Cola Wars: Which Soda Giant Employs the Most H‑1B Workers?

(TEXAS) Coca-Cola employs the most H-1B professionals among soda giants operating in Texas, edging PepsiCo and Dr Pepper/Seven Up in filings tracked over the past decade. As of August 17, 2025, a review by The Dallas Express of U.S. filings from 2015 through June 2025 shows Coca-Cola and its affiliated entities counted 55 H-1B workers, Pepsi entities 49, and Dr Pepper/Seven Up entities 26. The analysis relied on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) H-1B Data Hub and the Department of Labor’s H-1B Salary Database, offering a rare look at how Texas-based beverage operations hire foreign talent for specialized roles.

The same review found these soda employers generally paid H-1B workers at or above county wage averages, a point that stands out against sectors where wages for visa holders cluster near the federal minimum. Hiring also unfolded while Texas saw heavy tech layoffs in 2023 and 2024, suggesting the companies used H-1B hiring to fill skill gaps and keep projects moving when local hiring slowed.

Keurig Green Mountain, which acquired Dr Pepper in 2018, has employed 53 H-1B workers since the deal. Filings show separate immigration entities for Keurig and Dr Pepper, creating added paperwork but allowing each brand to tailor petitions to its own job needs. That structure helps explain why Dr Pepper/Seven Up appears lower than PepsiCo and Coca-Cola in the count, even as Keurig-driven filings remain strong.

Policy Changes Reshape Hiring

A major rule update took effect on January 17, 2025, when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the H-1B Modernization Final Rule. The rule streamlines parts of the review process, gives employers more flexibility in defining job requirements, and strengthens oversight.

Key changes include:
– A revised, more flexible definition of “specialty occupation,” which can broaden who qualifies when the job duties and education match closely.
– Extended “cap-gap” protection for F-1 students moving to H-1B status, allowing continued work authorization up to April 1 of the next fiscal year, reducing employment gaps.
– Clear authority for USCIS site visits and penalties for failing to comply with program rules.
– A revised Form I-129 (Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker) required for all H-1B filings as of January 17, 2025, with no grace period for older versions. The form is available at: https://www.uscis.gov/i-129

For soda employers, these updates can make it easier to keep hard-to-find workers, including data scientists, engineers, supply chain analysts, and quality specialists. The extended cap-gap window is especially helpful for recent international graduates who win offers from Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, or Dr Pepper/Seven Up and want to keep working while their H-1B starts.

Stronger oversight will likely add steps—such as preparing for site visits and tracking job changes—but it also makes the program fairer and more predictable for employers and workers who follow the rules.

Companies with separate corporate entities, like Keurig and Dr Pepper, may see extra benefits from the clearer standards. A more flexible “specialty occupation” definition can better reflect how real jobs often blend skills across engineering, analytics, and operations. At the same time, the rule’s enforcement language reminds HR and legal teams to:

• Keep public access files updated
• Respect the terms of approved petitions
• Document wages that meet or exceed local levels

What the Data Shows in Texas Beverage Hiring

The Dallas Express review points to steady H-1B hiring by these brands in Texas, with Coca-Cola out front, followed by PepsiCo and then Dr Pepper/Seven Up. During the same period, other well-known Texas consumer brands handled foreign hiring differently.

• Buc-ee’s had no recent H-1B filings.
• Whataburger showed modest tech hiring after 2019.
• The soda makers maintained a consistent pattern of H-1B use, even as the state’s tech job market thinned in 2023 and 2024.

PepsiCo’s filing activity stands out in recent data:
– 19 Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) in fiscal year 2025
– 97% approval rate on those LCAs

These LCAs cover wage levels and job locations and are a necessary step before filing H-1B petitions. The high approval rate and USCIS approvals signal well-prepared cases and ongoing demand for specialized roles, suggesting PepsiCo invests in compliance.

Across the broader Food, Beverage, and Consumer Goods Manufacturing sector:
– In 2025, employers in the sector filed about 1,998 H-1B LCAs
– Average salary near $126,547

That figure supports what the Texas soda data suggests: pay for visa workers in this space is competitive. It also reflects the types of jobs common in this industry—roles tied to production systems, automation, plant data, and global logistics, all of which call for advanced training.

What the Rule Means for International Students and Employers

For international students graduating from Texas schools, the 2025 rule’s longer cap-gap matters. A graduate who accepts a role at a PepsiCo analytics team or a Coca-Cola supply chain unit can keep working past the usual summer cutoff if selected in the H-1B process. The new April 1 cap-gap end date gives both the worker and employer a clearer runway to move from student status to H-1B without a break in pay or health coverage.

The oversight piece will also shape daily practice:
– DHS codified USCIS site visits and penalties for noncompliance.
– Texas plants and offices that host H-1B workers should expect possible visits tied to petitions.
– Managers must keep job duties aligned with what was filed.

While this adds administrative work, it helps ensure that H-1B roles at Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper/Seven Up match the law’s intent.

How Affiliated Entities Affect Counts

The Dallas Express reporting emphasized that affiliated entities matter in the counts. With Keurig Green Mountain employing 53 H-1B workers since 2018 and filings tracked separately from Dr Pepper/Seven Up, totals can appear fragmented unless you look across the combined structure.

Even so, when focusing on the three legacy soda brands in Texas, Coca-Cola still comes out ahead in total H-1B workers during the 2015–June 2025 window, followed by PepsiCo and then Dr Pepper/Seven Up.

Sources and Takeaways

For readers seeking official sources:
– USCIS oversees H-1B petitions and compliance
– DHS issues rules
– Department of Labor manages wage data and LCAs

The Dallas Express gathered its findings from the USCIS H-1B Data Hub and the DOL’s H-1B Salary Database. These data points, along with the 2025 DHS rule, frame how Texas soda employers plan and manage foreign hiring in the months ahead.

Looking forward:
– The modernization rule could make it easier for Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper/Seven Up to sponsor and retain needed talent.
– Closer oversight will likely steer how HR teams draft job descriptions, confirm wage levels, and handle job changes after approval.
– Market shifts and policy updates in 2025 and beyond will continue to shape the balance between local and foreign skilled workers in Texas beverage operations.

Key takeaway: The H-1B Modernization Final Rule and current filing patterns suggest soda companies in Texas will continue to rely on H-1B talent for specialized roles—while also facing tighter compliance and clearer standards that change how they document and manage those workers.