Pennsylvania (PA)
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H1BIndex State Grade
i
A
FY 2026
2023
A+
2024
A+
2025
A+
Total State Visa Volume i
2,178
Filings in FY 2026
Median State Salary i
$109,850
Standard yearly salary
True Purchasing Power i
$104,358
Adjusted for Cost of Living
USCIS Approval Rate i
99.7%
Official Adjudication
State Economic & Immigration Overview
An automated macro-level review of Pennsylvania's tech ecosystem.Pennsylvania Market Grade
Companies in Pennsylvania filed 2,178 work visa applications. Based on the local job market and salaries, this state earns an H1B Index Grade of "A".
Reliable Market
Hiring practices in Pennsylvania are completely standard. Employers split their visa applications evenly between new arrivals and workers transferring from other companies.
Real Cost of Living
A baseline salary of $109,850 is a strong starting point, but living here has distinct costs. After paying the 5.0% state tax and local living expenses, true spending power is closer to $104,358.
Confirmed Approvals
The data shows a very safe hiring environment. Employers in Pennsylvania secure a 99.7% success rate on work visas and currently sponsor 482 professionals for permanent residency.
Seniority Focused
This state strongly utilizes seasoned expertise. Federal tracking confirms that 37.6% of the labor market here operates strictly at higher, senior wage tiers.
Regional Hiring Trends
Most of the work visa opportunities in Pennsylvania are located in Philadelphia. Across the entire state, companies in the Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services sector lead the job market.
Layoff Radar & Risk Indicators
Minor Displacement Notice
Low State Risk: YES. Exactly 5 Green Card applications (1.0%) in Pennsylvania were filed under recent organizational layoff conditions.
Top Metro Hubs in Pennsylvania
Hiring volume across major cities mapped against the state baseline compensation rate of $109,850.Talent Sourcing Pipeline
Are companies hiring fresh talent or poaching from competitors?Fresh Hires (53.4%)Corporate Poaching (46.6%)
State Wage Premium
$13,629
Above Legal Minimum
On average, employers in Pennsylvania offer salaries that are $13,629 higher than the baseline prevailing wage required by the Department of Labor.
10-Year Salary Trends
Comparing state-level base compensation growth for temporary H-1B visas versus permanent Green Cards (PERM). Upward Pay Trend: +55.2%. Employers pay noticeably more across this state today compared to past years.
Pay Decrease: -$12,064. The 2026 starting wage for a Green Card is certified 11.0% lower than the standard temporary contract here.
Top Hiring Employers
Companies sponsoring the most visas in this state.
Company & Median Pay
Total Approvals
O*NET Wage Level Distribution
Experience requirements matched against pay tiers across the state.| Experience Level | Total Filings | Cohort Size | Minimum Base | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (Level I) | 402 | 18.5% | $36,442 | $74,896 |
| Qualified (Level II) | 834 | 38.3% | $45,448 | $100,000 |
| Experienced (Level III) | 423 | 19.4% | $63,874 | $124,800 |
| Fully Competent (Level IV) | 396 | 18.2% | $63,000 | $153,358 |
| Not Disclosed (Blank) | 123 | 5.6% | $56,000 | $127,078 |
Geographic Deployment & Worksites
The top locations where state employers place their workers.| City/Metro Area | Workforce % | City Median Pay | Wage (Level IV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA | 19.2% (418 Filings) | $104,100 | 12.9% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 16.5% (359 Filings) | $104,998 | 15.3% |
