Prevailing Wage for Education Administrators, Postsecondary
The prevailing wage for Education Administrators, Postsecondary under SOC 11-9033 sets the DOL-mandated minimum a U.S. employer must pay when sponsoring a foreign national in this role. Whether your offer is for an Academic Dean, Admissions Director, or Financial Aid Director position, DOL sets four wage levels tied to experience, and the floor shifts significantly depending on the worksite city.
See all jobs for this roleLook up your work address
Level 1 covers entry-level postsecondary administrators with limited experience, typically performing routine duties under close supervision. Candidates new to U.S. higher education administration or transitioning from academic faculty roles often fall here.
Level 2 applies to qualified administrators with moderate experience who work with some independence. This is the most common filing level for Education Administrators, Postsecondary, covering roles like department-level Academic Deans and mid-career Admissions Directors.
Level 3 fits experienced administrators leading significant institutional functions with minimal supervision. Think college-wide Deans of Students, senior Financial Aid Directors, or those managing multi-department budgets and staff at mid-sized institutions.
Level 4 is reserved for fully competent senior leaders, including College Presidents, Chief Academic Officers, and Academic Affairs Vice Presidents, who set institutional strategy, oversee large teams, and hold ultimate accountability for administrative outcomes.
Prevailing Wage for Education Administrators, Postsecondary 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
See all jobs for this role
See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Education Administrators, Postsecondary and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Education Administrators, Postsecondary
Verify your title maps to SOC 11-9033
Titles like Academic Dean or Admissions Director can occasionally be filed under management or education services SOC codes instead of 11-9033, which changes the prevailing wage floor. Confirm your employer's LCA specifies SOC 11-9033 before accepting an offer.
Account for the wide metro wage spread
Postsecondary administrator wages vary sharply by region: Michigan university markets like Ann Arbor pay significantly more than Puerto Rico metros. If your worksite is listed on the LCA, that city's OES survey rate governs, not the national median.
Watch how performance bonuses are counted
Many higher education employers offer year-end performance bonuses or administrative stipends. DOL's prevailing wage calculation covers base salary only; discretionary bonuses don't count toward meeting the wage floor for sponsored postsecondary administrator roles.
Use Migrate Mate to find verified sponsors
Migrate Mate lists employers with documented H-1B and green card sponsorship history for postsecondary administrator roles, so you can see which universities and colleges have actually sponsored Academic Deans or Financial Aid Directors before applying.
Jobs for Education Administrators, Postsecondary are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 11-9033.00 alongside Education Administrators, Postsecondary, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Academic Affairs Vice President (Academic Affairs VP) Prevailing Wage
Academic Affairs Vice President (Academic Affairs VP) Prevailing Wage
Academic Affairs Vice President (Academic Affairs VP) positions fall under SOC 11-9033.00 (Education Administrators, Postsecondary). 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.
Academic Dean Prevailing Wage
Academic Dean Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Academic Dean for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9033.00 (Education Administrators, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Admissions Director Prevailing Wage
Admissions Director Prevailing Wage
Admissions Director is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9033.00 (Education Administrators, Postsecondary). 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.
College President Prevailing Wage
College President Prevailing Wage
College President positions fall under SOC 11-9033.00 (Education Administrators, Postsecondary). 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.
Dean Prevailing Wage
Dean Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Dean for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9033.00 (Education Administrators, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Financial Aid Director Prevailing Wage
Financial Aid Director Prevailing Wage
Financial Aid Director is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9033.00 (Education Administrators, Postsecondary). 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.
Institutional Research Director Prevailing Wage
Institutional Research Director Prevailing Wage
Institutional Research Director positions fall under SOC 11-9033.00 (Education Administrators, Postsecondary). 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.
Provost Prevailing Wage
Provost Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Provost for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9033.00 (Education Administrators, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Registrar Prevailing Wage
Registrar Prevailing Wage
Registrar is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9033.00 (Education Administrators, Postsecondary). 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.
Students Dean Prevailing Wage
Students Dean Prevailing Wage
Students Dean positions fall under SOC 11-9033.00 (Education Administrators, Postsecondary). 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 Education Administrators, Postsecondary?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan areas. For SOC 11-9033, OFLC calculates four wage levels from that data: Level 1 at the 17th percentile, Level 2 at the 34th, Level 3 at the 50th, and Level 4 at the 67th percentile of wages reported for postsecondary administrators in the worksite area.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect increasing experience and independence. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision; Level 2 is qualified with moderate autonomy; Level 3 is experienced with significant independent responsibility; Level 4 is fully competent in a senior leadership role. Your level is determined by the duties and supervision structure described in the job offer and LCA, not solely by your title. USCIS and OFLC both review whether the assigned level matches the actual role requirements.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same administrator role differ so much from city to city?
OFLC calculates wages from regional OES surveys, which capture local labor market conditions. A postsecondary administrator in a large university market like Ann Arbor, MI faces a different wage floor than one in a rural Puerto Rico metro because local employer competition, cost of living, and the density of higher education institutions all affect surveyed wages. The LCA must list the actual worksite address, so the city where the job is performed, not the institution's headquarters, determines which wage floor applies.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
For H-1B or PERM-based green card sponsorship, an offer below the DOL prevailing wage for SOC 11-9033 at the worksite location means the LCA cannot be certified. USCIS will not approve a petition filed on an uncertified LCA. The employer must either increase the offered salary to meet the floor, reclassify the role, or apply for a new wage determination. An offer below the floor is a legal barrier to sponsorship, not a negotiating signal.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Education Administrators, Postsecondary in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool on the DOL website to look up SOC 11-9033 by metropolitan area. Enter the worksite city and select the relevant experience level to see the current wage floor. You can also search O*NET for the occupation profile. To find employers that have sponsored postsecondary administrator roles and see their historical sponsorship counts by location, Migrate Mate filters sponsored listings by role and geography.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Education Administrators, Postsecondary right now.
Search Jobs for this role