Chemists H-1B Salaries (2026)
DOL occupation 19-2031 · common titles: Chemist, Senior Scientist, Research Scientist, Quality Control Chemist
Short answer
The median H-1B salary for chemists is $95,000 in FY2026 so far, across 1,463 certified filings. The middle half earn $75,001 – $120,000, and pay is up 11% since FY2024.
Median
$95,000
FY2026 so far
Filings
1,463
0.4% of all H-1B filings
Top 10%
$145,000+
90th percentile
Change since FY2024
+11%
$85,352 → $95,000
FY2026 so far · number of filings by salary
Salary distribution
Darker bars hold the middle 50% of filings. Bars are $20k wide; the first and last bars include everything below and above.
DOL prevailing-wage level
Median pay by experience level
Median salary and number of filings at each wage level.
FY2026 so far
By state
| State | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 258 | $97,739 |
| California | 201 | $124,842 |
| New York | 192 | $85,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 105 | $91,998 |
| Massachusetts | 95 | $128,773 |
| Texas | 56 | $89,638 |
| North Carolina | 55 | $82,000 |
| Illinois | 54 | $100,825 |
| Florida | 46 | $82,722 |
| Georgia | 40 | $74,000 |
FY2026 so far
Top employers for this job
| Employer | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Sciegen Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 30 | $81,000 |
| Amgen Inc. | 29 | $136,720 |
| Eli Lilly and Company | 29 | $151,525 |
| Brookhaven National Laboratory | 21 | $85,000 |
| Amneal Pharmaceuticals, LLC | 20 | $119,162 |
| Frontage Laboratories, Inc. | 15 | $83,031 |
| Havix Group Inc. | 14 | $73,000 |
| J-Star Research, Inc. | 14 | $107,418 |
| Ut-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) | 13 | $91,867 |
| InvaGen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 13 | $80,000 |
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Chemists H-1B salary questions
What is the average H-1B salary for chemists?
The median is $95,000 across 1,463 certified H-1B filings in FY2026 so far. The middle half earn $75,001 to $120,000, and the top 10% earn $145,000 or more.
Which state pays H-1B chemists the most?
Among the 10 states with the most filings, Massachusetts has the highest median at $128,773 (95 filings).
Which company sponsors the most H-1B chemists?
Sciegen Pharmaceuticals Inc., with 30 certified filings in FY2026 so far at a median of $81,000.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification LCA disclosure data, decisions through Jun 30, 2026. Salaries are annualized base wages from the filing and exclude bonus and stock. A certified LCA is not an approved H-1B petition. Updated Oct 4, 2026.