Postdoc Salaries at Top US Universities in 2026 and How They Compare With H-1B Wage Levels

Stanford starts postdocs at $79,056, Caltech at $75,268, the UC system at $71,491 and Yale holds at $68,500. Here is how each floor compares with the H-1B wage you are owed.

Part of our guide to H-1B wage levels.

Status as of November 1, 2026. Postdoc salary by university, from each school's own published minimum: Stanford $79,056, Caltech $75,268, MIT $73,308, the University of California (UCSF, UC San Diego and every other campus) $71,491 and Yale $68,500, with Harvard not verified. On an H-1B, none of these is your legal floor on its own: your employer must pay the higher of its actual wage and the Department of Labor (DOL) prevailing wage on your Labor Condition Application (LCA). DOL's plan to raise wage levels (RIN 1205-AC30, published 2026-03-27) is still proposed, so current levels apply. The $100,000 H-1B entry payment is blocked by court orders. Florida's pause on new H-1B hires at its 12 public universities (to at least 2027-01-05) and Texas's freeze on new petitions at public universities (to 2027-05-31) are in effect.

Postdoc salary by university: the short answer

As of November 2026, published postdoc minimums at the top US universities we checked run from $68,500 at Yale (FY26 floor, still in effect) to $79,056 at Stanford (FY27), with Caltech at $75,268, MIT at $73,308 and the UC system at $71,491. These are institutional floors. An H-1B postdoc must also be paid at least the DOL prevailing wage for the job and worksite.

Postdoc minimum salary 2026 by university

University postdoc minimums, as of 2026-11 (each school's own page, checked November 1-2, 2026)

The figures come from Stanford's Funding Rates and Guidelines page, Caltech's minimum postdoctoral scholar salary summary, MIT's Postdoctoral Salary and Health Insurance Rates page, the University of California's Table 23 salary scale and Yale's Postdoctoral Compensation page. We did not use salary aggregators, which mix job titles, years and benefits.

How much did postdoc minimums rise this year?

Stanford's entry minimum rose from $76,383 (FY26) to $79,056, Caltech's from $72,723 to $75,268 and UC's Level 0 from $69,073 to $71,491, about 3.5% each (our arithmetic). MIT's page does not show its previous rate; Yale's floor did not move. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported wages and salaries up 3.1% over the 12 months to Q3 2026 in its Employment Cost Index, and consumer prices up 3.7% over the year to September 2026 in its CPI release. A 3.5% raise beat wage growth but trailed prices; a frozen floor lost ground on both (our reading).

School by school: Stanford, UCSF, Caltech, MIT, Yale and Harvard

Stanford postdoc salary

Stanford places you by months of research experience "at Stanford or other institution," from $79,056 at zero months to $81,053 at 60 months or more (61 to 72 months by exception only). The table moves month by month, so 16 months pays at least $79,584. "Faculty must meet the minimum and may choose to pay above this amount in an equitable manner," and "Funding paid in foreign currency must meet or exceed the minimum in USD," which matters if a home-country fellowship pays you. New minimums are published each spring and take effect September 1.

UCSF and UC San Diego postdoc salary

Every UC campus uses the systemwide Table 23 scale, set by experience level: $71,491 (0-11 months), $74,140 (12-23), $76,881 (24-35), $79,727 (36-47), $82,677 (48-59) and $85,736 (60-71 months, by exception), all effective 2026-10-01. The table's note says: "Rates listed above are minimum rates paid for Experience Level." A lab can pay more, so get any campus supplement in your offer letter.

Caltech postdoc salary

Caltech lists one minimum, $75,268 from 2026-10-01, and names its collective bargaining agreement as the governing authority since 2025-10-01 (the Provost's Office set it before). Ask whether the agreement covers your appointment.

MIT postdoc salary

MIT sets one minimum for all postdoctoral scholars, $73,308 from 2026-07-01, with no experience tiers, and caps pay: "The maximum postdoctoral salary is $90,000." Exceptions go through the dean's office.

