Prevailing Wage for Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
Prevailing wage for Adjunct Professor roles is set by DOL under SOC 25-1062 and applies to H-1B, E-3, and green card sponsorships at four experience levels. Whether your offer is for an Ethnic Studies Professor, a Black Studies Professor, or a similar position, the floor varies significantly by city and employer type.
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Entry-level instructors new to postsecondary teaching, typically with a recently completed graduate degree and limited independent course development experience. Employers filing at Level 1 expect close faculty oversight and a narrow teaching assignment within the department.
The most common filing level for this occupation. Applies to instructors with some independent teaching history, an established scholarly record, and the ability to develop syllabi with moderate departmental guidance. Most assistant professor sponsorships fall here.
Experienced faculty who manage their own research agenda, mentor graduate students, and contribute to curriculum design. Typically associated with mid-career associate professor appointments or senior lecturer roles with documented publication records.
Fully independent senior faculty, typically full professors or endowed chairs, with extensive publication records, external grant funding, and institution-wide or national scholarly influence. Employers must demonstrate the position genuinely requires this level of autonomy.
Prevailing Wage for Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary 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 Adjunct Professor and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm whether your appointment is tenured-track or contingent
Adjunct and visiting instructor appointments are frequently filed under SOC 25-1062, but employers sometimes misclassify contingent roles at Level 1 even when teaching loads and responsibilities match Level 2. Review the LCA job duties carefully against the DOL level definitions before accepting.
Watch for California metro wage gaps in this field
Postsecondary teaching wages for this occupation vary more sharply by California metro than in most other regions. Santa Maria and Riverside post significantly higher prevailing wages than inland or Southern metros, so the worksite listed on your LCA directly determines your floor.
Verify sponsors using Migrate Mate employer history
Colleges and universities vary widely in how often they sponsor international faculty in area and ethnic studies. Migrate Mate shows which institutions have historical H-1B sponsorship records for postsecondary teaching roles, so you can focus applications on campuses with demonstrated sponsorship patterns.
Account for the academic year versus calendar year pay structure
Many postsecondary employers pay faculty on a nine-month academic year schedule. DOL prevailing wage figures are annualized, so confirm whether your offer letter salary reflects a nine-month or twelve-month base before comparing it to the prevailing wage floor.
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Find Jobs for Adjunct ProfessorPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-1062.00 alongside Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Adjunct Professor Prevailing Wage
Adjunct Professor Prevailing Wage
Adjunct Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1062.00 (Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
American Studies Professor Prevailing Wage
American Studies Professor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a American Studies Professor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1062.00 (Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Assistant Professor Prevailing Wage
Assistant Professor Prevailing Wage
Assistant Professor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1062.00 (Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Associate Professor Prevailing Wage
Associate Professor Prevailing Wage
Associate Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1062.00 (Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Black Studies Professor Prevailing Wage
Black Studies Professor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Black Studies Professor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1062.00 (Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Ethnic Studies Professor Prevailing Wage
Ethnic Studies Professor Prevailing Wage
Ethnic Studies Professor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1062.00 (Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Humanities Professor Prevailing Wage
Humanities Professor Prevailing Wage
Humanities Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1062.00 (Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Lecturer Prevailing Wage
Lecturer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Lecturer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1062.00 (Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Professor Prevailing Wage
Professor Prevailing Wage
Professor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1062.00 (Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Women's Studies Professor Prevailing Wage
Women's Studies Professor Prevailing Wage
Women's Studies Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1062.00 (Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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 an Adjunct Professor position?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate prevailing wages for SOC 25-1062. OFLC publishes four wage levels derived from the wage distribution for the occupation in a specific geographic area. Employers must select the level that matches the actual duties and requirements of the sponsored position before filing an LCA.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
Level 1 covers entry positions with limited independent responsibility. Level 2 applies to qualified instructors with some teaching or research history and is the most common filing level for assistant professor sponsorships. Level 3 reflects experienced faculty with independent research agendas. Level 4 covers fully autonomous senior faculty. Your correct level depends on the duties and supervision structure described in the LCA, not your personal years of experience alone.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Adjunct Professor role differ so much city to city?
OFLC calculates wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, which capture local labor market conditions. Postsecondary faculty compensation reflects local university density, cost of living, and union agreements. The worksite address listed on the LCA determines which metro area wage applies, not the employer's headquarters. A position at a California institution can carry a floor two to three times higher than an equivalent role in a lower-cost metro.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify a compliant LCA if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage level. USCIS will not approve an H-1B or other sponsored petition without a certified LCA. If the offer is below the floor, the employer must either raise the salary to meet the prevailing wage or file at the correct lower level if the duties genuinely support it. Neither the employer nor the employee can waive this requirement.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an Adjunct Professor role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up prevailing wages by SOC code and metropolitan area. Enter SOC 25-1062 along with the metro where the worksite is located to retrieve current Level 1 through Level 4 figures. You can also check the O*NET occupation profile for wage data. If your employer has already filed an LCA, the certified wage is publicly disclosed in OFLC's disclosure database.
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