Prevailing Wage for Counselors, All Other
Prevailing wages for Counselors, All Other (SOC 21-1019) are set by the DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data. DOL divides the occupation into four experience-based levels, and the floor for each level shifts considerably depending on the worksite city listed on the Labor Condition Application.
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Level 1 covers entry-level counselors with limited professional experience, typically one to two years, working under close supervision. These candidates handle routine cases with structured guidance and have not yet demonstrated independent caseload management or specialized program expertise.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for counselors in this category. It applies to qualified professionals with a few years of experience who manage independent caseloads, apply established protocols without constant supervision, and hold the typical graduate-level credentials expected for a sponsored counseling position.
Level 3 covers experienced counselors who exercise significant judgment, handle complex or nonstandard cases, and may provide informal guidance to junior staff. These professionals typically bring five or more years of progressively responsible counseling experience within a defined program or population.
Level 4 applies to fully competent senior counselors who function as subject-matter experts, lead program development, or manage teams. Employers typically reserve this level for professionals directing others, shaping policy, or holding clinical supervisory credentials recognized by the sponsoring organization.
Prevailing Wage for Counselors, All Other 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 Counselors, All Other and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your supervision level before your offer
Employers filing LCAs for counselors in this catch-all SOC sometimes default to Level 1 or Level 2 regardless of whether the role requires independent clinical judgment. If your position involves unsupervised caseload management or program oversight, Level 3 is likely the correct floor.
Watch out for low-paying metro placements
This occupation shows unusually wide geographic spread. The prevailing wage in Akron or Toledo is far below the floor in Washington DC or Richmond. If your employer lists a low-cost worksite on the LCA to reduce the wage obligation, the offer must still meet that metro's level-specific floor.
Verify your counseling title maps to SOC 21-1019
Titles like career counselor, rehabilitation counselor, or substance use counselor each have their own dedicated SOC codes with separate prevailing wage floors. If your employer files under SOC 21-1019 for a role that belongs under a specialized counselor code, the wage benchmark applied may be inaccurate.
Use Migrate Mate to find proven counseling sponsors
Employers who have historically sponsored workers in counseling-adjacent roles are visible through Migrate Mate's sponsorship history data. Filtering by role and location shows which organizations have active sponsorship patterns, helping you focus outreach on agencies and nonprofits with an established track record.
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Find Jobs for Counselors, All OtherFrequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Counselors, All Other?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For each metro area, OFLC calculates four wage levels by applying fixed percentile cutpoints to the wage distribution for SOC 21-1019. Employers filing an LCA must pay at least the wage corresponding to the experience level DOL assigns to the position.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect experience, supervision, and complexity. Level 1 is entry-level under close oversight; Level 2 is qualified and independently functioning; Level 3 is experienced with significant judgment and complex cases; Level 4 is fully competent in a senior or supervisory capacity. The employer determines the level when drafting the LCA job description. Review the LCA if you have access to it, and compare the duties described against your actual responsibilities.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same counselor role vary so much from city to city?
OFLC conducts regional wage surveys through the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so wages reflect local labor market conditions rather than a national average. The LCA rule requires employers to pay the prevailing wage for the worksite address listed on the application, not the company's headquarters. Markets with dense nonprofit, government, or healthcare employer concentrations tend to push wages up, while smaller Midwest metros with thinner survey samples can produce lower floors.
What happens if my job offer falls below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify the LCA if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage for that worksite and level. If USCIS or DOL later finds a discrepancy, the employer may be liable for back wages, face debarment from future sponsorships, and the petition can be denied or revoked. For the worker, a deficient LCA wage means the petition supporting H-1B or PERM status lacks a valid certified wage basis.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Counselors, All Other in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 21-1019 by metro area. Enter the worksite city and select the occupation to see the current Level 1 through Level 4 wages. For sponsored job searches, Migrate Mate lists employers who have sponsored counseling and related roles and shows historical sponsorship counts by company, helping you identify which organizations actively file for this occupation before you apply.
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