Prevailing Wage for Drafters, All Other
Prevailing wage for Drafters, All Other (SOC 17-3019) is set by the Department of Labor using regional wage surveys across more than 80 metro areas. DOL assigns four experience levels, each with a different wage floor, and the applicable rate depends on where the work is performed.
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Level 1 covers entry-level drafters working under close supervision, typically with limited professional experience and a recent technical degree or associate credential. Duties are routine and well-defined, with minimal independent judgment expected.
Level 2 applies to qualified drafters with moderate experience who work with some independence on standard drafting tasks. This is the most common filing level for Drafters, All Other, reflecting the typical mid-career professional in sponsored positions.
Level 3 covers experienced drafters who handle complex projects with considerable autonomy. Duties often include mentoring junior staff, resolving technical drawing challenges, and applying specialized knowledge across project types without routine supervision.
Level 4 applies to fully competent senior drafters exercising broad independent judgment, often in lead or specialist roles. These professionals may oversee drafting standards across a department or manage complex multi-discipline drawing packages.
Prevailing Wage for Drafters, 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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Check whether your title maps to SOC 17-3019
Employers sometimes file LCAs under related SOC codes like Mechanical Drafters (17-3013) or Civil Drafters (17-3011), which carry different wage floors. Confirm your offer letter title aligns with SOC 17-3019 to ensure the correct prevailing wage applies.
Scrutinize offers in Utah and Vermont metros
Ogden and Salt Lake City show wide spreads between Level 1 and Level 4 wages for this occupation, while Burlington posts some of the lowest ceilings nationally. An offer at the Level 1 floor in Burlington may clear compliance but leave significant room compared to California metros.
Watch how signing bonuses factor into wage calculations
DOL prevailing wage compliance for sponsored drafters is based on regular wages, not one-time payments. Signing bonuses and relocation allowances generally do not count toward satisfying the wage floor, so verify the base salary alone clears the applicable level.
Find employers who have sponsored drafters before
Migrate Mate shows which companies have historically sponsored Drafters, All Other roles, so you can target employers with an active track record rather than those attempting H-1B or green card sponsorship for the first time in this occupation.
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Find Jobs for Drafters, All OtherFrequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Drafters, All Other?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to establish prevailing wages for each SOC code. For SOC 17-3019, OFLC calculates four wage levels from the regional wage distribution, with Level 1 at the 17th percentile, Level 2 at the 34th, Level 3 at the 50th, and Level 4 at the 67th percentile of local wages for the occupation.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect experience and responsibility. Level 1 is entry-level under close supervision; Level 2 is qualified with moderate independence; Level 3 is experienced with considerable autonomy; Level 4 is fully competent in a senior or lead capacity. Your level is determined by the actual duties in the position, not the job title alone. The employer specifies the level on the Labor Condition Application filed with DOL.
Why can the prevailing wage for the same drafting role differ so much from city to city?
DOL calculates prevailing wages from regional OES surveys, so wages reflect local labor market conditions rather than a national average. An employer must use the wage for the worksite location listed on the LCA, not the company's headquarters. Dense technical markets like San Francisco and Boston produce higher survey medians for SOC 17-3019, while smaller metros like Burlington or McAllen yield substantially lower floors, creating significant variation for the same occupation.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify a valid LCA if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite location and SOC code. USCIS will deny an H-1B petition that relies on a deficient LCA. For PERM-based green card cases, OFLC similarly requires the offered wage to meet or exceed the prevailing wage determination before certification. The employer must increase the offered salary or correct the wage level before filing.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Drafters, All Other in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current DOL prevailing wage for SOC 17-3019 in any metropolitan area. Select the occupation code, choose your state and metro area, and review all four wage levels. You can also cross-reference salary ranges on Migrate Mate, which lists sponsored positions filtered by role and location, to see what employers in a given market are actually offering for this occupation.
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