The H-1B visa program has become increasingly stratified by compensation. While the program-wide median hovers around $118,000, top-tier employers and specialized occupations now offer base salaries exceeding $300,000—with some filings surpassing $2 million.
This article examines the highest H-1B wages by occupation and company based on Labor Condition Application (LCA) data from FY 2024 and 2025, covering AI research, quantitative finance, medicine, law, and technology sectors.
Highest-Paying Occupations
H-1B Salary Explorer
AI Research Laboratories
The new compensation ceiling — base salaries 50-100% above Big Tech
| Company | Role | Min Base | Max Base | Avg Base |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropic | Member of Technical Staff | $315,000 | $690,000 | ~$400,000 |
| OpenAI | Member of Technical Staff | $210,000 | $685,000 | ~$323,500 |
| Thinking Machines | Member of Technical Staff | $250,000 | $550,000 | ~$400,000 |
| XAI | Member of Technical Staff | $200,000 | $430,000 | ~$290,500 |
| Waveforms AI | Member of Technical Staff | $250,000 | $400,000 | ~$311,000 |
The $690,000 base salary at Anthropic represents guaranteed cash compensation for an individual contributor role — exclusive of equity. The “AI Arms Race” has created extreme scarcity for researchers capable of pre-training Large Language Models.
Quantitative Finance
Cash is king — base + bonus often exceeds total Big Tech packages
| Company | Role | Base Range | Max Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| D.E. Shaw | Member of Technical Staff | $200K – $568K | $568,000 |
| Jane Street | Quantitative Researcher | $250K – $400K | $400,000+ |
| Hudson River Trading | Algorithm Developer | $200K – $350K | $350,000+ |
| Two Sigma | Quantitative Researcher | $175K – $325K | $325,000 |
| Citadel Securities | Quantitative Developer | $200K – $300K | $300,000 |
Year-end cash bonuses often equal 100%+ of base salary. A $275,000 LCA filing at Citadel likely represents total cash compensation of $500,000–$700,000. Jane Street’s compensation is heavily weighted toward liquid cash and profit sharing.
Medical Specialists
The highest floor — procedural specialties command premium wages
| Specialty | Average Base | Top Decile |
|---|---|---|
| Neurosurgery | $450,000 | $775,000+ |
| Orthopedic Surgery | $420,000 | $700,000+ |
| Interventional Cardiology | $400,000 | $650,000 |
| Anesthesiology | $380,000 | $538,000 |
| Gastroenterology | $350,000 | $550,000 |
The “Rural Premium” creates a geographic anomaly: Iowa Physicians Clinic averages $362,546 — higher than Google or Goldman Sachs. To attract specialists to underserved areas, healthcare systems offer massive wage premiums.
Elite Law Firms (Big Law)
Lockstep compensation — predictable, uniform, and consistently high
| Firm | Avg H-1B Salary | Filing Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison | $265,911 | 196 |
| Debevoise & Plimpton | $259,864 | 120 |
| Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom | $257,683 | 139 |
| Milbank LLP | $256,067 | 116 |
| Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | $254,646 | 226 |
Legal firms have the tightest standard deviation in pay. Unlike tech companies hiring $60K analysts and $300K engineers, elite law firms only hire associates on the Cravath Scale — making their average consistently high.
Big Tech (Product Companies)
High base + significant RSU equity — LCA data shows only the floor
| Company | Avg Base Salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix | ~$205,000 | All-cash model (minimal equity) |
| ~$205,000 | Data Scientists | |
| Nvidia | ~$205,000 | Hardware/CUDA Engineers |
| ByteDance (TikTok) | ~$197,000 | ML Engineers ($285K at 90th %ile) |
| Meta Platforms | ~$196,000 | + significant RSU packages |
| Apple | ~$190,000 | + significant RSU packages |
| Airbnb | ~$180,000 | Gig Economy pioneer |
Netflix pays almost entirely in cash — no equity vesting games. Their base salaries appear highest in tech LCAs. Google/Meta base salaries look lower ($150-170K) because massive RSU grants aren’t fully reflected in LCA filings.
IT Services (Outsourcing)
The commoditized floor — high volume, low wages, facing regulatory pressure
| Company | Avg Salary | Wage Level | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infosys | $85,000 – $95,000 | Level I-II | Very High |
| Tata Consultancy (TCS) | $85,000 – $95,000 | Level I-II | Very High |
| Wipro | $85,000 – $95,000 | Level I-II | Very High |
| Cognizant | $85,000 – $95,000 | Level I-II | Very High |
| HCL Technologies | $85,000 – $95,000 | Level I-II | Very High |
If the proposed $100,000 fee and wage-weighted selection rules are implemented, this tier faces an existential crisis. A $90K Level II petition would likely be rejected in favor of a $160K Level III petition from a product company.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
AI research roles now command the highest technology salaries in the H-1B program. The title "Member of Technical Staff" at leading AI laboratories correlates with base salaries between $200,000 and $690,000.
| Occupation | Salary Range | Top Employers |
|---|---|---|
| AI Research Scientist | $300,000 – $690,000 | Anthropic, OpenAI, Google DeepMind |
| Member of Technical Staff | $210,000 – $685,000 | OpenAI, Anthropic, XAI |
| Machine Learning Engineer | $200,000 – $285,000 | ByteDance, Databricks, Netflix |
| Data Scientist | $150,000 – $240,000 | LinkedIn, Meta, Microsoft |
Key distinction: Machine Learning Engineer roles focused on deployment and infrastructure (MLOps) now significantly outpay general Data Scientist positions. ByteDance (TikTok) consistently files LCAs for ML Engineers at approximately $285,000—well above the data science median.
