Table of Contents
- 1. H1B Data Scientist Salary Overview
- 2. Salary by Specialization (ML, NLP, BI, Research)
- 3. H1B Data Scientist Salary by State
- 4. H1B Data Scientist Salary by City
- 5. DOL Wage Levels and Lottery Odds
- 6. Which Companies Pay the Most?
- 7. Salary Trend FY2020–FY2024 (AI Era Surge)
- 8. How to Position for Level IV Wages
- 9. Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Average H1B Data Scientist Salary?
The average H1B data scientist salary is $152,000/year, based on 283,000 certified Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) from FY2020 through FY2024. The median — more representative than the average, which is inflated by outliers at Meta and Google — is $140,000.
What makes the data scientist H1B picture particularly interesting in 2026 is the AI acceleration effect. The explosion of LLM-adjacent roles has created a bifurcated market: generalist data scientists averaging $140K–$155K, and AI/ML specialists commanding $190K–$250K+ — a gap that's widening every quarter as demand for LLM fine-tuning, RAG pipelines, and production AI systems outpaces supply.
H1B Data Scientist Salary Percentiles (FY2024 LCA Data)
| Percentile | DOL Level | Annual Salary | H1B Lottery Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (Bottom) | Level I–II | $95,000 | ~18% |
| 25th | Level II | $120,000 | ~28% |
| 50th (Median) | Level III | $140,000 | ~45% |
| 75th | Level III–IV | $185,000 | ~54% |
| 90th (Top) | Level IV | $222,000 | ~61% |
Source: DOL LCA Disclosure Data FY2020–FY2024, H1BVisaJobs.com analysis. Lottery odds based on USCIS wage-weighted selection system (FY2027 cap season).
The 76% share at Level III or above is the headline number. Data science is one of the highest-concentration Level III–IV occupations in the entire H1B system — better than finance, better than healthcare, and on par with senior software engineering. That's the direct result of Big Tech dominating the data science H1B pipeline.
How Does Specialization Affect H1B Data Scientist Salary?
Not all data science H1B filings are equal. The LCA job title field reveals massive salary variation by specialization. NLP/LLM engineering — which barely existed as an LCA category in FY2020 — now shows the highest average wages in the entire data science cluster, reflecting the ChatGPT-era demand surge.
The data is clear: the closer your role is to production AI/ML systems and the further from reporting and BI, the higher the prevailing wage level your employer files at, and the stronger your lottery odds.
H1B Salary by Data Science Specialization — LCA Analysis
| Specialization | Avg H1B Wage | Demand | PW Level Filed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Learning Engineer | $192,000 | Very High | Level III–IV |
| NLP / LLM Engineer | $205,000 | Explosive | Level IV |
| Computer Vision Engineer | $188,000 | High | Level IV |
| Data Scientist (generalist) | $152,000 | High | Level III |
| Analytics Engineer | $145,000 | Moderate | Level III |
| BI / Reporting Analyst | $118,000 | Moderate | Level II–III |
| Research Scientist (AI) | $218,000 | Very High | Level IV |
Source: DOL LCA job title analysis FY2020–FY2024. Titles matched to specialization clusters by H1BVisaJobs.com. "Explosive" demand = 300%+ YoY LCA volume growth FY2022–FY2024.
The NLP/LLM category deserves special attention. In FY2022, there were fewer than 400 LCA filings with "LLM" or "large language model" in the job title. By FY2024, that number exceeded 4,200. These roles are almost entirely filed at Level IV, with average wages above $200K — and they're concentrated at a handful of companies that collectively employ most of the world's LLM researchers.
If you're transitioning from a generalist DS role into LLM work, the LCA data suggests even a lateral move to an "LLM Engineer" title at the same seniority level can mean a $40K–$60K wage increase and a jump from Level III to Level IV lottery odds.
Which State Pays the Highest H1B Data Scientist Salary?
California leads all states for H1B data scientist wages at $185,000 average — 22% above the national figure — and dominates by volume with 31,800 certified filings, more than any other state. This concentration reflects the Bay Area's role as the global center of AI research and product development.
Washington follows at $178,000, driven by Amazon's large data science org in Seattle. Texas files more than New Jersey but pays less — a pattern consistent across tech roles, reflecting a higher share of enterprise and consulting DS filings vs the product-company dominant mix in coastal states.
