Most people think of H1B sponsorship as something in the $100,000 to $150,000 salary range. The reality is that thousands of H1B petitions are filed every year at salaries above $200,000. Physicians, attorneys, senior engineers, data scientists, technology executives — all sponsored under H1B at compensation levels most people do not associate with visa workers. This article breaks down exactly which companies, roles, states, and cities are filing H1B petitions above $200,000, using real government data from LCA filings.

UP Next: Companies With the Highest H1B Approval Rates in the US (2026 Data).

The Numbers at a Glance

In fiscal year 2025 alone, here is what the over $200,000 H1B segment looked like:

Total H1B filings above $200,000: 57,048
Average salary in this segment: $246,284
Unique companies sponsoring at this level: 8,827

Nearly 57,000 H1B petitions filed in a single year at salaries above $200,000. That is not a niche. That is a substantial and growing segment of the H1B program that covers medicine, law, finance, and the highest levels of the technology industry.

How This Segment Has Grown Year Over Year

The number of H1B filings above $200,000 has increased every single year for the past four years:

2022: 33,260 filings | Average salary $241,921 | 6,435 unique companies
2023: 34,641 filings | Average salary $244,895 | 6,735 unique companies
2024: 32,299 filings | Average salary $245,497 | 6,288 unique companies
2025: 57,048 filings | Average salary $246,284 | 8,827 unique companies
2026 (so far): 10,355 filings | Average salary $243,000 | 2,845 unique companies

The jump from 2024 to 2025 is striking. Filings above $200,000 increased by 77% in a single year — from 32,299 to 57,048. The number of unique sponsoring companies grew from 6,288 to 8,827. This reflects a combination of salary inflation in high-demand fields, increasing physician and specialist sponsorship, and the surge in big tech compensation pushing senior engineering roles above the $200,000 threshold.

Which Wage Level Do These Filings Fall Under?

Across all filings above $200,000, here is how they break down by DOL wage level:

Level I (Entry): 2,242 filings | Average salary $266,112
Level II (Qualified): 9,122 filings | Average salary $250,107
Level III (Experienced): 14,200 filings | Average salary $235,196
Level IV (Fully Competent): 26,211 filings | Average salary $246,559

Level IV dominates with over 26,000 filings — unsurprising given that this tier covers senior specialists, directors, and expert-level professionals. But the Level I filings at an average of $266,112 stand out. This happens primarily in medicine — physicians classified at Level I can still command salaries above $200,000 because medical specialties have high prevailing wages even at the entry tier. It is a reminder that wage level alone does not determine salary. The occupation and location are equally important.

Top States for H1B Filings Above $200,000

Where these high-salary petitions are filed tells you exactly where to focus your job search if you are targeting this compensation level:

California: 23,552 filings | Average salary $236,303 | 2,956 unique companies
New York: 8,609 filings | Average salary $251,051 | 1,803 unique companies
Washington: 5,458 filings | Average salary $229,241 | 550 unique companies
Texas: 3,646 filings | Average salary $242,491 | 1,070 unique companies
New Jersey: 1,755 filings | Average salary $236,565 | 546 unique companies
Massachusetts: 1,476 filings | Average salary $250,592 | 588 unique companies
Illinois: 1,296 filings | Average salary $260,403 | 418 unique companies
Florida: 1,114 filings | Average salary $265,751 | 455 unique companies
Georgia: 812 filings | Average salary $254,922 | 290 unique companies
Pennsylvania: 762 filings | Average salary $272,278 | 239 unique companies
North Carolina: 696 filings | Average salary $259,411 | 275 unique companies
Virginia: 683 filings | Average salary $245,915 | 267 unique companies
Connecticut: 459 filings | Average salary $260,043 | 169 unique companies
Ohio: 449 filings | Average salary $287,213 | 128 unique companies
Indiana: 383 filings | Average salary $275,052 | 84 unique companies

California leads by a significant margin with nearly 24,000 filings — driven by big tech in the Bay Area. But the state averages tell an interesting story. Ohio averages $287,213 and Pennsylvania averages $272,278 — both higher than California’s $236,303. This reflects the dominance of physician and specialist sponsorship in those states, which pulls the average well above what the tech-heavy California market shows.

