Why H1B Salary Data Is Uniquely Transparent
Here's something most people don't realize: every H1B sponsorship requires a certified Labor Condition Application (LCA), and that's a public document. The employer has to disclose exactly what they'll pay and certify it meets the prevailing wage for the role and location.
That makes H1B salary data some of the most granular, verifiable compensation data in existence. Way more reliable than anonymous surveys on Glassdoor or Levels.fyi.
The Numbers: 239,000+ Certified Filings
From the most recent fiscal year's LCA disclosure data:
| Statistic | Salary |
|---|---|
| Mean wage | $134,604 |
| Median wage | $123,000 |
| 25th percentile | $94,473 |
| 75th percentile | $160,000 |
| 90th percentile | $203,400 |
The range is wild. The minimum observed was $15,080 (academic and research roles), and the max was $1,980,000 (senior executives). Same visa category.
Top Job Titles by Filing Volume
| Job Title | Filings |
|---|---|
| Software Engineer | 10,546 |
| Software Developer | 8,169 |
| Senior Software Engineer | 3,647 |
| Assistant Professor | 3,061 |
| Data Engineer | 1,622 |
Software engineering roles dominate H1B filings. Computer-related occupations make up 65.2% of all H1B holders. If you're not in tech, you're in the minority on this visa.
DOL Wage Levels Explained
The DOL assigns wage levels 1 through 4 to each role:
- Level 1: Entry-level (17th percentile of prevailing wage)
- Level 2: Qualified (34th percentile)
- Level 3: Experienced (50th percentile)
- Level 4: Fully competent (67th percentile)
Geographic Variation
California leads with 42,918 certified LCA filings. Texas comes in second at 37,180, then New York (18,857), Washington (15,361), and New Jersey (11,690). Wages in California and Washington run well above the national median, which is what happens when FAANG companies cluster in two states.
Search Real Salary Data
Look up specific employers and job titles on VisaTrack:
- Search by employer name to see actual wage ranges filed
- Salary Explorer to compare across titles and states
- Top sponsors by filing volume
Data from DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data FY2024–FY2025.