HEALTHCARE IS FIVE PCT OF H-1Bs

The USCIS has just released its Characteristics of H1B Specialty Occupation Workers report.  As its name implies, the report contends loads of data about the H-1B program.  Notable for readers of this blog is that Occupations in Health and Medicine made up approximately five percent of all H-1Bs petitions approved in 2012 (Table 8A).  Keep in mind that these figures include H-1B extensions and concurrent H-1Bs.  The data does not break out H-1B cap-subject petitions.

The report details a load of interesting data, including the below excerpt from the summary.  The data refutes much of the complaints about the H-1B program, including the criticism that it is used as a way to facilitate cheap foreign labor.  The median salary of $70,000 is much higher than the US median salary of $26,695.  The average Computer Programmer salary was $71,380, more or less in-line with the overall H-1B salary figure listed in this report.

·                     The number of H-1B petitions filed increased 15 percent from 267,654 in FY 2011 to 307,713 in FY 2012.

·                     The number of H-1B petitions approved decreased 3 percent from 269,653 in FY 2011 to 262,569 in FY 2012.

·                     Seventy-two percent of H-1B petitions approved in FY 2012 were for workers between the ages of 25 and 34. 

·                     Forty-six percent of H-1B petitions approved in FY 2012 were for workers with a bachelor’s degree, forty-one percent had a master’s degree, 8 percent had a doctorate, and 4 percent were for workers with a professional degree.

·                     Sixty-one percent of H-1B petitions approved in FY 2012 were for workers in computer-related occupations.

·                     The median salary of beneficiaries of approved petitions remained at $70,000 for both FYs 2011 and 2012.