Top Cities for H1B Filings Above $200,000

At the city level, the concentration is even more striking:

New York, NY: 7,457 filings | Average salary $248,154
San Francisco, CA: 3,814 filings | Average salary $243,467
San Jose, CA: 3,068 filings | Average salary $240,167
Sunnyvale, CA: 2,559 filings | Average salary $228,934
Mountain View, CA: 2,247 filings | Average salary $233,356
Santa Clara, CA: 2,084 filings | Average salary $226,299
Seattle, WA: 1,958 filings | Average salary $226,181
Menlo Park, CA: 1,730 filings | Average salary $237,665
Bellevue, WA: 1,559 filings | Average salary $235,399
Redmond, WA: 1,207 filings | Average salary $218,128
Palo Alto, CA: 1,180 filings | Average salary $239,142
Cupertino, CA: 1,169 filings | Average salary $218,562
Dallas, TX: 975 filings | Average salary $252,764
Chicago, IL: 744 filings | Average salary $247,558
Austin, TX: 720 filings | Average salary $228,111

New York leads all cities with 7,457 filings — the combination of Wall Street finance, Big Law, and major tech offices makes it the single largest market for six-figure-plus H1B sponsorship. Six of the top fifteen cities are in California’s Bay Area, reflecting the density of high-compensation tech employment concentrated in that geography.

Top Job Titles With H1B Filings Above $200,000

These are the roles where employers are filing H1B petitions at salaries above $200,000:

Software Developers: 18,448 filings | Average $229,041 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 1,972 companies
Computer and Information Systems Managers: 6,459 filings | Average $243,228 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 1,480 companies
Physicians, All Other: 2,060 filings | Average $306,045 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 710 companies
Data Scientists: 1,710 filings | Average $231,295 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 451 companies
Information Technology Project Managers: 1,662 filings | Average $226,336 | Min $200,000 | Max $444,000 | 457 companies
Lawyers: 1,657 filings | Average $279,223 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 323 companies
Hospitalists: 1,538 filings | Average $287,719 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 375 companies
Financial and Investment Analysts: 1,527 filings | Average $243,053 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 456 companies
Computer and Information Research Scientists: 1,246 filings | Average $241,658 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 264 companies
General Internal Medicine Physicians: 992 filings | Average $274,210 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 422 companies
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer: 966 filings | Average $214,146 | Min $200,000 | Max $365,000 | 124 companies
Marketing Managers: 869 filings | Average $250,869 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 493 companies
Architectural and Engineering Managers: 868 filings | Average $241,285 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 398 companies
Management Analysts: 819 filings | Average $235,254 | Min $200,000 | Max $400,000 | 204 companies
Financial Managers: 795 filings | Average $269,139 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 478 companies
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary: 741 filings | Average $295,450 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 92 companies
Operations Research Analysts: 700 filings | Average $231,242 | Min $200,000 | Max $475,000 | 144 companies
Financial Quantitative Analysts: 683 filings | Average $233,616 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 171 companies
Business Intelligence Analysts: 542 filings | Average $227,599 | Min $200,000 | Max $480,000 | 184 companies
Chief Executives: 541 filings | Average $293,426 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 450 companies
Family Medicine Physicians: 445 filings | Average $251,667 | Min $200,000 | Max $475,200 | 265 companies
General and Operations Managers: 432 filings | Average $250,539 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 336 companies
Electrical Engineers: 406 filings | Average $224,817 | Min $200,000 | Max $380,000 | 123 companies
Information Security Analysts: 394 filings | Average $231,489 | Min $200,000 | Max $435,139 | 135 companies
Neurologists: 359 filings | Average $315,001 | Min $200,000 | Max $500,000 | 171 companies
Computer Systems Engineers and Architects: 351 filings | Average $217,535 | Min $200,000 | Max $400,000 | 165 companies
Dentists, General: 334 filings | Average $234,109 | Min $200,000 | Max $437,486 | 244 companies
Pediatricians, General: 330 filings | Average $252,642 | Min $200,000 | Max $479,664 | 180 companies
Computer Hardware Engineers: 326 filings | Average $225,927 | Min $200,000 | Max $460,000 | 68 companies
Radiologists: 324 filings | Average $376,494 | Min $200,776 | Max $500,000 | 115 companies

Top Companies Filing H1B Petitions Above $200,000

These are the employers filing the highest average salary H1B petitions — ranked by average salary across all their filings above $200,000:

Southern Illinois Medical Services: Average $346,872 | 68 filings | Top role: Physicians | Illinois | 100% approval
Guthrie Medical Group PC: Average $335,033 | 93 filings | Top role: Physicians | New York | 100% approval
Fayette Physician Network Inc: Average $331,498 | 64 filings | Top role: General Internal Medicine Physicians | West Virginia
Aurora Medical Group Inc: Average $320,380 | 118 filings | Top role: Physicians | Wisconsin | 97.91% approval
WellStar Medical Group LLC: Average $317,221 | 66 filings | Top role: Physicians | Georgia | 98.39% approval
Eastern Maine Medical Center: Average $314,370 | 153 filings | Top role: Physicians | Maine | 98.82% approval
Carolinas Physicians Network (Atrium Health): Average $313,464 | 69 filings | Top role: Physicians | North Carolina | 95.83% approval
OSF Multi-Specialty Group: Average $310,103 | 220 filings | Top role: Hospitalists | Illinois | 100% approval
Charleston Area Medical Center Inc: Average $308,573 | 53 filings | Top role: Hospitalists | West Virginia | 98.39% approval
Bayhealth Medical Center Inc: Average $307,572 | 75 filings | Top role: Physicians | Delaware | 100% approval
Apogee Medical Group Delaware Inc: Average $306,539 | 71 filings | Top role: Hospitalists | Delaware | 95.83% approval
Allegheny Clinic: Average $306,509 | 139 filings | Top role: Physicians | Pennsylvania | 97.99% approval
WellSpan Medical Group: Average $306,233 | 51 filings | Top role: Physicians | Pennsylvania | 98.11% approval
TidalHealth Specialty Care LLC: Average $304,934 | 51 filings | Top role: Hospitalists | Maryland | 100% approval
Apogee Medical Group New York PC: Average $304,521 | 86 filings | Top role: Hospitalists | New York | 94.35% approval
OU Health Partners Inc: Average $303,408 | 62 filings | Top role: Physicians | Oklahoma | 100% approval
OpenAI OpCo LLC: Average $299,403 | 267 filings | Top role: Software Developers | California | 98.23% approval
University Hospitals Medical Group Inc: Average $299,276 | 116 filings | Top role: Physicians | Ohio | 97.30% approval
Debevoise and Plimpton LLP: Average $298,041 | 85 filings | Top role: Lawyers | New York | 100% approval
USACS Medical Group Ltd: Average $296,841 | 202 filings | Top role: Hospitalists | Maryland | 99.12% approval
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System: Average $296,011 | 140 filings | Top role: Hospitalists | Louisiana | 98.81% approval
Kirkland and Ellis LLP: Average $293,956 | 213 filings | Top role: Lawyers | New York | 97.89% approval
Vidant Medical Group LLC: Average $292,170 | 96 filings | Top role: Neurologists | North Carolina | 100% approval
Florida Hospital Medical Group Inc: Average $287,999 | 62 filings | Top role: Physicians | Florida | 100% approval
UMass Memorial Medical Group Inc: Average $287,119 | 93 filings | Top role: Radiologists | Massachusetts | 96.55% approval
Southeastern Physician Services PC: Average $286,950 | 50 filings | Top role: Physicians | Tennessee | 95% approval
Cooley LLP: Average $286,665 | 87 filings | Top role: Lawyers | New York | 100% approval
Ropes and Gray LLP: Average $285,656 | 154 filings | Top role: Lawyers | New York | 98.10% approval
Hospital Physician Services Southeast PC: Average $283,112 | 55 filings | Top role: Hospitalists | Georgia | 100% approval
Baystate Medical Practices Inc: Average $282,568 | 143 filings | Top role: Hospitalists | Massachusetts | 100% approval
Simpson Thacher and Bartlett LLP: Average $282,238 | 190 filings | Top role: Lawyers | New York | 96% approval
Weil Gotshal and Manges LLP: Average $281,266 | 129 filings | Top role: Lawyers | New York | 100% approval
Fried Frank Harris Shriver and Jacobson LLP: Average $280,769 | 51 filings | Top role: Lawyers | New York | 100% approval
Indiana University Health Care Associates Inc: Average $279,496 | 125 filings | Top role: Physicians | Indiana | 100% approval
Sidley Austin LLP: Average $279,411 | 56 filings | Top role: Lawyers | New York | 94.55% approval
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: Average $278,079 | 53 filings | Top role: Medical and Health Services Managers | Washington | 97.27% approval
Sound Physicians of Illinois LLC: Average $277,961 | 60 filings | Top role: Hospitalists | Missouri | 98.11% approval
King and Spalding LLP: Average $277,019 | 55 filings | Top role: Lawyers | New York | 100% approval
Hartford Healthcare Medical Group Inc: Average $276,252 | 198 filings | Top role: General Internal Medicine Physicians | Connecticut | 100% approval
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP: Average $275,790 | 57 filings | Top role: Lawyers | New York | 100% approval
Avera McKennan: Average $274,828 | 79 filings | Top role: Hospitalists | South Dakota | 98.44% approval
Dechert LLP: Average $274,276 | 83 filings | Top role: Lawyers | New York | 98.85% approval
Northeast Medical Group Inc: Average $272,158 | 91 filings | Top role: Hospitalists | Connecticut | 97.62% approval
Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess: Average $272,053 | 113 filings | Top role: Anesthesiologists | Massachusetts

