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Principal Researcher

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 Researcher insights

Official U.S. DOL records
Total filings65All loaded years · FY 2016–2026
Median yearly base salary$180,00062 eligible salary records
Employer names26Distinct reported names
Typical salary range$150,988–$220,551Middle 50% of yearly wages

Filing & salary trends

How reported activity and wages changed over time

All loaded years · FY 2016–2026
0481216FY 2016: 3 filings16FY 2017: 1 filings17FY 2018: 3 filings18FY 2019: 4 filings19FY 2020: 11 filings20FY 2021: 14 filings21FY 2022: 1 filings22FY 2023: 6 filings23FY 2024: 3 filings24FY 2025: 9 filings25FY 2026: 10 filings · through June26*Fiscal year
FY 2026*10 filings$262,230 median · n=10

*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
$150k–$175kMost common wage band
$0$125k$250k+

$25k bands · 62 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 Researcher52
$181,302 median · n=49 eligible
Senior Principal Researcher3
$217,251 median · n=3 eligible
Principal Researcher, Distributed Ai2
$180,000 median · n=2 eligible
Principal Researcher- Edge Computing2
$174,728 median · n=2 eligible
Principal Researcher-Personalized And Cooperative Analytics2
$155,000 median · n=2 eligible
Principal Researcher, Product Research & Insights1
$288,601 median · n=1 eligible
Scadask Principal Researcher1
$75,550 median · n=1 eligible
Senior Principal Researcher (Ai Security)1
$226,158 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
Santa Clara, CA21
$183,255 median · n=19 eligible
Chicago, IL7
$74,152 median · n=7 eligible
Mountain View, CA7
$160,000 median · n=7 eligible
Bellevue, WA6
$240,000 median · n=6 eligible
Palo Alto, CA4
$218,000 median · n=4 eligible
Redmond, WA4
$185,644 median · n=4 eligible
San Francisco, CA3
$239,175 median · n=2 eligible
Champaign, IL2
$327,000 median · n=2 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
98.5%Certified LCAs
Certified64 98.5%
Withdrawn1 1.5%

Denominator: all 65 matching filings. LCA certification is not a visa approval rate.

Leading employers

Companies with the most matching filings

All loaded years · FY 2016–2026
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.19
$182,082 median · n=17 eligible
Tencent America LLC8
$240,000 median · n=8 eligible
Microsoft Corporation6
$200,507 median · n=6 eligible
The University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business4
$69,514 median · n=4 eligible
The University Of Chicago3
$74,838 median · n=3 eligible
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (Tema)3
$179,215 median · n=3 eligible
Toyota Motor North America (Tmna)3
$155,000 median · n=3 eligible
Salesforce, Inc.2
$296,361 median · n=2 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
$180,000Median reported annual base wage
10th percentile$76,677
25th percentile$150,988
Median (50th)$180,000
75th percentile$220,551
90th percentile$253,013

n=62 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

65 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
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (Tema)Principal Researcher- Edge Computing

Filing details

$179,215 /yr

I-200-26146-947174
Reported wage: $179,215 / year
Annualized: $179,215
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-06-02
Employment end: 2029-09-30
Worker positions: 1

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

Mountain View, CA05/26/202610/01/2026
Waabi Us Inc.Principal Researcher

Filing details

$327,000 /yr

I-200-26131-895721
Reported wage: $327,000–$423,500 / year
Annualized: $327,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-05-18
Employment end: 2029-05-18
Worker positions: 1

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

Champaign, IL05/11/202605/19/2026
Waabi Us Inc.Principal Researcher

Filing details

$327,000 /yr

I-200-26128-887179
Reported wage: $327,000–$423,500 / year
Annualized: $327,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-05-15
Employment end: 2029-05-18
Worker positions: 1

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

Champaign, IL05/08/202605/19/2026
Nissan North America, Inc.Sr. Principal Researcher

Filing details

$229,816 /yr

I-200-26092-750852
Reported wage: $229,816 / year
Annualized: $229,816
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-04-09
Employment end: 2029-04-01
Worker positions: 1

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

Santa Clara, CA04/02/202604/02/2026
Salesforce, Inc.Principal Researcher, Product Research & Insights

Filing details

$288,600.9 /yr

I-200-26075-704492
Reported wage: $288,600.9 / year
Annualized: $288,601
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-03-23
Employment end: 2029-08-26
Worker positions: 1

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

San Francisco, CA03/16/202608/27/2026
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Senior Principal Researcher

Filing details

$254,459 /yr

I-200-26070-695758
Reported wage: $254,459–$304,050 / year
Annualized: $254,459
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-03-18
Employment end: 2029-08-31
Worker positions: 25

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

Santa Clara, CA03/11/202609/01/2026
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Principal Researcher

Filing details

$215,831 /yr

I-200-26041-630012
Reported wage: $215,831–$263,150 / year
Annualized: $215,831
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2026-02-18
Employment end: 2029-08-04
Worker positions: 25

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

Santa Clara, CA02/10/202608/05/2026
Savannah College Of Art And DesignScadask Principal Researcher

Filing details

$75,550 /yr

I-200-25345-477095
Reported wage: $75,550 / year
Annualized: $75,550
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2025-12-18
Employment end: 2029-01-05
Worker positions: 1

