H-1B sponsors by occupation
Companies that sponsor H-1B visas for Chemists
2,021 certified H-1B applications in a year were for Chemists, from 107 employers with five or more. Sponsorship is spread across many employers: the top five, led by Eli Lilly, make up only 7% of applications.
Certified applications
2,021
Jul 2025 – Jun 2026
Median offered salary
$91,728
$71,769 – $116,916 middle half
Employers with 5+ filings
107
0.4% of all H-1B filings are for this occupation
- The median offered salary is $91,728, with the middle half between $71,769 and $116,916.
- Most filings are at wage level I (entry level); the median rises from $65,000 at level I to $125,000 at level IV.
- New Jersey has the most filings (341); among the main states, Massachusetts pays the highest median ($122,531).
Top H-1B sponsors for Chemists
Employers with the most certified applications for this occupation, and the median salary they offered.
| # | Employer | Filings | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eli Lilly | 39 | $150,800 |
| 2 | Amgen | 32 | $135,921 |
| 3 | Sciegen Pharmaceuticals | 30 | $81,000 |
| 4 | Amneal Pharmaceuticals | 23 | $117,877 |
| 5 | Tris Pharma | 21 | $97,739 |
| 6 | Emory University | 20 | $72,960 |
| 7 | Ut-Battelle (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) | 19 | $88,034 |
| 8 | InvaGen Pharmaceuticals | 19 | $85,000 |
| 9 | Frontage Laboratories | 19 | $83,126 |
| 10 | AbbVie | 18 | $134,000 |
| 11 | University of California, Berkeley | 18 | $82,836 |
| 12 | The University of Chicago | 17 | $66,000 |
| 13 | Battelle Memorial Institute | 17 | $114,443 |
| 14 | Brookhaven National Laboratory | 17 | $85,000 |
| 15 | Purdue University | 17 | $65,000 |
| 16 | The Trustees of Princeton University | 17 | $65,000 |
| 17 | J-Star Research | 16 | $107,210 |
| 18 | PPD Development | 15 | $87,110 |
| 19 | Havix Group | 15 | $70,000 |
| 20 | Merck Sharp & Dohme | 14 | $117,000 |
| 21 | UChicago Argonne | 14 | $70,758 |
| 22 | Hikma Pharmaceuticals | 14 | $94,806 |
| 23 | Ascent Pharmaceuticals | 13 | $81,978 |
| 24 | Northwestern University | 13 | $65,520 |
| 25 | Curia Global | 13 | $93,000 |
Chemists pay by wage level
The Department of Labor puts every H-1B job in one of four wage levels by experience. Median offered salary at each:
Level I · entry level
$65,000
$60,715 – $72,879 · 524 filings
Level II · qualified
$85,000
$77,232 – $97,760 · 490 filings
Level III · experienced
$105,000
$92,983 – $125,000 · 443 filings
Level IV · fully competent / senior
$125,000
$110,573 – $150,000 · 477 filings
Where the Chemists jobs are
By the worksite on each application. The bar shows the middle half of offered salaries; the dot is the median.
| State | Filings | Range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 341 | $80,122 – $114,483 | $97,739 |
| California | 268 | $87,732 – $145,000 | $120,000 |
| New York | 224 | $72,800 – $108,688 | $85,000 |
| Massachusetts | 132 | $100,000 – $138,864 | $122,531 |
| Pennsylvania | 121 | $75,000 – $109,725 | $92,000 |
| Illinois | 97 | $65,520 – $119,829 | $72,879 |
| Texas | 84 | $63,000 – $114,840 | $77,043 |
| North Carolina | 83 | $68,000 – $102,731 | $82,000 |
| Indiana | 72 | $70,000 – $105,000 | $82,582 |
| Georgia | 58 | $65,000 – $91,800 | $74,088 |
About the occupation
Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or knowledge.
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Chemists and H-1B: common questions
- Which companies sponsor H-1B visas for Chemists?
- By certified H-1B applications (Jul 2025 – Jun 2026), the biggest sponsors are Eli Lilly (39), Amgen (32), Sciegen Pharmaceuticals (30), Amneal Pharmaceuticals (23), Tris Pharma (21). In total 107 employers filed five or more applications for this occupation.
- How much do Chemists earn on an H-1B?
- The median offered salary on certified filings is $91,728; the middle half ranges from $71,769 to $116,916 (2,021 filings). Pay rises with the Labor Department's four wage levels, shown above.
- Which states have the most H-1B jobs for Chemists?
- By worksite: New Jersey (341), California (268), New York (224), Massachusetts (132), Pennsylvania (121).
- Does a company with many filings guarantee sponsorship?
- No. A certified application shows the employer intended to sponsor for that job; it doesn't mean every opening is open to visa candidates. Check the job post or ask the recruiter early.