If you are planning a move to the United States for work, the job you target matters as much as the visa route you choose. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has published fresh pay and jobs data in its Occupational Outlook Handbook, August 2026 edition, covering 2025 median pay and projections to 2035. Below are four careers that combine strong US pay with realistic employer-sponsorship routes for foreign workers. Every salary figure here is a national median from BLS, not a promised offer: half of workers in the occupation earned more, and half earned less.
1. Advanced Practice Nurses: $134,920 Median Pay
BLS groups nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners together, and reports a median annual wage of $134,920 in May 2025 for the group. Employment in these roles is projected to grow 36 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 32,200 openings projected each year on average over the decade.
Why this matters for foreign workers: advanced practice nursing requires at least a master’s degree in an advanced practice role, state licensure and a national certification exam. That high barrier to entry is exactly why US employers sponsor qualified nurses. If you are already a registered nurse, the realistic long-term path is to qualify as a nurse practitioner or a similar advanced role, rather than expecting an advanced-practice salary on a basic nursing qualification.
2. Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers: $134,040 Median Pay
BLS reports 2025 median pay of $134,040 per year for software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers, with a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. Employment is projected to grow 10 percent from 2025 to 2035, with 185,400 new jobs expected over the decade, and 1,905,400 jobs counted in 2025.
For foreign workers, software development remains the most common sponsorship route in US technology, usually through the H-1B specialty-occupation visa or an employer-sponsored green card. A degree, a strong portfolio and experience with in-demand tools matter more than certificates alone. Be realistic, though: sponsorship is competitive, and employers sponsor for roles they cannot easily fill locally.
3. Computer Programmers: $100,390 Median Pay
BLS reports a median annual wage of $100,390 in May 2025 for computer programmers, who typically need a bachelor’s degree. Here is the honest warning: employment of computer programmers is projected to decline 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, even though about 4,400 openings are still projected each year, mostly to replace workers who leave the occupation.
The lesson is to aim at growing specialisms, such as software development and testing, rather than routine programming alone. If your background is in programming, repositioning yourself as a developer or QA specialist gives you a stronger sponsorship case than competing in a shrinking occupation.
4. Registered Nurses: $97,550 Median Pay
BLS reports a median annual wage of $97,550 in May 2025 for registered nurses, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $68,940 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $137,470. Employment is projected to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 180,800 openings projected each year on average.
Nursing is one of the most practical sponsorship routes for workers from Pakistan, India, the Philippines and Nigeria, because US hospitals and care employers recruit internationally and registered nurses are in steady demand. The steps are demanding, including credential evaluation, English testing and US state licensure, but the route is well established. Never pay an agent who promises a nursing job for an upfront fee without a verifiable employer offer: legitimate employers do not sell job offers.
How to Use These Figures in Your Job Search
- Target the growing roles first. Advanced practice nursing (36 percent growth) and software development (10 percent growth) are expanding; routine programming is shrinking.
- Compare medians, not headlines. A median is the middle of the range. Your actual offer will depend on your experience, qualifications, employer and location.
- Check the visa route before you apply. Confirm the employer genuinely sponsors foreign workers for that role, and apply only through official employer channels or licensed recruiters.
- Build the qualification the role requires. A master’s degree for advanced nursing, a bachelor’s degree plus a portfolio for software roles, and US licensure for nursing are non-negotiable in most cases.
- Watch out for scams. No genuine employer charges you for a job offer, a visa petition or a labour certification. If anyone asks for payment for a job, walk away.
What This Means for You
The highest-paying sponsorship-friendly careers in the US are not secret or unusual jobs: they are nursing and technology roles with real qualifications behind them. If you already work in one of these fields, your next step is to match your credentials to US requirements and target employers with a genuine sponsorship history. If you are still choosing a career, the BLS data points clearly toward healthcare and software, where demand is growing and pay reflects the skill involved.
Figures in this guide are BLS national medians for May 2025, published in the August 2026 Occupational Outlook Handbook. They describe the US labour market as a whole, not any single employer’s offer, and they do not guarantee sponsorship. Always verify current requirements on official sources before you apply.