10 Highest-Paying E-3 Visa Sponsors in the U.S.

The highest-paying E-3 visa sponsors are not the names you would expect. The biggest filers, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft, sit in the middle on pay at roughly $160,000 to $200,000. The top of the market is a different group: a few Big Law firms, the fast-growing AI labs, and one Australian financial group.

The ranking below covers the ten highest-paying E-3 sponsors by average certified wage, based on Department of Labor disclosure data for the first half of fiscal year 2026.

1. Simpson Thacher and Bartlett

• Average certified wage: around $376,000
• Primary role: Lawyers (SOC 23-1011)
• Primary worksite: New York

Simpson Thacher pays more than any other E-3 sponsor on this list. E-3 lawyer roles need US bar admission, so the pool of eligible candidates is small and the pay reflects partner-track billing rates. The firm sponsors senior associates on a partner track, not pre-bar juniors. The usual way in is a lateral associate move after you have qualified, often through the firm's Sydney relationships.

2. PSA Airlines

• Average certified wage: around $350,000
• Primary role: Commercial Pilots (SOC 53-2011)
• Parent: American Airlines

This entry comes with a caveat. Commercial airline pilot does not normally meet the E-3 specialty occupation standard. The FAA does not require a degree in a specific field for an Air Transport Pilot certificate, and the E-3 rules require a bachelor's degree in the specialty as the minimum to enter the role. A pilot job can qualify only when it is tied to a specific aviation or aviation-management degree and the duties back that up. If you hold an Australian Air Transport Pilot Licence, FAA validation lets you fly, but it does not on its own make the role a specialty occupation.

3. Allen Overy Shearman Sterling

• Average certified wage: around $343,000
• Primary role: Lawyers (SOC 23-1011)
• Primary worksite: New York

Allen Overy Shearman Sterling is one of the largest transatlantic practices operating in the US, with billing rates at the senior associate level. The E-3 is the firm's default visa for people moving from the Sydney or Perth offices, since it does not touch the H-1B cap. The lateral roles that drive these filings go to candidates with New York bar admission, a US Master of Laws, or both.

4. Kirkland and Ellis

• Average certified wage: around $333,000
• Primary role: Lawyers (SOC 23-1011)
• Primary worksites: New York, Chicago

Bar-admitted senior associates earn top-of-market pay, and the candidate pool stays small because US bar admission gates entry. The pipeline runs through the firm's Sydney and London offices into New York and Chicago, and the realistic entry point is a lateral associate move after you have qualified at a comparable Australian firm.

5. OpenAI

• Average certified wage: around $321,000, the highest of any tech sponsor
• E-3 filings: on pace for about 22 this year, up from 7 in 2025
• Top roles: Research Scientists, Software Developers, Machine Learning Engineers
• Primary worksites: San Francisco, New York

Most of the hiring sits in senior engineering and research roles, with equity on top of the certified base. The standard route is a direct application followed by a recruiter conversation. For research-track roles, a strong publication record or prior work at a leading AI lab is what makes a candidate competitive.

6. Meta

• Average certified wage: around $237,000, the highest of the high-volume Big Tech sponsors
• Top roles: Software Developers, Research Scientists, Product Managers, Machine Learning Engineers
• Primary worksites: Menlo Park, New York, Seattle, Bellevue

The pay reflects a tilt toward senior engineering and research roles, with the AI research and Reality Labs teams the most active. Meta pairs top Big Tech pay with steady filing volume, which makes it one of the stronger targets here for experienced engineers and researchers. Openings show up more consistently than they do at the AI labs above it.

7. Anthropic

• Average certified wage: around $222,000
• E-3 filings: on pace for about 30 this year, up from 5 in 2025
• Top roles: Software Developers, Research Scientists, Machine Learning Engineers
• Primary worksites: San Francisco, New York, Seattle

The numbers are still small, but for candidates with strong AI credentials the E-3 is a faster route than the H-1B lottery. A PhD or a strong publication record is typical for research roles, and senior engineering roles are within reach too. If you want to skip the lottery entirely, the growth is worth watching.

8. Google

• Average certified wage: around $220,000
• E-3 filings: on pace for about 110 this year, roughly level with the 122 it filed in 2025
• Top roles: Software Developers, Research Scientists, Product Managers, UX Designers
• Primary worksites: Mountain View, San Francisco, New York, Sunnyvale

For Australians, Google opens more roles at top-of-market pay than any other Big Tech employer on this list. Software developer and product manager jobs are the highest-volume E-3 categories, and research scientist filings are climbing. For experienced candidates, it is the most dependable high-wage, high-volume target in Big Tech.

9. Macquarie Group

• Average certified wage: around $150,000 to $250,000
• Combined E-3 filings: on pace for about 87 this year
• Top roles: Financial Analysts, Investment Bankers, Software Developers
• Primary worksite: New York
• Filing entities: Macquarie Holdings USA, Macquarie Global Services USA, Macquarie Asset Management US

Macquarie is the highest-paying Australian-owned E-3 sponsor here. Investment-banking roles reach Big Tech wage levels, while the lower end of the range reflects analyst-level jobs. The firm's immigration team treats the E-3 as the default for Sydney-to-New York moves, which makes it the most natural cultural fit on the list.

How E-3 sponsors rank by wage versus volume

Pay and filing volume run in opposite directions. The employers that pay the most file the fewest E-3s, while the ones that file the most, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft, pay closer to the middle at roughly $160,000 to $200,000. The AI labs sit between the two, with high pay and quickly rising volume. That leaves two strategies. Apply broadly to the high-volume employers for better odds, or focus on top-of-market pay at a shorter list of targets.

How to find a high-paying E-3 job

The fastest route to these wage tiers is to target employers that have sponsored E-3 visas before, then check the wage level on their past filings. A published average can sit a tier or two above an individual role, so an employer's prior filings are the clearest signal of what a realistic offer looks like.

Migrate Mate's job board lists visa sponsorship roles from verified employers, including those with a history of certified E-3 filings.

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