Yale postdoc salary

Yale lists FY26 minimums from $68,500 (Year 1) to $72,400 (Year 6). The FY26 policy "remains in effect" because, "as is customary when a union election is announced," changes to terms of employment, "including minimum compensation," are paused. Increases come at your annual reappointment. Visa holders seeking compensation above salary must contact their OISS advisor, because it "may not be allowable under their visa."

Harvard postdoc salary

Harvard appoints postdocs through its schools, such as the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Medical School. Neither school's postdoc pages would open for us on November 1-2, 2026, so we print no figure. Ask the school's postdoc office for the current minimum, its effective date and your experience step, in writing.

Do university postdoc minimums meet the H-1B prevailing wage?

Not automatically. A university minimum is a policy floor; the H-1B floor is a legal one, and your employer must pay whichever is higher. Cap-exempt status removes the lottery, not this wage rule.

DOL's Fact Sheet #62G says the H-1B employer "must pay its H-1B worker(s) at least the 'required' wage," which is "the higher of the prevailing wage or the employer's actual wage," as 20 CFR 655.731 also provides. Three pieces decide your number:

• The actual wage. What the university pays others with similar experience and qualifications in the same job. The published postdoc scale is usually the visible part of it (our reading).
• The prevailing wage. Set by the occupation code (SOC), the worksite area and the wage level (I to IV); our guide to DOL prevailing wage levels for H-1B in 2026 explains the levels.
• The academic wage pool. For a university, an affiliated or related nonprofit, or a nonprofit or government research organization, 655.731(a)(2)(vii) says "the prevailing wage level shall only take into account employees at such institutions and organizations in the area of intended employment." This ACWIA wage can differ from the all-industry figure for the same job.

DOL's FLAG wage data page posts the current files (wage year July 2026 to June 2027). For the federal benchmark many labs quote, see our NIH postdoc salary scale vs H-1B wage levels breakdown.

Universities file cap-exempt petitions, so there is no lottery; our cap-exempt university and research hospital H-1B guide explains who qualifies. Under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(vii) a cap-exempt petition gets no cap-gap extension, so its timing against your OPT end date matters; ask your DSO and the international office how they plan it. An unpublished USCIS draft rule, "Reforming the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program" (RIN 1615-AD00), has been under OIRA review since 2026-08-24. Its agenda abstract mentions "revising eligibility for cap exemptions," and no text is public.

What DOL's proposed wage rule would change

Prevailing wage levels, as of 2026-11

The current percentiles are as summarized by the Congressional Research Service in CRS Insight IN12747 (2026-10-14). The NPRM is proposed: no final rule exists and none is at the White House for review. Do not assume how a final version would treat the academic wage pool.

If you are abroad: the $100,000 payment

Proclamation 11069 keeps the $100,000 H-1B entry restriction on paper until 2027-09-21, but the USCIS I-129 page says a court "vacated agency guidance implementing the $100,000 payment requirement," so the payment is blocked and not being collected; DHS says it still plans to collect if that order is lifted. USCIS's H-1B page says it never applied to a change of status, amendment or extension USCIS grants inside the US. Still, CRS reported that initial H-1B petitions for consular processing from cap-exempt employers fell 91% in the fee's first eight months versus a year earlier. If you need a consular H-1B, ask the university's immigration attorney how it is planning for this.

Worked example: two offers, two visas, one start date

Say you have 16 months of postdoctoral experience and two offers starting Monday, 2027-01-04: a UC campus on a cap-exempt H-1B, and Stanford on a J-1. The figures use published minimums only.

Offer comparison worksheet, as of 2026-11

On paper the Stanford offer is $5,444 higher in gross pay, and payroll tax widens the gap only while you remain a nonresident. That window can be short: under IRS Publication 519, you are not an exempt teacher or trainee if you were exempt as a teacher, trainee or student for any part of 2 of the 6 preceding calendar years, so a postdoc who did a US PhD on F-1 may already be a tax resident. On status, an H-1B lets you pursue an employment-based green card, while a J-1 subject to 212(e) can block a later H-1B or green card until the requirement is met or waived. Check both with each international office and a tax professional who handles nonresident returns.

