IBM
H-1B salaries and sponsorship, from 3,341 certified filings (FY2025–FY2026)
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services
- Headquarters: Armonk
- Founded 1911
- 352,600 employees (2019)
- New York Stock Exchange: IBM
- Includes 2 legal entities
At a glance
- IBM hires senior. 41% of its filings are Level III, 1.9 times the share across all H-1B employers (21%).
- Most filed: Systems Analyst. 34% of its filings. After that come Software Engineer and Systems Engineer / Architect.
- Often files at the prevailing wage. 52% of filings are at exactly the prevailing wage, which at IBM's jobs and locations has a median of $115,502.
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Percentiles from IBM's certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Jobs with at least 10 filings.
What IBM hires for
Bar: share of IBM's filings. Figure: median base salary. Top 10 jobs account for 95% of filings (38 occupations in total).
Show all 14 jobs
| Job | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Systems Analyst | $106,912 | 1,141 |
| Software Engineer | $169,470 | 750 |
| Systems Engineer / Architect | $121,514 | 516 |
| QA Engineer | $116,999 | 279 |
| Data Scientist | $173,032 | 126 |
| Programmer Analyst | $97,503 | 120 |
| Data Engineer | $148,061 | 110 |
| Research Scientist (Computer Science) | $232,992 | 68 |
| Database Administrator | $113,859 | 43 |
| Computer Hardware Engineer | $160,500 | 37 |
| IT Manager | $241,606 | 27 |
| Information Security Analyst | $167,430 | 24 |
| Management Consultant | $192,758 | 18 |
| Network Architect | $159,510 | 17 |
Jobs with at least 10 filings at IBM.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 0% of filings
Mid-level · 33% of filings
Senior · 41% of filings
Expert · 26% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $112,211 | 1,119 |
| Senior · Level III | $113,327 | 1,359 |
| Expert · Level IV | $178,314 | 863 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Where IBM files
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 40 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $146,022 | 540 |
| Dallas, TX | $122,949 | 333 |
| Atlanta, GA | $109,429 | 231 |
| San Jose, CA | $201,244 | 191 |
| Durham, NC | $113,916 | 190 |
| Chicago, IL | $108,722 | 152 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $103,875 | 139 |
| Boston, MA | $154,502 | 130 |
| Austin, TX | $161,914 | 120 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $106,974 | 116 |
| San Antonio, TX | $104,749 | 82 |
| Sacramento, CA | $113,724 | 78 |
| Portland, OR | $112,382 | 69 |
| San Francisco, CA | $171,312 | 59 |
| Houston, TX | $155,015 | 56 |
| Washington, DC | $150,468 | 48 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $125,587 | 41 |
| Charlotte, NC | $118,102 | 41 |
| Columbus, OH | $115,125 | 38 |
| Bloomington, IL | $102,794 | 37 |
| Miami, FL | $110,219 | 36 |
| Albany, NY | $140,004 | 33 |
| Kansas, MO | $103,730 | 33 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $110,885 | 33 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $108,950 | 31 |
| Seattle, WA | $190,422 | 30 |
| Denver, CO | $127,941 | 29 |
| Monroe, LA | $87,027 | 29 |
| St. Louis, MO | $100,256 | 29 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $72,405 | 28 |
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $166,001 | 26 |
| Boise, ID | $92,976 | 23 |
| Raleigh, NC | $113,547 | 23 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $138,398 | 22 |
| Richmond, VA | $116,515 | 16 |
| Cleveland, OH | $84,178 | 15 |
| Trenton, NJ | $110,926 | 15 |
| Orlando, FL | $104,146 | 13 |
| San Diego, CA | $116,626 | 11 |
| Syracuse, NY | $99,861 | 10 |
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $91,000 |
| 25th | $105,019 |
| 50th (median) | $126,818 |
| 75th | $165,504 |
| 90th | $205,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $85,467 | $77,131 | $100,651 | 3,597 |
| FY2021 | $90,189 | $77,917 | $101,587 | 1,597 |
| FY2022 | $94,793 | $84,110 | $114,483 | 2,058 |
| FY2023 | $104,513 | $89,589 | $131,498 | 2,207 |
| FY2024 | $111,238 | $97,718 | $144,271 | 3,139 |
| FY2025 | $118,456 | $103,376 | $154,502 | 2,605 |
| FY2026 | $157,635 | $133,533 | $195,892 | 736 |
Pay vs. prevailing wage
Filing at exactly the prevailing wage does not mean low pay: at senior levels and in high-cost areas the prevailing wage itself is high.
By legal entity
| Legal entity | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| IBM Corporation | $126,818 | 3,335 |
| IBM Global Systems Inc | too few | 6 |
IBM files under several company names; this page adds them up. Median shown at 10+ filings.
