H-1B Occupation Categories

H-1B petitions are organized by the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each SOC code belongs to one of 23 major groups, broad families of occupations that share education, skill, and responsibility requirements. This page groups every occupation in the PlainVisa database by its SOC major group so you can navigate from “Computer & Mathematical” down to individual SOC codes like 15-1252 Software Developers or 15-2051 Data Scientists.

Computer & Mathematical

SOC 15-XXXX

Software engineers, data scientists, and IT specialists, the largest H-1B category

1,185,431 petitions · 149 SOC codes

Software Developers Computer Systems Engineers/Architects Information Technology Project Managers Computer Systems Analysts Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers Data Scientists

+143 more occupations in this group

Architecture & Engineering

SOC 17-XXXX

Civil, mechanical, electrical, and other engineering disciplines

175,318 petitions · 118 SOC codes

Mechanical Engineers Electronics Engineers, Except Computer Electrical Engineers Industrial Engineers Civil Engineers Validation Engineers

+112 more occupations in this group

Business & Financial Operations

SOC 13-XXXX

Accountants, analysts, HR, and operations specialists

148,907 petitions · 77 SOC codes

Accountants and Auditors Financial and Investment Analysts Management Analysts Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists Financial Quantitative Analysts Project Management Specialists

+71 more occupations in this group

Management

SOC 11-XXXX

Executives, managers, and senior leadership roles

102,606 petitions · 87 SOC codes

Computer and Information Systems Managers Marketing Managers Architectural and Engineering Managers General and Operations Managers Financial Managers Construction Managers

+81 more occupations in this group

Life, Physical & Social Science

SOC 19-XXXX

Research scientists, statisticians, and lab-based roles

85,519 petitions · 114 SOC codes

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Biochemists and Biophysicists Chemists Molecular and Cellular Biologists Bioinformatics Scientists Physicists

+108 more occupations in this group

Healthcare Practitioners & Technical

SOC 29-XXXX

Physicians, nurses, therapists, and medical specialists

68,483 petitions · 166 SOC codes

Physicians, All Other Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists Physical Therapists Hospitalists General Internal Medicine Physicians Dentists, General

+160 more occupations in this group

Education, Training & Library

SOC 25-XXXX

Teachers, professors, and educational support

67,646 petitions · 127 SOC codes

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Business Teachers, Postsecondary Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary

+121 more occupations in this group

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports & Media

SOC 27-XXXX

Designers, writers, producers, and creative roles

19,140 petitions · 63 SOC codes

Graphic Designers Commercial and Industrial Designers Public Relations Specialists Interior Designers Special Effects Artists and Animators Coaches and Scouts

+57 more occupations in this group

Legal

SOC 23-XXXX

Attorneys, paralegals, and legal support staff

9,978 petitions · 9 SOC codes

Lawyers Judicial Law Clerks Paralegals and Legal Assistants Legal Support Workers, All Other Lawyers Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

+3 more occupations in this group

Sales & Related

SOC 41-XXXX

Sales representatives and sales managers

9,557 petitions · 28 SOC codes

Sales Engineers Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Sales Engineers

+22 more occupations in this group

Community & Social Service

SOC 21-XXXX

Counselors, social workers, and community-focused roles

8,414 petitions · 28 SOC codes

Rehabilitation Counselors Mental Health Counselors Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Clergy Health Education Specialists Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

+22 more occupations in this group

Transportation & Material Moving

SOC 53-XXXX

Drivers, pilots, and logistics roles

1,224 petitions · 17 SOC codes

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Commercial Pilots Transportation Inspectors Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Airfield Operations Specialists Aviation Inspectors

+11 more occupations in this group

Office & Administrative Support

SOC 43-XXXX

Administrative, clerical, and office support

970 petitions · 40 SOC codes

Statistical Assistants Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan

+34 more occupations in this group

Farming, Fishing & Forestry

SOC 45-XXXX

Agricultural and related occupations

519 petitions · 8 SOC codes

Agricultural Inspectors First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Agricultural Workers, All Other Animal Breeders Agricultural Equipment Operators

+2 more occupations in this group

Food Preparation & Serving

SOC 35-XXXX

Chefs, cooks, and food service roles

407 petitions · 14 SOC codes

Chefs and Head Cooks Cooks, Restaurant First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Waiters and Waitresses Bartenders Fast Food and Counter Workers

+8 more occupations in this group

Installation, Maintenance & Repair

SOC 49-XXXX

Technicians and repair specialists

380 petitions · 32 SOC codes

Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics Industrial Machinery Mechanics Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers Automotive Body and Related Repairers

+26 more occupations in this group

Production

SOC 51-XXXX

Manufacturing and production workers

245 petitions · 47 SOC codes

Production Workers, All Other First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers Bakers Machinists Dental Laboratory Technicians Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

+41 more occupations in this group

Healthcare Support

SOC 31-XXXX

Medical assistants and healthcare technicians

207 petitions · 15 SOC codes

Healthcare Support Workers, All Other Home Health Aides Speech-Language Pathology Assistants Nursing Assistants Personal Care Aides Dental Assistants

+9 more occupations in this group

Personal Care & Service

SOC 39-XXXX

Personal care and service roles

169 petitions · 17 SOC codes

Residential Advisors Recreation Workers Childcare Workers Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors Animal Trainers Concierges

+11 more occupations in this group

Construction & Extraction

SOC 47-XXXX

Construction trades and extraction workers

91 petitions · 21 SOC codes

Electricians First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers Construction and Building Inspectors Construction and Related Workers, All Other Energy Auditors Construction Laborers

+15 more occupations in this group

Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance

SOC 37-XXXX

Facilities and maintenance occupations

43 petitions · 7 SOC codes

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other

+1 more occupations in this group

Protective Service

SOC 33-XXXX

Security and protective service occupations

33 petitions · 5 SOC codes

Intelligence Analysts Private Detectives and Investigators Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers Firefighters

Methodology: How Categories Are Assigned

H-1B occupational categories on PlainVisa use the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 2018 system, maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. SOC codes are six-digit identifiers structured as XX-XXXX, where the first two digits identify the major group (e.g., 15 for Computer & Mathematical Occupations) and the remaining digits identify the specific occupation.

Assignment process. Each Labor Condition Application (LCA) filed with the Department of Labor includes a SOC code self-reported by the employer, which the DOL validates against the prevailing wage requirements for that occupation. PlainVisa imports these SOC codes directly from DOL disclosure files and groups them into major categories using the official BLS SOC structure.

Limitations. Major-group totals shown here represent the sum of all LCAs within that group, but an individual worker’s actual duties may not match the SOC classification on paper. The DOL relies on employer self-certification and prevailing-wage requirements to keep SOC codes honest.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, DOL OFLC Performance Data.

Reviewed byPlainVisa Editorial, H-1B Visa Editorial Team · June 4, 2026