Physicists H-1B Salaries (2026)
DOL occupation 19-2012 · common titles: Medical Physicist, Research Staff III Physics, Research Associate Physics, Postdoctoral Associate
Short answer
The median H-1B salary for physicists is $97,760 in FY2026 so far, across 735 certified filings. The middle half earn $77,030 – $142,545, and pay is up 18% since FY2024.
Median
$97,760
FY2026 so far
Filings
735
0.2% of all H-1B filings
Top 10%
$186,058+
90th percentile
Change since FY2024
+18%
$82,687 → $97,760
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 York | 198 | $121,888 |
| California | 112 | $121,482 |
| Illinois | 52 | $99,362 |
| Texas | 35 | $67,000 |
| Massachusetts | 34 | $89,062 |
| Maryland | 28 | $83,000 |
| Tennessee | 25 | $92,250 |
| Pennsylvania | 22 | $91,284 |
| New Jersey | 21 | $86,184 |
| Virginia | 20 | $103,099 |
FY2026 so far
Top employers for this job
| Employer | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Brookhaven National Laboratory | 149 | $125,442 |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | 22 | $105,292 |
| Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC | 21 | $99,362 |
| Ut-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) | 17 | $115,800 |
| precess medical derivatives | 16 | $108,160 |
| University of Maryland College Park | 15 | $75,750 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | 14 | $163,512 |
| University of California, Berkeley | 11 | $85,000 |
| Harvard University | 10 | $72,500 |
| California Institute of Technology | 10 | $90,775 |
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Physicists H-1B salary questions
What is the average H-1B salary for physicists?
The median is $97,760 across 735 certified H-1B filings in FY2026 so far. The middle half earn $77,030 to $142,545, and the top 10% earn $186,058 or more.
Which state pays H-1B physicists the most?
Among the 10 states with the most filings, New York has the highest median at $121,888 (198 filings).
Which company sponsors the most H-1B physicists?
Brookhaven National Laboratory, with 149 certified filings in FY2026 so far at a median of $125,442.
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.