Researcher I H-1B wages
Filings decided July 2025 to June 2026. Most are classified as Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (SOC 19-1042).
Employers filed 30 wage applications for Researcher I jobs from July 2025 to June 2026, across 8 employers. The median offered wage was $60,000, 16.9% above the government's prevailing wage for the job. University of Wisconsin System filed the most (15, median $60,699).
- Filings
- 30
- Positions covered
- 31
- Employers
- 8
- Median offered
- $60,000
- Median prevailing wage
- $53,269
- Filings since FY2020
- 93
- Median offer change since FY2020
- −50%
Offered wage since 2020
The median wage offered for Researcher I jobs fell 50%, from $122,500 in fiscal 2020 to $61,369 in fiscal 2026 so far. In fiscal 2026 it was 19.6% above the prevailing wage. Filings peaked in fiscal 2024, with 24 filings.
Middle half of offered wagesMedian offered wageMedian prevailing wageFilings per year
Fiscal years run October to September. Fiscal 2026 is still running: these figures cover October 2025 to June 2026.
Researcher I by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Filings | Median offered | vs year before | Median prevailing | vs prevailing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Oct to Jun) | 17 | $61,369 | +4.6% | $53,269 | +19.6% |
| 2025 | 24 | $58,681 | +1.3% | $55,037 | +12.2% |
| 2024 | 24 | $57,949 | −10.6% | $54,474 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | 15 | $64,848 | −4.6% | $59,385 | +6.7% |
| 2022 | 5 | $68,000 | n/a | $48,007 | +18.7% |
| 2021 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 2020 | 8 | $122,500 | n/a | $104,676 | +18.0% |
Employers that file for this title
Middle half of offered wagesMedian offered wageMedian prevailing wage
| Employer | Filings | Median offered | Offered range and prevailing wage | vs prevailing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin System | 15 | $60,699 | +19.6% | |
| The Ohio State University | 8 | $53,635 | +16.5% | |
| The Sphere Institute | 2 | $105,000 | +29.5% | |
| Utah State University | 1 | $81,869 | at the minimum | |
| Nissan North America, Inc. | 1 | $149,435 | +13.1% | |
| The University of Tennessee Health Science Center | 1 | $54,080 | +1.5% | |
| WHOOP Inc. | 1 | $65,000 | +35.8% | |
| Akzo Nobel Coatings, Inc. | 1 | $90,000 | +20.0% | |
Where Researcher I jobs are filed
| Worksite | Filings | Median offered | Offered range and prevailing wage | vs prevailing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | 15 | $60,699 | +19.6% | |
| Columbus, OH | 8 | $53,635 | +16.5% | |
| Boston, MA | 1 | $65,000 | +35.8% | |
| Burlingame, CA | 1 | $105,000 | +12.0% | |
| Chicago, IL | 1 | $105,000 | +47.1% | |
| Logan, UT | 1 | $81,869 | at the minimum | |
| Memphis, TN | 1 | $54,080 | +1.5% | |
| Santa Clara, CA | 1 | $149,435 | +13.1% | |
| Troy, MI | 1 | $90,000 | +20.0% | |
Seniority of the jobs filed
The government assigns each job one of four wage levels. A higher level means a higher legal minimum.
What these numbers are
- They are wages employers attested to on Labor Condition Applications (Form ETA-9035), not paychecks. Bonuses and stock are not included.
- A filing is not a visa or a hire. One filing can cover several positions, and some are later withdrawn. Wage figures use certified filings only.
- The prevailing wage is the minimum the employer must pay for that job in that area, set from government wage surveys.
- 1 filing is for part-time work. Hourly wages are shown as full-time equivalents (2,080 hours a year).
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, OFLC disclosure data. How we clean and count it.
Related job titles
- Research Associate$72,761
- Postdoctoral Fellow$67,000
- Postdoctoral Associate$68,000
- Postdoctoral Research Associate$64,380
- Postdoctoral Scholar$71,383
- Research Fellow$74,982
- Instructor$77,901
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow$65,000
- Staff Scientist$78,000
- Research Assistant Professor$85,480
- Senior Scientist$125,000
- Associate Research Scientist$79,327