Prevailing Wage for Childcare Workers
Prevailing wages for Childcare Workers under SOC 39-9011 are set by the DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. Whether you're filing as a Child Care Worker, Caregiver, or Daycare Worker, the wage floor that must appear on your Labor Condition Application depends on your experience level and the specific city where you'll work.
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Entry-level Child Care Workers with limited experience and basic task responsibilities, such as feeding, dressing, and supervising play under direct supervision. Typically requires no specialized credentials beyond a high school diploma or minimal formal training.
Qualified Child Care Workers with some independent responsibility, routine childcare tasks performed with general supervision, and one to three years of relevant experience. Level 2 is the most common filing level for sponsored positions in this occupation.
Experienced Childcare Workers who handle complex caregiving situations with minimal oversight, may informally guide newer staff, and bring several years of demonstrated competency in age-appropriate developmental practices and safety protocols.
Fully competent caregivers functioning as leads or senior practitioners, exercising independent judgment across a full range of childcare duties, often in supervisory or program-coordination roles at daycare centers or institutional childcare settings.
Prevailing Wage for Childcare Workers 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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Confirm your filing level matches actual duties
Daycare centers frequently file L1 for roles that involve curriculum planning or developmental assessments, which align with L2. Review the LCA job description carefully to ensure the experience level reflects your actual scope of work, not the lowest permissible wage.
Watch for wide metro wage gaps in this occupation
Childcare Workers face some of the widest city-to-city wage spreads of any occupation at this SOC level. San Jose and San Francisco floors significantly exceed metros like Gadsden or Hattiesburg, so verifying the worksite city on the LCA before comparing offers is essential.
Check whether benefits offset low base wages
Childcare employers often advertise housing assistance or subsidized childcare as part of compensation, but DOL prevailing wage compliance counts only cash wages. Bonuses paid once at hire are generally excluded from the wage calculation used for LCA compliance.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers sponsoring Childcare Workers
Migrate Mate shows which employers have a verified history of sponsoring Childcare Workers and Caregivers, letting you filter by location and visa type to focus on centers and households that have actually completed the sponsorship process before.
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Find Jobs for Childcare WorkersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 39-9011.00 alongside Childcare Workers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Caregiver Prevailing Wage
Caregiver Prevailing Wage
Caregiver positions fall under SOC 39-9011.00 (Childcare Workers). 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.
Child Care Worker Prevailing Wage
Child Care Worker Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Child Care Worker for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 39-9011.00 (Childcare Workers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Child Caregiver Prevailing Wage
Child Caregiver Prevailing Wage
Child Caregiver is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 39-9011.00 (Childcare Workers). 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.
Childcare Provider Prevailing Wage
Childcare Provider Prevailing Wage
Childcare Provider positions fall under SOC 39-9011.00 (Childcare Workers). 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.
Daycare Teacher Prevailing Wage
Daycare Teacher Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Daycare Teacher for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 39-9011.00 (Childcare Workers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Daycare Worker Prevailing Wage
Daycare Worker Prevailing Wage
Daycare Worker is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 39-9011.00 (Childcare Workers). 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.
Infant Teacher Prevailing Wage
Infant Teacher Prevailing Wage
Infant Teacher positions fall under SOC 39-9011.00 (Childcare Workers). 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.
Toddler Teacher Prevailing Wage
Toddler Teacher Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Toddler Teacher for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 39-9011.00 (Childcare Workers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Childcare Workers?
DOL calculates prevailing wages for Childcare Workers using Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected across hundreds of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. OFLC assigns a wage to each of four experience levels for SOC 39-9011 in each area. Employers sponsoring a foreign worker must certify on the Labor Condition Application that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level for the specific worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
DOL defines Level 1 as entry-level with routine duties under close supervision, Level 2 as qualified with some independent work, Level 3 as experienced with minimal oversight, and Level 4 as fully competent in a lead or senior capacity. Your level should reflect your actual job duties and years of experience in childcare, not simply your job title. Mismatches between assigned level and real responsibilities can trigger compliance issues during USCIS review.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Childcare Workers role differ so much by city?
OFLC uses regional OES surveys to set wages, so local labor market conditions drive the figures. A market with higher living costs and greater demand for qualified caregivers, such as San Francisco or San Jose, produces a higher floor than a rural or lower-cost metro. The LCA must list the actual worksite address, so if you work at a private household or a specific daycare location, that city's wage applies, not a national average.
What happens if an employer offers a salary below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot lawfully certify an LCA for a sponsored Childcare Worker if the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite. DOL will not certify the LCA, blocking the H-1B or PERM process. If an LCA is certified but the employer later pays below the certified wage, USCIS or DOL can pursue back-pay liability, debarment, or petition revocation. The floor is a legal minimum, not a negotiating starting point.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current prevailing wage for SOC 39-9011 by metro area or county. Enter the occupation code and worksite location to see all four level wages. Cross-reference the employer's LCA filing, which is publicly available through OFLC disclosure data, to confirm which level they certified. Migrate Mate filters sponsored Childcare Workers listings by location, making it easier to find employers with an active sponsorship history in your target city.
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