Prevailing Wage for Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
Avionics Installation Technician roles fall under SOC 17-3021, and the DOL sets four prevailing wage levels for this occupation based on experience. Whether your offer is for an Avionics Test Technician or an Engineering Test Technician position, the floor varies significantly by city. Check the level that matches your background before accepting any sponsored offer.
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Entry-level candidates with limited hands-on experience in avionics systems, test instrumentation, or data acquisition equipment. Typically recent graduates or technicians transitioning from adjacent fields who perform routine tasks under close supervision.
Technicians with established experience operating and maintaining integrated avionics or test systems with moderate supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for avionics and instrumentation roles, reflecting journeyworker competence on standard test and measurement equipment.
Experienced technicians who independently troubleshoot complex avionics consoles, simulators, or data acquisition systems. They may guide junior staff and handle non-routine maintenance or integration tasks across multiple platforms with minimal supervisory oversight.
Senior or lead technicians with full technical authority over integrated avionics, launch support, or flight-test instrumentation systems. Typically sets procedures, mentors others, and serves as the primary technical resource for complex cross-system integration work.
Prevailing Wage for Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians 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 this role and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
Watch for title mismatches on LCA filings
Job postings for Flight Test Instrument Technician or Instrumentation Technician sometimes get filed under broader engineering SOC codes, which carry different wage floors. Confirm your offer letter and LCA both reference SOC 17-3021 before signing.
Factor out signing bonuses before comparing offers
Defense and aerospace contractors in metros like Denver and Seattle often structure compensation with one-time signing bonuses that do not count toward prevailing wage compliance. The base salary on the LCA must clear the applicable level floor on its own.
Compare employer sponsorship history for avionics roles
Migrate Mate shows which employers have historically sponsored Avionics Installation Technician and Avionics Test Technician positions, so you can prioritize companies with a documented track record in this specific occupation rather than general engineering roles.
Recognize the Denver premium for this occupation
Denver's prevailing wage for avionics technicians runs substantially above the national median across all four levels, driven by concentration of aerospace primes and defense contractors. Portland, by contrast, sits near the bottom of the metro range for this SOC.
Jobs for Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 17-3021.00 alongside Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Avionics Installation Technician Prevailing Wage
Avionics Installation Technician Prevailing Wage
Avionics Installation Technician positions fall under SOC 17-3021.00 (Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians). 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.
Avionics Test Technician Prevailing Wage
Avionics Test Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Avionics Test Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-3021.00 (Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Engineering Technician Prevailing Wage
Engineering Technician Prevailing Wage
Engineering Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-3021.00 (Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians). 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.
Engineering Test Technician Prevailing Wage
Engineering Test Technician Prevailing Wage
Engineering Test Technician positions fall under SOC 17-3021.00 (Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians). 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.
Flight Test Instrument Technician Prevailing Wage
Flight Test Instrument Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Flight Test Instrument Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-3021.00 (Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Instrumentation Technician Prevailing Wage
Instrumentation Technician Prevailing Wage
Instrumentation Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-3021.00 (Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians). 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.
Systems Test Technician Prevailing Wage
Systems Test Technician Prevailing Wage
Systems Test Technician positions fall under SOC 17-3021.00 (Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians). 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.
Test Technician Prevailing Wage
Test Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Test Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-3021.00 (Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for an Avionics Installation Technician?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from employers across each metropolitan area. For SOC 17-3021, OFLC translates those survey percentiles into four wage levels. The employer must certify on the Labor Condition Application that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry-level technicians performing routine tasks under close supervision. Level 2 reflects qualified journeyworkers handling standard avionics or test instrumentation with moderate guidance. Level 3 applies to experienced technicians working independently on complex systems. Level 4 covers senior or lead roles with full technical authority. Your employer assigns the level based on the actual job duties and supervision structure described in the LCA.
Why does the prevailing wage for avionics technicians vary so much from city to city?
OFLC calculates wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so each metropolitan area reflects local labor market conditions. Dense aerospace corridors like Denver and San Jose command higher floors because competing employers bid up wages for skilled technicians. The LCA must use the wage for the specific worksite city, not a national average, so relocating even within the same state can shift your floor substantially.
What happens if my job offer falls below the prevailing wage for a sponsored Avionics Test Technician position?
USCIS and DOL both review LCA compliance during H-1B adjudication. If the certified wage on the LCA is below the applicable prevailing wage level for the worksite, OFLC can decertify the application and USCIS can deny the petition. The employer also faces back-wage liability and potential debarment from future sponsorship. You cannot accept a wage below the floor and remain in compliance on a sponsored status.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an avionics technician role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 17-3021 filtered by the specific metropolitan area where you would be working. Select the wage level that matches the duties in your offer letter. For broader context on which employers have filed LCAs for this occupation and at what levels, Migrate Mate lets you filter sponsored listings by role and location so you can cross-reference employer patterns before negotiating.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians right now.
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