H-1B Demand for Chemists Shows Significant Upward Trend, Especially in FY2025
Explore H-1B visa filings for Chemists. 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 | $107,644 |
| Salary Range | $52,875 - $300,000 |
| Top Sponsor | Eli Lilly and Company |
| Primary Location | California |
Chemists is one of the H-1B visa categories with 453 filings and an average salary of $1,037,363. The number of H-1B petitions for Chemists has seen a significant surge, particularly in FY2025, indicating a strong and growing demand. While the total number of petitions is relatively low compared to broader tech roles, the increasing trend suggests a specialized but expanding market. The average salary offered is substantial, reflecting the specialized skills and knowledge required for a chemist role. Geographic concentration in states like New Jersey and California points to specific industry hubs for these positions.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 96% |
| Average Salary | $107,644 |
| Median Salary | $102,116 |
| 25th Percentile | $75,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $130,000 |
| Minimum Salary | $52,875 |
| Maximum Salary | $300,000 |
| 10th Percentile | $62,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $75,000 |
| Median (50th) | $102,116 |
| 75th Percentile | $130,000 |
| 90th Percentile | $160,000 |
| Average | $107,644 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 80 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 20 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Eli Lilly and Company | 3 | $156k |
| Manas AI, Inc. | 2 | $220k |
| Northwestern University | 2 | $94k |
| Steel Dynamics, Inc. | 2 | $127k |
| Pioneer Life Science LLC | 2 | $105k |
| The Curators of the University of Missouri | 2 | $57k |
| Tris Pharma, Inc. | 2 | $98k |
| Agnezar Life Sciences LLC | 2 | $98k |
| Washington University | 2 | $62k |
| UChicago Argonne, LLC | 2 | $71k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| California | 17 |
| New Jersey | 17 |
| Illinois | 10 |
| New York | 8 |
| Indiana | 6 |
| North Carolina | 5 |
| Texas | 5 |
| Missouri | 4 |
| Massachusetts | 3 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 |
Focus on developing specialized skills in high-demand areas within chemistry and target employers in states like New Jersey and California to maximize H-1B opportunities.
The average H-1B salary for Chemists is $1,037,363, with a median of $85,000. The 25th-75th percentile range is $67,824 to $108,106.
Top H-1B sponsors for Chemists include Eli Lilly and Company, Tris Pharma, Inc., University of California, Berkeley, PPD Development, L.P., The University of Virginia. A total of 255 employers have filed for this role.
There are 453 H-1B filings on record for Chemists positions. 98.0% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Chemists positions are New Jersey (86), California (47), New York (33), Texas (27), North Carolina (25).
Yes, Chemists is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 453 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Chemists salaries range from $46,467 to $282,974,806. The median salary is $85,000.
The approval rate for Chemists H-1B petitions is 98.0%. The vast majority of petitions (409 out of 444) are concentrated in FY2025, suggesting a recent and rapid increase in hiring.
The average salary for H-1B Chemists is $103,736, which is considerably higher than the median salary for all occupations.
Focus on developing specialized skills in high-demand areas within chemistry and target employers in states like New Jersey and California to maximize H-1B opportunities.
New Jersey and California are the top states for H-1B Chemists, accounting for a significant portion of the petitions.
The Chemists occupation (SOC code 19-203100) 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.
Chemists 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 Chemists positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Chemists positions show an average offered salary of $107,644, with a range from $52,875 at the entry level to $300,000 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in California (17 filings) and New Jersey (17 filings).
Career outlook for Chemists 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 Chemists 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 Chemists 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 Chemists positions, the average offered salary of $107,644 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 15.1%, with 76% 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 Chemists 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. Chemists 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 Chemists H-1B filings is approximately 32 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Chemists positions.