| Malvern, PA | 6.5% (142 Filings) | $110,000 | 15.5% |
| Mechanicsburg, PA | 4.7% (103 Filings) | $110,000 | 23.3% |
| West Chester, PA | 2.5% (55 Filings) | $110,000 | 16.4% |
| Erie, PA | 2.4% (53 Filings) | $97,942 | 11.3% |
| Exton, PA | 1.9% (42 Filings) | $113,211 | 21.4% |
| King Of Prussia, PA | 1.8% (40 Filings) | $109,668 | 20.0% |
| Newtown Square, PA | 1.7% (37 Filings) | $151,881 | 73.0% |
| Oaks, PA | 1.7% (36 Filings) | $109,845 | 11.1% |
| Reading, PA | 1.6% (34 Filings) | $117,892 | 14.7% |
| Harrisburg, PA | 1.4% (31 Filings) | $111,675 | 16.1% |
| Conshohocken, PA | 1.4% (31 Filings) | $113,714 | 22.6% |
| Wayne, PA | 1.2% (26 Filings) | $116,143 | 26.9% |
| Allentown, PA | 1.2% (26 Filings) | $113,900 | 19.2% |
| Collegeville, PA | 1.1% (25 Filings) | $109,845 | 20.0% |
| University Park, PA | 1.1% (23 Filings) | $70,080 | 0.0% |
| Coraopolis, PA | 1.0% (22 Filings) | $119,738 | 13.6% |
| Canonsburg, PA | 1.0% (22 Filings) | $82,846 | 18.2% |
| Chester Springs, PA | 0.9% (19 Filings) | $132,000 | 15.8% |
| Downingtown, PA | 0.9% (19 Filings) | $116,709 | 10.5% |
| Bethlehem, PA | 0.8% (18 Filings) | $109,158 | 16.7% |
| North Wales, PA | 0.8% (17 Filings) | $139,600 | 35.3% |
| Bala Cynwyd, PA | 0.6% (14 Filings) | $98,050 | 28.6% |
| York, PA | 0.6% (14 Filings) | $94,000 | 21.4% |
| Hershey, PA | 0.6% (13 Filings) | $75,564 | 0.0% |
| Fort Washington, PA | 0.6% (13 Filings) | $119,090 | 15.4% |
| Middletown, PA | 0.6% (13 Filings) | $109,283 | 7.7% |
| Blue Bell, PA | 0.6% (13 Filings) | $120,000 | 23.1% |
| Monroeville, PA | 0.5% (10 Filings) | $136,794 | 20.0% |
| Chadds Ford, PA | 0.5% (10 Filings) | $142,486 | 40.0% |
| Moon Township, PA | 0.5% (10 Filings) | $118,331 | 30.0% |
| Media, PA | 0.5% (10 Filings) | $117,906 | 30.0% |
| Wexford, PA | 0.5% (10 Filings) | $124,023 | 30.0% |
| Norristown, PA | 0.5% (10 Filings) | $109,922 | 20.0% |
| Kennett Square, PA | 0.4% (9 Filings) | $49,968 | 0.0% |
| Royersford, PA | 0.4% (9 Filings) | $123,864 | 11.1% |
| West Point, PA | 0.4% (8 Filings) | $117,582 | 0.0% |
| Villanova, PA | 0.4% (8 Filings) | $83,000 | 0.0% |
| Chesterbrook, PA | 0.4% (8 Filings) | $125,800 | 25.0% |
| Camp Hill, PA | 0.4% (8 Filings) | $111,750 | 12.5% |
| Doylestown, PA | 0.4% (8 Filings) | $91,864 | 12.5% |
| Lansdale, PA | 0.4% (8 Filings) | $108,701 | 12.5% |
| Horsham, PA | 0.4% (8 Filings) | $139,592 | 25.0% |
| State College, PA | 0.3% (7 Filings) | $72,723 | 0.0% |
| Paoli, PA | 0.3% (7 Filings) | $109,845 | 14.3% |
| Marietta, PA | 0.3% (7 Filings) | $120,000 | 42.9% |
| Lancaster, PA | 0.3% (7 Filings) | $91,811 | 14.3% |
| Sayre, PA | 0.3% (7 Filings) | $85,207 | 14.3% |
| Swiftwater, PA | 0.3% (6 Filings) | $89,440 | 0.0% |
Most Poached Roles
Roles with the highest volume of H-1B transfers, indicating aggressive headhunting.
Role & Transfer Pay
Total Transferred
Dominant Industries
Distribution of cases by broad industry sector.53.9%
12.4%
6.9%
6.8%
6.5%
Historical Retention Rate
Year-over-year percentage of successful visa renewals and extensions.Top Third-Party End Clients i
Where consultants are deployed.
End Client & Placement Data
Total Approvals
Highest Compensation Roles i
Top positions ranked by median base pay.
Role & Market Data
Median Base
Law Firms & Third-Party Work i
Leading legal counsel for visas.
Law Firm & Market Data
Total Approvals
Visa Volume & Success
-86.2% YoY Decline
LCA approvals, denials, and overall certification rates.
