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Prevailing Wage Lookup

Find the Department of Labor prevailing wage for any job title and work location in the United States. See all 4 OEWS wage levels — Level I (entry), Level II (qualified), Level III (experienced), Level IV (fully competent) — used for H-1B registrations, LCA filings, and PERM labor certifications.

Find DOL prevailing wages for any job title and work location. All 4 OEWS levels used for H-1B registrations, LCAs, and PERM petitions.

Compare DOL prevailing wages for up to 3 different roles and locations side by side.

Role 1
Role 2
Role 3

How This Tool Works

Enter a job title to search for the matching SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code, then select your state and metro area. The tool queries the Department of Labor's OEWS wage database and returns the prevailing wage at all 4 levels. Level I represents the 17th percentile (entry-level), Level II the 34th percentile (qualified), Level III the 50th percentile (experienced), and Level IV the 67th percentile (fully competent). These wage levels are now critically important because they directly determine your H-1B lottery odds under the FY2027 wage-weighted system.

What the Data Covers

Prevailing wages for 800+ SOC codes across 400+ metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in the United States. The OEWS program surveys approximately 1.2 million establishments to produce wage estimates.

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Tips for Using This Tool

1The same job title can map to different SOC codes — a “Software Developer” (15-1252) has different wages than a “Computer Systems Analyst” (15-1211). Make sure the SOC code matches your actual job duties.
2Compare wages across nearby metro areas — relocating to a different MSA could push you to a higher wage level with the same salary, improving your H-1B lottery odds.
3If your salary is close to a level threshold, even a small raise could move you to the next level — check the exact cutoff amounts.
4The prevailing wage on the LCA is different from the wage level used for H-1B registration. The registration wage level is based on your offered salary, not the position's requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

They use the same OEWS data but are determined differently. The LCA prevailing wage level is based on the job's education and experience requirements. The H-1B registration wage level is based on the offered salary relative to the OEWS thresholds.

Data Source & Methodology

Wage data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. The OEWS surveys approximately 1.2 million non-farm establishments semi-annually. The four wage levels correspond to percentiles: Level I (17th), Level II (34th), Level III (50th), Level IV (67th).

⚠

OEWS wages are statistical estimates based on surveys and may not reflect actual wages offered by specific employers. The data does not account for non-wage compensation like bonuses, stock options, or benefits. Some occupation-area combinations may have limited data.