Prevailing Wage for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Prevailing wage for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval is set by the DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. Whether you work as an Architect, Design Architect, or Project Architect, the floor shifts meaningfully by city and by one of four experience levels your employer must declare on the Labor Condition Application.
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Entry-level architects with limited professional experience, typically recent graduates or those new to independent practice. Employers filing at Level 1 expect significant supervision and a narrowly defined project scope. Most H-1B petitions for new architecture graduates land here.
Qualified architects with moderate experience who handle standard projects with some independence. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval, reflecting mid-career professionals who manage defined project phases but still report to senior staff.
Experienced architects who lead complex or multi-phase projects, mentor junior staff, and exercise broad professional judgment. Employers typically require licensure and a track record of delivering projects from schematic design through construction administration.
Fully competent, senior architects who set design direction, manage client relationships, and carry principal or associate-level responsibility. Level 4 filings reflect recognized expertise, often including firm-wide project standards, business development duties, or leadership of multiple project teams.
Prevailing Wage for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval 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 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your filing level matches your licensure status
Architecture employers frequently upgrade filings from Level 1 to Level 2 once a candidate passes the Architect Registration Examination. If you are unlicensed but experienced, verify the employer is not using licensure as a shortcut to justify a lower wage level.
Watch how firms classify design versus technical roles
Some firms file Project Architect roles under a construction-management SOC rather than SOC 17-1011, which can carry a different prevailing wage floor. Confirm that your LCA cites the Architects SOC before accepting an offer.
Factor out signing bonuses when comparing offers
DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against base salary alone. A signing bonus or year-end performance award does not count toward the floor, so an offer that looks competitive with bonus included may fall short on the base wage that actually governs your LCA.
Use Migrate Mate to find firms with architecture sponsorship history
Architecture sponsorship is concentrated in large commercial and institutional firms. Migrate Mate shows which employers have previously sponsored Architects, Except Landscape and Naval, letting you prioritize firms with a documented track record before investing in the application process.
Jobs for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 17-1011.00 alongside Architects, Except Landscape and Naval, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Architect Prevailing Wage
Architect Prevailing Wage
Architect positions fall under SOC 17-1011.00 (Architects, Except Landscape and Naval). 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.
Design Architect Prevailing Wage
Design Architect Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Design Architect for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-1011.00 (Architects, Except Landscape and Naval). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Planner Prevailing Wage
Planner Prevailing Wage
Planner is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-1011.00 (Architects, Except Landscape and Naval). 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.
Project Architect Prevailing Wage
Project Architect Prevailing Wage
Project Architect positions fall under SOC 17-1011.00 (Architects, Except Landscape and Naval). 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.
Specifications Writer Prevailing Wage
Specifications Writer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Specifications Writer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-1011.00 (Architects, Except Landscape and Naval). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval?
DOL calculates the prevailing wage for this occupation using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wages are surveyed at the metropolitan statistical area level and segmented into four levels based on experience, complexity, and supervisory responsibility. Employers must certify on the Labor Condition Application that their 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 role?
Level 1 covers entry-level architects working under close supervision. Level 2 applies to qualified professionals handling standard projects with moderate independence, and it is the most common filing level for this occupation. Level 3 reflects experienced architects leading complex projects. Level 4 covers senior or principal-level architects with broad authority. USCIS and OFLC expect the level to match the actual duties described in the job posting, not just the candidate's years of experience.
Why does the prevailing wage for architects vary so much between cities?
The variation follows regional labor market conditions captured in BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. OFLC maps each survey result to the specific metropolitan statistical area listed as the worksite on the Labor Condition Application. High-cost markets with dense concentrations of commercial and institutional architecture work, such as San Jose and San Francisco, produce significantly higher survey medians than smaller or lower-cost metros. The worksite address on the LCA, not the employer's headquarters, determines which city rate applies.
What happens if an employer offers a salary below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
DOL will not certify an LCA where the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage for the declared level and worksite. Without a certified LCA, USCIS cannot approve the H-1B or E-3 petition. If a deficiency is discovered after certification, the employer may face back-wage liability and debarment from future filings. Candidates should independently verify the applicable wage floor before signing an offer letter, since correcting a misfiled level later adds significant time and cost.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for architects in a specific U.S. city?
The primary tool is the OFLC Wage Search, which lets you look up the current DOL wage for SOC 17-1011 by metropolitan area and experience level. Select the most recent survey year, enter the worksite metro, and confirm the level your employer intends to file. You can also cross-reference occupation data through O*NET. To identify which employers have actually sponsored architects in a given market, Migrate Mate filters by role and location and shows historical sponsorship counts by employer.
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