H1BIndex » Jobs » Computer And Information Research Scientists

Research Scientist -80% 5-Year Decline

Job Market Trend:+5.3%vs Q1 2025

Top Sponsor: Meta Platforms, Inc. (44 filings)

Highest Pay: San Jose, CA ($348,500)

Official Federal Category: 15-1221.00 - Computer And Information Research Scientists

Market Demand

FY 2026

2023 B

2024 B

2025 A

Certified Volume

337

Approved in FY 2026

National Median Salary

$86,000

Typical yearly pay

PERM Conversion

2.70%

Transition to residency

10-Year Growth

16.20%

Decade salary trend

Algorithmic Intelligence Brief

An automated market review of the Research Scientist role.

Reliable Industry Demand: "C"

The demand for Research Scientist professionals continues to show good industry demand. Grounded in 337 recent labor filings, this career achieves a stable "C" grade on our H1B Index.

Internal Projects

97.6% of the approved visas are for direct company projects rather than outside staffing jobs.

Experienced Salary Growth

Workers who stay in this career path see strong salary growth over time. Reaching the senior expert level usually boosts the starting pay by about +211%.

Challenging Approval

Getting a visa approved for this specific job can be difficult. Only 80.4% of labor requests pass the federal checks.

Out-of-State Flexibility

This career pathway is provably remote-friendly. Geographic data confirms that 13.9% of these professionals actively work hundreds of miles away from their company's main headquarters.

Role & Industry Structure

Federal classifications for this position.

Job Status: Companies mostly use full-time contracts, structuring 94.1% of these jobs around a standard work week.

Industry Distribution: Hiring is focused in two areas. Educational Services takes up 53.1%, and Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services holds 20.5%.

Compensation: The typical base salary for this position is $86,000, with maximum compensation scaling to $500,000.

Education Level: The Educational Services industry makes it easy to get a permanent job here with just a Bachelor's degree.

10-Year Median Salary Trajectory

Comparing national base compensation growth for Research Scientists. temporary H-1B medians vs permanent Green Card (PERM).

Positive Market Growth: +16.2%. Compensation for this position has reliably increased over the long term.

Big Salary Raise: +$93,456. Employers pay 113.3% more when they hire you permanently for this role.

Top Hiring Employers

Companies sponsoring the most visas for this role.

Company & Median Pay Total Approvals

Meta Platforms, Inc. 13.1% Share

Top Hub: Menlo Park, CA | Median: $230,702

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology 6.2% Share

Top Hub: Cambridge, MA | Median: $85,488

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC 4.5% Share

Top Hub: Livermore, CA | Median: $180,586

Ut Southwestern Medical Center 3.9% Share

Top Hub: Dallas, TX | Median: $70,000

Nvidia Corporation 3.0% Share

Top Hub: Santa Clara, CA | Median: $164,403

Top Paying Tech Hubs

Cities ranked by highest median salaries.

Salary Percentiles i

Distribution across all federal filings.

Talent Sourcing Origin

Where employers source these workers from.

O*NET Wage Level Economics

Salary breakdown scaled by federal experience classifications.

O*NET Wage Distribution

Wage Levels Breakdown

Experience Level	Total Filings	Cohort Size	Minimum Base	Median Salary
Entry Level (Level I)	105	31.2%	$52,915	$72,000
Qualified (Level II)	109	32.3%	$56,100	$85,000
Experienced (Level III)	52	15.4%	$66,492	$105,550
Fully Competent (Level IV)	46	13.6%	$85,987	$223,995
Not Disclosed (Blank)	25	7.4%	$64,633	$178,465

Acquisition & Industry Allocation

Talent pipeline metrics and top hiring sectors for Research Scientists.

Talent Pipeline

Fresh Hires (67.5%)Transfers/Poached (32.5%)

Green Card (PERM) Conversion i

2.70% of active filings transition to residency.

