Prevailing Wage for Emergency Medicine Physicians
The prevailing wage for Emergency Medicine Physicians under SOC 29-1214 is set by the DOL and varies by city and experience level. Whether you're filing as an Emergency Physician, an Attending Emergency Physician, or an Attending Physician, the DOL establishes four wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly depending on the worksite location.
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Level 1 applies to entry-level emergency physicians with limited post-residency experience, typically working under close supervision with a narrower scope of independent clinical decision-making. DOL defines this tier by minimal experience and structured oversight rather than board certification status.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Emergency Medicine Physicians. It covers qualified physicians with some independent practice experience who handle the full range of emergency presentations but still operate within established department protocols and peer review structures.
Level 3 applies to experienced emergency physicians who exercise substantial independent judgment, may take on charge or supervisory roles within the emergency department, and bring a track record of managing high-acuity cases without close oversight from senior staff.
Level 4 is reserved for fully competent emergency physicians in senior or leadership roles, such as department medical directors or senior attending physicians who set clinical standards, mentor staff, and carry organization-wide responsibility for emergency care quality.
Prevailing Wage for Emergency Medicine Physicians 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 filing level matches board certification
Emergency medicine employers often file at Level 2 even for newly board-certified physicians. Board certification alone does not advance your DOL wage level; verify that your offer letter and LCA reflect your actual post-residency experience scope, not just credentials.
Watch for signing bonus exclusions in emergency medicine offers
Signing bonuses common in emergency medicine staffing are excluded from prevailing wage calculations. Your annualized base and guaranteed hourly rate must independently clear the DOL floor; a large signing bonus does not offset a below-floor base salary.
Check whether a staffing agency or hospital files your LCA
Emergency physicians placed through staffing or locum tenens agencies have the agency, not the hospital, listed as the LCA employer. The prevailing wage is tied to the worksite metro, so confirm the LCA names the actual emergency department location, not the agency's corporate address.
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Migrate Mate shows which hospitals and health systems have historically sponsored Emergency Medicine Physicians on H-1B or green card, letting you prioritize outreach to groups with a verified track record of sponsoring this specific role.
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Find Jobs for Emergency Medicine PhysiciansPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-1214.00 alongside Emergency Medicine Physicians, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Attending Emergency Physician Prevailing Wage
Attending Emergency Physician Prevailing Wage
Attending Emergency Physician positions fall under SOC 29-1214.00 (Emergency Medicine Physicians). 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.
Attending Physician Prevailing Wage
Attending Physician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Attending Physician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1214.00 (Emergency Medicine Physicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Emergency MD (Emergency Medicine Doctor) Prevailing Wage
Emergency MD (Emergency Medicine Doctor) Prevailing Wage
Emergency MD (Emergency Medicine Doctor) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1214.00 (Emergency Medicine Physicians). 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.
Emergency Medicine Physician (EM Physician) Prevailing Wage
Emergency Medicine Physician (EM Physician) Prevailing Wage
Emergency Medicine Physician (EM Physician) positions fall under SOC 29-1214.00 (Emergency Medicine Physicians). 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.
Emergency Physician Prevailing Wage
Emergency Physician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Emergency Physician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1214.00 (Emergency Medicine Physicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
MD (Medical Doctor) Prevailing Wage
MD (Medical Doctor) Prevailing Wage
MD (Medical Doctor) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1214.00 (Emergency Medicine Physicians). 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.
Physician Prevailing Wage
Physician Prevailing Wage
Physician positions fall under SOC 29-1214.00 (Emergency Medicine Physicians). 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 the DOL set the prevailing wage for Emergency Medicine Physicians?
The DOL calculates prevailing wages for Emergency Medicine Physicians using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through regional employer surveys. OFLC publishes these figures by SOC code and metro area. The result is four wage levels per location, updated annually, that represent the wage distribution for the occupation in that geography.
What do the four DOL wage levels mean for an Emergency Medicine Physician?
Level 1 targets entry-level physicians with minimal post-residency experience working under supervision. Level 2, the most common filing level for this occupation, covers qualified physicians practicing independently within department norms. Level 3 reflects experienced physicians with supervisory scope. Level 4 applies to senior or medical director roles. Your employer selects the level that matches your actual job duties and experience, not simply your degree or certification.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same emergency physician role vary so much by city?
OFLC bases each metro's wage on regional OES survey data, so local labor market conditions drive the figures. A dense urban market with many competing hospitals produces different wage distributions than a rural area with limited emergency medicine employers. The LCA worksite rule requires the wage to match the metro where you actually work, meaning a single employer with multiple emergency departments must file location-specific wages for each facility.
What happens if an emergency physician job offer is below the DOL prevailing wage?
DOL will not certify an LCA where the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage for the worksite location and wage level. Without a certified LCA, USCIS cannot approve the H-1B or other work visa petition. If an offer is below the floor, you would need to negotiate the base salary up to at least the prevailing wage before the employer can file, or ask the employer to re-evaluate the wage level classification.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an Emergency Medicine Physician position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up prevailing wages by SOC code 29-1214 and metropolitan area. Select the metro that matches your actual worksite, not the employer's headquarters. You can also cross-reference published OFLC disclosure data for recent LCA filings in emergency medicine to see what wages employers have been certifying. Migrate Mate can help identify which employers have sponsored this role in the markets you are targeting.
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