Salaries / Astronomers
Astronomers H-1B salaries
Auto-summary H-1B filings: DOL disclosure data SOC 19-2011
Employers filed 114 certified H-1B applications for astronomers (July 2025 to June 2026), from 50 employers.
Nationally, the middle half of offers were $73,000 to $98,000, with a median of $83,500.
By city
Metro areas with at least 25 filings. Areas with 100 or more have their own page.
| Metro area | Filings | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct |
|---|
Wage levels
| Level | Share of filings (US) |
|---|---|
| Level I (entry) | 73% |
| Level II (qualified) | 22% |
| Level III (experienced) | 2% |
| Level IV (fully competent) | 3% |
Top sponsors nationally
| Employer | H-1B filings | Median offer | Green card filings (PERM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado | 11 | $102,500 | — |
| National Radio Astronomy Observatory | 7 | $83,500 | 4 |
| Aura/Space Telescope Science Institute | 6 | $101,500 | — |
| University of Chicago | 4 | $84,000 | — |
| Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy | 4 | $88,500 | — |
| University of California, Berkeley | 4 | $93,500 | — |
| California Institute of Technology | 4 | $107,000 | — |
| University of Michigan | 4 | $85,000 | 1 |
| Universities Space Research Association | 4 | $77,500 | — |
| University of Maryland College Park | 3 | $84,500 | — |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County | 3 | $101,000 | — |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 3 | $72,000 | — |
| The Simons Foundation Inc. | 3 | $91,000 | — |
| University of Hawaii | 3 | $132,000 | — |
| The University of Arizona | 2 | $81,000 | — |
| The University of Texas at Austin | 2 | $73,500 | — |
| Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory | 2 | $105,500 | — |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 2 | $82,000 | — |
| University of Washington | 2 | $93,500 | — |
| The University of Chicago | 2 | $79,000 | — |
Common titles filed under this occupation: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Research Associate, Postdoctoral Fellow, Assistant Research Scientist, Postdoctoral Associate, Research Scientist, Postdoctoral Scholar, Flatiron Research Fellow, Scientist/Computer Science, Research Assistant Professor.
Offers from certified Labor Condition Applications (Certified H-1B LCAs decided July 2025 to June 2026); base pay only, annualized. Source: DOL disclosure data. Not legal or financial advice.