H1B Data Scientist Average Salary by State (LCA Data, 283,000 Filings)
Violet = above national avg. Grey = below. % vs national avg of $152,000. Source: DOL LCA Disclosure FY2020–FY2024.
| State | Avg Wage | Median | LCA Filings | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California (CA) | $185,000 | $170,000 | 31,800 | +22% |
| Washington (WA) | $178,000 | $165,000 | 12,400 | +17% |
| New York (NY) | $172,000 | $158,000 | 14,600 | +13% |
| Massachusetts (MA) | $168,000 | $155,000 | 9,200 | +11% |
| New Jersey (NJ) | $155,000 | $144,000 | 9,800 | +2% |
| Colorado (CO) | $152,000 | $141,000 | 4,800 | +0% |
| Virginia (VA) | $148,000 | $138,000 | 7,100 | -2% |
| Texas (TX) | $145,000 | $134,000 | 18,900 | -4% |
| Illinois (IL) | $142,000 | $131,000 | 8,300 | -6% |
| Georgia (GA) | $138,000 | $128,000 | 5,400 | -9% |
Source: DOL LCA Disclosure Data FY2020–FY2024. Only states with 4,000+ certified filings shown.
To explore live salary data for your specific city and filter by company, use the interactive H1B data scientist salary tool →
H1B Data Scientist Salary by City — Where Is the Premium Highest
San Francisco leads all US cities at $205,000 average — $53,000 above the national median. This is almost entirely driven by AI research roles at companies like OpenAI (SF HQ), Anthropic (SF HQ), Google DeepMind (SF/Mountain View), and Meta AI (Menlo Park). Seattle is the second-highest metro at $195,000, reflecting Amazon's ML platform and Microsoft Azure AI teams.
H1B Data Scientist Salary by Major City
| Metro Area | Avg H1B Wage | Median |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $205,000 | $188,000 |
| Seattle, WA | $195,000 | $180,000 |
| New York, NY | $182,000 | $168,000 |
| Boston, MA | $175,000 | $162,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $172,000 | $158,000 |
| Austin, TX | $155,000 | $144,000 |
| Chicago, IL | $148,000 | $137,000 |
| Washington DC | $155,000 | $144,000 |
| Atlanta, GA | $142,000 | $132,000 |
| Denver, CO | $156,000 | $145,000 |
Source: DOL LCA Disclosure Data worksite city field, FY2020–FY2024. Metros with 1,000+ certified DS filings shown.
Washington DC ranks surprisingly high at $155,000, equal to Denver. This reflects government contractor DS roles (Booz Allen, Deloitte Federal, Leidos) and healthcare analytics organizations filing at Level III–IV wages for data scientists with security clearances and domain expertise in federal health datasets.
How Do DOL Wage Levels Shape H1B Lottery Odds for Data Scientists?
Data science is one of the best H1B occupations for wage-weighted lottery odds. Our analysis shows 76% of data scientist LCA filings at Level III or IV — compared to roughly 65% for the broader software/engineering category. The reason is straightforward: the companies that need data scientists most are large tech firms with strong compensation bands, and they overwhelmingly file at upper wage levels.
H1B Data Scientist PW Level Distribution (283,000 filings)
Level I
6%
15% lottery
Level II
18%
28% lottery
Level III
40%
45% lottery
Level IV
36%
61% lottery
Source: DOL LCA Disclosure FY2020–FY2024. Lottery odds from USCIS wage-weighted selection framework, effective FY2027 cap season.
The 36% at Level IV is the standout number — among the highest of any STEM occupation in the H1B dataset. These are filings by Meta, Google, Apple, and AI-focused companies paying $185K+. With a 61% selection rate for Level IV, a data scientist working at a top tech company has better lottery odds than the vast majority of H1B applicants.
Contrast this with consulting-tier data science filings (Infosys, Deloitte at the lower end): they file at Level I–II, get 15–28% lottery odds, and the gap compounds over multiple lottery cycles. The expected number of attempts to clear the lottery is roughly 2x higher at Level II vs Level IV.
Which Companies Pay the Most for H1B Data Scientists?
Meta tops the list at $242,000 average H1B data scientist salary — reflecting their heavy investment in recommendation systems, content ranking, and Llama model development. Importantly, 71% of Meta's data science H1B filings are at Level IV, meaning the lottery odds are nearly as high as the pay.
The gap between Big Tech and consulting firms is even wider in data science than in software engineering. IBM, Deloitte, and Infosys file thousands of DS LCAs, but at $98K–$118K averages — roughly 60% of Meta's rate. These firms serve enterprise clients who need BI and analytics capabilities, not the cutting-edge ML work that commands top wages.
