Astronomers prevailing wage by city

What is the H-1B prevailing wage for Astronomers?

For the 2026–27 wage year (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027), the Department of Labor publishes H-1B prevailing wages for Astronomers (SOC 19-2011) in 530 U.S. wage areas. Across metro areas, the Level I wage ranges from $72,759 in Kahului, HI to $135,970 in Fresno, CA, and the median Level IV wage across 100 major H-1B metros is $157,394. Because the weighted H-1B lottery gives one entry per wage level, location changes the outcome: an offer of $132,684, the typical Level III threshold, reaches Level IV (four entries) in 0 of 100 major metros but only Level II or below in 6. DHS projects selection odds of about 15%, 31%, 46% and 61% for Levels I to IV. The table below lists all four levels for every area, straight from the DOL OFLC wage file.