USCIS Petition Processing
New vs. Renewed approvals and denials in the state.Green Card Sponsorships
PERM residency applications and median GC wages.Noticing a difference in dates? Salary metrics reflect real-time DOL filings, while approval metrics rely on finalized USCIS historical data. View timelines
Complete Employers Matrix
A detailed ledger of all corporate clients operating in Pennsylvania.Complete Jobs Matrix
The job titles most frequently sponsored in this state.| Job Title in State | LCA Count | Median Pay | Salary Variance | Legal Wage Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | 103 | $109,845 | $61,280 Range | +$11,648 Over Min |
| Software Engineer | 70 | $109,845 | $121,890 Range | +$12,730 Over Min |
| Research Associate | 32 | $74,672 | $48,046 Range | +$13,354 Over Min |
| Assistant Professor | 31 | $106,380 | $98,584 Range | +$46,380 Over Min |
| Senior Software Engineer | 25 | $131,662 | $81,800 Range | +$12,187 Over Min |
| Postdoctoral Associate | 17 | $67,232 | $13,332 Range | +$11,202 Over Min |
| Senior Solution Specialist | 16 | $107,746 | $69,704 Range | +$13,356 Over Min |
| Architect | 16 | $92,394 | $33,363 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Business Analyst | 15 | $88,100 | $35,194 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Data Engineer | 14 | $96,169 | $52,398 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Manager Jc50 - Computer Systems Engineers/Architects | 13 | $92,082 | $25,500 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Project Manager | 12 | $109,771 | $76,955 Range | +$13,717 Over Min |
| Postdoctoral Research Associate | 11 | $65,000 | $14,768 Range | +$7,883 Over Min |
| Postdoctoral Researcher | 11 | $70,000 | $20,216 Range | +$8,682 Over Min |
| Java Developer | 11 | $109,845 | $45,427 Range | +$15,455 Over Min |
| Senior Manager | 10 | $214,912 | $133,192 Range | +$16,043 Over Min |
| Senior Software Developer | 10 | $121,500 | $36,795 Range | +$10,740 Over Min |
| Management Analysts - Kbgfjg270993-5 | 9 | $180,250 | Fixed Pay | +$96,592 Over Min |
| Research Scientist | 8 | $60,643 | $170,144 Range | +$8,342 Over Min |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | 8 | $67,686 | $9,300 Range | +$14,500 Over Min |
| Technical Lead | 8 | $120,724 | $53,106 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Resident - Internal Medicine | 8 | $73,802 | $4,907 Range | Baseline Pay |
| .Net Developer | 8 | $95,000 | $27,731 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Software Application Developer | 8 | $94,400 | $34,894 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Business Systems Analyst | 8 | $104,000 | $8,373 Range | +$11,856 Over Min |
| Senior Consultant | 8 | $118,654 | $64,265 Range | +$32,344 Over Min |
| Lead Software Engineer | 7 | $118,560 | $50,484 Range | +$8,320 Over Min |
| Computer Programmer | 7 | $87,651 | $21,590 Range | +$8,049 Over Min |
| Solution Manager | 7 | $145,200 | $45,676 Range | +$37,518 Over Min |
| Devops Engineer | 7 | $100,000 | $30,638 Range | +$1,803 Over Min |
| Management Analysts - Kbgfjg270644-3 | 7 | $180,250 | Fixed Pay | +$96,592 Over Min |
| Dentist | 7 | $175,000 | $116,522 Range | +$50,408 Over Min |
| Data Analyst | 7 | $96,013 | $17,181 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Technology Consultant 2 | 7 | $92,394 | $10,920 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Engineer 3, Software Development & Engineering | 7 | $88,088 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Database Administrator | 7 | $110,240 | $15,226 Range | +$20,218 Over Min |
| Assistant Research Professor | 7 | $67,008 | $10,992 Range | +$7,868 Over Min |
| Solution Specialist | 7 | $100,400 | $49,186 Range | +$23,294 Over Min |
| User Interface Designer | 6 | $76,003 | $9,568 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Financial Analyst | 6 | $91,000 | $9,090 Range | Baseline Pay |
Historical Compensation Ledger
Year-over-year salary data comparing historical averages.| Fiscal Year | YoY Growth | Maximum | Median | Top-Heavy Skew i | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | In Progress | $400,000 | $109,845 | Balanced | $22.00/hr |
| 2025 | +1.0% | $400,000 | $101,000 | Balanced | $15.00/hr |
| 2024 | +4.5% | $400,000 | $100,000 | Balanced | $13.00/hr |
| 2023 | +0.7% | $390,000 | $95,701 | +5.6% Skew | $16.00/hr |
| 2022 | +3.3% | $400,000 | $95,000 | Balanced | $7.00/hr |
| 2021 | +4.5% | $400,000 | $92,000 | Balanced | $11.00/hr |
| 2020 | +3.5% | $400,000 | $88,000 | Balanced | $10.00/hr |
| 2019 | +6.2% | $400,000 | $85,000 | Balanced | $11.00/hr |
| 2018 | +8.6% | $400,000 | $80,000 | Balanced | $12.00/hr |
| 2017 | +4.1% | $400,000 | $73,674 | +6.7% Skew | $9.00/hr |
| 2016 | N/A | $400,000 | $70,762 | +7.3% Skew | $0.00/hr |
Recent Visa Filings (FY 2026)
Raw, unedited federal disclosures processed in this state.State Intelligence (FAQ)
Common questions and insights regarding Pennsylvania.How likely are companies in Pennsylvania to sponsor a Green Card?
Companies in Pennsylvania invest in long-term talent, filing 482 Green Card applications for a 22.1% conversion rate.
Which industry hires the most foreign workers in Pennsylvania?
The local hiring market is dominated largely by the Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services industry, responsible for 53.9% of all certified applications.
What is the highest-paying area for H-1B visas in Pennsylvania?
Philadelphia represents the top-paying metro area in the state, where H-1B salaries reach a local median of $104,100.