High salary: it's about the comparison, not the number

"Evidence that the alien has commanded a high salary or other significantly high remuneration for services, in relation to others in the field" is the criterion people most often misunderstand, because they focus entirely on the number and skip the "in relation to others" part — which is actually the whole test. A $200,000 salary means something completely different in different fields, different geographies, and different seniority levels. The evidence file needs to establish the comparison, not just the figure: - A credible, dated compensation survey or wage data source for the specific field and, ideally, the specific geography - A clear showing of where your compensation sits relative to that data — not just "I make a good salary," but "this places me at or above the Nth percentile for this role and location" - Total remuneration, not just base salary, where relevant — bonuses, equity, and other compensation can matter, but need to be documented and, where the comparison source only covers base salary, explained rather than just added in A high number with no comparison data attached is really just an assertion. The comparison is the evidence; the number by itself isn't.