A master’s degree is now the norm for H-1B visa holders

Perhaps the most striking finding in the latest USCIS annual report on H-1B workers is the educational profile of beneficiaries. More than half, 58%, held a master’s degree or higher in fiscal 2025, highlighting employers’ continued demand for advanced qualifications.

That marks a jump from the previous fiscal year, when 46% of approved H-1B applicants held a master’s degree. Bachelor’s degree holders made up 31% of fiscal 2025 beneficiaries, down from 33% a year earlier, while doctoral degree holders held steady at around 4%.

Immigration experts say the shift reflects growing demand for specialised skills in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, semiconductor design, biotechnology and advanced engineering. Compensation also varies sharply by degree: beneficiaries with professional degrees had the highest median pay at $205,000, while those with bachelor’s degrees earned a median of $132,000, and doctoral degree holders had the lowest median compensation at $105,000.

Nearly 70% of all H-1B approvals in fiscal 2025 went to workers born in India, followed by China at roughly 12%. For India, the report is another reminder that its engineering and technology workforce remains central to America’s innovation economy, even as immigration policy continues to evolve.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/by ZTebaykina