Staff Scientist H-1B salaries — 2,329 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 316
- Filings · FY2025
- $78k
- Median base · FY2025
- $70k–$100k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Washington University
- Top sponsor · 442 all-time
Staff Scientist: 2,329 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $78k across 316 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $70k and $100k. The biggest sponsors are Washington University, National Institutes of Health Hhs, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope; most filings are in St. Louis, MO.
How much does a Staff Scientist 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. $78k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Staff Scientist sponsorship changed?
124 certified filings in FY2016 → 271 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 271 | −14% | $79k |
| FY2025 | 316 | +6% | $78k |
| FY2024 | 297 | +31% | $76k |
| FY2023 | 226 | +2% | $73k |
| FY2022 | 222 | +34% | $73k |
| FY2021 | 166 | −10% | $75k |
| FY2020 | 184 | −21% | $65k |
| FY2019 | 232 | +51% | $68k |
| FY2018 | 154 | +12% | $65k |
| FY2017 | 137 | +10% | $64k |
| FY2016 | 124 | — | $66k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Staff Scientists?
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 | Washington University | 442 | $63k |
| 2 | National Institutes of Health Hhs | 404 | $114k |
| 3 | Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope | 162 | $73k |
| 4 | Washington University in ST Louis | 132 | $53k |
| 5 | The University of Chicago | 83 | $70k |
| 6 | Baylor College of Medicine | 69 | $68k |
| 7 | University of Rochester | 68 | $57k |
| 8 | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | 56 | $65k |
| 9 | The Scripps Research Institute | 55 | $78k |
| 10 | Albert Einstein College of Medicine | 51 | $75k |
Where are H-1B Staff Scientist jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis, MO | 394 | $60k |
| 2 | Bethesda, MD | 341 | $115k |
| 3 | Duarte, CA | 167 | $74k |
| 4 | St Louis, MO | 122 | $64k |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | 101 | $86k |
| 6 | La Jolla, CA | 92 | $78k |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | 87 | $70k |
| 8 | Nashville, TN | 73 | $65k |
| 9 | Houston, TX | 70 | $68k |
| 10 | Rochester, NY | 67 | $57k |
Common questions about Staff Scientist H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Staff Scientist?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Staff Scientist is $78k (FY2025), from 316 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $62k and $101k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Staff Scientists?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Staff Scientist are Washington University, National Institutes of Health Hhs, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope.
- Where are most H-1B Staff Scientist jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Staff Scientist roles are St. Louis, MO, Bethesda, MD, Duarte, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Staff Scientist 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.
Keep exploring
Calculate your H-1B lottery odds →orCheck out the insights →
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 →