Industry Sector Allocation

Primary Sector & Median Pay Total Filings

Educational Services 53.1% Sector Share

Top Sponsor: Massachusetts Institute Of Technology | Median: $76,500

179

Professional, Scientific, And Tech Services 20.5% Sector Share

Top Sponsor: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC | Median: $156,000

Information & Tech 14.5% Sector Share

Top Sponsor: Meta Platforms, Inc. | Median: $230,721

Healthcare & Social Assistance 6.2% Sector Share

Top Sponsor: General Hospital Corporation | Median: $72,000

Manufacturing 4.5% Sector Share

Top Sponsor: Nvidia Corporation | Median: $164,403

10-Year DOL processing history for Research Scientists.

Green Card (PERM) Sponsorships i

Historical permanent residency sponsorships and salaries for this role.

Noticing a difference in dates? Salary metrics reflect real-time DOL filings, while approval metrics rely on finalized USCIS historical data. View timelines

Top Sponsoring Employers

A detailed ledger of the companies hiring Research Scientists.

Sponsoring Employer	Market Share i	LCA Count	Median Salary	Vs National Avg i
Meta Platforms, Inc.	13.1%	44	$230,702	+168.3% Avg
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology	6.2%	21	$85,488	Market Rate
Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC	4.5%	15	$180,586	+110.0% Avg
Ut Southwestern Medical Center	3.9%	13	$70,000	-18.6% Avg
Nvidia Corporation	3.0%	10	$164,403	+91.2% Avg
Google LLC	3.0%	10	$232,499	+170.3% Avg
The University Of Virginia	3.0%	10	$69,300	-19.4% Avg
The Ohio State University	2.7%	9	$95,000	+10.5% Avg
The University Of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center	2.4%	8	$82,006	-4.6% Avg
General Hospital Corporation	2.1%	7	$72,000	-16.3% Avg
University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio	2.1%	7	$65,000	-24.4% Avg
University Of Texas Medical Branch	1.8%	6	$70,034	-18.6% Avg
Purdue University	1.8%	6	$100,672	+17.1% Avg
University Of Illinois	1.8%	6	$85,254	Market Rate
Administrators Of The Tulane Educational Fund	1.5%	5	$65,000	-24.4% Avg
The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston	1.5%	5	$65,925	-23.3% Avg
Trustees Of Boston University	1.5%	5	$82,656	-3.9% Avg
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University	1.5%	5	$100,000	+16.3% Avg
University Of Pittsburgh	1.5%	5	$59,487	-30.8% Avg
Nyu Grossman School Of Medicine	1.5%	5	$74,714	-13.1% Avg
The Research Institute At Nationwide Children'S Hospital	1.2%	4	$80,000	-7.0% Avg
University Of Oklahoma	0.9%	3	$87,362	+1.6% Avg
Salesforce, Inc.	0.9%	3	$201,094	+133.8% Avg
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center	0.9%	3	$71,094	-17.3% Avg
Case Western Reserve University	0.9%	3	$71,656	-16.7% Avg
Northeastern University	0.9%	3	$80,000	-7.0% Avg
Van Andel Research Institute	0.9%	3	$73,500	-14.5% Avg
Yahoo Holdings Inc.	0.6%	2	$201,094	+133.8% Avg
University Of Massachusetts Lowell	0.6%	2	$79,323	-7.8% Avg
Uchicago Argonne, LLC	0.6%	2	$99,992	+16.3% Avg
The University Of Texas At Arlington	0.6%	2	$74,100	-13.8% Avg
Xalt Energy Mi, LLC	0.6%	2	$105,000	+22.1% Avg
Lieber Institute Inc.	0.6%	2	$98,426	+14.4% Avg
North Dakota State University	0.6%	2	$56,426	-34.4% Avg
Howard Hughes Medical Institute	0.6%	2	$63,856	-25.7% Avg
Duke University	0.6%	2	$74,476	-13.4% Avg
Florida International University	0.6%	2	$74,963	-12.8% Avg
Ibm Corporation	0.6%	2	$243,163	+182.7% Avg
Harvard University	0.6%	2	$122,830	+42.8% Avg
The University Of Chicago	0.6%	2	$82,280	-4.3% Avg
University Of Chicago	0.6%	2	$84,048	-2.3% Avg
Virginia Commonwealth University	0.6%	2	$66,156	-23.1% Avg
Cleveland Clinic Foundation	0.6%	2	$88,870	+3.3% Avg
Brigham And Women'S Hospital	0.6%	2	$73,203	-14.9% Avg
California Institute Of Technology	0.6%	2	$103,408	+20.2% Avg
New York University	0.6%	2	$78,640	-8.6% Avg
Kelly Services, Inc.	0.6%	2	$117,104	+36.2% Avg
Johns Hopkins University	0.6%	2	$86,275	Market Rate
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital	0.6%	2	$75,000	-12.8% Avg
The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York	0.6%	2	$71,000	-17.4% Avg
The University Of Alabama At Birmingham	0.6%	2	$73,500	-14.5% Avg
Research Foundation For The State University Of New York	0.6%	2	$76,998	-10.5% Avg
Resilitix Intelligence LLC	0.6%	2	$89,981	+4.6% Avg
Rush University Medical Center	0.6%	2	$60,912	-29.2% Avg
Pittsburg State University	0.6%	2	$71,400	-17.0% Avg

