Geoscientist salary in Los Angeles, CA
Based on 21 certified H-1B filings in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Pasadena, Chatsworth, Huntington Beach, Irvine.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $72,100 |
| 25th | $72,723 |
| 50th (median) | $86,880 |
| 75th | $111,391 |
| 90th | $144,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $73,150 | $59,930 | $112,273 | 10 |
| FY2021 | $79,040 | $70,410 | $120,016 | 10 |
| FY2022 | $62,400 | $57,554 | $68,731 | 11 |
| FY2023 | $83,680 | $74,899 | $97,125 | 23 |
| FY2024 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2025 | $74,992 | $72,400 | $87,660 | 12 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 9 |
Cost of living
Los Angeles's median Geoscientist salary of $86,880 is worth about $76,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $94,660 in May 2025 (810 employed). The H-1B median here is $86,880, 8% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| California Institute of Technology | too few | 7 |
| The University of Southern California | too few | 4 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | too few | 3 |
| California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 2 |
| Senior · Level III | – | 0 |
| Expert · Level IV | – | 0 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.