Scale AI H1B Sponsorship 2025: Approval Rate, Salaries & Process
Updated May 2025 · Based on DOL LCA disclosure data and USCIS adjudication records
Scale AI is the leading AI data platform providing high-quality training data for AI models, with customers including OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, and the US Department of Defense. Scale AI has a $14B valuation and is a significant H1B sponsor for ML engineers, research scientists, and software engineers. Scale files approximately 145 H1B petitions annually with a 93% approval rate and $195,000 median wage — significantly above average.
Scale AI H1B Data (2024)
| Metric | Scale AI |
|---|---|
| Annual H1B Filings | ~145 |
| Approval Rate | 93% |
| RFE Rate | 9% |
| Median Prevailing Wage | $195,000 |
| Top Prevailing Wage | $268,000 |
| Green Card Sponsor | Yes |
| Primary Roles | ML Engineer, Research Scientist, SWE, Data Platform Eng |
| Main Location | San Francisco, CA |
Scale AI H1B FAQ
Does Scale AI sponsor H1B visas?
Yes. Scale AI is an active H1B sponsor with approximately 145 annual petitions and a 93% approval rate. Scale's H1B program focuses on ML engineers and research scientists working on AI evaluation, RLHF infrastructure, and data quality systems. Scale's government contracts (US DOD) create some complexity — certain security-sensitive roles may require US citizenship, but most engineering roles are H1B-eligible.
What is the H1B salary at Scale AI?
Scale AI's H1B prevailing wages: entry-level ML Engineer $165,000, mid-level $195,000 (median), senior $235,000, staff $268,000. Scale compensates at OpenAI/Anthropic levels rather than FAANG levels — the company aggressively recruits AI talent and pays accordingly. This makes Scale AI one of the highest-paying mid-size H1B sponsors in San Francisco, alongside Stripe and Databricks.
What is Scale AI's role in the AI ecosystem and why does it matter for H1B workers?
Scale AI sits at the infrastructure layer of the AI stack — it generates the training data that makes models like GPT-4 and LLaMA work. This gives Scale unusual stability: unlike many AI startups, Scale's revenue doesn't depend on building a consumer product. It has contractual relationships with the largest AI developers and the US government. For H1B workers, this means lower company failure risk than a typical AI startup.
Does Scale AI's government work affect H1B sponsorship eligibility?
Some Scale AI government contracts (particularly DoD NTCP and intelligence community work) require security clearances that are only available to US citizens or permanent residents. These specific roles are not H1B-eligible. However, Scale's commercial AI work (OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft data contracts) is fully H1B-eligible and represents the majority of Scale's engineering headcount. H1B candidates should confirm the project scope during the interview process.
How does Scale AI's H1B program compare to other AI-focused companies?
Scale AI pays more than most AI-adjacent companies its size ($195K median vs $175K at Databricks or $168K at Figma) because it directly competes for talent with OpenAI and Anthropic. Scale's approval rate (93%) is on par with OpenAI and Anthropic. The main difference: Scale is less well-known as an AI employer, which means less competition for H1B hiring than at OpenAI — a relative advantage for candidates who make the cut.