Key Insights From the Over $200K H1B Data

Medicine dominates the highest salaries: The top 17 companies by average salary are all healthcare organizations — physician groups, hospital systems, and specialist practices. Southern Illinois Medical Services leads at an average of $346,872. The highest-paying non-medical employer on the list is OpenAI at $299,403 average salary.
OpenAI is the standout tech entry: With 267 filings, a $299,403 average salary, and a 98.23% approval rate, OpenAI is the only technology company in the top 20 by average salary. This reflects the extraordinary compensation that AI research and engineering commands right now.
Big Law is the third pillar: Debevoise and Plimpton, Kirkland and Ellis, Cooley, Ropes and Gray, Simpson Thacher, Weil Gotshal, Fried Frank, Sidley Austin, King and Spalding, and Freshfields all appear on the list. New York-based law firms file H1B petitions for attorneys at averages ranging from $275,000 to $298,000. This is an often overlooked H1B pathway for internationally educated lawyers admitted to a US bar.
Software Developers are by far the largest volume role: With 18,448 filings above $200,000 across 1,972 companies, software developers represent the single largest group in this salary tier. The average within this segment is $229,041 — meaning tens of thousands of software engineers are being sponsored at salaries between $200,000 and $500,000.
Radiologists have the highest average among named roles: At $376,494 average across 324 filings, radiologists command the highest compensation of any specifically named role in the over $200,000 dataset. Neurologists follow at $315,001 and Physicians All Other at $306,045.
The Gates Foundation is on the list: With 53 filings and an average of $278,079 for Medical and Health Services Managers in Washington state, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the more surprising entries. It reflects how global health leadership roles command compensation comparable to top corporate positions.
Hospitalists appear repeatedly at very high salaries: OSF Multi-Specialty Group, Charleston Area Medical Center, TidalHealth, Apogee Medical Group, USACS, Franciscan Missionaries, Sound Physicians, Baystate Medical Practices, and Hartford Healthcare all file primarily for Hospitalists at averages above $270,000. The hospitalist model — where physicians manage inpatient hospital care — has created massive H1B sponsorship demand across regional health systems nationwide.
Small and mid-size cities are well represented: Guthrie Medical Group is in rural New York. Bayhealth Medical Center is in Delaware. Aurora Medical Group is in Wisconsin. TidalHealth is in Maryland. These are not Silicon Valley companies or Manhattan law firms. The over $200,000 H1B segment is geographically diverse in ways the pure tech sponsorship universe is not.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many H1B petitions are filed above $200,000?

In fiscal year 2025, 57,048 H1B LCA filings were at salaries above $200,000, representing an average salary of $246,284 across 8,827 unique sponsoring companies. This is up from 33,260 filings in 2022, reflecting significant growth in high-compensation H1B sponsorship over four years.

Which job has the highest H1B salary?

Among roles with meaningful filing volume, Radiologists average $376,494 in the over $200,000 segment. Neurologists average $315,001 and Physicians All Other average $306,045. Among non-medical roles, Lawyers average $279,223 and Chief Executives average $293,426 in this salary tier.

Which state has the most H1B filings above $200,000?

California leads with 23,552 filings, followed by New York at 8,609 and Washington at 5,458. However, Pennsylvania averages $272,278 and Ohio averages $287,213 in this segment — higher than California’s $236,303 — because their over-$200,000 filings are dominated by high-paying physician and specialist roles rather than tech roles.

Can software developers really get H1B sponsorship above $200,000?

Yes. There are 18,448 H1B filings for software developers above $200,000 across 1,972 unique companies, with an average salary of $229,041 in this segment. These are primarily senior engineers and principal engineers at large technology companies filing at Level III and Level IV wage classifications.

Which city has the most H1B filings above $200,000?

New York City leads all cities with 7,457 filings at an average salary of $248,154. San Francisco follows with 3,814 filings and San Jose with 3,068. Six of the top fifteen cities are in California’s Bay Area.

Final Thoughts

The over $200,000 H1B segment is larger, more diverse, and faster-growing than most people realize. It is not just Google and Meta paying senior engineers $300,000. It is physician groups in Wisconsin and Maine. It is law firms on Park Avenue. It is the Gates Foundation. It is OpenAI. It is hospitalist groups in small states that most people have never heard of.

If your career is in medicine, law, senior technology leadership, quantitative finance, or research science, the data makes clear that H1B sponsorship at this salary level happens at scale across the entire country — not just in the obvious markets.

Data source: Labor Condition Application filings submitted to the US Department of Labor. All salary and filing figures are from official government records. Fiscal year 2026 figures reflect filings recorded to date. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.