H-1B pay vs Median pay
Introduction
The H-1B visa program, designed to allow companies in the U.S. to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations, has been a topic of hot debate, especially concerning wage levels. The provided image from America First Insight, utilizing H-1B data, compares the median pay of various tech positions against the average pay offered to H-1B workers in the same roles. This comparison sheds light on whether H-1B workers are underpaid relative to their American counterparts or if they’re receiving competitive wages.
Analyzing the Data
- Technical Lead: The position of Technical Lead shows a significant difference with H-1B workers earning nearly 50% less than the median pay. This stark contrast raises questions about the value placed on experience versus the cost of hiring foreign talent.
- Software and Java Developers: Both these roles show a decrease in pay for H-1B holders, with Software Engineers and Java Developers earning around 20-43% less than the median. This could indicate a market strategy where companies might be leveraging H-1B visas to reduce salary expenses for these critical roles.
- Hardware Engineer: Interestingly, Hardware Engineers on H-1B visas are paid slightly above the median, suggesting a shortage in this skill set or a higher valuation of these skills in the market.
- Data Scientist: This role shows an 11.49% increase in pay for H-1B workers over the median, highlighting a demand for data science expertise that might exceed the supply, pushing wages up.
- Other Roles: For positions like Database Administrators, Programmers, and Analysts, the H-1B pay is consistently lower than the median, with differences ranging from about 7.52% to 23.04%. This pattern suggests that in these roles,
