Research Engineer H-1B salaries — 2,528 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 287
- Filings · FY2025
- $178k
- Median base · FY2025
- $112k–$220k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Meta Platforms
- Top sponsor · 199 all-time
Research Engineer: 2,528 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $178k across 287 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $112k and $220k. The biggest sponsors are Meta Platforms, Google, Ford Motor; most filings are in Mountain View, CA.
How much does a Research Engineer 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. $178k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Research Engineer sponsorship changed?
213 certified filings in FY2016 → 292 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 292 | +2% | $194k |
| FY2025 | 287 | +35% | $178k |
| FY2024 | 213 | +18% | $152k |
| FY2023 | 181 | −9% | $140k |
| FY2022 | 198 | −5% | $113k |
| FY2021 | 208 | −14% | $110k |
| FY2020 | 242 | −11% | $104k |
| FY2019 | 271 | +22% | $100k |
| FY2018 | 223 | +12% | $92k |
| FY2017 | 200 | −6% | $84k |
| FY2016 | 213 | — | $82k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Research Engineers?
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 | Meta Platforms | 199 | $204k |
| 2 | 148 | $199k | |
| 3 | Ford Motor | 127 | $88k |
| 4 | 97 | $160k | |
| 5 | The Leland Stanford JR University | 77 | $114k |
| 6 | Southwest Research Institute | 53 | $87k |
| 7 | Saint-Gobain Ceramics Plastics | 49 | $90k |
| 8 | HP | 35 | $132k |
| 9 | Hewlett Packard Enterprise | 34 | $151k |
| 10 | Resolve AI | 32 | $240k |
Where are H-1B Research Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mountain View, CA | 186 | $188k |
| 2 | Menlo Park, CA | 134 | $193k |
| 3 | Palo Alto, CA | 126 | $140k |
| 4 | New York, NY | 119 | $180k |
| 5 | Dearborn, MI | 108 | $84k |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | 106 | $193k |
| 7 | Stanford, CA | 84 | $110k |
| 8 | Pittsburgh, PA | 82 | $135k |
| 9 | San Jose, CA | 75 | $132k |
| 10 | San Antonio, TX | 50 | $86k |
Common questions about Research Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Research Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Research Engineer is $178k (FY2025), from 287 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $84k and $166k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Research Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Research Engineer are Meta Platforms, Google, Ford Motor.
- Where are most H-1B Research Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Research Engineer roles are Mountain View, CA, Menlo Park, CA, Palo Alto, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Research Engineer 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 →