Research Associate H-1B salaries — 11,374 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 1,025
- Filings · FY2025
- $72k
- Median base · FY2025
- $64k–$82k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Mayo Clinic
- Top sponsor · 508 all-time
Research Associate: 11,374 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $72k across 1,025 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $64k and $82k. The biggest sponsors are Mayo Clinic, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania; most filings are in New York, NY.
How much does a Research Associate 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. $72k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Research Associate sponsorship changed?
1,207 certified filings in FY2016 → 728 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 728 | −29% | $75k |
| FY2025 | 1,025 | +6% | $72k |
| FY2024 | 965 | +7% | $69k |
| FY2023 | 898 | −8% | $66k |
| FY2022 | 980 | −7% | $64k |
| FY2021 | 1,052 | +2% | $62k |
| FY2020 | 1,030 | −16% | $60k |
| FY2019 | 1,219 | +4% | $59k |
| FY2018 | 1,170 | +6% | $56k |
| FY2017 | 1,100 | −9% | $54k |
| FY2016 | 1,207 | — | $52k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Research Associates?
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 | Mayo Clinic | 508 | $65k |
| 2 | Howard Hughes Medical Institute | 501 | $60k |
| 3 | Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | 340 | $68k |
| 4 | Harvard University | 311 | $75k |
| 5 | Memorial Sloan-kettering Cancer Center | 256 | $72k |
| 6 | Case Western Reserve University | 247 | $53k |
| 7 | Johns Hopkins University | 247 | $70k |
| 8 | Cornell University | 245 | $69k |
| 9 | Northwestern University | 237 | $66k |
| 10 | The University of Texas at Austin | 231 | $73k |
Where are H-1B Research Associate jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | 1,385 | $73k |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | 469 | $65k |
| 3 | Baltimore, MD | 423 | $68k |
| 4 | Boston, MA | 417 | $75k |
| 5 | Rochester, MN | 391 | $65k |
| 6 | Cambridge, MA | 339 | $66k |
| 7 | Los Angeles, CA | 306 | $60k |
| 8 | Charlottesville, VA | 279 | $56k |
| 9 | Cleveland, OH | 262 | $53k |
| 10 | Ithaca, NY | 258 | $67k |
Common questions about Research Associate H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Research Associate?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Research Associate is $72k (FY2025), from 1,025 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $53k and $73k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Research Associates?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Research Associate are Mayo Clinic, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania.
- Where are most H-1B Research Associate jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Research Associate roles are New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Baltimore, MD.
- Does a certified LCA mean Research Associate 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 →