Quantitative Finance
Quantitative finance offers the highest consistent cash compensation. Unlike technology firms that rely heavily on equity, these roles pay substantial base salaries plus cash bonuses that often equal 100% of base pay.
| Occupation | Salary Range | Top Employers |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Researcher | $250,000 – $568,000 | D.E. Shaw, Jane Street, Two Sigma |
| Algorithm Developer | $200,000 – $350,000 | Hudson River Trading, Citadel |
| Quantitative Developer | $200,000 – $300,000 | Citadel Securities, Two Sigma |
| Platform Engineer (Finance) | $180,000 – $275,000 | Citadel, Jane Street |
Note: A $275,000 base salary in quantitative finance typically translates to $500,000–$700,000 in total annual cash compensation when bonuses are included.
Medical Specialties
Physicians represent the most consistently high-paid H-1B demographic. Procedural specialties command the highest wages, with rural locations often paying significant premiums over urban centers.
| Specialty | Average Base | Top Decile | Peak Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neurosurgery | $450,000 | $775,000+ | $775,000+ |
| Orthopedic Surgery | $420,000 | $700,000+ | $700,000+ |
| Interventional Cardiology | $400,000 | $650,000 | $775,000 |
| Anesthesiology | $380,000 | $538,000 | $538,000 |
| Radiology | $360,000 | $526,000 | $526,000 |
| Gastroenterology | $350,000 | $550,000 | $550,000 |
Rural premium: Physicians in underserved areas (Iowa, Maine, the Dakotas) often earn 20–40% more than counterparts in major metropolitan areas due to J-1 waiver program requirements and recruitment difficulties.
Legal Services
Elite law firm associates are paid according to the "Cravath Scale," a lockstep compensation structure based on seniority. H-1B attorneys at top firms earn predictable, uniformly high salaries.
| Position | Salary Range | Determining Factor |
|---|---|---|
| First-Year Associate | ~$225,000 | Cravath Scale |
| Mid-Level Associate | $265,000 – $310,000 | Years since graduation |
| Senior Associate | $365,000 – $435,000 | Class year (2016 or earlier) |
| Foreign Legal Consultant | $225,000 – $300,000 | Experience level |
Technology (Software and Hardware)
Technology salaries vary significantly based on company type. Product companies pay substantially more than IT services firms.
| Occupation | Product Company Range | Services Company Range |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Software Engineer | $180,000 – $400,000 | $90,000 – $130,000 |
| Software Developer | $140,000 – $250,000 | $80,000 – $110,000 |
| Hardware Engineer | $160,000 – $220,000 | N/A |
| Systems Architect | $170,000 – $280,000 | $100,000 – $140,000 |
Highest-Paying Companies by Industry
AI Research Laboratories
| Rank | Company | Average Base Salary | Salary Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthropic | ~$400,000 | $690,000 |
| 2 | OpenAI | ~$323,500 | $685,000 |
| 3 | Thinking Machines | ~$400,000 | $550,000 |
| 4 | Waveforms AI | ~$311,000 | $400,000 |
| 5 | XAI | ~$290,500 | $430,000 |
Quantitative Finance Firms
| Rank | Company | Average Base Salary | Salary Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D.E. Shaw | ~$250,000* | $568,000 |
| 2 | Jane Street | ~$300,000 | $400,000+ |
| 3 | Hudson River Trading | ~$275,000 | $350,000+ |
| 4 | Citadel / Citadel Securities | ~$280,000 | $300,000 |
| 5 | Two Sigma | ~$250,000 | $325,000 |
*D.E. Shaw average includes non-quant roles; quant-specific roles average higher.
Healthcare Organizations
| Rank | Organization | Average H-1B Salary | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa Physicians Clinic Medical Foundation | $362,546 | Iowa (Rural) |
| 2 | Eastern Maine Medical Center | $324,422 | Bangor, ME |
| 3 | Brainerd Medical Center | $300,000+ | Minnesota |
| 4 | Mount Sinai Medical Center | $280,000+ | New York, NY |
Law Firms
| Rank | Firm | Average H-1B Salary | Filing Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison | $265,911 | 196 |
| 2 | Debevoise & Plimpton | $259,864 | 120 |
| 3 | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom | $257,683 | 139 |
| 4 | Milbank LLP | $256,067 | 116 |
| 5 | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | $254,646 | 226 |
Technology Companies
| Rank | Company | Average H-1B Salary | Notable Roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netflix | ~$205,000 | Senior Engineers (all-cash compensation) |
| 2 | Nvidia | ~$205,000 | Hardware Engineers, CUDA Developers |
| 3 | ~$205,000 | Data Scientists, Engineers | |
| 4 | ByteDance | ~$197,000 | Machine Learning Engineers |
| 5 | Meta Platforms | ~$196,000 | Research Scientists, Engineers |
| 6 | Apple | ~$190,000 | Engineers, Hardware Specialists |
| 7 | Airbnb | ~$180,000 | Engineers, Product Roles |
| 8 | ~$175,000 | Engineers (base; significant RSU component) | |
| 9 | Amazon | ~$165,000 | Engineers (base; significant RSU component) |
| 10 | Microsoft | ~$160,000 | Engineers (base; significant RSU component) |
Important: Google, Amazon, and Microsoft base salaries appear lower because a substantial portion of total compensation is paid in Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), which are not always reflected in LCA filings.
