XaploreH-1B and work guides: salaries, offers, the lottery and layoffs
Working in the US on a visa means your job, your pay and your immigration status are tied together. These guides cover the moments where that matters most. Start with how to read H-1B salary data from Department of Labor LCA filings, wage levels I to IV included, and how to compare tech offers by what you actually keep after RSU vesting and state tax. Then the H-1B lottery under wage-weighted selection: how entries are counted, what the odds look like and how OPT cap-gap bridges you to October 1. If a layoff comes, there is a step-by-step guide to the 60-day grace period and your four options, and an explainer on WARN notices so you can read what an employer filed. Each guide pairs with a free tool below, built from the same public data, and links its official sources. None of it is legal or tax advice: check your own situation with an attorney or your employer's immigration counsel.
Free tools for this topic
H-1B Salary LookupReal H-1B salaries by company, job title and city from Department of Labor LCA data, plus a sponsor finder for H-1B and green card employers.
Offer Comparison CalculatorCompare 2–3 offers side by side: base, bonus, sign-on, RSU vesting, refreshers, 401(k) and ESPP, with year-by-year after-tax pay in 11 states.
H-1B Odds & OPT TimelineEstimate your lottery odds by wage level and US master's under weighted selection, and map your OPT / STEM OPT timeline.
Laid Off on a Visa?A dated action plan for H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN, E-3 or OPT: 60-day grace countdown, transfer and change-of-status options, COBRA, final pay.
Layoff Tracker (WARN Notices)Search official WARN layoff and closure notices from 8 state labor agencies by company, state, date and size, with a one-tap tech filter.
Start here: the most useful first
H-1B Salary Data: How to Read LCA Wages and Wage Levels
How to read H-1B LCA salary data from the Department of Labor: prevailing vs. offered wage, wage levels I–IV, certified vs. withdrawn, and negotiation tips.
How to Compare Tech Job Offers: RSUs, Vesting and After-Tax Pay by State
Compare tech offers by what you keep: base, bonus, sign-on, RSU vesting schedules and cliffs, year 1 vs 4-year average, state tax, and why 22% RSU withholding often falls short.
H-1B Lottery Odds: How Wage-Weighted Selection Works
How the H-1B lottery works under wage-weighted selection: entries by wage level, the master's cap, estimated odds, the $100,000 fee and OPT cap-gap.
Laid Off on H-1B: The 60-Day Grace Period and Your 4 Options
Laid off on H-1B? How the 60-day grace period is counted, your four options (new employer, change of status, EAD, leaving) and the pay and COBRA deadlines.
WARN Notices Explained: Who Must File, the 60-Day Rule, and How to Read One
What a WARN notice is: the federal 60-day rule, the 100-employee and 50-worker thresholds, state laws like Cal-WARN and New York's 90 days, and how to read one.
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