Prevailing Wage for Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
Prevailing wage for A&P Technician roles is set by DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, and it applies to every sponsored position regardless of visa type. Whether your title reads Aircraft Line Assembler, Assembly Riveter, or A&P Technician (Airframe and Powerplant Technician), DOL assigns four experience levels, and the floor shifts significantly depending on where the worksite is located.
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Entry-level A&P Technician positions with limited on-the-job experience, typically under two years. Work is closely supervised, tasks are routine and well-defined, and independent judgment is minimal. Employers filing at Level 1 are generally sponsoring recent graduates or trainees new to aircraft assembly.
The most common filing level for sponsored A&P Technician positions. Workers have two or more years of hands-on experience, perform standard assembly tasks with moderate supervision, and apply established procedures independently. Most H-1B and green card filings for this occupation use Level 2.
Experienced A&P Technicians who work with significant autonomy, handle complex or non-routine assembly tasks, and may provide informal guidance to junior colleagues. Employers filing at Level 3 typically have workers who exercise independent technical judgment on specialized aircraft systems.
Senior or lead A&P Technicians with full competency across all assembly systems, responsible for overseeing work, setting standards, or managing quality on production lines. Level 4 filings apply to workers whose scope includes training others or making independent final-inspection decisions.
Prevailing Wage for Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers 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 A&P Technician and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Verify your title maps to SOC 51-2011
Titles like Sheet Metal Assembler and Riveter or Helicopter Technician sometimes get filed under a maintenance or repair SOC instead of 51-2011, setting a different wage floor. Confirm your LCA explicitly references SOC 51-2011 before signing an offer.
Account for shift differentials in total pay
Many aircraft assembly facilities run night and weekend shifts with differential pay. DOL prevailing wage compliance is calculated on base hourly rates only, so shift premiums do not count toward satisfying the floor. Check that your base rate alone clears the prevailing wage.
Watch the wage gap between Oklahoma and Philadelphia
The prevailing wage for A&P Technician roles in Philadelphia-area metros is roughly double the floor in Oklahoma City or Tulsa at every level. If you are comparing offers across assembly hubs, the worksite city on the LCA determines which regional floor applies, not the employer headquarters.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsored assembler roles
Migrate Mate shows which employers have previously sponsored Aircraft Line Assembler and similar assembly positions, letting you see actual sponsorship history before applying. Filter by visa type and location to identify active sponsors in higher-wage markets like Seattle or Dallas.
Jobs for Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for A&P TechnicianPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 51-2011.00 alongside Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
A&P Technician (Airframe and Powerplant Technician) Prevailing Wage
A&P Technician (Airframe and Powerplant Technician) Prevailing Wage
A&P Technician (Airframe and Powerplant Technician) positions fall under SOC 51-2011.00 (Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers). 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.
Aircraft Line Assembler Prevailing Wage
Aircraft Line Assembler Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Aircraft Line Assembler for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-2011.00 (Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Assembler Prevailing Wage
Assembler Prevailing Wage
Assembler is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-2011.00 (Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers). 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.
Assembly Riveter Prevailing Wage
Assembly Riveter Prevailing Wage
Assembly Riveter positions fall under SOC 51-2011.00 (Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers). 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.
Helicopter Technician Prevailing Wage
Helicopter Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Helicopter Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-2011.00 (Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Sheet Metal Assembler and Riveter (SMAR) Prevailing Wage
Sheet Metal Assembler and Riveter (SMAR) Prevailing Wage
Sheet Metal Assembler and Riveter (SMAR) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-2011.00 (Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers). 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.
Sheet Metal Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Sheet Metal Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Sheet Metal Mechanic positions fall under SOC 51-2011.00 (Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers). 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.
Structures Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Structures Mechanic Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Structures Mechanic for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-2011.00 (Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Structures Technician Prevailing Wage
Structures Technician Prevailing Wage
Structures Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-2011.00 (Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers). 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 A&P Technician jobs?
DOL calculates prevailing wages for A&P Technician positions using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through employer surveys. The resulting four-level wage schedule for SOC 51-2011 is published by OFLC and updated annually. Employers must obtain a certified Labor Condition Application from DOL before sponsoring a worker, and the LCA must certify the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL's four levels reflect experience and supervision. Level 1 covers entry-level workers under close supervision with limited experience. Level 2 applies to workers performing standard tasks with moderate autonomy, and it is the most common filing level for sponsored A&P Technician roles. Level 3 covers workers with significant independent judgment, and Level 4 applies to senior or lead technicians with full competency. The level on the employer's LCA should match your actual job duties, years of experience, and the supervision structure described in the petition.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same A&P Technician role vary so much by city?
OFLC assigns prevailing wages based on regional OES surveys, which capture local labor market conditions separately for each metropolitan area. Aircraft assembly is heavily concentrated in certain metros, and that concentration affects local wage norms. The worksite address listed on the LCA determines which metro's wage schedule applies, regardless of where the employer's headquarters is located. A position in the Philadelphia area carries a substantially higher floor than the same role in Tulsa because local survey wages in those markets reflect different employer mixes and cost structures.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
If the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage, DOL will not certify the LCA, and without a certified LCA, USCIS cannot approve the visa petition. The employer must either increase the offered wage to meet the floor or file at the correct wage level before sponsorship can proceed. Accepting a position with an underpaying offer does not create a compliance exception. USCIS reviews LCA wage attestations as part of petition adjudication, and discrepancies can result in a Request for Evidence or denial.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an A&P Technician role at a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up current prevailing wages for SOC 51-2011 in any metropolitan area. Enter the occupation code and the worksite zip code or metro area to retrieve the four-level wage schedule that applies to that location. You can also review the O*NET profile for SOC 51-2011 to confirm which job titles map to this occupation. Migrate Mate lists employers with documented sponsorship history for assembly roles, so you can identify active sponsors in specific markets before beginning salary negotiations.
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