Top Worksite Cities

A granular breakdown of compensation across different US geographic markets.

Worksite City	State	Talent Density i	Median Salary	Top Premium Payer i
Cambridge	MA	6.8%	$82,800	$299,998
New York	NY	5.9%	$180,232	$234,998
Houston	TX	5.0%	$80,000	$92,000
Boston	MA	4.7%	$74,702	$80,000
Livermore	CA	4.5%	$180,586	Market Rate
Menlo Park	CA	4.2%	$228,800	Market Rate
Dallas	TX	3.9%	$70,000	Market Rate
Columbus	OH	3.6%	$90,037	$97,391
Charlottesville	VA	3.0%	$69,300	Market Rate
Bellevue	WA	2.4%	$218,808	$260,000
Santa Clara	CA	2.4%	$164,403	$201,094
Sunnyvale	CA	2.4%	$245,262	Market Rate
Mountain View	CA	2.4%	$215,000	$237,786
San Antonio	TX	2.4%	$65,000	$65,715
Chicago	IL	2.1%	$84,048	$106,101
Pittsburgh	PA	2.1%	$61,800	$223,995
Galveston	TX	1.8%	$70,034	Market Rate
West Lafayette	IN	1.8%	$100,672	Market Rate
New Orleans	LA	1.5%	$65,000	Market Rate
Cleveland	OH	1.5%	$71,656	$88,870
Baltimore	MD	1.2%	$92,350	$98,426
Redmond	WA	1.2%	$232,390	$250,603
Grand Rapids	MI	0.9%	$73,500	Market Rate
Palo Alto	CA	0.9%	$201,094	Market Rate
Norman	OK	0.9%	$87,362	Market Rate
San Jose	CA	0.9%	$348,500	$500,000
Urbana	IL	0.9%	$85,987	Market Rate
Seattle	WA	0.9%	$240,000	$255,617
Arlington	TX	0.6%	$74,100	Market Rate
Durham	NC	0.6%	$74,476	Market Rate
Burlingame	CA	0.6%	$258,524	Market Rate
Champaign	IL	0.6%	$85,254	Market Rate
Boulder	CO	0.6%	$86,950	$89,100
Blacksburg	VA	0.6%	$97,500	Market Rate
Fargo	ND	0.6%	$56,426	Market Rate
Ashburn	VA	0.6%	$63,856	Market Rate
Auburn Hills	MI	0.6%	$105,000	Market Rate
Austin	TX	0.6%	$121,200	$160,000
Birmingham	AL	0.6%	$73,500	Market Rate
Buffalo	NY	0.6%	$71,000	Market Rate
Redwood City	CA	0.6%	$201,094	Market Rate
Washington	DC	0.6%	$108,552	$117,104
Richmond	VA	0.6%	$66,156	Market Rate
Stony Brook	NY	0.6%	$76,998	Market Rate
Tempe	AZ	0.6%	$95,000	$120,000
Lowell	MA	0.6%	$79,323	Market Rate
Miami	FL	0.6%	$74,963	Market Rate
Pasadena	CA	0.6%	$103,408	Market Rate
Pittsburg	KS	0.6%	$71,400	Market Rate
Lemont	IL	0.6%	$99,992	Market Rate
Brookville	NY	0.3%	$52,915	N/A
Albany	NY	0.3%	$80,000	N/A
Alton	VA	0.3%	$114,704	N/A
Fort Collins	CO	0.3%	$96,400	N/A
Flagstaff	AZ	0.3%	$79,950	N/A

Historical Compensation Averages

Year-over-year salary data comparing historical averages.

