Project Scientist H-1B salaries — 389 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 41
- Filings · FY2025
- $85k
- Median base · FY2025
- $77k–$93k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Top sponsor · 172 all-time
Project Scientist: 389 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $85k across 41 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $77k and $93k. The biggest sponsors are Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, University of California at Santa Barbara, Carnegie Mellon University; most filings are in Los Angeles, CA.
How much does a Project Scientist 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. $85k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Project Scientist sponsorship changed?
32 certified filings in FY2016 → 38 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 38 | −7% | $80k |
| FY2025 | 41 | −7% | $85k |
| FY2024 | 44 | +5% | $77k |
| FY2023 | 42 | −16% | $70k |
| FY2022 | 50 | +92% | $70k |
| FY2021 | 26 | −16% | $68k |
| FY2020 | 31 | −16% | $74k |
| FY2019 | 37 | +68% | $74k |
| FY2018 | 22 | −15% | $75k |
| FY2017 | 26 | −19% | $72k |
| FY2016 | 32 | — | $72k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Project Scientists?
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 | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | 172 | $67k |
| 2 | University of California at Santa Barbara | 44 | $77k |
| 3 | Carnegie Mellon University | 41 | $74k |
| 4 | Stanford University Slac National Accelerator Laboratory | 27 | $92k |
| 5 | Leland Stanford JR Univ Slac National Accelerator Lab | 13 | $105k |
| 6 | Theiss Research | 11 | $78k |
| 7 | University of California Irvine | 10 | $96k |
| 8 | The Jackson Laboratory | 10 | $70k |
| 9 | University of California Davis | 8 | $73k |
| 10 | University of California Los Angeles | 7 | $116k |
Where are H-1B Project Scientist jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | 169 | $70k |
| 2 | Santa Barbara, CA | 44 | $77k |
| 3 | Pittsburgh, PA | 40 | $74k |
| 4 | Menlo Park, CA | 38 | $93k |
| 5 | Gaithersburg, MD | 11 | $78k |
| 6 | Irvine, CA | 10 | $96k |
| 7 | Davis, CA | 6 | $73k |
| 8 | Bar Harbor, ME | 5 | $69k |
| 9 | Sacramento, CA | 5 | $71k |
| 10 | Newton, MA | 4 | $91k |
Common questions about Project Scientist H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Project Scientist?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Project Scientist is $85k (FY2025), from 41 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $67k and $90k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Project Scientists?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Project Scientist are Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, University of California at Santa Barbara, Carnegie Mellon University.
- Where are most H-1B Project Scientist jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Project Scientist roles are Los Angeles, CA, Santa Barbara, CA, Pittsburgh, PA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Project Scientist 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 →