Research Specialist I H-1B salaries — 74 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 7
- Filings · FY2025
- $47k
- Median base · FY2025
- $34k–$65k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research
- Top sponsor · 17 all-time
Research Specialist I: 74 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $47k across 7 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $34k and $65k. The biggest sponsors are Stowers Institute for Medical Research, The Trustees of Princeton University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; most filings are in Kansas City, MO.
How much does a Research Specialist I 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. $47k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Research Specialist I sponsorship changed?
7 certified filings in FY2016 → 7 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 7 | 0% | $71k |
| FY2025 | 7 | +600% | $47k |
| FY2024 | 1 | −87% | $62k |
| FY2023 | 8 | +60% | $46k |
| FY2022 | 5 | +400% | $45k |
| FY2021 | 1 | −75% | $70k |
| FY2020 | 4 | −67% | $39k |
| FY2019 | 12 | −25% | $41k |
| FY2018 | 16 | +167% | $54k |
| FY2017 | 6 | −14% | $43k |
| FY2016 | 7 | — | $40k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Research Specialist Is?
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 | Stowers Institute for Medical Research | 17 | $49k |
| 2 | The Trustees of Princeton University | 14 | $38k |
| 3 | Howard Hughes Medical Institute | 14 | $60k |
| 4 | The Curators of the University of Missouri | 10 | $37k |
| 5 | Texas a M Agrilife Research | 3 | $50k |
| 6 | Brandeis University | 3 | $49k |
| 7 | Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Div | 2 | $36k |
| 8 | Childrens Hospital Los Angeles | 2 | $44k |
| 9 | Loyola University Chicago Lake Shore Campus | 1 | $41k |
| 10 | The University of Chicago | 1 | $35k |
Where are H-1B Research Specialist I jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City, MO | 18 | $49k |
| 2 | Princeton, NJ | 14 | $38k |
| 3 | Columbia, MO | 9 | $39k |
| 4 | College Station, TX | 5 | $50k |
| 5 | Maywood, IL | 3 | $37k |
| 6 | Waltham, MA | 3 | $49k |
| 7 | Ashburn, VA | 3 | $90k |
| 8 | Los Angeles, CA | 2 | $44k |
| 9 | Cambridge, MA | 2 | $57k |
| 10 | Columbia, MS | 1 | $33k |
Common questions about Research Specialist I H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Research Specialist I?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Research Specialist I is $47k (FY2025), from 7 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $39k and $60k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Research Specialist Is?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Research Specialist I are Stowers Institute for Medical Research, The Trustees of Princeton University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
- Where are most H-1B Research Specialist I jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Research Specialist I roles are Kansas City, MO, Princeton, NJ, Columbia, MO.
- Does a certified LCA mean Research Specialist I 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 →