Fiscal Year	YoY Growth i	Maximum	Median	Average	Minimum
2026	In Progress	$500,000	$82,479	$110,505	$38.00/hr
2025	+11.0%	$580,000	$111,000	$133,251	$26.00/hr
2024	+5.8%	$489,709	$100,000	$123,976	$25.00/hr
2023	+1.0%	$429,000	$94,500	$116,563	$23.00/hr
2022	+9.7%	$386,100	$93,585	$111,349	$26.00/hr
2021	-3.0%	$385,450	$85,323	$103,613	$23.00/hr
2020	+10.0%	$320,000	$88,000	$103,459	$21.00/hr
2019	+3.6%	$280,000	$80,000	$92,304	$23.00/hr
2018	+9.4%	$283,600	$77,250	$88,849	$23.00/hr
2017	-0.6%	$258,400	$70,600	$79,322	$16.00/hr
2016	N/A	$205,500	$71,000	$77,975	$18.00/hr

Live LCA Filing Ledger (FY 2026)

Raw, unedited federal disclosures showing individual labor applications filed.

Decision Date	Employer	Location	Base Pay	Wage Level	Status
Dec 31, 2025	University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio	San Antonio, TX	$58,240	Level I	Certified - Withdrawn
Dec 31, 2025	Ut Southwestern Medical Center	Dallas, TX	$62,000	Level II	Certified - Withdrawn
Dec 30, 2025	The Methodist Hospital Research Institute	Houston, TX	$92,000	Level I	Certified
Dec 30, 2025	Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC	Livermore, CA	$162,000	Level III	Certified
Dec 30, 2025	Intel Corporation	Santa Clara, CA	$201,094	Level III	Certified
Dec 30, 2025	Nvidia Corporation	Santa Clara, CA	$226,933	N/A	Certified
Dec 30, 2025	University Of Cincinnati	Cincinnati, OH	$112,000	Level I	Certified
Dec 30, 2025	General Hospital Corporation	Somerville, MA	$76,500	Level I	Certified
Dec 30, 2025	Texas A&M Agrilife Research	College Station, TX	$80,974	Level II	Certified
Dec 30, 2025	Meta Platforms, Inc.	Sunnyvale, CA	$214,032	Level II	Certified
Dec 29, 2025	Alljoined, Inc.	San Francisco, CA	$155,000	Level II	Certified
Dec 29, 2025	Meta Platforms, Inc.	Bellevue, WA	$215,356	N/A	Certified
Dec 29, 2025	Administrators Of The Tulane Educational Fund	New Orleans, LA	$64,335	Level I	Certified
Dec 29, 2025	The University Of Texas At Arlington	Arlington, TX	$68,200	Level I	Certified
Dec 26, 2025	Meta Platforms, Inc.	Sunnyvale, CA	$258,524	Level IV	Certified
Dec 26, 2025	Nvidia Corporation	Santa Clara, CA	$127,712	Level I	Certified
Dec 26, 2025	University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio	San Antonio, TX	$65,000	Level II	Certified
Dec 26, 2025	Rush University Medical Center	Chicago, IL	$60,006	Level I	Certified
Dec 24, 2025	W.M. Rice University	Houston, TX	$75,000	Level II	Certified
Dec 24, 2025	California Institute Of Technology	Pasadena, CA	$120,000	Level IV	Certified
Dec 24, 2025	University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio	San Antonio, TX	$65,000	Level II	Certified
Dec 24, 2025	Trustees Of Boston University	Boston, MA	$69,660	Level I	Certified
Dec 23, 2025	Zkbricks Inc.	Emeryville, CA	$140,000	Level II	Certified
Dec 23, 2025	Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University	Blacksburg, VA	$95,000	Level III	Certified
Dec 23, 2025	The University Of Chicago	Chicago, IL	$85,000	Level I	Certified
Dec 23, 2025	Meta Platforms, Inc.	Bellevue, WA	$211,654	N/A	Certified
Dec 22, 2025	University Of Colorado Denver / Anschutz	Aurora, CO	$66,789	Level III	Certified
