Research Assistant H-1B salaries — 1,182 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 90
- Filings · FY2025
- $54k
- Median base · FY2025
- $50k–$60k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Cincinnati Children S Hospital Medical Center
- Top sponsor · 76 all-time
Research Assistant: 1,182 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $54k across 90 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $50k and $60k. The biggest sponsors are Cincinnati Children S Hospital Medical Center, Wayne State University, Memorial Sloan-kettering Cancer Center; most filings are in New York, NY.
How much does a Research Assistant 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. $54k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Research Assistant sponsorship changed?
190 certified filings in FY2016 → 75 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 75 | −17% | $56k |
| FY2025 | 90 | +3% | $54k |
| FY2024 | 87 | −5% | $54k |
| FY2023 | 92 | +1% | $51k |
| FY2022 | 91 | −3% | $50k |
| FY2021 | 94 | +3% | $48k |
| FY2020 | 91 | −17% | $48k |
| FY2019 | 109 | −24% | $46k |
| FY2018 | 144 | +21% | $44k |
| FY2017 | 119 | −37% | $42k |
| FY2016 | 190 | — | $41k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Research Assistants?
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 | Cincinnati Children S Hospital Medical Center | 76 | $52k |
| 2 | Wayne State University | 75 | $48k |
| 3 | Memorial Sloan-kettering Cancer Center | 73 | $65k |
| 4 | National Bureau of Economic Research | 52 | $50k |
| 5 | Washington University | 39 | $51k |
| 6 | The Rockefeller University | 37 | $48k |
| 7 | North Carolina State University | 26 | $52k |
| 8 | Case Western Reserve University | 26 | $46k |
| 9 | The University of Iowa | 25 | $44k |
| 10 | The University of Kansas Medical Center | 23 | $37k |
Where are H-1B Research Assistant jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | 164 | $60k |
| 2 | Detroit, MI | 82 | $48k |
| 3 | Cincinnati, OH | 81 | $51k |
| 4 | Washington, DC | 58 | $46k |
| 5 | Cambridge, MA | 44 | $52k |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | 35 | $50k |
| 7 | St. Louis, MO | 29 | $51k |
| 8 | Cleveland, OH | 27 | $46k |
| 9 | Kansas City, KS | 25 | $38k |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | 24 | $52k |
Common questions about Research Assistant H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Research Assistant?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Research Assistant is $54k (FY2025), from 90 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $40k and $56k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Research Assistants?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Research Assistant are Cincinnati Children S Hospital Medical Center, Wayne State University, Memorial Sloan-kettering Cancer Center.
- Where are most H-1B Research Assistant jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Research Assistant roles are New York, NY, Detroit, MI, Cincinnati, OH.
- Does a certified LCA mean Research Assistant 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 →