Role + city salary
Local wage signals can differ sharply from national role medians. Read this as historical LCA filing context, not a salary offer.
Median
$214,032
Observed range
$95,000 - $475,000
Observations
486
Observed wage range
Wage values from matching LCA rows that state an annual pay unit.
Median $214,032
All 486 matching rows with a wage figure state an annual pay unit.
Observed by wage level
A wage level sets the prevailing-wage floor on a filing. This table reports the yearly prevailing wages DOL actually accepted at each level on the imported LCA rows matching this role — the filing population, not a published national salary.
Across 432 imported DOL labor condition applications for Research Scientist in Menlo Park that state both an OES wage level and a yearly prevailing wage, this is the prevailing wage DOL accepted at each level. Median accepted prevailing wage runs from $96,678 at Level I to $209,082 at Level IV. Retrieved from official US Department of Labor OFLC disclosure data on 2026-08-09.
Wage observations
432
Levels published
4 of 4
Yearly prevailing wages only
Median at the top level
$209,082
| Wage level | Filings | Lowest | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level I | 43 | $79,914 | $96,678 | $96,678 | $96,678 | $96,678 |
| Level II | 256 | $116,022 | $134,139 | $134,139 | $134,139 | $134,139 |
| Level III | 50 | $171,621 | $171,621 | $171,621 | $171,621 | $171,621 |
| Level IV | 83 | $140,858 | $209,082 | $209,082 | $209,082 | $213,512 |
Most of these filings — 420 of the 432 levelled rows — were filed under SOC code 15-1221.00 (Computer and Information Research Scientists). That matters because a wage level is a percentile of the OEWS wage distribution for one SOC occupation and one area of intended employment, so these figures describe that occupation as filed, not every job that shares the title.
432 of 486 imported LCA rows matching Research Scientist in Menlo Park (89%) record an OES wage level of I through IV. A further 0 were marked N/A by the filer and 54 carry no wage-level field, which Form ETA-9035 Section F expects: an employer completes only one prevailing-wage source and only the OES option has a level. Of the levelled rows, 432 state their prevailing wage as a yearly figure and are the ones aggregated here — hourly, weekly, and monthly rows are excluded rather than converted. These counts cover every matching imported row, not the most recent 1,000 sampled for the wage range higher up the page.
These are observed prevailing wages on imported DOL labor condition applications matching Research Scientist in Menlo Park, not a published wage for the role. DOL publishes the level figures per SOC occupation code and area of intended employment, and a job-title match can span more than one occupation, so read the spread rather than any single number as the answer. A prevailing wage is also a floor: the employer's offered wage on the same filing can be higher, and a certified LCA is a Department of Labor record rather than proof that USCIS approved a petition.
Employers
Matched rows from FY2026 Q3. Open a company for roles, locations, source freshness, and caveats.
Keep exploring
Compare this local wage signal with other cities, related roles, and state-level sponsor activity built from the same DOL disclosure data.
Looking at the wider market? See H-1B sponsors in CA or browse the all-states sponsor hub.
Related roles
Prefer the national picture? Open the Research Scientist salary overview or the full salary hub.
Primary source
Local wage values are derived from DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, filtered to LCA rows matching Research Scientist in Menlo Park. See About data and Source status for caveats and import freshness.
DOL OFLC performance pageLast verified: . Page updated: .
LCA and PERM rows are filing signals, not USCIS approvals, green-card approvals, legal advice, or outcome predictions.
FAQ
The median H-1B LCA wage for Research Scientist in Menlo Park is $214,032 per year, across 486 annual wage observations in FY2026 Q3 DOL LCA disclosure data. The middle half of those filings falls between $186,200 and $222,950. This is an observed aggregate of what employers filed, not total compensation and not a legal wage-level determination. Retrieved from DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data on 2026-08-09.
It is a 25th-to-75th-percentile band, not a minimum and maximum: of the 486 annual wage observations matching Research Scientist in Menlo Park, a quarter were filed below $186,200 and a quarter above $222,950, so filings outside the band exist and are not errors. The band is computed only from imported DOL LCA rows carrying an annual wage, and may not represent total compensation or every worker at an employer.
Treat $214,032 as the starting point, then narrow before you rely on it. The Leland Stanford Jr University is the largest matched employer filing for Research Scientist in Menlo Park in this dataset, and Menlo Park, CA is the largest observed worksite cluster, so a single employer or metro can sit well away from the role median. Open the employer and city pages to compare counts, worksites, and source periods together. None of it is a legal minimum-salary determination or a guarantee about any individual role.
Partly, and the spread is the point: across 432 levelled filings matching Research Scientist in Menlo Park worksites, the median accepted prevailing wage runs from $96,678 at Level I to $209,082 at Level IV. DOL sets each level as a percentile of the OEWS distribution for one SOC occupation and area, and a job-title match can span more than one occupation, so read the spread rather than any single figure. This remains an aggregate salary view, not a legal wage-level or minimum-salary determination.
DOL disclosure rows can contain wage ranges, prevailing wages, different wage units, and different worksites. VisaSignal normalizes cautiously and keeps source caveats visible.
No. A DOL-certified LCA is not the same as USCIS H-1B petition approval. It is an official labor-condition filing signal that should be interpreted with that limit.
No. PERM certification is one step in an employment-based green card process. It does not mean a green card, I-140 petition, or adjustment of status was approved.
No. Official filing history can show recent activity, roles, worksites, and wage signals, but it does not guarantee future sponsorship or predict legal outcomes.