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

Savannah, GA12/11/202501/06/2026
Salesforce, Inc.Principal Researcher

Filing details

$304,120.77 /yr

I-200-25324-426406
Reported wage: $304,120.77 / year
Annualized: $304,121
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2025-11-28
Employment end: 2029-04-25
Worker positions: 1

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

Palo Alto, CA11/20/202504/26/2026
Certified Kernel Tech LLCPrincipal Researcher

Filing details

$270,000 /yr

I-200-25306-357578
Reported wage: $270,000 / year
Annualized: $270,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2026
Decision: 2025-11-07
Employment end: 2028-12-21
Worker positions: 1

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

Santa Clara, CA11/02/202512/22/2025
The University Of ChicagoPrincipal Researcher

Filing details

$72,987 /yr

I-200-25150-036163
Reported wage: $72,987–$80,000 / year
Annualized: $72,987
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2025-06-06
Employment end: 2027-09-30
Worker positions: 1

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

Chicago, IL05/30/202508/18/2025
Fujitsu Research Of America, Inc.Principal Researcher

Filing details

$200,077 /yr

I-200-25143-014218
Reported wage: $200,077–$220,077 / year
Annualized: $200,077
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2025-06-02
Employment end: 2028-09-30
Worker positions: 1

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

Santa Clara, CA05/23/202510/01/2025
Cummins Inc.Principal Researcher

Filing details

$108,742 /yr

I-200-25097-835594
Reported wage: $108,742–$150,000 / year
Annualized: $108,742
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2025-04-11
Employment end: 2028-04-13
Worker positions: 1

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

Columbus, IN04/06/202504/14/2025
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (Tema)Principal Researcher

Filing details

$160,000 /yr

I-200-25017-627139
Reported wage: $160,000 / year
Annualized: $160,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2025-01-27
Employment end: 2028-01-23
Worker positions: 1

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

Mountain View, CA01/17/202501/24/2025
Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (Tmna)Principal Researcher

Filing details

$160,000 /yr

I-200-25010-609612
Reported wage: $160,000 / year
Annualized: $160,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2025-01-17
Employment end: 2028-01-16
Worker positions: 1

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

Mountain View, CA01/10/202501/17/2025
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Senior Principal Researcher (Ai Security)

Filing details

$226,158 /yr

I-200-24348-542146
Reported wage: $226,158–$295,000 / year
Annualized: $226,158
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2024-12-20
Employment end: 2027-12-12
Worker positions: 25

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

Santa Clara, CA12/13/202412/13/2024
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Principal Researcher

Filing details

$200,276 /yr

I-200-24347-538163
Reported wage: $200,276–$255,000 / year
Annualized: $200,276
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2024-12-19
Employment end: 2028-05-20
Worker positions: 25

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

Santa Clara, CA12/12/202405/21/2025
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (Tema)Principal Researcher, Distributed Ai

Filing details

$180,000 /yr

I-200-24302-436697
Reported wage: $180,000 / year
Annualized: $180,000
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2024-11-04
Employment end: 2027-11-03
Worker positions: 1

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

San Jose, CA10/28/202411/04/2024
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Senior Principal Researcher

Filing details

$217,251 /yr

I-200-24285-400731
Reported wage: $217,251–$233,200 / year
Annualized: $217,251
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2025
Decision: 2024-10-21
Employment end: 2028-03-17
Worker positions: 25

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

Santa Clara, CA10/11/202403/18/2025
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Principal Researcher

Filing details

$211,654 per week

I-200-24185-174205
Reported wage: $211,654–$233,200 / week
Annualized: $11,006,008
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2024
Decision: 2024-07-11
Employment end: 2027-09-30
Worker positions: 1

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

Santa Clara, CA07/03/202410/01/2024
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Principal Researcher

Filing details

$189,749 /yr

I-200-23360-591804
Reported wage: $189,749–$233,200 / year
Annualized: $189,749
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2024
Decision: 2024-01-03
Employment end: 2027-06-03
Worker positions: 10

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

Santa Clara, CA12/26/202306/04/2024
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Principal Researcher

Filing details

$189,749 /yr

I-200-23313-491693
Reported wage: $189,749–$233,200 / year
Annualized: $189,749
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2024
Decision: 2023-11-17
Employment end: 2026-11-25
Worker positions: 1

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

San Francisco, CA11/09/202311/26/2023
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Principal Researcher

Filing details

$183,255 /yr

I-200-23192-181343
Reported wage: $183,255–$246,000 / year
Annualized: $183,255
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2023
Decision: 2023-07-18
Employment end: 2026-07-23
Worker positions: 1

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

Santa Clara, CA07/11/202307/24/2023
The University Of ChicagoPrincipal Researcher

Filing details

$74,838 /yr

I-200-23116-969532
Reported wage: $74,838–$80,000 / year
Annualized: $74,838
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2023
Decision: 2023-05-03
Employment end: 2026-08-15
Worker positions: 1

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

Chicago, IL04/26/202308/16/2023
Nike, Inc.Principal Researcher

Filing details

$174,956.25 /yr

I-200-23100-917147
Reported wage: $174,956.25 / year
Annualized: $174,956
Status: Certified
Fiscal year: 2023
Decision: 2023-04-17
Employment end: 2026-09-30
Worker positions: 1

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

Beaverton, OR04/10/202310/01/2023

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.