Principal Researcher H-1B salaries — 51 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 6
- Filings · FY2025
- $160k
- Median base · FY2025
- $147k–$220k
- Middle 50% · all years
- Palo Alto Networks
- Top sponsor · 15 all-time
How much does a Principal Researcher make on an H-1B?
Certified base salary across all years: the box is the p25–p75 range, the heavy line the median, the whiskers reach p10–p90. Base pay only.
How has Principal Researcher sponsorship changed?
2 certified filings in FY2016 → 5 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 5 | −17% | $304k |
| FY2025 | 6 | +100% | $160k |
| FY2024 | 3 | −25% | $190k |
| FY2023 | 4 | +300% | $75k |
| FY2022 | 1 | −92% | $165k |
| FY2021 | 12 | +20% | $171k |
| FY2020 | 10 | +150% | $148k |
| FY2019 | 4 | +33% | $147k |
| FY2018 | 3 | +200% | $228k |
| FY2017 | 1 | −50% | $156k |
| FY2016 | 2 | — | $150k |
Who sponsors Principal Researchers?
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 | Palo Alto Networks | 15 | $165k |
| 2 | Tencent America | 8 | $240k |
| 3 | Microsoft | 6 | $186k |
| 4 | The University of Chicago Booth School of Business | 4 | $65k |
| 5 | The University of Chicago | 3 | $75k |
| 6 | Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America Inc Tema | 2 | $147k |
| 7 | Waabi US | 2 | $327k |
| 8 | Houzz | 1 | $150k |
| 9 | Transform Innovation | 1 | $109k |
| 10 | Toyota Motor Engineering Manufacturing North America Inc. Tema | 1 | $160k |
Where are Principal Researcher jobs?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara, CA | 16 | $171k |
| 2 | Chicago, IL | 7 | $74k |
| 3 | Redmond, WA | 6 | $186k |
| 4 | Bellevue, WA | 6 | $240k |
| 5 | Mountain View, CA | 5 | $155k |
| 6 | Palo Alto, CA | 4 | $216k |
| 7 | Champaign, IL | 2 | $327k |
| 8 | San Francisco, CA | 2 | $109k |
| 9 | Beaverton, OR | 1 | $175k |
| 10 | Columbus, IN | 1 | $109k |
Common questions
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Principal Researcher?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Principal Researcher is $160k (FY2025), from 6 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $147k and $220k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Principal Researchers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Principal Researcher are Palo Alto Networks, Tencent America, Microsoft.
- Where are most H-1B Principal Researcher jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Principal Researcher roles are Santa Clara, CA, Chicago, IL, Redmond, WA.
Keep exploring
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Source: U.S. DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification — certified LCA disclosures. An LCA is not an approved visa; pay figures are base salary and exclude bonus and equity.