Prevailing Wage for Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other
Prevailing wage for Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other (SOC 51-2099) is set by DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. The floor is divided into four experience levels, and the required minimum varies significantly depending on the worksite city, making location a key factor in any sponsored offer.
See all jobs for this roleLook up your work address
Level 1 covers entry-level assemblers and fabricators with limited experience who work under close supervision following detailed instructions. Employers typically file at this level for new hires with no prior specialized assembly background and minimal independent judgment required.
Level 2 applies to qualified workers with moderate experience who perform standard assembly tasks with some independence. This is the most common filing level for Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other, reflecting journeyman-level proficiency across typical production environments.
Level 3 covers experienced assemblers and fabricators who handle complex tasks, troubleshoot production issues, and may provide guidance to less senior colleagues. Employers file here when the role demands specialized knowledge and consistent independent problem-solving on the shop floor.
Level 4 designates fully competent senior workers who lead assembly operations, train others, and exercise broad independent judgment. Employers file at this level for lead fabricators or senior technicians overseeing quality standards and complex multi-component production processes.
Prevailing Wage for Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other 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
See all jobs for this role
See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other
Watch for title aliasing on assembly job postings
Job titles like 'production technician' or 'manufacturing associate' are sometimes filed under different SOC codes, pulling prevailing wage floors away from SOC 51-2099. Confirm the LCA lists this SOC before accepting any sponsored assembly offer.
Account for shift differentials excluded from the wage floor
Assembly and fabrication roles frequently include shift premiums, tool allowances, or production bonuses. DOL counts only base wages toward prevailing wage compliance, so verify your base salary alone clears the floor for your level and worksite.
Compare metro rates before accepting a plant relocation offer
Assembly wages vary sharply by region. The prevailing wage floor in a high-cost California metro can run substantially above floors in Puerto Rico metros like Mayaguez or Ponce. If relocation is part of the offer, recalculate the floor for the actual plant worksite before signing.
Use Migrate Mate to identify which manufacturers sponsor assemblers
Migrate Mate shows historical visa sponsorship counts by employer, so you can see which manufacturing companies have actually sponsored Assemblers and Fabricators roles before and filter listings by visa type and location.
Jobs for Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this roleFrequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to establish prevailing wages for each occupation by metropolitan area. For SOC 51-2099, OFLC publishes four wage levels based on experience and job complexity. Employers sponsoring a worker must pay at least the DOL-published prevailing wage for the worksite location and the applicable level before USCIS will certify the petition.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect increasing experience and responsibility. Level 1 is entry-level under close supervision, Level 2 is qualified with moderate independence, Level 3 is experienced with complex duties and some oversight of others, and Level 4 is fully competent in a senior or lead capacity. Match your level to the job duties in the offer letter and the LCA, not just the job title, since sponsors must certify the level to DOL and OFLC.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same assembly role differ so much from city to city?
DOL calculates prevailing wages from regional OES surveys, which reflect actual wages paid by local employers. Dense manufacturing markets in California metros command higher floors than rural or lower-cost regions. The worksite address on the LCA determines which metro rate applies, not where the company is headquartered. If your plant is in a different city than your employer's main office, the plant's local wage floor controls your prevailing wage requirement.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot legally certify an LCA to DOL if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite and level. If the LCA is filed with a below-floor wage, OFLC may reject or audit the application. For an already-sponsored worker, a wage drop below the floor can jeopardize H-1B or green card petition approval at USCIS. The employer is responsible for correcting the wage before filing.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current DOL prevailing wage for SOC 51-2099 by metropolitan area and experience level. Enter your worksite zip code or metro area to retrieve the four level wages directly from OFLC data. You can also cross-reference the O*NET occupation profile for job zone and duties context. Migrate Mate lets you filter sponsored Assemblers and Fabricators listings by location so you can compare offers against the local floor.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other right now.
Search Jobs for this role