Prevailing Wage for Civil Engineers
Prevailing wage for Civil Engineers is set by the DOL across four experience levels, and the floor shifts considerably depending on where the worksite sits. Whether a sponsor is filing for a Design Engineer, a County Engineer, or a City Engineer role, the required minimum pay depends on the assigned wage level and the metropolitan area on the LCA.
See all jobs for Civil EngineersLook up your work address
Entry-level engineers with limited experience, typically recent graduates working under direct supervision on routine assignments. Sponsors filing at Level 1 are certifying the role involves little independent judgment and follows established methods and procedures.
Engineers with some independent judgment and a defined scope of work, often two to four years into their career. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Civil Engineers, covering qualified professionals on standard project delivery roles.
Experienced engineers who regularly exercise independent judgment, lead project phases, or hold specialized expertise such as geotechnical or structural design. Level 3 roles typically involve mentoring junior staff and managing deliverables with minimal oversight.
Senior or lead engineers at the top of their specialty, setting technical direction and holding full accountability for complex projects. Sponsors filing at Level 4 are certifying the role requires mastery of the discipline and often carries firm-wide or client-facing leadership responsibilities.
Prevailing Wage for Civil Engineers 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 Civil Engineers
See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Civil Engineers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Civil Engineers
Watch for public-agency filing patterns
State DOTs, county public works departments, and municipal agencies routinely file civil engineering LCAs at Level 2, even for licensed professional engineers managing full project delivery. Confirm the posted title and duties match your actual scope before accepting the wage level.
Separate base salary from project bonuses
Civil engineering employers sometimes offer project-completion or utilization bonuses that cannot count toward the prevailing wage floor. DOL requires the floor be met through guaranteed base pay, so signing bonuses amortized over employment or discretionary project awards do not satisfy the LCA wage obligation.
Account for worksite location on infrastructure projects
For civil engineers deployed to active construction sites, the LCA worksite address drives the prevailing wage calculation, not the employer's headquarters. A firm headquartered in a low-wage metro but deploying you to a Bay Area highway project must use the San Jose or San Francisco wage floor.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers sponsoring civil engineers
Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored civil engineering roles historically, so you can focus your search on infrastructure firms, design-build contractors, and public agencies with a verified track record of H-1B or green card filings for this occupation.
Jobs for Civil Engineers are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Civil EngineersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 17-2051.00 alongside Civil Engineers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
City Engineer Prevailing Wage
City Engineer Prevailing Wage
City Engineer positions fall under SOC 17-2051.00 (Civil Engineers). 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.
County Engineer Prevailing Wage
County Engineer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a County Engineer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-2051.00 (Civil Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Design Engineer Prevailing Wage
Design Engineer Prevailing Wage
Design Engineer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-2051.00 (Civil Engineers). 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.
Engineer Prevailing Wage
Engineer Prevailing Wage
Engineer positions fall under SOC 17-2051.00 (Civil Engineers). 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.
Geotechnical Engineer Prevailing Wage
Geotechnical Engineer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Geotechnical Engineer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-2051.00 (Civil Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Licensed Engineer Prevailing Wage
Licensed Engineer Prevailing Wage
Licensed Engineer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-2051.00 (Civil Engineers). 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.
Project Engineer Prevailing Wage
Project Engineer Prevailing Wage
Project Engineer positions fall under SOC 17-2051.00 (Civil Engineers). 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.
Railroad Design Consultant Prevailing Wage
Railroad Design Consultant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Railroad Design Consultant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-2051.00 (Civil Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Structural Engineer Prevailing Wage
Structural Engineer Prevailing Wage
Structural Engineer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-2051.00 (Civil Engineers). 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 Civil Engineers?
DOL draws on Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. For each area, DOL calculates four wage levels tied to experience and job complexity. Employers filing an LCA through OFLC must pay at least the level that matches the role's actual duties, not simply the posted title.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry-level work under close supervision, Level 2 covers qualified professionals with some independence, Level 3 covers experienced engineers with specialized expertise or project leadership, and Level 4 covers senior or principal engineers setting technical direction. To identify your level, compare your actual day-to-day duties, degree of supervision, and decision-making authority against DOL's level definitions, not just your job title.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same civil engineering role vary so much by city?
DOL publishes area-specific wages derived from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so each metropolitan area gets its own wage floor reflecting local labor market conditions. The LCA rule requires employers to use the wage for the worksite where you will actually work, not their corporate headquarters. Dense engineering markets like the San Francisco Bay Area carry significantly higher floors than smaller metros, and that gap is baked directly into the certified LCA.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An LCA cannot be certified by OFLC if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage. If USCIS or DOL discovers a wage violation after approval, the employer faces back-wage liability, debarment from future filings, and potential civil penalties. For the sponsored worker, an out-of-compliance LCA can jeopardize the underlying H-1B or PERM petition. The floor must be met through guaranteed base salary before the LCA is submitted.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific Civil Engineers location?
The OFLC Wage Search tool lets you look up the current prevailing wage by SOC code 17-2051 and metropolitan area. Select the area matching your actual worksite, choose the appropriate wage level, and confirm the figure against what your employer has listed on the LCA. Migrate Mate lists civil engineering roles from employers with documented sponsorship history, giving you a starting point for identifying which companies are actively filing in your target location.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Civil Engineers right now.
Search Jobs for Civil Engineers