H-1B Photonics Engineer Hiring Shows Strong Growth and High Approval Rates
Explore H-1B visa filings for Photonics 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 | 99% |
| Average Salary | $149,515 |
| Salary Range | $71,365 - $300,000 |
| Top Sponsor | Apple Inc. |
| Primary Location | California |
Photonics Engineers is one of the H-1B visa categories with 48 filings and an average salary of $155,994. The vast majority of H-1B petitions for Photonics Engineers are approved, with a high success rate. California is the dominant state for H-1B hiring in this field, followed by New York and Massachusetts. There's a significant recent surge in H-1B petitions, particularly for FY2025, indicating growing demand. The average salary for H-1B Photonics Engineers is competitive, aligning with the median salary for the role.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 99% |
| Average Salary | $149,515 |
| Median Salary | $153,254 |
| 25th Percentile | $130,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $172,900 |
| Minimum Salary | $71,365 |
| Maximum Salary | $300,000 |
| 10th Percentile | $100,069 |
| 25th Percentile | $130,000 |
| Median (50th) | $153,254 |
| 75th Percentile | $172,900 |
| 90th Percentile | $188,000 |
| Average | $149,515 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 95 |
| H-1B1 SINGAPORE | 3 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 2 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Inc. | 10 | $168k |
| Meta Platforms, Inc | 7 | $200k |
| ASML US, LP | 6 | $155k |
| Nokia of America Corporation | 5 | $160k |
| KLA Corporation | 5 | $156k |
| IonQ Quantum, Inc. | 4 | $141k |
| Ayar Labs, Inc. | 4 | $156k |
| Infinera Corporation | 4 | $137k |
| Corning Incorporated | 3 | $101k |
| Lumentum Operations LLC | 3 | $127k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| California | 47 |
| Washington | 8 |
| New Jersey | 8 |
| Massachusetts | 7 |
| New York | 6 |
| Texas | 4 |
| Connecticut | 4 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 |
| Oregon | 2 |
| Colorado | 2 |
Focus your H-1B job search on California and other key tech hubs, and highlight specialized skills in optics, lasers, and semiconductor fabrication to align with the increasing demand.
The average H-1B salary for Photonics Engineers is $155,994, with a median of $155,584. The 25th-75th percentile range is $132,246 to $180,000.
Top H-1B sponsors for Photonics Engineers include Apple Inc., ASML US, LP, Meta Platforms, Inc, Corning Incorporated, IonQ Quantum, Inc.. A total of 29 employers have filed for this role.
There are 48 H-1B filings on record for Photonics Engineers positions. 97.9% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Photonics Engineers positions are California (24), New York (5), Massachusetts (4), Washington (3), Connecticut (2).
Yes, Photonics Engineers is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 48 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Photonics Engineers salaries range from $71,365 to $300,000. The median salary is $155,584.
The approval rate for Photonics Engineers H-1B petitions is 97.9%. The approval rate for H-1B visas for Photonics Engineers is exceptionally high, suggesting a favorable outlook for applicants.
California accounts for a disproportionately large share of H-1B employment for this role, highlighting its importance as a tech hub.
Focus your H-1B job search on California and other key tech hubs, and highlight specialized skills in optics, lasers, and semiconductor fabrication to align with the increasing demand.
The sharp increase in petitions for FY2025 points to a rapidly expanding job market for Photonics Engineers.
The Photonics Engineers occupation (SOC code 17-219907) 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.
Photonics 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 Photonics Engineers positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Photonics Engineers positions show an average offered salary of $149,515, with a range from $71,365 at the entry level to $300,000 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in California (47 filings) and Washington (8 filings).
Career outlook for Photonics 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 Photonics 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 Photonics 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 Photonics Engineers positions, the average offered salary of $149,515 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 14.7%, with 69% 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 Photonics Engineers positions is 99%.
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. Photonics 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 Photonics Engineers H-1B filings is approximately 35 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Photonics Engineers positions.
Other H-1B job categories related to Photonics Engineers, grouped by similar SOC classification codes.