H-1B Hiring Trends for Civil Engineers, R&D
Explore H-1B visa filings for Civil Engineers, R&D. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 96% |
| Average Salary | $85,577 |
| Salary Range | $50,000 - $171,400 |
| Top Sponsor | Battelle Memorial Institute |
| Primary Location | Texas |
Civil Engineers, R&D is one of the H-1B visa categories with 21 filings and an average salary of $87,448. Hiring for Civil Engineers, R&D is concentrated in specific states, with California, Colorado, and Texas showing the most activity. The majority of H-1B applications for this role are for new employment, indicating a demand for fresh talent. The average salary for Civil Engineers, R&D is competitive, aligning with industry standards for specialized engineering roles. There's a notable increase in H-1B applications in recent fiscal years, suggesting growing demand or employer reliance on international talent for this niche.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 96% |
| Average Salary | $85,577 |
| Median Salary | $76,502 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,999 |
| 75th Percentile | $102,000 |
| Minimum Salary | $50,000 |
| Maximum Salary | $171,400 |
| 10th Percentile | $59,530 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,999 |
| Median (50th) | $76,502 |
| 75th Percentile | $102,000 |
| 90th Percentile | $121,933 |
| Average | $85,577 |
| Sample Size | 99 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Battelle Memorial Institute | 6 | $121k |
| UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY) | 5 | $107k |
| The University of Texas at Austin | 5 | $110k |
| Texas A&M Transportation Institute | 5 | $101k |
| University of California, Berkeley | 4 | $114k |
| University of Michigan | 4 | $68k |
| Colorado State University | 4 | $74k |
| UChicago Argonne LLC | 4 | $102k |
| Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station | 3 | $73k |
| The Trustees of Princeton University | 3 | $66k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| Texas | 15 |
| Colorado | 9 |
| California | 7 |
| Tennessee | 6 |
| Illinois | 5 |
| Washington | 5 |
| Michigan | 5 |
| New Jersey | 4 |
| Alabama | 4 |
| Maryland | 4 |
Focus on developing specialized R&D skills in civil engineering and highlight project experience in your applications to stand out in a competitive market.
The average H-1B salary for Civil Engineers, R&D is $87,448, with a median of $86,986. The 25th-75th percentile range is $66,900 to $102,000.
Top H-1B sponsors for Civil Engineers, R&D include University of California, Berkeley, University of Maryland College Park, Colorado State University, Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii, University of Wisconsin System. A total of 17 employers have filed for this role.
There are 21 H-1B filings on record for Civil Engineers, R&D positions. 100.0% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Civil Engineers, R&D positions are California (3), Colorado (2), Texas (2), Hawaii (1), Wisconsin (1).
Yes, Civil Engineers, R&D is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 21 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Civil Engineers, R&D salaries range from $50,000 to $133,682. The median salary is $86,986.
The approval rate for Civil Engineers, R&D H-1B petitions is 100.0%. California leads in H-1B applications for Civil Engineers, R&D, followed by Colorado and Texas.
The number of H-1B applications has significantly increased from FY2023 to FY2025.
Focus on developing specialized R&D skills in civil engineering and highlight project experience in your applications to stand out in a competitive market.
The average salary offered is $87,448, with a median of $86,986.
The Civil Engineers, R&D occupation (SOC code 17-205300) is classified under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SOC system groups workers into occupational categories based on the type of work performed, providing a standardized framework for comparing wages, employment levels, and workforce trends across the United States.
Civil Engineers, R&D positions fall within the specialty occupation category required for H-1B visa sponsorship, meaning they typically require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in the specific specialty. Based on H-1B filing data, the most common education requirement for Civil Engineers, R&D positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Civil Engineers, R&D positions show an average offered salary of $85,577, with a range from $50,000 at the entry level to $171,400 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in Texas (15 filings) and Colorado (9 filings).
Career outlook for Civil Engineers, R&D professionals is closely tied to industry demand for specialized skills. Employers sponsoring H-1B workers for this role are demonstrating that they could not find sufficient qualified U.S. workers to fill these positions, which often signals strong demand and competitive compensation. Workers in this occupation may also be eligible for other visa categories including L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, or employment-based green card sponsorship through the PERM process.
To sponsor a foreign worker for an H-1B visa in a Civil Engineers, R&D role, U.S. employers must satisfy several requirements established by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and enforced by both the Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
The position must qualify as a "specialty occupation," meaning it requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific specialty directly related to the position. For Civil Engineers, R&D roles, H-1B filings indicate that employers most commonly require a Not Specified degree. USCIS evaluates whether the position itself, not just the employer's preference, genuinely requires specialized education.
Employers must pay H-1B workers at least the prevailing wage for the occupation in the geographic area of employment, as determined by the DOL. The prevailing wage is based on four skill levels (Level 1 through Level 4) that reflect the complexity of the job duties and required experience. For Civil Engineers, R&D positions, the average offered salary of $85,577 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 15.5%, with 74% of filings offering above the prevailing wage.
Before filing the H-1B petition, employers must obtain a certified LCA from the DOL. The LCA requires employers to attest to four conditions: (1) paying at least the prevailing wage or actual wage, whichever is higher; (2) providing working conditions that do not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers; (3) no strike or lockout at the worksite; and (4) proper notice of the filing to workers. The overall LCA approval rate for Civil Engineers, R&D positions is 96%.
The annual H-1B cap is set at 65,000 regular visas plus 20,000 for beneficiaries with U.S. master's degrees or higher (the "master's cap"). Certain employers, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations, are exempt from the cap. Civil Engineers, R&D positions at cap-exempt employers can be filed at any time during the year, while cap-subject employers must participate in the annual H-1B lottery, typically held in March for the following fiscal year.
H-1B visas are initially granted for up to three years and can be extended for a maximum of six years total. Workers who have an approved I-140 immigrant petition (part of the green card process) may be eligible for extensions beyond the six-year limit under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21). The average contract duration for Civil Engineers, R&D H-1B filings is approximately 31 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Civil Engineers, R&D positions.
| City | State | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge | Tennessee | 5 |
| Lemont | Illinois | 5 |
| Austin | Texas | 5 |
| Fort Collins | Colorado | 4 |
| Bryan | Texas | 3 |
| College Station | Texas | 3 |
| Ames | Iowa | 3 |
| Princeton | New Jersey | 3 |
| Tuscaloosa | Alabama | 3 |
| Dearborn | Michigan | 3 |
Other H-1B job categories related to Civil Engineers, R&D, grouped by similar SOC classification codes.