Is a J-1 postdoc paid less than an H-1B postdoc?

Not under the university's own minimum, which follows your title rather than your visa. The differences sit elsewhere:

• No LCA, no prevailing wage. A J-1 appointment is not filed with DOL, so the university minimum is usually the effective floor; UC's scale covers Fellow and Paid Direct titles too.
• Payroll tax. The IRS page on Social Security taxes for aliens employed in the US says F-1, J-1, M-1 and Q-1 nonimmigrants are exempt on wages for allowed services performed to carry out the purposes of their admission, and that the exemption does not apply once they become resident aliens for tax purposes.
• Program limits. Under 22 CFR 62.20, research scholars can stay up to five years, then face a two-year bar on repeating the category. Funding can also trigger the 212(e) home residency rule; the 2024 Skills List dropped China and India, so for them funding is the trigger to check.
• Scrutiny, not findings. A DOL Inspector General release (2026-10-09) says subpoenas went to nine universities, including Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Caltech and MIT, over "alleged misuse and misclassification within J-1 visa programs." There were no findings as of 2026-10-28.

Our comparison of J-1 vs H-1B for researchers, doctors and postdocs covers the status trade-offs in depth.

Can a postdoc negotiate salary on a visa?

Yes, above the floor. Your leverage is mostly placement and timing, and your visa sets hard edges.

• Experience placement. Stanford and UC tier minimums by months of experience and Yale by year; MIT and Caltech list one minimum. If prior months elsewhere are not counted, you start lower, so send dates and appointment letters.
• Timing. Stanford's minimums change on September 1, UC's and Caltech's on October 1, and MIT's current rate took effect July 1. Ask whether your salary resets on that date.
• Ceilings. MIT caps postdoc pay at $90,000 unless the dean's office approves an exception.
• H-1B edges. A raise is fine; pay below the required wage is not, so discuss any "temporary" cut with the international office first. Teaching or consulting for another employer needs its own work authorization. The actual wage vs prevailing wage paystub check shows how to read your pay against the LCA.
• J-1 edges. Extra pay or a new funding source can require an update to your DS-2019. Ask your J-1 responsible officer before you accept it.

Florida and Texas public universities: check the H-1B route first

Florida's Board of Governors paused new H-1B hires at its 12 public universities from 2026-03-02 until at least 2027-01-05, renewals excepted, according to Central Florida Public Media. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott's 2026-01-27 letter bars public institutions of higher education, and state agencies with a governor-appointed head, from filing any new H-1B petition without the Texas Workforce Commission's written permission until 2027-05-31. Private universities fall outside both (our reading). At a covered campus, ask which status the university can sponsor before you accept; our guide to cap-exempt jobs in Texas and Florida after the freezes lists the employers outside them.

Step by step: check a postdoc offer before you sign

1. Open the university's postdoc office page; note the minimum, your experience step and the effective date.
2. Ask the international scholars office (OISS or ISSO) which status it will sponsor: H-1B, J-1 or continued OPT.
3. Request, for an H-1B, the SOC code and wage level planned for your LCA (Form ETA-9035).
4. Look up that code and worksite in DOL's FLAG wage data, using the academic (ACWIA) figures if the employer is a university or a nonprofit or government research organization.
5. Compare the offered salary, the institutional minimum and the LCA prevailing wage. An H-1B salary must meet the higher of the actual and prevailing wage.
6. Confirm in writing how your prior months were counted and when your next increase lands.
7. Check with your DSO if you start on OPT or STEM OPT. The unemployment limits of 90 days, or 150 in total with STEM OPT, in ICE's SEVP broadcast message are in effect, and a cap-exempt H-1B has no cap-gap bridge.
8. Ask a tax professional who handles nonresident returns how your status and prior US years affect payroll tax and filing.

