Materials Scientists H-1B Salaries (2026)
DOL occupation 19-2032 · common titles: Senior Research Specialist, Research Scientist, Materials Scientist, Postdoctoral Scholar
Short answer
The median H-1B salary for materials scientists is $99,248 in FY2026 so far, across 516 certified filings. The middle half earn $79,326 – $128,942, and pay is up 16% since FY2024.
Median
$99,248
FY2026 so far
Filings
516
0.1% of all H-1B filings
Top 10%
$147,246+
90th percentile
Change since FY2024
+16%
$85,745 → $99,248
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 75 | $90,834 |
| California | 64 | $138,000 |
| New York | 54 | $120,919 |
| Tennessee | 32 | $88,784 |
| Illinois | 32 | $79,183 |
| Michigan | 21 | $99,341 |
| Ohio | 21 | $99,970 |
| Massachusetts | 19 | $125,000 |
| Georgia | 18 | $111,230 |
| New Jersey | 18 | $111,904 |
FY2026 so far
Top employers for this job
| Employer | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Brookhaven National Laboratory | 34 | $118,206 |
| The Dow Chemical Company | 33 | $90,834 |
| Ut-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) | 26 | $92,900 |
| Northwestern University | 14 | $64,531 |
| Underwriters Laboratories Inc. | 9 | $106,500 |
| Iowa State University of Science and Technology | 9 | $80,000 |
| Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | 8 | $158,939 |
| University of Connecticut | 7 | $70,541 |
| Applied Materials, Inc | 7 | $149,462 |
| ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company | 7 | $148,654 |
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Materials Scientists H-1B salary questions
What is the average H-1B salary for materials scientists?
The median is $99,248 across 516 certified H-1B filings in FY2026 so far. The middle half earn $79,326 to $128,942, and the top 10% earn $147,246 or more.
Which state pays H-1B materials scientists the most?
Among the 10 states with the most filings, California has the highest median at $138,000 (64 filings).
Which company sponsors the most H-1B materials scientists?
Brookhaven National Laboratory, with 34 certified filings in FY2026 so far at a median of $118,206.
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.