H1B Geography Is Not Random
More than 60% of all H1B petitions are filed from five states. Understanding the geographic concentration of H1B sponsorship tells you where to focus your job search if immigration support is a priority — and where approval rates are likely to be strongest.
This breakdown is based on USCIS petition data accessible through the Work Visa Insights H1B Location Intelligence module.
How to Read This Data
For each state, the key metrics are:
- Petition volume — total H1B filings from worksites in that state
- Employer count — distinct employers filing from that state
- Approval rate — share of petitions approved (state-level aggregate)
- Leading city — the metro driving the most volume
The Top 10 H1B States
#1 California
California consistently leads all states in H1B petition volume, driven by the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego tech ecosystems. The Bay Area alone accounts for a significant portion of national H1B volume through its concentration of technology companies.
- Leading metro: San Francisco / San Jose
- Dominant industries: Software, hardware, semiconductors, biotech
- Approval profile: Above-average (large tech companies drive high approval rates)
#2 Texas
Texas has grown rapidly in H1B volume as technology and financial services operations have expanded in Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Houston. The state's relatively lower cost of living has attracted large employers relocating or expanding operations.
- Leading metro: Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin
- Dominant industries: Technology, financial services, energy
- Approval profile: Average to above-average
#3 New York
New York's volume is driven primarily by financial services and consulting in New York City, with healthcare and academic institutions contributing significantly.
- Leading metro: New York City
- Dominant industries: Finance, consulting, healthcare, media
- Approval profile: Variable — finance roles perform well; consulting roles see elevated scrutiny
#4 New Jersey
New Jersey's H1B volume is significant partly because many employers headquartered or operating in New York City designate New Jersey worksites, and partly due to the state's own pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.
- Leading metro: Newark, Jersey City (NYC metro)
- Dominant industries: Pharmaceuticals, technology, financial services
- Approval profile: Average
#5 Washington State
Seattle's dominance of the Pacific Northwest tech scene drives Washington State's H1B volume, with Amazon and Microsoft anchoring massive sponsorship programs.
- Leading metro: Seattle
- Dominant industries: Cloud computing, e-commerce, aerospace
- Approval profile: Above-average
#6 Illinois
Chicago is a financial, consulting, and technology hub that drives most of Illinois' H1B volume.
- Leading metro: Chicago
- Dominant industries: Finance, consulting, technology
- Approval profile: Average
#7 Georgia
Atlanta has emerged as a significant H1B metro due to its growing technology sector and concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters.
- Leading metro: Atlanta
- Dominant industries: Technology, logistics, financial services, media
- Approval profile: Average
#8 Massachusetts
Boston's biotech and academic cluster, combined with its financial technology and healthcare technology companies, drives high H1B volume.
- Leading metro: Boston
- Dominant industries: Biotech, healthcare, finance, academia
- Approval profile: Above-average (academic and research institutions contribute)
#9 Virginia
Northern Virginia's technology sector — driven by government contractors, cloud providers (AWS HQ), and cybersecurity firms — produces substantial H1B volume.
- Leading metro: Northern Virginia / Washington DC metro
- Dominant industries: Technology, defence contracting, cybersecurity
- Approval profile: Average
#10 Pennsylvania
Philadelphia's healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors combined with Pittsburgh's growing technology presence drive Pennsylvania's H1B filings.
- Leading metro: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
- Dominant industries: Healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology
- Approval profile: Average to above-average
How to Explore State-Level H1B Data
Navigate to H1B → Locations on Work Visa Insights:
- The State Leaderboard shows petition volume and approval rate for every state as animated rows
- Click any state to open the State Profile — including top employers filing from that state, leading cities, industry breakdown, and market signals
- Drill into any city to open the City Profile — showing which specific employers are actively filing from that worksite
This is the data layer that lets you match your target geography with employers who are actively sponsoring in that market.
Use Location Intelligence in Your Job Search
Open H1B Location Intelligence → to explore state and city-level sponsorship data, and filter by fiscal year to see current-cycle patterns.