Prevailing Wage for Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary
Prevailing wage data for Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1052.00) determines the minimum DOL-compliant salary an employer must offer when sponsoring a Chemistry Professor, Assistant Professor, or Associate Professor for H-1B visa, H-1B1 visa, E-3 visa, H-2B visa, or PERM status. DOL sets four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly depending on the metro where the position is located.
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Level 1 applies to entry-level postsecondary chemistry instructors with limited independent research or teaching experience. These are typically new PhD graduates or recent postdoctoral fellows moving into their first faculty or full-time instructor appointment.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary. It covers faculty with some independent teaching and research experience who perform standard duties without requiring close supervision, typical of mid-career instructors or assistant professors.
Level 3 applies to experienced chemistry faculty who independently lead courses, supervise graduate students, or manage departmental research programs. These professionals often hold associate professor rank or have developed a recognized scholarly or instructional record.
Level 4 covers fully competent senior faculty, such as full professors or department leads, who set curriculum direction, mentor junior faculty, and carry significant institutional or research responsibility. Their expertise shapes program outcomes at an institutional level.
Prevailing wage for Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary by OES area
Each area on the map is a DOL OES wage zone. Click any location to see the prevailing wage floor for Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary at each level.
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 Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your rank maps to the right level
Assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor titles often correspond to Levels 2, 3, and 4 respectively, but employers sometimes file one level low. Verify your rank against DOL level descriptors before accepting an offer, since the gap between levels for this occupation can be substantial in high-cost metros.
Watch how research stipends are counted
Some universities structure compensation for chemistry faculty as a base salary plus a separate research or grant stipend. Only guaranteed, recurring salary components count toward prevailing wage compliance on the LCA. Confirm your base alone clears the floor, not the combined figure.
Compare metro wages before accepting a campus location
Prevailing wages for postsecondary chemistry faculty vary sharply by metro. San Francisco and San Diego floors are roughly double those in Cleveland or Tampa at the same experience level. If your employer has multiple campuses, the LCA must use the worksite city, which determines the applicable wage floor.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsors in this field
Migrate Mate lists chemistry faculty and postsecondary science instructor roles from employers with verified H-1B and green card sponsorship history. You can filter by visa type and location to see which universities and colleges have sponsored Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary in the past.
Prevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-1052.00 alongside Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Assistant Professor Prevailing Wage
Assistant Professor Prevailing Wage
Assistant Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1052.00 (Chemistry 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.
Associate Professor Prevailing Wage
Associate Professor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Associate Professor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1052.00 (Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Biochemistry Professor Prevailing Wage
Biochemistry Professor Prevailing Wage
Biochemistry Professor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1052.00 (Chemistry 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.
Chemistry Faculty Member Prevailing Wage
Chemistry Faculty Member Prevailing Wage
Chemistry Faculty Member positions fall under SOC 25-1052.00 (Chemistry 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.
Chemistry Instructor Prevailing Wage
Chemistry Instructor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Chemistry Instructor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1052.00 (Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Chemistry Professor Prevailing Wage
Chemistry Professor Prevailing Wage
Chemistry Professor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1052.00 (Chemistry 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.
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor positions fall under SOC 25-1052.00 (Chemistry 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.
Lecturer Prevailing Wage
Lecturer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Lecturer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1052.00 (Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Organic Chemistry Professor Prevailing Wage
Organic Chemistry Professor Prevailing Wage
Organic Chemistry Professor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1052.00 (Chemistry 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 25-1052.00 (Chemistry 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan areas. For SOC 25-1052.00, DOL applies a four-level wage matrix to those regional medians. Employers filing an LCA through OFLC must pay at least the level corresponding to the position's actual duties and required experience.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect increasing experience and responsibility. Level 1 is entry-level, typically a first appointment after graduate training. Level 2 is qualified, covering independent but non-senior faculty. Level 3 is experienced, often matching associate professor scope. Level 4 is fully competent, covering senior or lead faculty. Compare the position's actual duties and required experience to DOL's level descriptors, not just the job title, to identify the correct level.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same chemistry faculty role differ so much between cities?
DOL derives wages from regional OES surveys, so local labor market conditions directly set each metro's floor. A chemistry faculty position in San Francisco carries a much higher prevailing wage than the same role in Cleveland because BLS survey respondents in those markets report different wage distributions. The LCA must list the actual worksite address, and OFLC applies the wage for that specific metro, not a national average.
What happens if an employer offers a salary below the prevailing wage for a sponsored chemistry faculty position?
An LCA filed with a wage below the applicable prevailing wage will not be certified by OFLC, blocking the H-1B, H-1B1 visa, E-3, H-2B, or PERM petition from proceeding. If a certified LCA later shows a wage below what was actually paid, the employer faces back-wage liability and potential debarment from future sponsorships. USCIS also reviews wage compliance during petition adjudication for certain green card categories.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 25-1052.00 for any metropolitan area. Enter the occupation code and select the target metro to see all four wage levels. You can also review the O*NET profile for SOC 25-1052.00 to cross-reference duties and confirm you are searching the correct occupation code. Migrate Mate can help you identify employers with a sponsorship history for this role in specific locations.