Dec 22, 2025	The Ohio State University	Columbus, OH	$95,000	Level II	Certified - Withdrawn
Dec 22, 2025	The University Of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center	Houston, TX	$86,000	Level I	Certified - Withdrawn
Dec 22, 2025	Meta Platforms, Inc.	Redmond, WA	$211,654	Level IV	Certified
Dec 22, 2025	Massachusetts Institute Of Technology	Cambridge, MA	$75,190	Level I	Certified
Dec 22, 2025	Massachusetts Institute Of Technology	Cambridge, MA	$74,550	Level I	Certified
Dec 22, 2025	Brigham And Women'S Hospital	Boston, MA	$71,406	Level I	Certified
Dec 22, 2025	The University Of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center	Houston, TX	$82,012	Level I	Certified
Dec 19, 2025	Meta Platforms, Inc.	New York, NY	$184,187	N/A	Certified
Dec 19, 2025	Bytedance Inc.	San Jose, CA	$500,000	Level III	Certified
Dec 18, 2025	General Hospital Corporation	Boston, MA	$71,406	Level I	Certified
Dec 18, 2025	Nvidia Corporation	Redmond, WA	$214,178	Level III	Certified
Dec 18, 2025	University Of Oklahoma	Norman, OK	$76,875	Level II	Certified
Dec 18, 2025	Meta Platforms, Inc.	Bellevue, WA	$250,603	Level IV	Certified
Dec 18, 2025	The University Of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center	Houston, TX	$80,000	N/A	Certified
Dec 18, 2025	The University Of Virginia	Charlottesville, VA	$65,000	Level I	Certified - Withdrawn
Dec 18, 2025	The University Of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center	Houston, TX	$67,500	N/A	Certified - Withdrawn
Dec 18, 2025	Massachusetts Eye And Ear Infirmary	Boston, MA	$72,426	Level I	Certified
Dec 17, 2025	General Hospital Corporation	Boston, MA	$74,403	Level I	Certified
Dec 17, 2025	Massachusetts Institute Of Technology	Cambridge, MA	$100,002	Level IV	Certified
Dec 17, 2025	Purdue University	West Lafayette, IN	$102,205	Level III	Certified
Dec 17, 2025	Meta Platforms, Inc.	New York, NY	$229,501	Level IV	Certified
Dec 17, 2025	Purdue University	West Lafayette, IN	$102,205	Level III	Certified
Dec 17, 2025	Meta Platforms, Inc.	Sunnyvale, CA	$214,032	Level IV	Certified
Dec 17, 2025	The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston	Houston, TX	$68,000	N/A	Certified
Dec 17, 2025	North Dakota State University	Fargo, ND	$59,000	Level I	Certified
Dec 17, 2025	The Ohio State University	Columbus, OH	$100,000	Level IV	Certified
Dec 17, 2025	General Hospital Corporation	Boston, MA	$72,000	Level I	Certified
Dec 16, 2025	Ut-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)	Oak Ridge, TN	$126,456	Level II	Certified - Withdrawn

Role Specific Intelligence (FAQ)

Common questions and insights about the Research Scientist role.

Do employers sponsor permanent residency for Research Scientist roles?
There is a proven track record for permanent residency in this field, highlighted by 9 recent Green Card filings from U.S. employers.

What is the typical base pay for Research Scientist candidates?
The median wage calculates to $86,000 for this profession, with junior candidates usually beginning near $72,000.

Which company sponsors the most H-1B visas for Research Scientist roles?
Meta Platforms, Inc. files the highest volume of labor condition applications for this role, with 44 recent filings.