I downloaded five years of H-1B data from the US DOL website (4M+ records) and spent the day crunching data.
I went into this with an open mind, but, to be honest, I'm now *extremely* skeptical of how this program works.
Here's what I found 👇
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Before I start, one note: All charts in this thread are for applications that were “certified” (in other words, approved for entry into the H-1B lottery). I filtered out applications the gov rejected.
All numbers here are therefore for visas employers actually and realistically attempted to obtain.
All numbers here are therefore for visas employers actually and realistically attempted to obtain.
To start with, this program is MASSIVELY popular with employers. The program has a statutory limit of 85,000 visas per year, but employers routinely receive approval for more than 800k applications per year (868k, or 10x the limit, in 2024).
Contrary to what I expected, the average salary for an H-1B is relatively low—slightly under $120k this year.
Given that much of the H-1B debate pertains to tech workers, I (incorrectly) assumed the average would be higher. But this is the beauty of data, right?
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