IT Services Companies (Lower Tier)
| Company | Average H-1B Salary | Typical Wage Level |
|---|---|---|
| Infosys | ~$95,000 | Level I–II |
| Tata Consultancy Services | ~$92,000 | Level I–II |
| Wipro | ~$90,000 | Level I–II |
| Cognizant | ~$88,000 | Level I–II |
| HCL Technologies | ~$85,000 | Level I–II |
Top Individual H-1B Salary Filings (FY 2024–2025)
The following represent the highest individual LCA filings on record:
| Rank | Job Title | Company | Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Partner, Structured Equity | Coatue Management | $2,000,000 |
| 2 | Chief Financial Officer | J Global Energy | $2,000,000 |
| 3 | CEO | WP Company LLC | $2,000,000 |
| 4 | President & CEO | National Assoc. of Convenience Stores | $1,900,000 |
| 5 | Director, Structural Heart | AHS Hospital Corp | $1,600,000 |
| 6 | Professor of Surgery | Tulane University | $1,600,000 |
| 7 | Chief Division of Orthopedic Surgery | Mount Sinai Medical Center | $775,000+ |
| 8 | Interventional Cardiologist | Brainerd Medical Center | $775,000+ |
| 9 | Member of Technical Staff | Anthropic | $690,000 |
| 10 | Member of Technical Staff | OpenAI | $685,000 |
Wages by Geographic Location
H-1B salaries vary significantly by metropolitan area due to local prevailing wage requirements and market competition.
Highest-Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Typical Premium | Key Industries |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +30–40% above national average | AI, Big Tech, Startups |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | +25–35% above national average | Finance, Law, Media |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | +20–30% above national average | Tech (Amazon, Microsoft) |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA | +15–25% above national average | Biotech, Finance, Academia |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | +10–20% above national average | Tech (Tesla, Oracle, Apple) |
Rural Medical Exceptions
Rural and semi-rural areas with physician shortages often pay salaries that exceed major metro areas:
- Iowa: Average physician H-1B salary of $362,546 (highest in nation)
- Maine: Average physician H-1B salary of $324,422
- North Dakota/South Dakota: Specialist salaries frequently exceed $400,000
Understanding the Data: Prevailing Wage Levels
The Department of Labor assigns four wage levels to each occupation and location:
| Level | Percentile | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 17th percentile | IT Services firms, entry roles |
| Level II (Qualified) | 34th percentile | IT Services firms, mid-level |
| Level III (Experienced) | 50th percentile | Product companies, professionals |
| Level IV (Fully Competent) | 67th percentile | Specialized roles, senior positions |
Market reality: For high-wage employers (AI labs, hedge funds, elite law firms), the regulatory prevailing wage is irrelevant—actual wages far exceed even Level IV requirements. A Level IV Software Developer in San Francisco has a prevailing wage of approximately $170,000, but AI labs routinely pay $300,000–$400,000 for the same occupation code.
Key Takeaways
- AI research now offers the highest technology salaries, with Anthropic and OpenAI leading at $300,000–$690,000 base pay.
- Quantitative finance provides the highest consistent cash compensation, with total packages (base + bonus) reaching $500,000–$700,000.
- Medical specialists in rural areas often outpay urban counterparts by 20–40%, with Iowa physicians averaging $362,546.
- Elite law firms pay uniformly high salaries ($225,000–$435,000) based on lockstep seniority scales.
- Netflix leads technology companies in base salary (~$205,000) due to its all-cash compensation philosophy.
- IT services firms (Infosys, TCS, Wipro) pay significantly below product companies, averaging $85,000–$95,000.
- Geographic premiums of 30–40% apply in the San Francisco Bay Area compared to national averages.
Regulatory Changes Affecting Wages
Two proposed policy changes may further increase H-1B wages:
Wage-Weighted Selection: A proposed shift from random lottery to wage-level prioritization would favor higher-paying petitions, potentially eliminating most Level I and Level II filings from selection.
$100,000 Supplemental Fee: A proposed fee increase would make low-margin staffing arrangements economically unviable, effectively reserving the program for high-wage positions.
Both proposals, if implemented, would accelerate the trend toward higher average H-1B salaries across all industries.
Data sources: Labor Condition Application (LCA) filings, Department of Labor disclosure files, and industry compensation surveys for Fiscal Years 2024–2025.
