Research Scientist salary in California
A real-employer view of Research 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.
Research Scientist in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 15 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $214,471. 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 III — experienced | 6 | $174,374 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 9 | $258,524 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Research 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Platforms, Inc | Research Scientist | 13 | $214,471 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | Research Scientist | 2 | $168,000 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Research Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory$168,000BerkeleyWage Level IIIDecided Mar 25, 2026I-200-26077-713516
- Research Scientist at Meta Platforms, Inc$258,524Menlo ParkWage Level IVDecided Mar 23, 2026I-200-26075-704596
- Research Scientist at Meta Platforms, Inc$258,524Menlo ParkWage Level IVDecided Feb 9, 2026I-200-26033-612486
- Research Scientist at Meta Platforms, Inc$269,081BurlingameWage Level IVDecided Feb 4, 2026I-200-26028-596193
- Research Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory$168,000BerkeleyWage Level IIIDecided Jan 27, 2026I-200-26020-572705
- Research Scientist at Meta Platforms, Inc$258,524SunnyvaleWage Level IVDecided Jan 15, 2026I-200-26008-543344
- Research Scientist at Meta Platforms, Inc$214,032SunnyvaleWage Level IVDecided Dec 17, 2025I-200-25344-470738
- Research Scientist at Meta Platforms, Inc$178,747Menlo ParkWage Level IIIDecided Jan 17, 2025I-200-25013-613072
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 Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.