Prevailing Wage for Cooks, Restaurant
Prevailing wage floors for Cooks, Restaurant under SOC 35-2014 apply to every H-1B, E-3, and green card sponsorship in this occupation, whether the sponsored worker is a Grill Cook, Banquet Cook, or Back Line Cook. DOL sets four experience levels, and the floor shifts significantly by city, so the same offer can clear the threshold in one metro and fall short in another.
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Entry-level restaurant cooks with limited on-the-job experience, typically under two years in a supervised kitchen environment. Work is closely directed, tasks are routine, and the scope covers basic prep and line duties without independent menu or station authority.
Qualified cooks with two or more years of practical kitchen experience who work with some independence on a defined station. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Cooks, Restaurant, reflecting the typical sponsored line cook or junior sous position.
Experienced cooks who apply advanced techniques across multiple stations, require minimal supervision, and may guide junior kitchen staff. Sponsorship at this level typically covers roles with measurable station ownership and demonstrated proficiency in a full-service or specialty restaurant.
Fully competent senior kitchen professionals, including lead line cooks and banquet production leads, who operate with full independence, set kitchen standards, and may hold supervisory responsibility for a section or shift in a high-volume or fine-dining operation.
Prevailing Wage for Cooks, Restaurant 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 station maps to the filed level
Restaurant employers sometimes file an LCA at Level 1 for a role that operates as a full station lead. If your duties cover independent prep, plating, and ordering, the Level 2 floor applies, and a Level 1 offer may fall short of compliance.
Watch how signing bonuses affect annualized wages
Some restaurant groups package a signing bonus into the offered compensation to clear the prevailing wage floor. DOL requires the base wage alone to meet the floor; one-time bonuses cannot substitute for the required annualized rate on the LCA.
Check whether your worksite city is the filed metro
High-volume hospitality groups often file a single LCA using a lower-wage metro even when the actual kitchen is in San Jose or San Francisco, where the Cooks, Restaurant floor is significantly higher. The LCA must list the actual work location.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsors with a filing history
Migrate Mate shows which restaurant groups and hospitality employers have previously sponsored Cooks, Restaurant, so you can focus outreach on kitchens that have navigated the LCA process before rather than educating an employer from scratch.
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Find Jobs for Cooks, RestaurantPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 35-2014.00 alongside Cooks, Restaurant, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Back Line Cook Prevailing Wage
Back Line Cook Prevailing Wage
Back Line Cook positions fall under SOC 35-2014.00 (Cooks, Restaurant). 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.
Banquet Cook Prevailing Wage
Banquet Cook Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Banquet Cook for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 35-2014.00 (Cooks, Restaurant). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Breakfast Cook Prevailing Wage
Breakfast Cook Prevailing Wage
Breakfast Cook is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 35-2014.00 (Cooks, Restaurant). 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.
Cook Prevailing Wage
Cook Prevailing Wage
Cook positions fall under SOC 35-2014.00 (Cooks, Restaurant). 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.
Fry Cook Prevailing Wage
Fry Cook Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Fry Cook for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 35-2014.00 (Cooks, Restaurant). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Grill Cook Prevailing Wage
Grill Cook Prevailing Wage
Grill Cook is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 35-2014.00 (Cooks, Restaurant). 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.
Line Cook Prevailing Wage
Line Cook Prevailing Wage
Line Cook positions fall under SOC 35-2014.00 (Cooks, Restaurant). 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.
Prep Cook (Preparation Cook) Prevailing Wage
Prep Cook (Preparation Cook) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Prep Cook (Preparation Cook) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 35-2014.00 (Cooks, Restaurant). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Prep Person (Preparation Person) Prevailing Wage
Prep Person (Preparation Person) Prevailing Wage
Prep Person (Preparation Person) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 35-2014.00 (Cooks, Restaurant). 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.
Saucier Prevailing Wage
Saucier Prevailing Wage
Saucier positions fall under SOC 35-2014.00 (Cooks, Restaurant). 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 Cooks, Restaurant?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan areas. For each area, wages are sorted into four percentile bands: the 17th, 34th, 50th, and 67th percentiles correspond to Levels 1 through 4. The employer must pay at least the level that matches the actual duties and experience required for the sponsored position.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect increasing skill and independence. Level 1 covers entry positions under close supervision; Level 2 covers qualified cooks working with some independence on a defined station; Level 3 covers experienced cooks with measurable autonomy; Level 4 covers senior or lead kitchen roles with full operational independence. Your level is determined by the actual duties in the LCA, not by the job title your employer uses. If the duties described on the LCA do not match the level filed, OFLC or USCIS can flag the petition.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same cook role differ so much from city to city?
Regional OES surveys capture local labor market conditions, which vary widely for kitchen workers. Dense hospitality markets such as San Jose and San Francisco have a high concentration of high-revenue restaurants bidding for experienced cooks, pushing surveyed wages up. Lower-cost metro areas in Puerto Rico and the territories reflect a smaller pool of competing employers and lower local wage norms. Because the LCA must list the actual worksite address, the floor that applies is always the metro-level wage for the specific location where the cook will work, not a national average.
What happens if a job offer for a sponsored cook position is below the prevailing wage?
DOL will not certify an LCA where the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite metro and the filed experience level. Without a certified LCA, USCIS cannot approve the H-1B or other work visa petition. If a wage deficiency is discovered after certification, the employer may face back-pay liability and debarment from future DOL labor programs. The sponsored worker should not accept an offer that the employer cannot document as meeting the prevailing wage floor.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Cooks, Restaurant position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 35-2014 for any of the metropolitan areas covered by DOL wage surveys. Select the specific metro where the kitchen is located, choose the experience level that matches the role's duties, and note the annual wage. You can also cross-reference O*NET for the occupation's full definition. Migrate Mate lists restaurant and hospitality employers with confirmed sponsorship history, which helps you identify which operators are already familiar with meeting these wage requirements.
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