Research Specialist H-1B salaries — 969 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 103
- Filings · FY2025
- $66k
- Median base · FY2025
- $55k–$84k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Top sponsor · 316 all-time
Research Specialist: 969 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $66k across 103 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $55k and $84k. The biggest sponsors are Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; most filings are in Chicago, IL.
How much does a Research Specialist 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. $66k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Research Specialist sponsorship changed?
79 certified filings in FY2016 → 79 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 79 | −23% | $69k |
| FY2025 | 103 | +1% | $66k |
| FY2024 | 102 | +3% | $69k |
| FY2023 | 99 | −1% | $70k |
| FY2022 | 100 | +22% | $68k |
| FY2021 | 82 | −5% | $65k |
| FY2020 | 86 | +4% | $63k |
| FY2019 | 83 | −5% | $60k |
| FY2018 | 87 | +26% | $56k |
| FY2017 | 69 | −13% | $54k |
| FY2016 | 79 | — | $52k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Research Specialists?
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 | Howard Hughes Medical Institute | 316 | $70k |
| 2 | University of Illinois at Chicago | 50 | $50k |
| 3 | Brigham and Women’s Hospital | 35 | $70k |
| 4 | Weill Cornell Medical College | 24 | $67k |
| 5 | University of Pittsburgh | 24 | $40k |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-system | 23 | $47k |
| 7 | University of Illinois Chicago | 22 | $66k |
| 8 | North Dakota State University | 20 | $52k |
| 9 | The University of Iowa | 19 | $62k |
| 10 | 3M | 18 | $130k |
Where are H-1B Research Specialist jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | 92 | $56k |
| 2 | New York, NY | 85 | $70k |
| 3 | Boston, MA | 60 | $70k |
| 4 | Ashburn, VA | 45 | $80k |
| 5 | Los Angeles, CA | 33 | $63k |
| 6 | Madison, WI | 31 | $47k |
| 7 | Pittsburgh, PA | 29 | $41k |
| 8 | Worcester, MA | 23 | $54k |
| 9 | Cambridge, MA | 19 | $68k |
| 10 | Fargo, ND | 18 | $54k |
Common questions about Research Specialist H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Research Specialist?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Research Specialist is $66k (FY2025), from 103 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $50k and $75k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Research Specialists?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Research Specialist are Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
- Where are most H-1B Research Specialist jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Research Specialist roles are Chicago, IL, New York, NY, Boston, MA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Research Specialist 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 →