Principal Scientist salary in California
A real-employer view of Principal Scientist pay, clustered from DOL OFLC certified filings. Variants like Senior, Lead, and II/III titles fold into this cluster — the wage range below reflects all of them.
Principal Scientist in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 6 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $136,510. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level II — qualified | 1 | $99,091 |
| Level III — experienced | 3 | $130,000 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 2 | $155,500 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Principal Scientist in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings. Click a company for its full H-1B salary breakdown.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x Genomics, Inc. | Scientist 1 | 2 | $140,000 |
| Amgen Inc. | Principal Scientist | 2 | $152,010 |
| Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. | Sr. Scientist, Chemical Development | 1 | $124,654 |
| Osem Fluidics Inc. | Principal Scientist | 1 | $99,091 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Principal Scientist at Amgen Inc.$161,000Thousand OaksWage Level IVDecided Feb 13, 2026I-200-26037-624580
- Sr. Scientist, Chemical Development at Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.$124,654San DiegoWage Level IIIDecided Jun 30, 2025I-200-25174-120968
- Scientist II at 10x Genomics, Inc.$150,000PleasantonWage Level IVDecided May 2, 2025I-200-25115-906121
- Principal Scientist at Osem Fluidics Inc.$99,091Los AngelesWage Level IIDecided Feb 20, 2025I-200-25043-687999
- Sr. Scientist at Amgen Inc.$143,021Thousand OaksWage Level IIIDecided Feb 6, 2026I-200-26030-609101
- Scientist 1 at 10x Genomics, Inc.$130,000PleasantonWage Level IIIDecided Apr 16, 2025I-200-25099-847823
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.