H-1B Hiring for Materials Scientists Shows Sharp Increase in Recent Years
Explore H-1B visa filings for Materials Scientists. 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 | $93,278 |
| Salary Range | $50,000 - $212,904 |
| Top Sponsor | Ut-Battelle, LLC (oak Ridge National Laboratory) |
| Primary Location | Texas |
Materials Scientists is one of the H-1B visa categories with 180 filings and an average salary of $89,510. The number of H-1B petitions for Materials Scientists has seen a significant surge in recent fiscal years, particularly from FY2023 onwards. While the total number of petitions is relatively low compared to broader STEM fields, the recent increase suggests growing demand or a shift in hiring focus. Geographically, hiring is distributed across several states, with Texas, California, Illinois, Tennessee, and New York showing the most activity.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 99% |
| Average Salary | $93,278 |
| Median Salary | $87,589 |
| 25th Percentile | $67,559 |
| 75th Percentile | $113,610 |
| Minimum Salary | $50,000 |
| Maximum Salary | $212,904 |
| 10th Percentile | $61,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $67,559 |
| Median (50th) | $87,589 |
| 75th Percentile | $113,610 |
| 90th Percentile | $137,488 |
| Average | $93,278 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 98 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 2 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY) | 7 | $119k |
| Underwriters Laboratories Inc. | 4 | $107k |
| UChicago Argonne, LLC | 4 | $110k |
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | 4 | $61k |
| Brookhaven National Laboratory | 4 | $96k |
| Iowa State University of Science and Technology | 3 | $81k |
| Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station | 3 | $66k |
| Battelle Memorial Institute | 3 | $125k |
| Apple Inc. | 2 | $180k |
| University of Wisconsin System | 2 | $60k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| Texas | 12 |
| California | 11 |
| Illinois | 10 |
| Tennessee | 9 |
| New York | 7 |
| Georgia | 4 |
| Washington | 4 |
| Iowa | 4 |
| Massachusetts | 4 |
| Wisconsin | 3 |
Focus on states with emerging H-1B activity in Materials Science and highlight advanced degrees or specialized research experience in your applications to align with the increasing demand.
The average H-1B salary for Materials Scientists is $89,510, with a median of $80,303. The 25th-75th percentile range is $65,000 to $109,922.
Top H-1B sponsors for Materials Scientists include UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY), Brookhaven National Laboratory, Battelle Memorial Institute, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS, Underwriters Laboratories Inc.. A total of 95 employers have filed for this role.
There are 180 H-1B filings on record for Materials Scientists positions. 98.3% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Materials Scientists positions are Texas (20), California (19), Illinois (18), Tennessee (17), New York (16).
Yes, Materials Scientists is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 180 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Materials Scientists salaries range from $45,000 to $212,904. The median salary is $80,303.
The approval rate for Materials Scientists H-1B petitions is 98.3%. The data indicates a dramatic rise in H-1B applications for Materials Scientists, jumping from 1 petition in FY2021 to 156 projected for FY2025.
The majority of the reported petitions (180) are for new employment, with a smaller number for continuing employment (177).
Focus on states with emerging H-1B activity in Materials Science and highlight advanced degrees or specialized research experience in your applications to align with the increasing demand.
The average salary for H-1B Materials Scientists is $89,510, which is higher than the median salary of $80,303.
The Materials Scientists occupation (SOC code 19-203200) 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 Scientists 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 Scientists positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Materials Scientists positions show an average offered salary of $93,278, with a range from $50,000 at the entry level to $212,904 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in Texas (12 filings) and California (11 filings).
Career outlook for Materials Scientists 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 Scientists 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 Scientists 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 Scientists positions, the average offered salary of $93,278 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 19.9%, with 81% 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 Scientists 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. Materials Scientists 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 Scientists H-1B filings is approximately 31 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Materials Scientists positions.
| City | State | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge | Tennessee | 7 |
| Lemont | Illinois | 4 |
| Denton | Texas | 4 |
| Upton | New York | 4 |
| Houston | Texas | 3 |
| Skokie | Illinois | 3 |
| Ames | Iowa | 3 |
| College Station | Texas | 3 |
| Richland | Washington | 3 |
| Santa Clara | California | 2 |