Prevailing Wage for Agricultural Technicians
Prevailing wage for Agricultural Technicians (SOC 19-4012) is set by DOL using regional wage surveys, so the floor an Agricultural Research Technologist or Agricultural Research Technician (Agricultural Research Tech) must meet depends on both experience level and worksite city. DOL defines four levels, from entry through fully competent, and each carries a different wage floor.
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Level 1 covers entry-level agricultural technicians with limited experience, typically performing routine tasks under close supervision. Workers at this level follow established procedures and have not yet developed independent judgment on laboratory or field assignments.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Agricultural Technicians. It applies to workers with moderate experience who perform standard lab and field duties with some independence, requiring a working knowledge of agricultural research methods and equipment.
Level 3 applies to experienced technicians who handle complex assignments, exercise independent judgment, and may guide junior staff. They typically bring several years of hands-on agricultural or life sciences research experience and need minimal day-to-day supervision.
Level 4 covers fully competent senior technicians with broad expertise, often responsible for designing experimental protocols, overseeing field or lab operations, and mentoring others. Employers filing at this level typically require advanced credentials or extensive specialized experience.
Prevailing Wage for Agricultural 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 Agricultural Technicians and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm which experience tier fits your lab record
Agricultural technician roles span bench work, field sampling, and animal care. DOL assigns levels based on supervision required, not job title. A candidate moving from routine crop sampling to independent protocol design may cross from L2 to L3, which carries a meaningfully higher wage floor.
Watch for coastal research hubs versus rural posting gaps
San Francisco and San Jose post prevailing wages roughly 40 to 95 percent above low-end metros like Valdosta, GA. Agronomy research technician roles concentrated near university extension programs or biotech corridors command higher floors than postings in agricultural production regions.
Check whether signing bonuses count toward the wage floor
For H-1B and PERM filings, DOL requires the prevailing wage to be met through regular salary, not one-time payments. Signing bonuses and relocation stipends common in research technician offers do not satisfy the annualized wage requirement set on the LCA.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers that sponsor this role
Agricultural technician sponsorship is concentrated among agribusiness firms, land-grant university research divisions, and food science companies. Migrate Mate shows which employers have actually sponsored Agricultural Technicians historically, so you can prioritize outreach to proven sponsors rather than guessing.
Jobs for Agricultural Technicians are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Agricultural TechniciansPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 19-4012.00 alongside Agricultural Technicians, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Agricultural Research Technician (Agricultural Research Tech) Prevailing Wage
Agricultural Research Technician (Agricultural Research Tech) Prevailing Wage
Agricultural Research Technician (Agricultural Research Tech) positions fall under SOC 19-4012.00 (Agricultural 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.
Agricultural Research Technologist Prevailing Wage
Agricultural Research Technologist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Agricultural Research Technologist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-4012.00 (Agricultural Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Agricultural Technician (Agricultural Tech) Prevailing Wage
Agricultural Technician (Agricultural Tech) Prevailing Wage
Agricultural Technician (Agricultural Tech) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-4012.00 (Agricultural 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.
Agriculture Assistant Prevailing Wage
Agriculture Assistant Prevailing Wage
Agriculture Assistant positions fall under SOC 19-4012.00 (Agricultural 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.
Agronomy Research Technician (Agronomy Research Tech) Prevailing Wage
Agronomy Research Technician (Agronomy Research Tech) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Agronomy Research Technician (Agronomy Research Tech) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-4012.00 (Agricultural Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Field Assistant Prevailing Wage
Field Assistant Prevailing Wage
Field Assistant is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-4012.00 (Agricultural 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.
Insect Research Technician (Insect Research Tech) Prevailing Wage
Insect Research Technician (Insect Research Tech) Prevailing Wage
Insect Research Technician (Insect Research Tech) positions fall under SOC 19-4012.00 (Agricultural 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.
Lab Tech (Laboratory Technician) Prevailing Wage
Lab Tech (Laboratory Technician) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Lab Tech (Laboratory Technician) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-4012.00 (Agricultural Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Seed Analyst Prevailing Wage
Seed Analyst Prevailing Wage
Seed Analyst is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-4012.00 (Agricultural 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Agricultural Technicians?
DOL derives prevailing wages from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For Agricultural Technicians (SOC 19-4012), OFLC maps survey data to four experience levels. Employers sponsoring a worker must request a prevailing wage determination from OFLC and pay at least the level assigned to the specific position.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
DOL assigns Level 1 to entry workers under close supervision, Level 2 to qualified workers performing standard duties with some independence, Level 3 to experienced workers exercising judgment and sometimes guiding others, and Level 4 to fully competent senior workers. Your level is determined by the duties, supervision, and complexity described in the employer's job description, not by your personal resume alone.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Agricultural Technician role vary so much by city?
OFLC uses regional BLS wage surveys, so the floor reflects local labor market conditions. An employer must list the actual worksite address on the LCA, and OFLC matches that address to a specific metropolitan or statewide wage area. Dense research corridors in the Bay Area or New York pull survey averages up, while rural agricultural markets in Georgia or South Dakota produce lower floors for identical job duties.
What happens if a sponsored offer falls below the prevailing wage for Agricultural Technicians?
If the offered salary is below the prevailing wage for the assigned level and worksite, OFLC will not certify the LCA, which means the employer cannot file the H-1B petition or PERM application with USCIS. The employer must either increase the offered wage to meet the floor or request a lower wage level that accurately reflects the position's duties and supervision requirements.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an Agricultural Technician position in a specific U.S. location?
You can look up the wage floor for any metro area using the OFLC Wage Search tool, filtering by SOC code 19-4012 and the worksite location. This returns the four-level wage table for that area. To identify which employers have filed LCAs for Agricultural Technician roles, OFLC disclosure data covers certified applications by employer and location. Migrate Mate surfaces employers with confirmed sponsorship history for this occupation, helping you target your job search before running the wage verification step.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Agricultural Technicians right now.
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