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Principal Research Scientist

Reported H-1B wages for this job title. Explore roles, wages, and case statuses using public Department of Labor records.

Insights follow the displayed search filters, including partial name matches. All loaded years.

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THE BIG PICTURE

Principal Research Scientist insights

Official U.S. DOL records
Total filings196All loaded years · FY 2016–2026
Median yearly base salary$147,576169 eligible salary records
Employer names95Distinct reported names
Typical salary range$120,960–$180,500Middle 50% of yearly wages

Filing & salary trends

How reported activity and wages changed over time

All loaded years · FY 2016–2026
09182736FY 2016: 10 filings16FY 2017: 13 filings17FY 2018: 4 filings18FY 2019: 15 filings19FY 2020: 19 filings20FY 2021: 13 filings21FY 2022: 23 filings22FY 2023: 26 filings23FY 2024: 20 filings24FY 2025: 32 filings25FY 2026: 21 filings · through June26*Fiscal year
FY 2026*21 filings$177,750 median · n=18

*FY 2026 covers Q1–Q3 through June; earlier years cover full fiscal years. Median: certified, positive yearly base wages; nominal USD.

Salary distribution

Where reported yearly base wages concentrate

All loaded years · FY 2016–2026
$125k–$150kMost common wage band
$0$125k$250k+

$25k bands · 169 certified filings with positive yearly wages. Final band includes all wages ≥$250k.

Most reported roles

Explore job mix and compare reported wages

All loaded years · FY 2016–2026
Principal Research Scientist143
$153,000 median · n=121 eligible
Principal Research Scientist I9
$155,000 median · n=9 eligible
Senior Principal Research Scientist5
$189,231 median · n=5 eligible
Analytical Development Principal Research Scientist3
$131,325 median · n=3 eligible
Public Health Principal Research Scientist3
$107,531 median · n=2 eligible
Formulation Principal Research Scientist2
$133,963 median · n=2 eligible
Principal Research Scientist, Formulation R&D2
$137,500 median · n=2 eligible
Principal Research Scientist/Research Associate Professor2
$120,000 median · n=1 eligible

Top 8 by filing volume. Medians use certified, positive yearly wages. Bars start at zero.

Leading worksite cities

Where filings are concentrated

All loaded years · FY 2016–2026
Boston, MA16
$131,814 median · n=16 eligible
Cambridge, MA16
$154,720 median · n=13 eligible
Bellevue, WA12
$210,260 median · n=10 eligible
North Chicago, IL8
$153,000 median · n=7 eligible
Houston, TX7
$112,695 median · n=6 eligible
Seattle, WA6
$180,000 median · n=6 eligible
Atlanta, GA5
$110,063 median · n=3 eligible
South San Francisco, CA5
$172,000 median · n=4 eligible

Top 8 by filing volume. Medians use certified, positive yearly wages. Bars start at zero.

Case outcomes

Certification and withdrawal context

All loaded years · FY 2016–2026
87.8%Certified LCAs
Certified172 87.8%
Certified - Withdrawn20 10.2%
Withdrawn4 2.0%

Denominator: all 196 matching filings. LCA certification is not a visa approval rate.

Leading employers

Companies with the most matching filings

All loaded years · FY 2016–2026
Abbvie Inc.12
$161,000 median · n=11 eligible
Amazon.Com Services LLC11
$189,400 median · n=11 eligible
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated10
$135,317 median · n=10 eligible
Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.8
$160,479 median · n=8 eligible
The University Of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center8
$114,889 median · n=7 eligible
Nvidia Corporation6
$272,000 median · n=4 eligible
Autodesk, Inc.5
$144,500 median · n=4 eligible
Battelle Memorial Institute5
$107,531 median · n=4 eligible

Top 8 by filing volume. Medians use certified, positive yearly wages. Bars start at zero.

