Physicists H-1B Visa Data 2026
The median H-1B offered wage for Physicists is $85K/year, across 3,953 certified Labor Condition Applications filed with the US Department of Labor (FY2021–2026). Figures below are measured from DOL disclosure records, not modeled estimates.
DOL Wage Levels & 2026 Lottery Entry Weight
Most certified Physicists petitions are filed at Level I (Entry). Since February 27, 2026, USCIS weights the H-1B lottery by DOL prevailing wage level, so the level a role is filed at directly affects selection odds.
| DOL Wage Level | Filings | Share | Median Wage | Lottery Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 2,068 | 58.8% | $72K | 1× |
| Level II (Qualified) | 790 | 22.5% | $115K | 2× |
| Level III (Experienced) | 416 | 11.8% | $134K | 3× |
| Level IV (Expert) | 241 | 6.9% | $185K | 4× |
Across 3,515 certified Physicists filings with a reported DOL wage level. Entry weights reflect the DHS wage-weighted selection rule effective February 27, 2026; USCIS has not published official aggregate selection-rate percentages by wage level, so none are stated here.
Top H-1B Sponsors for Physicists
| Employer | Certified Filings | Median Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Brookhaven National Laboratory | 273 | $122K |
| Ut-battelle, LLC (oak Ridge National Laboratory) | 125 | $120K |
| Triad National Security, LLC | 109 | $106K |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | 106 | $107K |
| The Trustees of Princeton University | 94 | $80K |
| Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab | 91 | $102K |
| Fermi Research Alliance, LLC | 91 | $81K |
| UChicago Argonne LLC | 80 | $82K |
Ranked by certified Physicists filing volume, FY2021–2026.
Top States for Physicists H-1B Filings
| State | Certified Filings | Median Wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 861 | $103K |
| New York | 581 | $95K |
| Illinois | 420 | $77K |
| Massachusetts | 199 | $78K |
| Texas | 178 | $63K |
| New Jersey | 167 | $82K |
| Maryland | 163 | $80K |
| Tennessee | 155 | $111K |
Linked states have a full H-1B wage-level breakdown.
Physicists H-1B Jobs by City
| Metro | Certified Filings | Median Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Upton, NY | 281 | $120K |
| Batavia, IL | 192 | $77K |
| New York, NY | 163 | $87K |
| Berkeley, CA | 162 | $82K |
| Menlo Park, CA | 145 | $100K |
| Oak Ridge, TN | 120 | $119K |
Metros with the highest Physicists H-1B filing volume, each with its own wage and sponsor breakdown.
Related H-1B Data
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Aggregated from DOL LCA disclosure files (FY2021–2026) for SOC occupation 19-2012.00 — Physicists — filtered to certified petitions with annual wages between $30K and $1M. Wages are medians of the offered wage stated in each filing (base salary only, not equity or bonus), reported as medians rather than averages because a small number of outlier filings can skew an average heavily.