 | Battelle Memorial Institute | 9 | $125k |
| 8 | Lawrence Livermore National Security | 5 | $132k |
| 9 | Mayo Clinic | 4 | $184k |
| 10 | Lancaster General Hospital | 3 | $220k |
Where are H-1B Physicist jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upton, NY | 62 | $142k |
| 2 | Lemont, IL | 16 | $102k |
| 3 | East Lansing, MI | 10 | $74k |
| 4 | Cambridge, MA | 9 | $89k |
| 5 | Richland, WA | 7 | $125k |
| 6 | Livermore, CA | 5 | $132k |
| 7 | Pittsburgh, PA | 4 | $206k |
| 8 | Greensburg, PA | 4 | $213k |
| 9 | Ann Arbor, MI | 3 | $103k |
| 10 | Charlotte, NC | 3 | $107k |
Common questions about Physicist H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Physicist?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Physicist is $139k (FY2025), from 13 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $105k and $163k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Physicists?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Physicist are Brookhaven National Laboratory, Gundersen Lutheran Administrative Services, Uchicago Argonne.
- Where are most H-1B Physicist jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Physicist roles are Upton, NY, Lemont, IL, East Lansing, MI.
- Does a certified LCA mean Physicist H-1B visas were 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 →