Prevailing Wage for Audiologists
Prevailing wage requirements for Audiologists (SOC 29-1181) apply to every H-1B, E-3, and green card sponsorship filing in this occupation. Whether the offer is for a Clinical Audiologist, a Dispensing Audiologist, or an Audiology Doctor (AUD), DOL sets four experience-based wage levels and the floor shifts significantly by city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level audiologists with limited professional experience, typically recent graduates performing routine hearing assessments under direct supervision. Employers use this level when the role requires applying established techniques with no expectation of independent caseload management.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for audiologists. It applies to qualified practitioners who work independently on standard diagnostic and treatment cases, fitting hearing aids, and managing patient caseloads without routine supervisory oversight, but without specialized leadership duties.
Level 3 covers experienced audiologists who handle complex cases, supervise support staff or clinical fellows, or carry responsibilities beyond a standard patient caseload, such as program development, specialty clinic oversight, or mentoring newly licensed clinicians.
Level 4 applies to fully competent senior audiologists in lead or principal roles, including those directing audiology departments, setting clinical protocols across a facility, or functioning as the subject-matter authority for a hospital system or multi-site practice.
Prevailing Wage for Audiologists 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 Audiologists and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Verify your title matches SOC 29-1181
Job postings for Educational Audiologists or Forensic Audiologists sometimes get routed to adjacent SOC codes at filing, shifting the prevailing wage floor. Confirm your LCA cites SOC 29-1181 before signing an offer to avoid a mismatched wage obligation.
Watch how hospital systems classify level
Large hospital networks frequently file new-hire audiologists at Level 1 even when the role requires an AUD and independent caseload management. A fully independent clinical caseload is the defining criterion for Level 2, not years since graduation.
Factor in California metro wage gaps for audiologists
Sacramento and San Francisco prevailing wages for this occupation run significantly above the national median, while the Los Angeles Level 1 floor sits closer to the national entry figure. If relocation is on the table, the worksite metro on the LCA controls the floor, not the employer headquarters.
Find audiology employers with sponsorship history on Migrate Mate
Audiology positions at independent private practices rarely sponsor visas, while hospital systems and large ENT groups do consistently. Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored audiologists before, so you can focus applications on proven sponsors rather than guessing.
Jobs for Audiologists are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for AudiologistsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-1181.00 alongside Audiologists, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Audiology Doctor (AUD) Prevailing Wage
Audiology Doctor (AUD) Prevailing Wage
Audiology Doctor (AUD) positions fall under SOC 29-1181.00 (Audiologists). 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.
Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology Licensed Audiologist (CCC-A Licensed Audiologist) Prevailing Wage
Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology Licensed Audiologist (CCC-A Licensed Audiologist) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology Licensed Audiologist (CCC-A Licensed Audiologist) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1181.00 (Audiologists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Clinical Audiologist Prevailing Wage
Clinical Audiologist Prevailing Wage
Clinical Audiologist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1181.00 (Audiologists). 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.
Dispensing Audiologist Prevailing Wage
Dispensing Audiologist Prevailing Wage
Dispensing Audiologist positions fall under SOC 29-1181.00 (Audiologists). 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.
Educational Audiologist Prevailing Wage
Educational Audiologist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Educational Audiologist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1181.00 (Audiologists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Forensic Audiologist Prevailing Wage
Forensic Audiologist Prevailing Wage
Forensic Audiologist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1181.00 (Audiologists). 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.
Industrial Audiologist Prevailing Wage
Industrial Audiologist Prevailing Wage
Industrial Audiologist positions fall under SOC 29-1181.00 (Audiologists). 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.
Pediatric Audiologist Prevailing Wage
Pediatric Audiologist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Pediatric Audiologist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1181.00 (Audiologists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Staff Audiologist Prevailing Wage
Staff Audiologist Prevailing Wage
Staff Audiologist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1181.00 (Audiologists). 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 audiologists?
DOL derives prevailing wages for audiologists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which collects wage data from employers across metro areas and assigns figures to SOC 29-1181 at four experience levels. OFLC publishes these figures annually, and employers must use the level that matches the actual duties and supervision requirements of the specific position being sponsored.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
Level 1 is entry-level with direct supervision. Level 2 is independent practice on standard cases and is the most common level filed for audiologists. Level 3 reflects complex caseloads or supervisory duties. Level 4 covers department leadership or principal clinical authority. Match your level to the job description's actual duties, not your years of experience or credential alone, since DOL audits the fit between level and role requirements.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same audiology role differ so much by city?
OFLC calculates wages from regional OES survey data, so the wage floor reflects local employer pay patterns in each metro. The worksite address on the LCA determines which metro's figures apply, regardless of where the employer is headquartered. Markets with dense hospital systems and higher overall compensation, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, produce substantially higher wage floors than smaller metros where audiology pay is lower across the board.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify the LCA if the offered wage falls below the DOL prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite. USCIS will not approve an H-1B or other sponsored petition without a certified LCA. If the offer is below floor, the employer must either raise the salary, reclassify to a level with a lower floor that genuinely fits the role, or withdraw the sponsorship. The prevailing wage is a legal floor, not a negotiating baseline.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for audiologists in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up SOC 29-1181 by state and metro area to see the current four-level wage figures. Cross-reference with recent LCA disclosure data published by OFLC to see what wages employers have actually certified for audiologists in that market. Migrate Mate also lets you filter audiology job listings by location, showing which employers have an active sponsorship history in each city so you can target roles where sponsorship is realistic.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Audiologists right now.
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