Prevailing Wage for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Prevailing wages for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary are set by DOL across four experience levels, and the floor shifts considerably depending on where the job is located. Whether the position is filed under an Automotive Instructor title, a Cosmetology Instructor role, or a broader Instructor classification, the sponsoring employer must meet the wage floor for the worksite city.
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Entry-level instructors with limited teaching experience in their vocational specialty. Typically new to postsecondary instruction, working under close supervision, and assigned foundational courses with established curriculum rather than developing their own program content.
Instructors with established competency in their trade area and some postsecondary teaching experience. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary, reflecting the typical candidate with a few years of classroom and industry background.
Experienced instructors who work independently, may coordinate a program or department, and bring substantial trade-area expertise alongside a demonstrated postsecondary teaching record. Often responsible for curriculum development or advisory board relationships.
Senior or lead instructors with broad program responsibility, significant industry credentials, and recognized expertise. May oversee other instructors, manage accreditation requirements, or lead workforce-development partnerships with regional employers.
Prevailing Wage for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary 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 this role and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Verify which trade title your LCA uses
Postsecondary vocational instructors are sometimes filed under a general education SOC rather than SOC 25-1194, which carries a different wage floor. Confirm the LCA lists the correct DOL occupation title before signing an offer.
Watch how California community colleges pay
Community college districts in California routinely file at Level 3 or Level 4 due to state salary schedules tied to education credits and years of service, pushing wage floors well above the national median for the same role.
Exclude stipends and equipment allowances from base
Tool allowances, professional-development stipends, and adjunct per-course payments are not counted toward the prevailing wage floor. Confirm your guaranteed annual base salary alone clears the DOL threshold for the worksite location.
Find employers sponsoring vocational instructors on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate shows historical sponsorship counts by employer, so you can identify which community colleges, trade schools, and workforce-training centers have sponsored Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary on H-1B or green card petitions before.
Jobs for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-1194.00 alongside Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Automotive Instructor Prevailing Wage
Automotive Instructor Prevailing Wage
Automotive Instructor positions fall under SOC 25-1194.00 (Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Automotive Technology Instructor Prevailing Wage
Automotive Technology Instructor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Automotive Technology Instructor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1194.00 (Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Cosmetology Instructor Prevailing Wage
Cosmetology Instructor Prevailing Wage
Cosmetology Instructor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1194.00 (Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Flight Instructor Prevailing Wage
Flight Instructor Prevailing Wage
Flight Instructor positions fall under SOC 25-1194.00 (Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
HVAC-R Instructor (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, And Refrigeration Instructor) Prevailing Wage
HVAC-R Instructor (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, And Refrigeration Instructor) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a HVAC-R Instructor (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, And Refrigeration Instructor) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1194.00 (Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1194.00 (Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Professor Prevailing Wage
Professor Prevailing Wage
Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1194.00 (Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Teacher Prevailing Wage
Teacher Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Teacher for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1194.00 (Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Welding Instructor Prevailing Wage
Welding Instructor Prevailing Wage
Welding Instructor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1194.00 (Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary). 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 Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. For SOC 25-1194, it calculates four wage levels based on the regional wage distribution: Level 1 anchors near the 17th percentile, Level 2 near the 34th, Level 3 near the 50th, and Level 4 near the 67th. Employers filing an LCA through OFLC must pay at least the level matching the position's actual duties and complexity.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels correspond to experience and independence. Level 1 covers entry-level instructors working under supervision with defined curriculum. Level 2 reflects qualified instructors with independent classroom responsibility. Level 3 applies to experienced professionals who develop curriculum or coordinate programs. Level 4 covers senior instructors with program leadership or accreditation duties. Review the job description carefully: the tasks described, not just the title, determine which level USCIS and OFLC expect the employer to file at.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same role differ so much city to city?
DOL calculates wages using regional OES survey data, so areas with higher costs of living or stronger demand for vocational instructors produce higher floors. The LCA rules require employers to pay the prevailing wage for the actual worksite location, not headquarters. A Cosmetology Instructor role in Chico, CA carries a floor several times higher than the same role in St. George, UT because the underlying regional wage surveys reflect those local labor markets.
What happens if a job offer for a sponsored position is below the prevailing wage?
An employer cannot certify an LCA with OFLC if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite and experience level. If USCIS identifies a wage shortfall during H-1B adjudication, it can issue a Request for Evidence or deny the petition. For green card PERM cases, DOL audits the offered wage against the prevailing wage determination. In both cases, the sponsor must bring the wage into compliance before approval is possible.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current DOL wage for SOC 25-1194 in any metropolitan area. Select the correct area, the SOC code, and the experience level that matches the offered position. You can also search the O*NET profile for occupational context. Migrate Mate can help identify which employers in a specific metro have sponsored this role previously, which gives you a practical starting point for your job search before checking the wage floor.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary right now.
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