Prevailing Wage for Business Operations Specialists, All Other
Prevailing wages for Business Operations Specialists, All Other (SOC 13-1199) are set by the DOL and determine the minimum salary an employer must offer to sponsor a work visa or green card. DOL publishes four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly depending on where you'll be working.
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Level 1 applies to entry-level business operations roles requiring basic knowledge and close supervision. Candidates typically hold a relevant bachelor's degree with little or no professional experience in the occupation and perform routine, defined tasks.
Level 2 covers qualified professionals with some independent judgment and moderate experience. This is the most common filing level for business operations specialists, reflecting roles that require applied problem-solving within established organizational frameworks.
Level 3 applies to experienced specialists who handle complex assignments with significant autonomy. These professionals typically have several years in the occupation and may coordinate work across teams or advise on process and policy decisions.
Level 4 covers fully competent senior professionals with broad expertise and leadership scope. Expect responsibility for high-impact projects, cross-functional coordination, and decisions that carry substantial organizational or financial consequences.
Prevailing Wage for Business Operations Specialists, 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
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Watch for title aliasing on your LCA
Business operations roles frequently carry titles like 'operations analyst,' 'strategy associate,' or 'program coordinator' that employers may file under adjacent SOC codes. Confirm your LCA explicitly lists SOC 13-1199 so the prevailing wage floor reflects your actual occupation.
Account for equity exclusions in total compensation
Business operations specialists at tech and FAANG employers often receive RSU grants or profit-sharing. DOL prevailing wage compliance counts only cash salary, not equity or bonuses, so verify your base offer clears the floor before factoring in variable pay.
Compare metros before accepting a remote-plus-office offer
The prevailing wage for this occupation spans a wide range nationally. Roles based in defense-heavy markets like Huntsville or the DC corridor carry significantly higher floors than roles in Puerto Rico metros, so your offer must match the certified worksite location.
Use Migrate Mate to find active sponsors for this role
Business operations specialists benefit from targeting employers with documented sponsorship history. Migrate Mate shows which companies have previously sponsored this occupation and filters listings by visa type, so you can focus on employers already familiar with the process.
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Find Jobs for this roleFrequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Business Operations Specialists, All Other?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through regional employer surveys. For SOC 13-1199, the agency derives four wage levels by applying percentage-based multipliers to the median hourly rate for each geographic area. Employers must request a prevailing wage determination from OFLC or rely on published OFLC wage data when filing a Labor Condition Application or PERM application.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
DOL assigns wage levels based on experience, supervision, and job complexity. Level 1 covers entry-level positions under close supervision. Level 2 reflects qualified professionals working with some independence. Level 3 applies to experienced specialists handling complex tasks autonomously. Level 4 is reserved for fully competent senior roles with leadership responsibilities. The level on your employer's LCA should match the actual duties and experience requirements in your job description, not just your title.
Why does the prevailing wage for this occupation vary so much between cities?
OFLC derives wages from regional BLS surveys, so each metro area reflects local employer pay practices and labor market conditions. Defense and government contracting hubs like Lexington Park and Huntsville generate elevated wages for business operations roles because of concentrated demand from federal contractors. The LCA rule requires employers to certify the wage for the specific worksite where you'll work, meaning a relocation or a hybrid arrangement with a different primary office can change the applicable floor entirely.
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 salary falls below the applicable prevailing wage. USCIS will not approve an H-1B petition without a certified LCA, and DOL will deny PERM applications for green card sponsorship in the same situation. If your offer is below the floor, the employer must either raise the salary or file under a lower wage level that accurately reflects your actual duties and experience, not simply the title.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for this occupation in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up current prevailing wages for SOC 13-1199 by metro area. Enter the occupation code and select the relevant area of intended employment to see all four wage levels. You can also cross-reference O*NET for occupational context. If you want to see which employers have sponsored business operations specialists in specific locations, Migrate Mate shows historical sponsorship counts by employer so you can identify active sponsors before applying.
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