Common mistakes

• Treating the university minimum as the H-1B wage. The legal floor is the higher of the actual and prevailing wage.
• Losing experience credit. Uncounted prior postdoc months can cost you a step on the scale.
• Assuming a J-1 means no payroll tax. The exemption lasts only while you are a nonresident, and earlier US years count.
• Accepting extra pay without a check. A teaching stipend, consulting or a second funder can raise visa questions on J-1 and H-1B alike.
• Assuming a Florida or Texas public university can file a new H-1B. Ask before you accept.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum postdoc salary at Harvard, Stanford or UCSF?

Stanford's FY27 minimum is $79,056 for a new postdoc, effective 2026-09-01. UCSF follows the University of California scale, which starts at $71,491 (Level 0) from 2026-10-01. We could not verify a current Harvard figure in early November 2026, so ask your Harvard school's postdoc office for the number and its effective date in writing.

Do university postdoc minimums meet the H-1B prevailing wage?

Not automatically. Under 20 CFR 655.731(a), an H-1B employer must pay the higher of its actual wage and the DOL prevailing wage on the Labor Condition Application; for a university, that prevailing wage comes only from similar academic and research employers in the area. DOL's proposal to raise wage levels (RIN 1205-AC30) is still proposed as of 2026-11-01, so current levels apply.

Is a J-1 postdoc paid less than an H-1B postdoc?

Not under the university's own minimum, which follows your title rather than your visa. A J-1 has no Labor Condition Application, so no federal prevailing-wage floor applies, and J-1 holders who are nonresidents for tax purposes are exempt from Social Security and Medicare tax, which H-1B workers generally pay. Earlier US years as a student or researcher can end that exemption quickly.

Can a postdoc negotiate salary?

Yes, above the floor. Stanford lets faculty pay above its minimum in an equitable manner, and Stanford and UC place you by months of prior experience, which you can document. On an H-1B, pay can rise but cannot fall below the required wage on your LCA, and extra pay from another source needs a check with your international office first.

Do postdoc unions set pay at UC campuses?

Yes. UAW 4811 is the exclusive representative of UC postdoctoral scholars under a contract in effect from 2022-12-09 through 2027-09-30, and the UC salary scale applies to covered postdocs to the extent the contract provides. The scale effective 2026-10-01 runs from $71,491 (Level 0) to $85,736 (Level 5), and UC's bargaining unit page says no negotiations are active.

Sources

• Stanford Office of Postdoctoral Affairs: Funding Rates and Guidelines
• Caltech: Minimum Postdoctoral Scholar Salary summary
• MIT Postdoctoral Services: Postdoctoral Salary and Health Insurance Rates
• University of California: 2026-27 academic salary scales and Table 23; postdoc bargaining unit (PX)
• Yale Office for Postdoctoral Affairs: Postdoctoral Compensation
• DOL: Fact Sheet #62G; FLAG wage data; 20 CFR 655.731; OIG press release, 2026-10-09
• Federal Register: DOL prevailing-wage NPRM
• Congressional Research Service: Insight IN12747, H-1B Executive Actions in 2026
• USCIS: Form I-129 page; H-1B specialty occupations
• ICE: SEVP Broadcast Message 2101-01
• eCFR: 22 CFR 62.20
• IRS: Aliens employed in the US, Social Security taxes; Publication 519
• BLS: Employment Cost Index; Consumer Price Index
• Office of the Texas Governor: H-1B letter to state agency heads, 2026-01-27

How we checked this: we read each university's own postdoc pay page or salary-scale PDF on November 1-2, 2026, and checked the wage, tax and policy points against DOL, eCFR, Federal Register, CRS, USCIS, ICE, IRS and BLS pages.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice; your offer letter, LCA, DS-2019 or I-20 and your international office, DSO or attorney govern over anything published here.

A postdoc offer is a salary decision and a status decision at once. If you are weighing an academic offer against an industry role that sponsors, F1Jobs can help you build a target list and a search plan around your visa timeline.