Prevailing Wage for Bridge and Lock Tenders
Prevailing wage requirements for Bridge and Lock Tenders under SOC 53-6011 are set by the DOL and vary meaningfully by location. Whether you're applying as a Bridge Operator, Lock Tender, or Bridge Tender, DOL defines four experience levels, each carrying a different wage floor. Your offer must clear the floor for your city.
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Entry-level Bridge and Lock Tenders with no prior occupational experience in the role. Work is closely supervised, tasks are routine and well-defined, and independent judgment is limited. Typical of candidates newly entering waterway operations.
Qualified tenders with some experience handling bridge or lock operations with moderate supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Bridge and Lock Tenders, reflecting standard journey-level competency in day-to-day waterway traffic management.
Experienced operators who work with considerable independence, handle non-routine situations, and may informally guide less experienced colleagues. Competency in varied waterway conditions and equipment types is expected at this level.
Fully competent senior Bridge and Lock Tenders who function with full autonomy, lead operations during complex marine traffic events, and may formally supervise staff. Scope includes oversight responsibility and advanced problem-solving in waterway passage management.
Prevailing Wage for Bridge and Lock Tenders 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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Watch for the Midwest wage premium
Metros like Chicago, St. Louis, and Davenport pay substantially more than Southern or East Coast markets for the same SOC code. If your offer is in a Midwest waterway hub, confirm your employer is filing the LCA against that specific worksite city, not a lower-wage corporate headquarters.
Verify your title maps to SOC 53-6011
Job postings sometimes use titles like Marine Operations Technician or Waterway Control Specialist that can get filed under a different SOC, missing the Bridge and Lock Tenders wage floor entirely. Confirm the I-129 or LCA cites SOC 53-6011 before accepting an offer.
Expect most government employers to file at Level 2
Port authorities and Army Corps of Engineers operators typically file sponsored Bridge Operator roles at Level 2, reflecting journey-level status. If your offer comes from a staffing agency placing you at a public waterway facility, check whether the LCA level reflects actual on-site duties rather than the agency's internal grading.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsors for this role
Few private employers sponsor Bridge Tender and Lock Tender roles. Migrate Mate shows which employers have active H-1B or green card sponsorship history for waterway operations positions, letting you focus outreach on organizations that have filed before.
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Find Jobs for Bridge and Lock TendersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 53-6011.00 alongside Bridge and Lock Tenders, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Bridge Operator Prevailing Wage
Bridge Operator Prevailing Wage
Bridge Operator positions fall under SOC 53-6011.00 (Bridge and Lock Tenders). 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.
Bridge Tender Prevailing Wage
Bridge Tender Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Bridge Tender for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-6011.00 (Bridge and Lock Tenders). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Lock Tender Prevailing Wage
Lock Tender Prevailing Wage
Lock Tender is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-6011.00 (Bridge and Lock Tenders). 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 Bridge and Lock Tenders?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For SOC 53-6011, DOL divides wages into four levels based on regional employer surveys. The resulting figures are published through OFLC and used by employers to set the minimum wage on a certified LCA before sponsoring a worker.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
Level 1 covers entry-level candidates with no prior experience in the occupation. Level 2 reflects qualified, journey-level workers with some independent functioning. Level 3 is for experienced operators who work autonomously and handle non-routine situations. Level 4 applies to fully competent senior workers with supervisory scope. Your employer selects the level based on actual job duties described in the LCA, and USCIS reviews whether that selection is consistent with the petition.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same role vary so much between cities?
OFLC sets wages using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so the floor reflects what employers in each metro actually pay for the role locally. A Bridge Tender in Chicago will have a significantly higher wage floor than the same title in Miami because local survey data differs. Critically, the LCA must list the actual worksite location, not the employer's headquarters, so the city on your offer letter determines which floor applies.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored Bridge and Lock Tenders position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite location and wage level. OFLC will not certify the LCA, and without a certified LCA, USCIS cannot approve an H-1B or related petition. The employer must either raise the offered salary to meet the floor or file at a level whose floor the salary does clear. This is not negotiable.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Bridge and Lock Tenders role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 53-6011 by state and metropolitan area. Select the area matching your actual worksite, not your employer's headquarters. Cross-reference with the O*NET occupation profile to confirm the duties align with the SOC. Migrate Mate also shows which employers have sponsored Bridge Tender and Lock Tender roles in the past, giving you a shortlist of organizations already familiar with the LCA wage requirements.
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