H-1B Database: Salary Benchmarks, Employer Approval Rates, and LCA Data for Strategic Job Planning

Search H-1B salaries, sponsors, and LCA information from official sources.

If you're researching H-1B visa sponsorship, compensation benchmarks, or employer approval rates, publicly available H-1B database tools give you direct access to government filing records. These resources compile Labor Condition Application records from the Department of Labor and petition outcomes from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with third-party sites indexing over 4.8 million disclosure records from 2013 to 2025.

Whether you're conducting a job search to find H-1B visa sponsors, an employer benchmarking wages for foreign workers, or a professional verifying an offer against prevailing rates, understanding how to navigate these resources makes your research more effective. 

This guide covers where the information comes from, how to search it, and what insights you can extract for your job search or compliance planning.

Where H-1B database information comes from

Before you search any resource, it helps to understand the two government agencies that publish this information. Each source serves a different purpose, and knowing the distinction helps you find the right details for your job search.

Two federal agencies publish information on H-1B records:

• DOL Disclosure Records: Before filing an H-1B petition with the immigration agency, employers must submit a Labor Condition Application to the US Department of Labor. The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) publishes certified applications annually, including employer name, job title, offered wage, wage level (I through IV), O*NET/SOC code, and worksite location. This disclosure information is the primary source for compensation research used by H-1B workers.
• H-1B Employer Information Hub: The immigration agency publishes petition outcomes, including approvals, denials, and withdrawals, organized by employer and worksite. This dataset covers FY2009 through FY2025 (Q4) and allows you to query by company, location, and NAICS code. It does not include wage figures but shows approval trends for H-1B workers by employer.

Important note: Application certification does not guarantee petition approval. An employer may file multiple applications and never use them. The two datasets answer different questions: OFLC disclosure records tell you what compensation was offered; the employer information hub tells you whether petitions were approved.

Third-party websites make this raw .gov information more searchable, which brings us to the most popular tools available.

Popular H-1B database websites

Several websites index H-1B data from government filings. Each tool serves a different purpose, and the right choice depends on what you're trying to learn during your job search.

Third-party sites like H1BData.info and Levels.fyi index the same OFLC disclosure records but provide easier search interfaces than downloading raw .gov files. For official compliance verification or when you need information for legal purposes, use government sources directly.

If you're researching visa sponsorship history, the H-1B employer information hub shows actual petition outcomes. For compensation benchmarking, the H-1B grader tools give you more granular wage details. Many professionals also cross-reference LinkedIn profiles with search results to identify hiring managers at sponsoring companies during their job search.

A comprehensive platform should serve both job seekers and employers looking for accurate government filing information.

How to search H-1B salary database information

Finding relevant information requires knowing what to search for and which resource fits your needs. Follow these steps to get accurate, useful results for your job search.

Step 1: Identify your search criteria

Start by determining what you want to learn. Common search filters include:

• Company name (exact employer you're researching, such as Microsoft or other major H-1B sponsors)
• Job title or O*NET/SOC code (for occupation-specific results)
• City, state, or metro area (location affects prevailing wages significantly)
• Year (2024 and 2025 records are most current for market comparisons)

For benchmarking, you'll get better results by using the SOC code rather than job title alone, since employers may use different titles for similar specialty occupation roles.

Step 2: Choose the right resource

Match your question to the appropriate .gov source or third-party tool:

• Compensation by company or title: Use H1BData.info or Levels.fyi for searchable disclosure records
• Employer approval rates: Use the H-1B employer information hub
• Prevailing wage verification: Use the OFLC Wage Search for official wage determinations based on BLS records

Step 3: Filter and compare results

Once you run a search, narrow your results:

• Filter by year to ensure relevance (older records may not reflect current market rates)
• Compare offered wages against wage level thresholds (Level I through IV)
• Look at multiple employers in your field to establish a range

Important note: Resources show base wages only. They exclude stock compensation, bonuses, signing bonuses, and other forms of total compensation. For tech roles especially, base wages may represent only a portion of the actual offer.

Step 4: Verify with official sources

Cross-check third-party results against .gov disclosure files or H-1B employer information downloads. Both government sources offer downloadable Excel and CSV files for detailed analysis. Companies like Microsoft publish thousands of records annually, making them useful benchmarks for tech roles.