Job titles at IBM
| Job title | Median | Middle 50% | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application Developer | $108,722 | $99.9k–$124.5k | 602 |
| Package Consultant | $110,926 | $100.7k–$143.6k | 199 |
| Application Architect | $133,526 | $113k–$157k | 165 |
| Software Developer | $183,752 | $167.5k–$201.8k | 137 |
| Project Manager | $116,106 | $104.8k–$126.8k | 89 |
| Data Engineer | $116,511 | $98.7k–$131.2k | 82 |
| Software Engineer | $102,003 | $102k–$141.3k | 81 |
| Package Specialist | $108,722 | $97.5k–$139.3k | 71 |
| Test Specialist | $79,789 | $72.4k–$101.9k | 54 |
| Quality Engineer | $100,236 | $87.3k–$103.4k | 49 |
| Application Consultant | $122,179 | $106.9k–$148.6k | 48 |
| Technical Consultant | $109,429 | $108.7k–$119.2k | 43 |
| Technical Lead | $109,429 | $101.4k–$127.2k | 43 |
| Senior Managing Consultant | $196,413 | $185.9k–$208k | 40 |
| Data Scientist | $168,111 | $142.8k–$184.6k | 39 |
Show 28 more
| Job title | Median | Middle 50% | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Analyst | $121,524 | $102k–$130.7k | 32 |
| Managing Consultant | $158,701 | $138.6k–$174.7k | 30 |
| Research Scientist | $207,558 | $200.2k–$228.4k | 25 |
| Business Transformation Consultant | $119,659 | $110.9k–$126.3k | 24 |
| Infrastructure Specialist | $101,172 | $92.3k–$109.4k | 24 |
| Product Manager | $154,066 | $138.5k–$201.9k | 24 |
| Senior Software Engineer | $226,522 | $131.5k–$261.3k | 22 |
| Staff Research Scientist | $245,568 | $233.8k–$261.2k | 22 |
| IT Specialist | $109,782 | $102.8k–$127.2k | 21 |
| Back End Developer | $167,357 | $152.4k–$174.7k | 20 |
| Senior Application Developer | $108,722 | $104.5k–$124.9k | 19 |
| Technical Architect | $130,208 | $121.2k–$186.6k | 19 |
| Technical Team Lead | $109,429 | $98.8k–$122.2k | 19 |
| Hardware Developer | $169,272 | $153.9k–$195k | 17 |
| Senior Software Developer | $204,380 | $189k–$235.5k | 17 |
| Application Database Administrator | $105,435 | $91.4k–$111k | 16 |
| Industry Consultant | $118,768 | $110.8k–$128.9k | 16 |
| Package Solution Consultant | $113,028 | $93k–$138.3k | 16 |
| Technical Project Manager | $112,853 | $108.6k–$124.3k | 16 |
| Senior Consultant | $134,379 | $127.5k–$154.7k | 15 |
| Solution Architect | $201,000 | $151.9k–$233.6k | 15 |
| Test Lead | $101,827 | $87.3k–$121k | 14 |
| Delivery Project Executive | $135,575 | $109.9k–$165.5k | 13 |
| Program Manager | $126,339 | $114.3k–$151.9k | 13 |
| QA Test Developer | $164,649 | $154.6k–$220.7k | 12 |
| Senior Data Scientist | $171,996 | $162.1k–$189.8k | 12 |
| Advisory Software Engineer | $200,838 | $166.9k–$220.4k | 10 |
| Senior System Engineer | $109,367 | $103.6k–$121.5k | 10 |
Job titles as written on the filings, with at least 10 filings. Middle 50%: 25th–75th percentile.
About IBM
IBM's filings list its industry as Computer Systems Design and Related Services (Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector, NAICS 5415). Its main U.S. filing address is in Durham, NC and its filings in the data run from FY2020 to FY2026 Q3. In the latest two fiscal years, the most filed jobs are Systems Analyst, Software Engineer and Systems Engineer / Architect and the main metro areas are New York, NY, Dallas, TX and Atlanta, GA. The most common wage level in those years is Level III (senior).
- Founded
- 1911
- Headquarters
- Armonk
- Employees
- 352,600 (2019)
- Website
- ibm.com
- Stock
- New York Stock Exchange: IBM
Company facts on this page: Wikidata. Salary data: U.S. Department of Labor.
Questions
Does IBM sponsor H-1B visas?
Yes. IBM filed 3,341 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications in FY2025–FY2026, the latest two fiscal years. The most recent filing in the data is from FY2026 Q3. A certified LCA is a step before the H-1B petition; it is not a visa approval.
How much does IBM pay H-1B workers?
The median base salary on IBM's H-1B filings is $126,818; half of filings fall between $105,019 and $165,504. Bonus and stock are not included.