H-1B Visas in State College
H-1B sponsorship in the State College metro. U.S. Department of Labor disclosure data shows 519 Labor Condition Applications filed by 3 distinct employers across the State College metropolitan area. DOL certified those petitions at a 76.3% rate, confirming that prevailing-wage and working-conditions attestations passed the Labor Department’s preliminary review before USCIS handled final H-1B adjudication. That volume places State College on the map as a measurable node in the national H-1B program, with its own distinct employer mix and occupation concentration.
Pay and occupation mix. The average offered wage on LCAs filed in the metro is $325,670. Because each LCA must meet or exceed the DOL prevailing wage for the specific occupation and worksite, that figure represents real pay commitments rather than voluntary market reporting. The most frequently sponsored role in the metro is Materials Scientists, which signals where employer demand for specialty-occupation talent is concentrated locally. Salary levels in a metro reflect the balance of wage levels (DOL Level I through IV) and the seniority tier of the roles employers are filling through the H-1B channel, so metro averages are a useful read on the sophistication of the local tech, healthcare, engineering, or finance workforce.
Who is sponsoring. The top H-1B sponsor in the State College metro is The Pennsylvania State University, anchoring a pool of 3 employers active in the area. Petition volume moved from 196 in FY2023 to 160 in FY2025, a decreased trajectory that typically reflects shifts in local hiring, company growth, or program caps. Because DOL releases LCA disclosures as open public records, every figure here traces back to individual petitions filed with the Department of Labor, giving this metro snapshot the same auditability as a government-released dataset.
About State College
The State College metro area has 519 H-1B LCA petitions filed by 3 employers, with a 76.3% certification rate and an average salary of $325,670. The top H-1B sponsor is The Pennsylvania State University. The most common occupation is Materials Scientists.
Petition Volume by Year
H-1B LCA filings in State College from FY2023 to FY2025
FY2026 is partial data (through Q1). Chart shows completed fiscal years only.
Annual Breakdown
| Year | Petitions | Certified | Cert Rate | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 196 | 151 | 77% | $80,417 |
| FY2024 | 140 | 105 | 75% | $980,878 |
| FY2025 | 160 | 124 | 77.5% | $92,649 |
| FY2026(partial) | 23 | 16 | 69.6% | $76,918 |
H-1B Guides
Learn more about the H-1B visa process and sponsorship
Step-by-step guide from LCA filing to work authorization
Highest-paying H-1B employers ranked by compensation
Understanding prevailing wage levels I through IV
Compare salaries by occupation, state, and wage level
Similar Metros
Metro areas with comparable H-1B petition volume to State College
Frequently Asked Questions
How many H-1B petitions have been filed in State College?
The State College metro area has 519 H-1B LCA petitions from 3 employers, with a 76.3% certification rate and an average salary of $325,670.
What is the average H-1B salary in State College?
The average H-1B salary in State College is $325,670. This reflects prevailing wages that employers must meet or exceed when filing H-1B petitions for workers in this metro area.
Which company sponsors the most H-1B visas in State College?
The Pennsylvania State University is the top H-1B sponsor in the State College metro area. The area has 3 total employers sponsoring H-1B workers.
What is the most common H-1B occupation in State College?
Materials Scientists is the most frequently sponsored H-1B occupation in State College. This reflects the demand for specialized workers in the metro area.
Are H-1B petitions growing in State College?
H-1B petition volume in State College has decreased from 196 in FY2023 to 160 in FY2025. Average salary moved from $80,417 to $92,649 over the same period.
How does State College's H-1B market compare to other metros?
State College has 519 H-1B petitions across 3 employers. View all metro areas on the PlainVisa metros page to compare petition volumes and salaries.
Data Sources
H-1B visa petition data is sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Labor Condition Application (LCA) disclosure files. Data covers fiscal years 2023 through 2026. Salary figures reflect amounts listed on LCA petitions, not actual compensation paid.
Source: DOL Foreign Labor Performance Data
Source: U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) definitions
Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Every figure on PlainVisa is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.