Salary benchmarks

Reported wage percentiles, from P10 to P90

All loaded years · FY 2016–2026
$147,576Median reported annual base wage
10th percentile$104,923
25th percentile$120,960
Median (50th)$147,576
75th percentile$180,500
90th percentile$234,270

n=169 certified filings with positive yearly wages. Percentiles describe filings, not unique workers or total compensation.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor LCA disclosures · FY 2016–2026 (FY 2026 partial) · salary charts exclude non-yearly pay, non-certified cases, and missing or non-positive wages. Coverage & methodology

Salary filing history

196 matching H-1B filings

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Reported base wages in USD · pay period shown beside each amount · select a salary for case details

EmployerJob titleBase salaryLocationSubmit dateStart date
Abbvie Bioresearch Center Inc.Principal Research Scientist I, Immunopharmacology

Filing details

$180,500 /yr

I-200-26169-027980
Reported wage: $180,500 / year
Annualized: $180,500
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-06-26
Employment end: 2029-08-03
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Worcester, MA06/18/202608/04/2026
Infrrd, Inc.Principal Research Scientist

Filing details

$280,000 /yr

I-200-26169-032115
Reported wage: $280,000 / year
Annualized: $280,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-06-26
Employment end: 2029-11-11
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

San Jose, CA06/18/202611/12/2026
Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.Principal Research Scientist

Filing details

$200,034.72 /yr

I-200-26163-009193
Reported wage: $200,034.72–$230,034.72 / year
Annualized: $200,035
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-06-22
Employment end: 2029-09-30
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Cambridge, MA06/12/202610/01/2026
Galactic Resource Advancement Mechanism Technologies CorporationSenior Principal Research Scientist, Multi-Agent Robotics

Filing details

$190,000 /yr

I-200-26142-942918
Reported wage: $190,000 / year
Annualized: $190,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-06-01
Employment end: 2029-06-14
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

El Segundo, CA05/22/202606/15/2026
The University Of Alabama In HuntsvillePrincipal Research Scientist Iii

Filing details

$145,000 /yr

I-200-26127-881166
Reported wage: $145,000 / year
Annualized: $145,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-05-14
Employment end: 2029-10-31
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Huntsville, AL05/07/202611/01/2026
The University Of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterPrincipal Research Scientist

Filing details

$115,496 /yr

I-200-26124-863428
Reported wage: $115,496 / year
Annualized: $115,496
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-05-11
Employment end: 2029-10-31
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Houston, TX05/04/202611/01/2026
Upstart Network, Inc.Principal Research Scientist

Filing details

$266,500 /yr

I-200-26107-808704
Reported wage: $266,500–$313,450 / year
Annualized: $266,500
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-04-24
Employment end: 2029-09-30
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Austin, TX04/17/202610/01/2026
Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.Principal Research Scientist

Filing details

$204,655.64 /yr

I-200-26106-803489
Reported wage: $204,655.64–$234,655.64 / year
Annualized: $204,656
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-04-23
Employment end: 2029-09-30
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Cambridge, MA04/16/202610/01/2026
Georgia Institute Of TechnologyPrincipal Research Scientist

Filing details

$147,000 /yr

I-200-25066-756364
Reported wage: $147,000 / year
Annualized: $147,000
Status: Certified - Withdrawn
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-04-13
Employment end: 2028-06-30
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Atlanta, GA03/07/202507/01/2025
Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc.Principal Research Scientist I, Analytical Chemistry

Filing details

$181,000 /yr

I-200-26092-751704
Reported wage: $181,000–$201,000 / year
Annualized: $181,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-04-09
Employment end: 2029-04-07
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

South San Francisco, CA04/02/202604/08/2026
The University Of Alabama In HuntsvillePrincipal Research Scientist I

Filing details

$109,281 /yr

I-200-26091-748175
Reported wage: $109,281 / year
Annualized: $109,281
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-04-08
Employment end: 2029-09-26
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Huntsville, AL04/01/202609/27/2026
Research Foundation For The State University Of New YorkPrincipal Research Scientist

Filing details

$120,000 /yr

I-200-26085-732408
Reported wage: $120,000 / year
Annualized: $120,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-04-02
Employment end: 2029-07-31
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Stony Brook, NY03/26/202608/01/2026
Vertex Pharmaceuticals IncorporatedToxicology Principal Research Scientist

