Prevailing Wage for Accountants and Auditors
The prevailing wage for Accountants and Auditors under SOC 13-2011 is set by the Department of Labor across four experience levels, from entry-level Accountant roles to senior Audit Partner positions. Whether your offer covers a Cost Accountant or Accounting Officer role, the floor differs significantly by city and filing level.
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Level 1 covers entry-level accountants with limited experience, typically recent graduates performing routine tasks under close supervision. Employers filing at this level are sponsoring candidates who need guidance on standard accounting procedures and have not yet developed independent judgment.
Level 2 applies to qualified accountants with some independent responsibility, such as managing assigned accounts or conducting audits with moderate oversight. This is the most common filing level for Accountants and Auditors, reflecting mid-career professionals who apply established methods without requiring constant supervision.
Level 3 covers experienced accountants who handle complex assignments, exercise significant independent judgment, and may guide junior staff. Typical roles include senior auditors, senior financial analysts, and CPAs managing client portfolios or leading audit engagements with limited direction from management.
Level 4 applies to fully competent accountants and auditors at the top of the profession, such as Audit Partners or Controllers. These professionals set standards, lead teams, and have broad discretion over financial strategy, reporting, or audit methodology with minimal or no supervisory oversight.
Prevailing Wage for Accountants and Auditors by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Accountants and Auditors and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your CPA status matches the filed level
Employers sometimes file L2 for a role that explicitly requires CPA licensure, which typically signals L3 scope. If your offer requires active certification and independent client responsibility, verify the filed wage level reflects that, not a generic qualified-accountant floor.
Watch for bonus and incentive exclusions in accounting offers
Accounting roles at mid-market and Big Four firms often include performance bonuses, signing bonuses, or CPA exam reimbursements. Only base salary counts toward prevailing wage compliance under DOL rules, so scrutinize whether the base alone clears the floor for your level and worksite.
Flag Puerto Rico postings before accepting an offer
Metro areas in Puerto Rico, including Aguadilla and Ponce, carry prevailing wage floors for accountants that are dramatically lower than mainland metros. If you're weighing geographic mobility, understand that a Puerto Rico worksite means a much lower DOL floor, which affects your long-term salary negotiation baseline.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers sponsoring accountants
Migrate Mate shows which companies have historical H-1B and green card sponsorship records for Accountants and Auditors specifically. Filtering by sponsors in high-wage metros like San Jose or New York helps you target employers already comfortable with the filing process for this occupation.
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Find Jobs for Accountants and AuditorsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 13-2011.00 alongside Accountants and Auditors, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Accountant Prevailing Wage
Accountant Prevailing Wage
Accountant positions fall under SOC 13-2011.00 (Accountants and Auditors). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Accounting Officer Prevailing Wage
Accounting Officer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Accounting Officer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 13-2011.00 (Accountants and Auditors). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Audit Partner Prevailing Wage
Audit Partner Prevailing Wage
Audit Partner is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 13-2011.00 (Accountants and Auditors). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Auditor Prevailing Wage
Auditor Prevailing Wage
Auditor positions fall under SOC 13-2011.00 (Accountants and Auditors). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 13-2011.00 (Accountants and Auditors). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Cost Accountant Prevailing Wage
Cost Accountant Prevailing Wage
Cost Accountant is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 13-2011.00 (Accountants and Auditors). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Financial Auditor Prevailing Wage
Financial Auditor Prevailing Wage
Financial Auditor positions fall under SOC 13-2011.00 (Accountants and Auditors). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
General Accountant Prevailing Wage
General Accountant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a General Accountant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 13-2011.00 (Accountants and Auditors). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Internal Auditor Prevailing Wage
Internal Auditor Prevailing Wage
Internal Auditor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 13-2011.00 (Accountants and Auditors). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Revenue Tax Specialist Prevailing Wage
Revenue Tax Specialist Prevailing Wage
Revenue Tax Specialist positions fall under SOC 13-2011.00 (Accountants and Auditors). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Accountants and Auditors?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data, collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to calculate wage floors by occupation and metropolitan area. For SOC 13-2011, the OFLC publishes four wage levels reflecting increasing experience and responsibility. Employers must pay at least the prevailing wage for the relevant level and worksite before USCIS will approve a sponsored visa petition.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
DOL's four levels represent a spectrum from entry (L1, routine tasks under supervision) to fully competent (L4, senior leadership with broad discretion). Most sponsored accountants and auditors are filed at L2 or L3. Your level should reflect your actual job duties, not just your title. If your role requires a CPA license, independent client management, or staff supervision, L3 is likely the correct floor.
Why does the prevailing wage vary so much from city to city?
DOL calculates prevailing wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so local labor market conditions drive the floor. Dense financial and technology markets like San Jose, New York, and San Francisco produce significantly higher survey averages than smaller metros. Critically, the LCA must list the actual worksite address, so the wage floor is locked to wherever you physically perform the work, not the employer's headquarters.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
DOL will not certify the Labor Condition Application if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite and level. Without a certified LCA, the employer cannot file Form I-129 with USCIS, and the visa petition cannot proceed. For PERM-based green card cases, OFLC will deny the application if the offered wage is insufficient, which can restart the timeline entirely.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an Accountants and Auditors role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 13-2011 wages by metropolitan area and level. Enter your worksite city and the system returns the four DOL wage tiers. Cross-reference against BLS data if you want a broader labor market view. Migrate Mate can supplement this by showing which employers in your target city have actively sponsored accountants and auditors, helping you assess whether posted salaries are realistic for your level.
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