H-1B Demand for Materials Engineers Surges, Led by California and Oregon
Explore H-1B visa filings for Materials Engineers. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $126,857 |
| Salary Range | $56,867 - $240,000 |
| Top Sponsor | Intel Corporation |
| Primary Location | Oregon |
Materials Engineers is one of the H-1B visa categories with 232 filings and an average salary of $1,189,917. The demand for Materials Engineers on H-1B visas has seen a significant surge, particularly in FY2025, indicating a growing need for these specialized skills. California and Oregon are the leading states for H-1B hiring of Materials Engineers, suggesting a concentration of opportunities in these regions. The average salary for H-1B Materials Engineers is substantial, reflecting the high value placed on their expertise in the industry.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $126,857 |
| Median Salary | $130,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $110,698 |
| 75th Percentile | $145,810 |
| Minimum Salary | $56,867 |
| Maximum Salary | $240,000 |
| 10th Percentile | $93,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $110,698 |
| Median (50th) | $130,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $145,810 |
| 90th Percentile | $160,139 |
| Average | $126,857 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 82 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 9 |
| H-1B1 CHILE | 6 |
| H-1B1 SINGAPORE | 3 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Corporation | 40 | $128k |
| Lam Research Corporation | 5 | $136k |
| Micron Technology, Inc. | 2 | $119k |
| Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corp | 2 | $109k |
| Samsung Austin Semiconductor, LLC. | 2 | $130k |
| ASM AMERICA INC. | 2 | $129k |
| BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC | 2 | $136k |
| DGN Technologies, Inc | 2 | $174k |
| JH Research USA, LLC | 2 | $94k |
| Applied Impulse Inc. | 2 | $93k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| Oregon | 33 |
| California | 17 |
| Arizona | 12 |
| Idaho | 5 |
| Texas | 5 |
| Ohio | 5 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 |
| Colorado | 2 |
| Massachusetts | 2 |
| South Carolina | 2 |
Focus your H-1B job search on California and Oregon, and highlight specialized skills in materials science and engineering to align with the increasing demand.
The average H-1B salary for Materials Engineers is $1,189,917, with a median of $124,090. The 25th-75th percentile range is $103,851 to $145,810.
Top H-1B sponsors for Materials Engineers include Intel Corporation, Western Digital Technologies, Inc., Lam Research Corporation, ASM AMERICA INC., University of Minnesota. A total of 116 employers have filed for this role.
There are 232 H-1B filings on record for Materials Engineers positions. 98.7% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Materials Engineers positions are California (53), Oregon (53), Arizona (22), Texas (10), New York (8).
Yes, Materials Engineers is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 232 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Materials Engineers salaries range from $54,433 to $247,642,720. The median salary is $124,090.
The approval rate for Materials Engineers H-1B petitions is 98.7%. A dramatic increase in H-1B petitions is observed for FY2025, suggesting a strong future hiring trend.
California and Oregon are the top states for H-1B employment of Materials Engineers, accounting for a significant portion of the total.
Focus your H-1B job search on California and Oregon, and highlight specialized skills in materials science and engineering to align with the increasing demand.
The number of full-time equivalent positions (f) is high relative to the number of companies (c), implying larger companies are major employers.
The Materials Engineers occupation (SOC code 17-213100) 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.
Materials Engineers 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 Materials Engineers positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Materials Engineers positions show an average offered salary of $126,857, with a range from $56,867 at the entry level to $240,000 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in Oregon (33 filings) and California (17 filings).
Career outlook for Materials Engineers 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 Materials Engineers 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 Materials Engineers 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 Materials Engineers positions, the average offered salary of $126,857 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 8.2%, with 57% 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 Materials Engineers positions is 98%.
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. Materials Engineers 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 Materials Engineers H-1B filings is approximately 35 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Materials Engineers positions.
| City | State | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsboro | Oregon | 33 |
| Chandler | Arizona | 7 |
| Fremont | California | 4 |
| Boise | Idaho | 3 |
| San Jose | California | 3 |
| Sunnyvale | California | 3 |
| Phoenix | Arizona | 2 |
| Middletown | Ohio | 2 |
| Rio Rancho | New Mexico | 2 |
| Ghent | Kentucky | 2 |
Other H-1B job categories related to Materials Engineers, grouped by similar SOC classification codes.