Filing details

$142,800 /yr

I-200-26070-697134
Reported wage: $142,800–$214,200 / year
Annualized: $142,800
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-03-18
Employment end: 2029-03-23
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

San Diego, CA03/11/202603/24/2026
Abbvie Inc.Principal Research Scientist I, Tlnp Formulation

Filing details

$175,000 /yr

I-200-26069-691449
Reported wage: $175,000 / year
Annualized: $175,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-03-17
Employment end: 2029-03-22
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Irvine, CA03/10/202603/23/2026
The University Of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterPrincipal Research Scientist

Filing details

$114,889 /yr

I-200-26014-558041
Reported wage: $114,889 / year
Annualized: $114,889
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-01-22
Employment end: 2029-07-12
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Houston, TX01/14/202607/13/2026
Nvidia CorporationPrincipal Research Scientist

Filing details

$272,000 /yr

I-200-25252-297883
Reported wage: $272,000–$431,250 / year
Annualized: $272,000
Status: Certified - Withdrawn
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2025-12-17
Employment end: 2028-09-15
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Bellevue, WA09/09/202509/16/2025
Nvidia CorporationPrincipal Research Scientist

Filing details

$272,000 /yr

I-200-25252-297920
Reported wage: $272,000–$431,250 / year
Annualized: $272,000
Status: Certified - Withdrawn
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2025-12-17
Employment end: 2028-09-15
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Bellevue, WA09/09/202509/16/2025
Abbvie Inc.Principal Research Scientist I

Filing details

$155,000 /yr

I-200-25329-437474
Reported wage: $155,000–$175,000 / year
Annualized: $155,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2025-12-03
Employment end: 2028-12-04
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

North Chicago, IL11/25/202512/05/2025
Nunchaku Ai, Inc.Principal Research Scientist

Filing details

$300,000 /yr

I-200-25323-421413
Reported wage: $300,000 / year
Annualized: $300,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2025-11-26
Employment end: 2028-12-14
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Quincy, MA11/19/202512/15/2025
Abbvie Inc.Principal Research Scientist I, Pharmacy

Filing details

$153,000 /yr

I-200-25318-407639
Reported wage: $153,000 / year
Annualized: $153,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2025-11-21
Employment end: 2028-11-16
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

North Chicago, IL11/14/202511/17/2025
Nvidia CorporationPrincipal Research Scientist

Filing details

$272,000 /yr

I-200-25310-383139
Reported wage: $272,000–$431,250 / year
Annualized: $272,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2025-11-14
Employment end: 2028-11-16
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Santa Clara, CA11/06/202511/17/2025
Abbvie Inc.Principal Research Scientist I

Filing details

$161,000 /yr

I-200-25266-329028
Reported wage: $161,000–$181,000 / year
Annualized: $161,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2025-09-30
Employment end: 2028-10-01
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Irvine, CA09/23/202510/02/2025
The University Of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterPrincipal Research Scientist

Filing details

$122,318 /yr

I-200-25260-315172
Reported wage: $122,318 / year
Annualized: $122,318
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2025-09-24
Employment end: 2029-03-12
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Houston, TX09/17/202503/13/2026
Research Foundation For The State University Of New YorkPrincipal Research Scientist

Filing details

$120,000 /yr

I-200-25245-281585
Reported wage: $120,000 / year
Annualized: $120,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2025-09-09
Employment end: 2028-10-08
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Stony Brook, NY09/02/202510/09/2025
Northeastern UniversityPrincipal Research Scientist

Filing details

$123,111.45 /yr

I-200-25239-271516
Reported wage: $123,111.45 / year
Annualized: $123,111
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2025-09-04
Employment end: 2027-12-12
Worker positions: 1

Employer-reported disclosure · Base wage, not total compensation.

Boston, MA08/27/202511/01/2025

These records describe employer-reported wages, not total compensation. A certified LCA does not establish that a visa was granted or that an employer is currently hiring. Read the methodology and coverage.