What you can learn from this information

An H-1B salary database helps you answer specific questions depending on whether you're researching sponsors, comparing offers, or tracking market trends. Here are the most common use cases for H-1B workers and job seekers:

• Does this company sponsor H-1B visas? Search the employer in the H-1B employer information hub to see petition volume and approval rates. Consistent filings over multiple years indicate an established program for foreign workers.
• What compensation should I expect? Search your job title and location to find median, minimum, and maximum wages from certified applications. Filter by wage level to compare similar experience levels.
• Is my job offer competitive? Compare the offered wage against the prevailing wage for your SOC code and geographic area. Employers must pay at least the prevailing wage, but market rates often exceed BLS minimums.
• Which employers have high approval rates? The H-1B employer information shows approvals versus denials by company. Consistent approvals suggest strong compliance history and well-prepared petitions, which matters for H-1B workers evaluating potential sponsors.
• What are wage trends over time? Filter by year to track wage changes for specific specialty occupation roles. This helps you understand whether compensation is rising in your field.

Understanding these patterns can inform your H-1B lottery strategy and help you evaluate potential employers before committing to a job search. Many professionals combine research with LinkedIn networking to identify contacts at companies with strong approval histories.

Limitations to understand:

• Disclosure records reflect certified job offers, not actual hires or employment of H-1B workers
• Prevailing wage varies significantly by wage level (I through IV) and geographic location based on BLS surveys
• Petition information typically lags by one quarter

Understanding H-1B wage levels

Wage levels are central to interpreting information accurately. The OFLC assigns one of four wage levels to each position based on experience, education, and job complexity. Understanding these levels helps you compare wages meaningfully during your job search.

The OFLC determines prevailing wages using Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment Statistics records. Employers filing Form ETA-9035 must pay at least the prevailing wage for the assigned level, protecting both foreign workers and U.S. citizens from wage suppression.

When searching, filter by wage level to ensure you're comparing similar positions. A Software Engineer at Level I in San Francisco has a different prevailing wage than Level III in Austin, and both differ significantly from Level IV in either location.

For workers pursuing green card sponsorship through PERM, wage level also matters. The PERM process requires employers to offer at least the prevailing wage for the position, and that determination follows the same BLS-based methodology used for H-1B filings.

If you're evaluating an H-1B extension or considering cap-exempt positions, understanding how wage levels affect your filed application helps you verify that your employer is meeting compliance requirements.

An effective resource should allow filtering by wage level to ensure accurate comparisons across similar positions and experience levels, making H-1B visa salary research more precise.

Choosing the right support partner

H-1B visa sponsorship involves coordinating application filing with the OFLC, maintaining prevailing wage compliance, and preparing the Form I-129 petition for agency review. Research helps you verify offers and understand market rates, but the actual filing process requires precise documentation and timing.

Lighthouse provides eligibility diagnostics, application preparation guidance, legal review of petition materials, and case management technology that tracks deadlines across the process. Our approach combines experienced immigration teams with tools built for employment-based visa workflows.

Start your H-1B evaluation today.

Frequently asked questions

What is an H-1B database?

An H-1B database refers to searchable collections of compensation, sponsor, and petition information compiled from government public filings. Third-party websites index this disclosure information to help job seekers research employers, compare wages by role and location, and evaluate approval history before applying for positions.

Where can I find wage information for H-1B positions?

OFLC disclosure files contain compensation information from certified applications, and sites like H1BData.info make this searchable. Filter by company, job title, and location to find relevant ranges. For official prevailing wage determinations, use the .gov OFLC Wage Search tool.

Is H-1B data publicly available?

Yes. Both the immigration agency and the US Department of Labor publish records on H-1B filings as public information. The H-1B employer information hub covers petition approvals and denials per company. The OFLC publishes certified applications with wage details. You can download both datasets in Excel or CSV format from official .gov sites.

How accurate is compensation information from H-1B records?

The information reflects certified filings, which represent job offers rather than actual hires or final compensation for H-1B workers. Base wage figures exclude stock, bonuses, and other compensation. Use it for benchmarking and general research, but verify specific offers against current prevailing wage determinations for your SOC code and location.

Can I download H-1B records?

Yes. The H-1B employer information hub and OFLC both offer downloadable Excel and CSV files from their .gov websites. Raw downloads allow custom analysis by employer, occupation code, geographic region, or year. This is useful for employers conducting compliance reviews or researchers analyzing trends across industries.

What's the difference between OFLC records and H-1B petition information?

OFLC disclosure records show wage details, job titles, worksites, and wage levels for certified applications. The H-1B employer information from the immigration agency shows petition outcomes: approvals, denials, and withdrawals by company. Use OFLC records for compensation research and petition information for evaluating employer approval rates. Together, they provide a complete picture of an employer's H-1B history for your job search.