Prevailing Wage for Construction Managers
Prevailing wage for Construction Managers, the DOL occupation covering roles such as Construction Superintendent, Construction Area Manager, and Concrete Foreman, is set by the Department of Labor across four experience levels. The floor varies significantly by worksite city, so a sponsored offer in Boston carries a different minimum than one in Arkansas.
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Level 1 applies to entry-level Construction Managers with limited independent authority, typically fewer than two years managing construction activities. Work is closely supervised, with assignments bounded to well-defined project phases rather than full project oversight.
Level 2 covers qualified Construction Managers with moderate independent judgment, generally two to five years of relevant experience. This is the most common filing level for Construction Managers, reflecting mid-career professionals who coordinate subcontractors and manage project schedules without full autonomy.
Level 3 applies to experienced Construction Managers who exercise significant independent judgment across complex, multi-phase projects. These professionals typically lead project teams, manage budgets directly, and may supervise junior construction supervisors or foremen.
Level 4 covers fully competent Construction Managers at the senior or principal level, setting standards, leading large-scale programs, and often carrying P&L responsibility. These roles command the highest prevailing wage and typically require a decade or more of progressive construction management experience.
Prevailing Wage for Construction Managers 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 Construction Managers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Verify your worksite city drives your LCA
Construction Managers work at job sites, not just a corporate office. The DOL requires the LCA to reflect the actual project worksite location, which can shift your prevailing wage floor significantly between metros like San Francisco and lower-wage markets in Arkansas.
Exclude project bonuses from wage compliance math
Many construction employers structure compensation with project-completion bonuses or per-diem allowances. DOL prevailing wage compliance counts only the guaranteed base salary, so confirm your base alone clears the floor before factoring in variable project pay.
Watch for title aliasing across construction SOC codes
Titles like Construction Foreman or Construction Superintendent sometimes get filed under production or general operations SOC codes rather than SOC 11-9021. A misclassified LCA may set a lower wage floor, creating compliance risk if the role actually matches the Construction Managers definition.
Find employers who sponsor Construction Managers on Migrate Mate
Construction sponsorship is concentrated among large general contractors and infrastructure firms. Migrate Mate shows which employers have historical H-1B or green card sponsorship counts for construction roles, helping you target companies already familiar with the LCA process for this occupation.
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Find Jobs for Construction ManagersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 11-9021.00 alongside Construction Managers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Concrete Foreman Prevailing Wage
Concrete Foreman Prevailing Wage
Concrete Foreman positions fall under SOC 11-9021.00 (Construction Managers). 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.
Construction Area Manager Prevailing Wage
Construction Area Manager Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Construction Area Manager for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9021.00 (Construction Managers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Construction Foreman Prevailing Wage
Construction Foreman Prevailing Wage
Construction Foreman is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9021.00 (Construction Managers). 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.
Construction Management Supervisor Prevailing Wage
Construction Management Supervisor Prevailing Wage
Construction Management Supervisor positions fall under SOC 11-9021.00 (Construction Managers). 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.
Construction Services Manager Prevailing Wage
Construction Services Manager Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Construction Services Manager for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9021.00 (Construction Managers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Construction Superintendent Prevailing Wage
Construction Superintendent Prevailing Wage
Construction Superintendent is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9021.00 (Construction Managers). 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.
General Superintendent Prevailing Wage
General Superintendent Prevailing Wage
General Superintendent positions fall under SOC 11-9021.00 (Construction Managers). 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.
Job Superintendent Prevailing Wage
Job Superintendent Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Job Superintendent for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9021.00 (Construction Managers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Site Manager Prevailing Wage
Site Manager Prevailing Wage
Site Manager is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9021.00 (Construction Managers). 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 Construction Managers?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. For each area, it calculates four wage levels tied to experience and complexity. Employers filing an LCA for a sponsored Construction Manager must offer at least the level that matches the position's actual duties and required experience.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
The four levels reflect increasing experience, independence, and complexity. Level 1 covers entry-level supervision under close guidance. Level 2 is the most common for mid-career managers coordinating subcontractors. Level 3 reflects experienced professionals running complex projects independently. Level 4 is reserved for senior leaders with full program authority. Your level should match the duties and qualifications the employer actually requires, not just your years of experience.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same role differ so much by city?
DOL sets wages using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so local labor market conditions drive the floor. Dense employer markets in metros like San Francisco and Boston push prevailing wages significantly higher than lower-cost areas. Critically, the LCA must list the actual project worksite, not the employer's headquarters, so a Construction Manager assigned to a remote job site uses that site's metro wage data.
What happens if a job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
If the offered salary falls below the applicable prevailing wage, DOL will not certify the LCA, and USCIS will not approve the H-1B or other sponsored visa petition. The employer must either raise the offered wage to meet the floor or reclassify the position at a lower level only if the actual duties genuinely support that level. Misrepresenting duties to justify a lower level creates serious compliance risk.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Construction Manager role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up current prevailing wages by SOC code, experience level, and metropolitan area. Enter SOC 11-9021 and the worksite metro to see all four level wages. For confirmed sponsoring employers, Migrate Mate shows companies with a track record of sponsoring construction roles, so you can cross-reference which employers are actively filing in the cities that matter to you.
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