Postdoctoral Scholar H-1B salaries — 4,441 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 571
- Filings · FY2025
- $70k
- Median base · FY2025
- $64k–$76k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- University of California San Francisco
- Top sponsor · 856 all-time
Postdoctoral Scholar: 4,441 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $70k across 571 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $64k and $76k. The biggest sponsors are University of California San Francisco, University of California Davis, The University of Chicago; most filings are in San Francisco, CA.
How much does a Postdoctoral Scholar 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. $70k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Postdoctoral Scholar sponsorship changed?
344 certified filings in FY2016 → 389 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 389 | −32% | $72k |
| FY2025 | 571 | +10% | $70k |
| FY2024 | 519 | +23% | $67k |
| FY2023 | 423 | 0% | $63k |
| FY2022 | 425 | −4% | $60k |
| FY2021 | 443 | +10% | $59k |
| FY2020 | 402 | −2% | $57k |
| FY2019 | 410 | +56% | $55k |
| FY2018 | 263 | +4% | $53k |
| FY2017 | 252 | −27% | $52k |
| FY2016 | 344 | — | $48k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Postdoctoral Scholars?
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 Francisco | 856 | $64k |
| 2 | University of California Davis | 428 | $60k |
| 3 | The University of Chicago | 409 | $58k |
| 4 | University of California Los Angeles | 347 | $64k |
| 5 | The Pennsylvania State University | 322 | $56k |
| 6 | University of Washington | 277 | $66k |
| 7 | Northwestern University | 240 | $63k |
| 8 | Case Western Reserve University | 149 | $55k |
| 9 | Oregon Health Science University | 140 | $60k |
| 10 | University of California at Santa Barbara | 116 | $69k |
Where are H-1B Postdoctoral Scholar jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | 885 | $64k |
| 2 | Chicago, IL | 601 | $61k |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA | 346 | $64k |
| 4 | Davis, CA | 343 | $60k |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | 267 | $66k |
| 6 | University Park, PA | 217 | $55k |
| 7 | Cleveland, OH | 148 | $55k |
| 8 | Portland, OR | 141 | $60k |
| 9 | Evanston, IL | 123 | $62k |
| 10 | Santa Barbara, CA | 116 | $69k |
Common questions about Postdoctoral Scholar H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Postdoctoral Scholar?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Postdoctoral Scholar is $70k (FY2025), from 571 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $54k and $68k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Postdoctoral Scholars?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Postdoctoral Scholar are University of California San Francisco, University of California Davis, The University of Chicago.
- Where are most H-1B Postdoctoral Scholar jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Postdoctoral Scholar roles are San Francisco, CA, Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Postdoctoral Scholar 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 →