H-1B Visas in the Computer and Pharmaceutical Industry

On Sept. 19, 2025, President Trump signed a proclamation that required a 1-time $100,000 fee when an employer applies for an H-1B visa for a worker between Sept. 21, 2025, and Sept. 21, 2026. The new fee is in addition to the application fees that were already in effect. The $100,000 fee is required for initial visa application for a worker but not for H-1B visa renewals. Prior to the change, an H-1B visa application used to cost approximately $1,500.

This article will take a look to see how this affects the computer and pharmaceutical industries.

The computer science industry.

A 2016 study found H-1B visas kept wages for U.S. computer scientists 2.6% to 5.1% lower, and employment in computer science for U.S. workers 6.1% to 10.8% lower, but resulted in greater production efficiency, lowered the prices of IT products, raised the output of IT products, and caused substantially higher profits for IT firms (National Bureau of Economic Research).

Top H-1B employers by visa approval.

Between 2006 and 2011, Google hired between 172 and 383 H-1b employees, as well as 0 in 2012 and 2015, but hired between 700 and 800 in 2013 and 2014. Then starting in 2016 and 2017, Google hired over 2500 H-1b employees.

Facebook hired 0 H-1b employees between 2006 and 2015. Then in 2016 and 2017, Facebook hired 1107 then 1566 H-1b employees.

In 2021, Facebook settled a claim with the Department of Justice that it discriminated against U.S. workers in favor of temporary visa holders. The company paid a $4.75-million civil penalty and set aside $9.5 million for eligible victims.

The pharmaceutical industry.

Aug. 2014
The research showed that, although 13% of the U.S. population is foreign-born, 17% of the employed labor force in the pharmaceutical industry came to America from outside the country. At the higher-skilled occupations in the industry, the immigrant contribution is even greater, comprising 33% of the total research and development pharmaceutical workforce and more than 40% of the scientists (George Mason University’s Institute for Immigration Research).

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Data from h1bdata.org, for Sept. 2025 (if the website has false data, then that is repeated here).

Pharmaceutical.

Abbvie, Inc is a company based in Abbott Park, IL that has hired a total of 1,646 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 23 locations, with the majority of hires in IL. The primary jobs hired include Statisticians, Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists, and Chemists, average salary listed above is $87,288.86.

Abbott Laboratories is a company based in Abbott Park, IL that has hired a total of 1,086 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 18 locations, with the majority of hires in IL. The primary jobs hired include Software Developers, Applications, Biomedical Engineers, and Statisticians, average salary listed above is $80,989.90.

Pfizer Inc is a company based in New York that has hired a total of 806 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 23 locations, with the majority of hires in MA. The primary jobs hired include Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists, Biochemists And Biophysicists, and Biological Scientists, All Other, average salary listed above is $75,962.86.

Computer science.

Microsoft Corporation is a company based in Redmond, WA that has hired a total of 58,774 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 51 locations, with the majority of hires in WA. It is rank #7 of the top-10 H1B Visa employers in the USA. The primary jobs hired include Software Developers, Applications, Computer And Information Research Scientists, and Computer Systems Analysts, average salary listed above is $108,981.29.

Facebook, Inc. is a company based in Menlo Park, CA that has hired a total of 19,920 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 37 locations, with the majority of hires in CA. The primary jobs hired include Software Developers, Applications, Computer And Information Systems Managers, and Computer And Information Research Scientists, average salary listed above is $144,159.04.

Meta Platforms, Inc. is a company based in Menlo Park, CA that has hired a total of 6,874 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 40 locations, with the majority of hires in CA. The primary jobs hired include Software Developers, Applications, Computer And Information Systems Managers, and Business Intelligence Analysts, average salary listed above is $162,862.56.

Google Llc (newer) is a company based in Mountain View, CA that has hired a total of 43,745 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 43 locations, with the majority of hires in CA. It is rank #10 of the top-10 H1B Visa employers in the USA. The primary jobs hired include Software Developers, Applications, Computer Hardware Engineers, and Market Research Analysts And Marketing Specialists, average salary listed above is $121,520.77.

Google Inc. (older) is a company based in Mountain View, CA that has hired a total of 13,528 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 23 locations, with the majority of hires in CA. The primary jobs hired include Software Developers, Applications, Computer Systems Analysts, and Software Developers, Systems Software, average salary listed above is $104,289.67.

Electric vehicles.

Tesla, Inc. is a company based in Palo Alto, CA that has hired a total of 8,064 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 29 locations, with the majority of hires in CA. The primary jobs hired include Mechanical Engineers, Industrial Engineers, and Software Developers, Applications. The average salary at Tesla, Inc. for the jobs listed above is $110,306.89.

Rivian Automotive Llc is a company based in Livonia, MI that has hired a total of 2,338 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 15 locations, with the majority of hires in CA. The primary jobs hired include Mechanical Engineers, Industrial Engineers, and Electrical Engineers. The average salary at Rivian Automotive Llc for the jobs listed above is $104,899.02.

Lucid Usa, Inc. is a company based in Newark, CA that has hired a total of 1,353 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 7 locations, with the majority of hires in CA. The primary jobs hired include Mechanical Engineers, Automotive Engineers, and Industrial Engineers. The average salary at Lucid Usa, Inc. for the jobs listed above is $121,784.33.

Banking.

Jpmorgan Chase & Co. is a company based in Chicago, IL that has hired a total of 20,109 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 34 locations, with the majority of hires in NY. The primary jobs hired include Software Developers, Applications, Financial Analysts, and Computer Systems Analysts. The average salary at Jpmorgan Chase & Co. for the jobs listed above is $103,501.09.

Bank Of America N.a. is a company based in New York, NY that has hired a total of 8,422 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 32 locations, with the majority of hires in NC. The primary jobs hired include Software Developers, Applications, Operations Research Analysts, and Financial Analysts. The average salary at Bank Of America N.a. for the jobs listed above is $92,438.60.

Fidelity Technology Group Llc is a company based in Merrimack, NH that has hired a total of 4,137 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 29 locations, with the majority of hires in NC. The primary jobs hired include Software Developers, Applications, Computer Systems Analysts, and Database Administrators. The average salary at Fidelity Technology Group Llc for the jobs listed above is $92,762.50.

Fidelity Brokerage Services Llc is a company based in Merrimack, NH that has hired a total of 1,453 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 14 locations, with the majority of hires in NC. The primary jobs hired include Software Developers, Applications, Computer Systems Analysts, and Operations Research Analysts. The average salary at Fidelity Brokerage Services Llc for the jobs listed above is $87,209.91.

Capital One Services, Llc is a company based in Richmond, VA that has hired a total of 6,715 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 17 locations, with the majority of hires in VA. The primary jobs hired include Software Developers, Applications, Operations Research Analysts, and Statisticians. The average salary at Capital One Services, Llc for the jobs listed above is $86,114.85.

Blackrock Financial Management, Inc. is a company based in New York, NY that has hired a total of 4,174 H1B Visa Employees as of Aug. 2025 across 28 locations, with the majority of hires in NY. The primary jobs hired include Software Developers, Applications, Financial Analysts, and Financial Quantitative Analysts. The average salary at Blackrock Financial Management, Inc. for the jobs listed above is $93,078.00.