Visiting Scientist H-1B salaries — 211 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 9
- Filings · FY2025
- $105k
- Median base · FY2025
- $100k–$126k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Food and Drug Administration
- Top sponsor · 103 all-time
Visiting Scientist: 211 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $105k across 9 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $100k and $126k. The biggest sponsors are Food and Drug Administration, Food and Drug Administration Hhs, Cornell University; most filings are in Silver Spring, MD.
How much does a Visiting 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. $105k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Visiting Scientist sponsorship changed?
15 certified filings in FY2016 → 9 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 9 | 0% | $114k |
| FY2025 | 9 | −50% | $105k |
| FY2024 | 18 | +50% | $118k |
| FY2023 | 12 | −57% | $98k |
| FY2022 | 28 | −3% | $105k |
| FY2021 | 29 | −9% | $103k |
| FY2020 | 32 | +19% | $103k |
| FY2019 | 27 | +59% | $84k |
| FY2018 | 17 | +13% | $97k |
| FY2017 | 15 | 0% | $92k |
| FY2016 | 15 | — | $73k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Visiting 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 | Food and Drug Administration | 103 | $107k |
| 2 | Food and Drug Administration Hhs | 81 | $97k |
| 3 | Cornell University | 7 | $52k |
| 4 | Harvard University | 4 | $51k |
| 5 | Dana Farber Cancer Institute | 3 | $53k |
| 6 | 2 | $140k | |
| 7 | Washington State University | 1 | $32k |
| 8 | Schlumberger Technology | 1 | $80k |
| 9 | University Corporation for Atmospheric Research | 1 | $75k |
| 10 | The University of Texas at Dallas - | 1 | $42k |
Where are H-1B Visiting Scientist jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silver Spring, MD | 101 | $110k |
| 2 | Jefferson, AR | 61 | $79k |
| 3 | College Park, MD | 11 | $112k |
| 4 | Boston, MA | 9 | $53k |
| 5 | Ithaca, NY | 7 | $52k |
| 6 | Laurel, MD | 5 | $105k |
| 7 | Richardson, TX | 2 | $42k |
| 8 | Dallas, TX | 1 | $103k |
| 9 | Cambridge, MA | 1 | $80k |
| 10 | Jefferson, MD | 1 | $114k |
Common questions about Visiting Scientist H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Visiting Scientist?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Visiting Scientist is $105k (FY2025), from 9 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $79k and $114k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Visiting Scientists?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Visiting Scientist are Food and Drug Administration, Food and Drug Administration Hhs, Cornell University.
- Where are most H-1B Visiting Scientist jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Visiting Scientist roles are Silver Spring, MD, Jefferson, AR, College Park, MD.
- Does a certified LCA mean Visiting 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.
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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 →