Top H1B Data Scientist Employers — Salary vs Volume (LCA Data)
| Employer | Avg H1B Wage | Total Filings | % at Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $196,000 | 8,500 | 52% |
| Microsoft | $195,000 | 4,800 | 50% |
| $228,000 | 5,200 | 64% | |
| Meta | $242,000 | 3,100 | 71% |
| Apple | $212,000 | 2,200 | 58% |
| $198,000 | 820 | 55% | |
| Uber | $185,000 | 680 | 48% |
| IBM | $118,000 | 4,200 | 20% |
| Deloitte | $112,000 | 3,100 | 16% |
| Infosys | $98,000 | 5,800 | 9% |
Source: DOL LCA Disclosure FY2020–FY2024. Employers with 800+ certified DS filings shown. Green = avg above national.
Use the H1B employer database to filter specifically by data science job titles, average wage, and PW level before targeting your applications.
How Has H1B Data Scientist Salary Changed in the AI Era?
H1B data scientist wages have grown at a 4.8% CAGR from FY2020 to FY2024 — the highest growth rate of any major technical occupation in our LCA dataset. The acceleration is unmistakable post-FY2022, when the LLM wave began translating into hiring demand. FY2024 average of $154,000 represents a 26% gain over FY2020's $122,000.
H1B Data Scientist Avg Salary Trend — FY2020 to FY2024 (AI Era)
| Fiscal Year | Avg Wage | YoY Change | LCA Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $122,000 | — | 38,000 |
| FY2021 | $129,000 | +6% | 46,000 |
| FY2022 | $138,000 | +7% | 58,000 |
| FY2023 | $146,000 | +6% | 67,000 |
| FY2024 | $154,000 | +5% | 74,000 |
Source: DOL LCA Disclosure Data. Filings = certified H-1B LCAs with "data scientist" or closely related titles. CAGR FY2020–FY2024: 4.8%.
The volume increase is as striking as the wage increase: filing volumes grew 95% from FY2020 to FY2024. Unlike the software engineering market, which saw hiring freezes at Big Tech in late 2022–2023, data science hiring accelerated through those same quarters as companies raced to build AI capabilities. This combination of rising wages + growing volume is rare in the H1B dataset.
How Do You Position Yourself for Level IV H1B Data Scientist Wages?
Getting to Level IV wages as a data scientist isn't just about years of experience — it's about demonstrating the right kind of impact in the right type of organization. Here's what the LCA data shows about the profiles that reach Level IV:
Move toward production ML systems
LCA titles associated with Level IV wages are overwhelmingly about production deployment: 'Senior Machine Learning Engineer', 'Staff Data Scientist', 'Principal ML Scientist'. Pure analytics and reporting roles almost never reach Level IV. The transition from analyst to ML engineer is the most reliable path to the wage level that moves your lottery odds from 28% to 61%.
Specialize in LLMs, NLP, or computer vision
AI specialization carries a measurable premium in the LCA data. An NLP Engineer at Google files at Level IV. A generalist Data Analyst at Google files at Level II–III. Same company, same seniority level, $60,000+ difference. If you're earlier in your career, specializing in a high-demand AI subfield is the highest-ROI move from both a salary and lottery strategy standpoint.
Target product companies over consulting
Our data is unambiguous: consulting firms (IBM, Deloitte, Infosys) file data scientist LCAs at Level I–II for roles averaging $98K–$118K. Product companies (Amazon, Google, Meta) file at Level III–IV for roles averaging $185K–$242K. If your goal is both high wages and good lottery odds, the consulting route is a double handicap.
Negotiate to Level III minimum before your LCA is filed
Your employer's HR team often has flexibility between Level II and Level III, especially if you can cite data. Bring LCA data to the conversation: show them that the median H1B data scientist wage in their city is $X and that your offer is below it. A Level III LCA isn't just better money — it's roughly 17 percentage points of lottery probability difference.
H1B Data Scientist Salary — Frequently Asked Questions
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Sumit Patel
SMIEEE · FBCS · FIETE | 16+ years data engineering | 30+ peer-reviewed papers
Sumit built H1BVisaJobs.com's LCA data pipeline, processing 10GB+ of DOL disclosure records to surface actionable wage intelligence for H1B applicants. The data science salary analysis above covers every certified H-1B LCA for data science roles filed with the Department of Labor from FY2020 through FY2024.