Prevailing Wage for Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products
Prevailing wage requirements for Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products (SOC 13-1021) are set by DOL and apply to H-1B, E-3, and green card sponsorship. Whether your title is Grain Buyer, Grain Merchandiser, or simply Buyer, the required floor shifts across four experience levels and varies significantly by worksite city.
See all jobs for this roleLook up your work address
Entry-level grain buyers or purchasing agents new to the occupation, typically with a relevant degree and little to no independent sourcing experience. Work is closely supervised and covers routine commodity procurement tasks with limited decision-making authority.
The most common filing level for Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products. Applies to qualified professionals with moderate experience handling supplier negotiations, contract terms, and market analysis with only general supervision and some independent judgment.
Experienced buyers who independently manage complex supplier relationships, multi-commodity portfolios, or regional origination programs. May mentor junior staff and are expected to exercise significant judgment on pricing, contracts, and sourcing strategy.
Fully competent senior buyers or grain origination specialists at the top of the occupation. Set purchasing strategy, lead large procurement programs, and often serve as a recognized authority within the organization on commodity markets or farm product supply chains.
Prevailing Wage for Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products 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 this role and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products
Confirm your title matches SOC 13-1021
Titles like Grain Origination Specialist or Grain Merchandiser sometimes get filed under general purchasing SOC codes, which carry different wage floors. Verify with your employer that the LCA specifically references SOC 13-1021 before signing an offer.
Watch for bonus exclusions in commodity-sector offers
Agricultural commodity employers often structure compensation with performance bonuses tied to bushel volume or margin targets. DOL prevailing wage compliance is calculated on base salary alone, so a below-floor base salary is not cured by variable commodity bonuses.
Compare metros where grain and farm-product employers cluster
Fayetteville, AR and San Jose, CA show strikingly different wage floors for this occupation. If your employer operates a regional grain origination office, the worksite city on the LCA, not headquarters, determines which prevailing wage applies.
Find grain-sector sponsors on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate lists Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products roles from employers with verified H-1B and green card sponsorship history, so you can filter by location and visa type to see which agricultural or commodity companies have sponsored this occupation before.
Jobs for Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 13-1021.00 alongside Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Buyer Prevailing Wage
Buyer Prevailing Wage
Buyer positions fall under SOC 13-1021.00 (Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products). 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.
Grain Buyer Prevailing Wage
Grain Buyer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Grain Buyer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 13-1021.00 (Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Grain Merchandiser Prevailing Wage
Grain Merchandiser Prevailing Wage
Grain Merchandiser is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 13-1021.00 (Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products). 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.
Grain Origination Specialist Prevailing Wage
Grain Origination Specialist Prevailing Wage
Grain Origination Specialist positions fall under SOC 13-1021.00 (Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products). 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.
Purchasing Agent Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Agent Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Purchasing Agent for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 13-1021.00 (Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Tobacco Buyer Prevailing Wage
Tobacco Buyer Prevailing Wage
Tobacco Buyer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 13-1021.00 (Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products). 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 Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, mapped to SOC 13-1021. OFLC converts that data into four wage levels for each geographic area. Employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the level corresponding to the position's actual duties and experience requirements, as certified on the Labor Condition Application.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry-level, closely supervised positions. Level 2, the most common filing level for this occupation, applies to qualified professionals working with general supervision. Level 3 covers experienced buyers with significant independent judgment. Level 4 is for fully competent senior specialists. Your level is determined by the job duties, supervision, and experience in the LCA, not your title or years of service alone.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same buyer role differ so much between cities?
OFLC derives wages from regional OES surveys, which reflect local labor market conditions. A grain buyer role in San Jose, CA sits in a high-cost metro where employer competition and cost of living push wages well above the national median. A comparable role filed for a Puerto Rico worksite reflects the local survey, which is considerably lower. The LCA must list the actual worksite, so the city where you physically work controls which floor applies.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
If the offered salary falls below the DOL prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite, OFLC will not certify the Labor Condition Application and the sponsoring employer cannot proceed with H-1B or PERM filing. USCIS may also deny the petition if wage evidence is insufficient. Employers must pay at least the prevailing wage for the duration of the authorized employment period.
How can I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current wage by SOC code 13-1021 and the specific metropolitan area where the job is located. Select all four levels to see the full range. You can also review O*NET for occupation context. To find employers with active sponsorship history for this role, Migrate Mate lets you filter by visa type and location to identify which companies have sponsored grain buyers or farm-product purchasing agents.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products right now.
Search Jobs for this role