H-1B Hiring Trends for Biologists
Explore H-1B visa filings for Biologists. 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 | $96,675 |
| Salary Range | $45,000 - $320,000 |
| Top Sponsor | University of Michigan |
| Primary Location | California |
Biologists is one of the H-1B visa categories with 69 filings and an average salary of $89,551. Biologists are in high demand, with a significant number of H-1B petitions filed. The average salary for Biologists is competitive, exceeding the median salary. There's a strong concentration of Biologist roles in specific states, indicating regional demand. The majority of recent filings are for FY2025, suggesting a forward-looking hiring trend.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $96,675 |
| Median Salary | $85,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $73,798 |
| 75th Percentile | $105,000 |
| Minimum Salary | $45,000 |
| Maximum Salary | $320,000 |
| 10th Percentile | $63,120 |
| 25th Percentile | $73,798 |
| Median (50th) | $85,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $105,000 |
| 90th Percentile | $145,000 |
| Average | $96,675 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 98 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 2 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan | 4 | $62k |
| University of Maryland College Park | 4 | $90k |
| California Institute of Technology | 4 | $87k |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | 3 | $100k |
| Brookhaven National Laboratory | 3 | $82k |
| Novo Nordisk Research & Development US, Inc. | 3 | $126k |
| University of California, Berkeley | 3 | $111k |
| The Trustees of Princeton University | 3 | $74k |
| Axle Informatics LLC | 3 | $107k |
| Washington University | 2 | $58k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| California | 20 |
| Massachusetts | 17 |
| Maryland | 11 |
| New York | 9 |
| Michigan | 4 |
| New Jersey | 4 |
| Indiana | 3 |
| Georgia | 3 |
| Florida | 3 |
| Texas | 3 |
Focus your H-1B job search on states with high demand like Massachusetts and California, and highlight advanced degrees and specialized skills that justify the higher average salaries.
The average H-1B salary for Biologists is $89,551, with a median of $79,514. The 25th-75th percentile range is $70,500 to $100,000.
Top H-1B sponsors for Biologists include University of California, Berkeley, Axle Informatics LLC, The Trustees of Princeton University, Novo Nordisk Research & Development US, Inc., The University of Texas at Austin. A total of 51 employers have filed for this role.
There are 69 H-1B filings on record for Biologists positions. 98.6% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Biologists positions are Massachusetts (14), California (9), New York (7), Maryland (5), Texas (4).
Yes, Biologists is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 69 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Biologists salaries range from $47,895 to $210,000. The median salary is $79,514.
The approval rate for Biologists H-1B petitions is 98.6%. The average salary for Biologists ($210,000) is substantially higher than the median salary ($79,514).
Massachusetts and California are leading states for H-1B Biologist positions.
Focus your H-1B job search on states with high demand like Massachusetts and California, and highlight advanced degrees and specialized skills that justify the higher average salaries.
The number of full-time positions (69) is slightly higher than contract positions (68).
The Biologists occupation (SOC code 19-102904) 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.
Biologists 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 Biologists positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Biologists positions show an average offered salary of $96,675, with a range from $45,000 at the entry level to $320,000 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in California (20 filings) and Massachusetts (17 filings).
Career outlook for Biologists 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 Biologists 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 Biologists 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 Biologists positions, the average offered salary of $96,675 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 18.4%, with 84% 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 Biologists 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. Biologists 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 Biologists H-1B filings is approximately 33 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Biologists positions.