Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Manifest Law.
As global talent mobility, technological innovation, and workforce development continue to shape the U.S. economy, the H-1B visa program plays an increasingly important role at their intersection.
The visa program allows American companies to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations to meet demand for high-skilled talent. Most commonly in technology, engineering, healthcare, and professional services, the H-1B program has become both a critical workforce pipeline and a focal point of political and economic scrutiny.
The program exists largely because of a persistent mismatch between the supply of specialized labor and employer demand in the U.S. economy. Even as overall employment has rebounded in recent years, many firms report difficulty filling roles that require advanced technical or scientific training, particularly in fast-growing or innovation-driven industries.
To maintain economic growth while also addressing concerns that foreign hiring could undercut domestic workers, federal rules require employers to pay H-1B workers at least the prevailing wage for their occupation and location, attest that no qualified U.S. workers are being displaced, and comply with strict labor condition and reporting requirements.
Understanding where and how heavily employers rely on H-1B workers has therefore taken on renewed importance.
It is against this backdrop that analysts from Manifest Law—a modern immigration law firm focusing on work visas—examined patterns in H-1B new hires, denial rates, and geographic and industry concentration, using the latest data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
By mapping H-1B usage across cities, the analysis highlights which parts of the U.S. economy are most dependent on the program, and where shifts in policy or enforcement may have the greatest impact. Learn more about the methodology at the end.
Here are the major metro areas with the most reliance on workers with H-1B visas.
15. Pittsburgh, PA
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 10.6
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 1,286
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 22.1
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 2,680
- Total workers: 1,212,375
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
14. Raleigh-Cary, NC
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 11.5
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 874
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 23.3
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 1,763
- Total workers: 757,583
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
13. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 11.6
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 855
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 30.1
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 2,227
- Total workers: 739,750
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Finance and Insurance
12. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 12.7
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 3,974
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 35.6
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 11,152
- Total workers: 3,133,725
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
11. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 14.8
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 4,627
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 28.5
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 8,880
- Total workers: 3,118,733
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
10. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 15.5
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 7,350
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 41.3
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 19,601
- Total workers: 4,743,317
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
9. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 17.5
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 3,606
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 43.3
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 8,930
- Total workers: 2,062,433
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
8. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 19.0
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 4,099
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 51.3
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 11,056
- Total workers: 2,153,783
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Information
7. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 23.3
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 10,024
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 48.3
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 20,730
- Total workers: 4,295,300
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
6. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 24.8
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 3,407
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 55.5
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 7,615
- Total workers: 1,371,525
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Information
5. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 25.4
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 25,510
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 55.6
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 55,881
- Total workers: 10,047,658
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
4. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 25.7
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 7,100
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 56.4
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 15,575
- Total workers: 2,760,875
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
3. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 42.5
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 14,442
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 109.8
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 37,326
- Total workers: 3,400,225
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
2. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 58.0
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 14,098
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 117.9
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 28,658
- Total workers: 2,430,400
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Total H-1B visa new hires per 10k workers: 142.1
- Total H-1B visa new hires: 16,336
- Total H-1B visa approvals per 10k workers: 341.3
- Total H-1B visa approvals: 39,231
- Total workers: 1,149,575
- Industry with most H-1B visa approvals: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Methodology
To determine the locations and industries most reliant on H-1B visa employees, researchers at Manifest Law analyzed the latest data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) 2025 H-1B Employer Data Hub and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Current Employment Statistics.
Locations were ranked by the total H-1B visa new hires per 10,000 workers in 2025. H-1B new hires were considered to be new employment approvals, new concurrent approvals, and change of employer approvals.
While the U.S. Congress mandates an annual cap for H-1B employment of 85,000 (65,000 standard and an additional 20,000 for the advanced degree exemption), there are additional exemptions for employers in higher education, non-profit research, and governmental research.
BLS employment data was for nonfarm workers and was calculated using data from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025 in order to align with the USCIS’s fiscal year data.
The researchers also calculated total H-1B visa new hires, total H-1B visa approvals per 10,000 workers, total H-1B visa approvals, total workers, and the industry with most H-1B visa approvals. Total H-1B visa approvals include continuation approvals, change with same employer approvals, and amended approvals.
For relevance, only locations with complete data and at least one approved H-1B new hire were included in the analysis. Additionally, metropolitan areas were grouped by size, with large defined as more than 1,000,000.
