H-1B Physicist Roles Show Strong Growth and Geographic Concentration
Explore H-1B visa filings for Physicists. 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 | $115,094 |
| Salary Range | $55,370 - $273,156 |
| Top Sponsor | Ut-Battelle, LLC (oak Ridge National Laboratory) |
| Primary Location | California |
Physicists is one of the H-1B visa categories with 309 filings and an average salary of $110,851. The number of H-1B petitions for Physicists has seen a significant surge, particularly in FY2024 and projected for FY2025. While the median salary offered is $84,000, the range extends considerably, with the 75th percentile reaching $110,851. Illinois and California are the leading states for H-1B hires in this field, indicating concentrated demand in these regions.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $115,094 |
| Median Salary | $92,280 |
| 25th Percentile | $76,385 |
| 75th Percentile | $143,976 |
| Minimum Salary | $55,370 |
| Maximum Salary | $273,156 |
| 10th Percentile | $67,018 |
| 25th Percentile | $76,385 |
| Median (50th) | $92,280 |
| 75th Percentile | $143,976 |
| 90th Percentile | $205,938 |
| Average | $115,094 |
| Sample Size | 99 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 87 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 10 |
| H-1B1 CHILE | 2 |
| H-1B1 SINGAPORE | 1 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY) | 6 | $126k |
| The Trustees of Princeton University | 5 | $141k |
| In Physics, LLC | 4 | $181k |
| UChicago Argonne, LLC | 4 | $89k |
| Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC | 4 | $99k |
| Johns Hopkins University | 3 | $88k |
| University of Maryland College Park | 3 | $67k |
| Brookhaven National Laboratory | 3 | $112k |
| Triad National Security, LLC | 2 | $97k |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | 2 | $80k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| California | 17 |
| Illinois | 13 |
| Tennessee | 7 |
| Texas | 7 |
| Maryland | 6 |
| Ohio | 5 |
| New Jersey | 5 |
| New York | 5 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 |
| Massachusetts | 4 |
Focus your H-1B job search on states like Illinois and California, and highlight advanced research or specialized skills to align with the higher end of the salary spectrum.
The average H-1B salary for Physicists is $110,851, with a median of $84,000. The 25th-75th percentile range is $71,500 to $121,618.
Top H-1B sponsors for Physicists include Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC, UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY), University of Maryland College Park, Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, The Trustees of Princeton University. A total of 124 employers have filed for this role.
There are 309 H-1B filings on record for Physicists positions. 98.4% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Physicists positions are Illinois (50), California (49), New York (29), Maryland (20), Massachusetts (19).
Yes, Physicists is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 309 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Physicists salaries range from $54,000 to $2,520,000. The median salary is $84,000.
The approval rate for Physicists H-1B petitions is 98.4%. The dramatic increase in FY2024 and FY2025 petitions suggests a growing demand for Physicists in the H-1B market.
The wide salary range, from $54,000 to $2,520,000, indicates diverse roles and experience levels being hired.
Focus your H-1B job search on states like Illinois and California, and highlight advanced research or specialized skills to align with the higher end of the salary spectrum.
The top hiring states (IL, CA, NY, MD, MA) represent a significant portion of the H-1B opportunities, suggesting these are key hubs.
The Physicists occupation (SOC code 19-201200) 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.
Physicists 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 Physicists positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Physicists positions show an average offered salary of $115,094, with a range from $55,370 at the entry level to $273,156 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in California (17 filings) and Illinois (13 filings).
Career outlook for Physicists 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 Physicists 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 Physicists 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 Physicists positions, the average offered salary of $115,094 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 30.1%, with 77% 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 Physicists 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. Physicists 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 Physicists H-1B filings is approximately 31 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Physicists positions.
| City | State | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge | Tennessee | 6 |
| Lemont | Illinois | 5 |
| Batavia | Illinois | 5 |
| Princeton | New Jersey | 4 |
| Los Alamos | New Mexico | 3 |
| Columbus | Ohio | 3 |
| Baltimore | Maryland | 3 |
| College Park | Maryland | 3 |
| Upton | New York | 3 |
| Big Pine | California | 2 |