Prevailing Wage for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
The prevailing wage for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (SOC 19-3033) is set by the DOL using regional wage surveys, so the floor a clinical psychologist or licensed psychologist must meet depends on the worksite city. DOL publishes four experience-based wage levels, and the gap between entry and fully competent can be substantial across the 215 metro areas covered.
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Level 1 covers entry-level psychologists in their first years of practice, typically completing supervised hours toward full licensure. Work is closely supervised, with limited independent caseload responsibility. Most H-1B petitions at this level involve recent doctoral graduates or postdoctoral trainees.
Level 2 applies to qualified psychologists with independent licensure and moderate clinical experience. This is the most common filing level for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, covering staff clinicians and counseling psychologists who manage their own caseloads without close supervision.
Level 3 covers experienced psychologists who take on complex or specialized cases, provide supervision to junior staff, or lead clinical programs. These professionals apply advanced assessment and treatment techniques with broad autonomy across their assigned service area.
Level 4 reflects fully competent, senior-level psychologists in lead clinical, supervisory, or program-director roles. They set standards for others, design treatment protocols, and often carry institution-wide responsibility for clinical quality or a specialized service line.
Prevailing Wage for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists 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 Clinical and Counseling Psychologists and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch for title mismatches that shift your SOC
Job postings using titles like Case Manager or Counselor sometimes get filed under a social work or counseling SOC rather than 19-3033, which carries a different prevailing wage floor. Confirm the LCA lists SOC 19-3033 before accepting an offer.
Account for supervision hours in your level selection
Psychologists still accumulating post-doctoral supervision hours are routinely filed at Level 1, even if their daily clinical duties resemble Level 2 work. Once full licensure is granted mid-employment, employers should amend the LCA to reflect the correct level.
Compare wages across California metros before negotiating
California metros vary sharply for this role. San Francisco and Vallejo carry significantly higher floors than inland areas. Knowing where your worksite falls on the regional scale gives you a concrete reference point when discussing your offer.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsors with psychology hiring history
Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored Clinical and Counseling Psychologists before, filtered by visa type and location. That history signals an employer already understands the LCA and licensing requirements specific to this occupation.
Jobs for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 19-3033.00 alongside Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Case Manager Prevailing Wage
Case Manager Prevailing Wage
Case Manager positions fall under SOC 19-3033.00 (Clinical and Counseling Psychologists). 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.
Clinical Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Clinical Psychologist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Clinical Psychologist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-3033.00 (Clinical and Counseling Psychologists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Counseling Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Counseling Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Counseling Psychologist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-3033.00 (Clinical and Counseling Psychologists). 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.
Counselor Prevailing Wage
Counselor Prevailing Wage
Counselor positions fall under SOC 19-3033.00 (Clinical and Counseling Psychologists). 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.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Licensed Clinical Psychologist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Licensed Clinical Psychologist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-3033.00 (Clinical and Counseling Psychologists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Licensed Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Licensed Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Licensed Psychologist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-3033.00 (Clinical and Counseling Psychologists). 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.
LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) Prevailing Wage
LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) Prevailing Wage
LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) positions fall under SOC 19-3033.00 (Clinical and Counseling Psychologists). 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.
Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Psychologist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Psychologist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-3033.00 (Clinical and Counseling Psychologists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Psychotherapist Prevailing Wage
Psychotherapist Prevailing Wage
Psychotherapist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-3033.00 (Clinical and Counseling Psychologists). 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.
Therapist Prevailing Wage
Therapist Prevailing Wage
Therapist positions fall under SOC 19-3033.00 (Clinical and Counseling Psychologists). 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 Clinical and Counseling Psychologists?
DOL draws on Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, broken down by metro area and experience level. For Clinical and Counseling Psychologists under SOC 19-3033, the OFLC publishes four wage levels derived from those regional medians. Employers must certify on the LCA that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean, and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four DOL levels reflect experience and autonomy: Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision, Level 2 is independently licensed with moderate experience, Level 3 involves complex cases or supervisory duties, and Level 4 is senior or program-director scope. Your level is determined by your actual job duties, not your title. Review the LCA your employer files, which must state both the level and the corresponding wage, and compare it against your offer letter.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same psychologist role differ so much by city?
DOL assigns wages by worksite metropolitan area using regional OES survey data, so local labor market conditions drive the floor. A dense employer market in the San Francisco Bay Area produces a much higher survey median than a smaller market in Wichita. The LCA must list the actual worksite address, which determines which metro's wage schedule applies. Remote or hybrid arrangements with multiple worksites can trigger separate prevailing wage obligations for each location.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
USCIS will deny an H-1B petition or PERM application where the offered wage falls below the DOL prevailing wage certified on the LCA. The employer cannot substitute bonuses, equity, or benefits to make up the shortfall. If OFLC later audits the LCA and finds a violation, back-pay obligations and debarment from future sponsorship filings are possible consequences. The fix before filing is to adjust the base salary to meet the applicable level.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up SOC 19-3033 by the metro area where you would work. Enter the occupation code and select your worksite area to retrieve the four-level wage table DOL publishes for that region. You can also cross-reference O*NET for the occupation profile. If you want to see which employers have historically sponsored this role in a given location, Migrate Mate filters sponsorship history by role and geography.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists right now.
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