SOC 19-1029 · Life, physical and social science
Biological Scientists, All Other prevailing wage by area
At Level II this ranges from $120,349 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA down to $61,048 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, a spread of $59,301 on the same job.
What this occupation covers
All biological scientists not listed separately.
Occupation definition from oes_soc_occs.csv, OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip.
Every area with a surveyed figure
| Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $92,955 | $120,349 | $147,742 | $175,136 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $86,029 | $114,026 | $142,022 | $170,019 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $82,077 | $102,690 | $123,323 | $143,936 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $79,664 | $99,715 | $119,746 | $139,797 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $75,670 | $99,590 | $123,490 | $147,410 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $73,632 | $96,678 | $119,746 | $142,792 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $76,606 | $96,283 | $115,981 | $135,658 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $75,795 | $95,930 | $116,085 | $136,219 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $75,691 | $94,349 | $113,006 | $131,664 |
| Rochester, NY | $74,568 | $94,349 | $114,109 | $133,890 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $73,382 | $92,352 | $111,322 | $130,291 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $70,574 | $91,000 | $111,405 | $131,830 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $71,282 | $88,691 | $106,122 | $123,531 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $68,806 | $86,861 | $104,915 | $122,970 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $74,339 | $86,590 | $98,842 | $111,093 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $72,862 | $86,549 | $100,256 | $113,942 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $68,474 | $86,445 | $104,416 | $122,387 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $74,922 | $86,278 | $97,656 | $109,013 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $69,202 | $85,862 | $102,523 | $119,184 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $70,200 | $85,654 | $101,130 | $116,584 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $67,621 | $84,427 | $101,234 | $118,040 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $68,682 | $83,117 | $97,552 | $111,987 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $66,123 | $81,390 | $96,658 | $111,925 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $66,102 | $79,206 | $92,290 | $105,394 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $59,114 | $78,104 | $97,074 | $116,064 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $61,901 | $77,896 | $93,870 | $109,866 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $66,123 | $77,834 | $89,523 | $101,234 |
| Richmond, VA | $64,293 | $75,254 | $86,195 | $97,157 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $64,480 | $75,150 | $85,842 | $96,512 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $57,179 | $74,984 | $92,810 | $110,614 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $54,267 | $71,698 | $89,107 | $106,538 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $59,238 | $70,699 | $82,181 | $93,642 |
| Columbus, OH | $56,493 | $70,658 | $84,822 | $98,987 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $50,107 | $67,413 | $84,698 | $102,003 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $51,563 | $67,267 | $82,971 | $98,675 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $45,531 | $65,770 | $85,987 | $106,226 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $47,882 | $61,048 | $74,214 | $87,381 |
37 areas, all surveyed for that metropolitan area rather than imputed from a broader geography. 3 of them carry a full breakdown page, selected by filing volume; the rest show their figures here. ALC_Export.csv, wage year 2026-27.
How employers filed for this occupation
Across 846 certified H-1B filings in FY2025 Q1 to Q4 that recorded a level, the plurality landed on Level I. The median wage actually offered was $80,500 a year, from 931 filings.
| Level | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | 333 | 39.4% |
| Level II | 278 | 32.9% |
| Level III | 159 | 18.8% |
| Level IV | 76 | 9.0% |
LCA disclosure data, FY2025 Q1 to Q4. Certified H-1B filings only.
Work out a specific determination
The level depends on the requirements in the job description rather than the title. Run the worksheet for Biological Scientists, All Other with a specific area, experience requirement and education level.