Prevailing Wage for Engineers, All Other
Prevailing wage for Engineers, All Other (SOC 17-2199) is set by DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. The rate varies by experience level and worksite city, so the wage floor for the same sponsored position can differ substantially depending on where you work.
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Level 1 covers entry-level engineers with limited experience, typically recent graduates performing routine tasks under close supervision. They apply standard techniques within well-defined parameters and are not expected to independently resolve complex or ambiguous engineering problems.
Level 2 applies to qualified engineers with moderate independent judgment and some specialized experience. This is the most common filing level for Engineers, All Other, covering professionals who handle varied assignments without constant supervision but do not yet lead projects or teams.
Level 3 covers experienced engineers who manage complex assignments, exercise significant independent judgment, and may mentor junior staff. They typically bring several years of specialized experience and are trusted to adapt standard methods to non-routine technical challenges.
Level 4 designates fully competent engineers in senior or lead roles, responsible for setting technical direction, guiding large projects, and making decisions with organization-wide impact. This level reflects top-of-range compensation and is most common at principal, staff, or distinguished engineer titles.
Prevailing Wage for Engineers, 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 Engineers, All Other and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch for title aliasing under adjacent SOC codes
Job titles like systems engineer, reliability engineer, and process engineer frequently get filed under more specific SOC codes rather than SOC 17-2199. If the LCA lists a different SOC, the prevailing wage floor used may not match what DOL sets for this catch-all category.
Account for how your worksite state treats equity comp
For Engineers, All Other, total compensation often includes RSUs or project bonuses, but DOL prevailing wage compliance counts only guaranteed cash wages. Signing bonuses amortized across tenure and equity grants do not satisfy the wage floor on the LCA.
Compare metro wage gaps before evaluating offers
Top-paying metros for this occupation pay several times the lowest-paying markets at every level. An L2 offer in a lower-cost metro may clear the local floor but fall well short of what the same employer pays engineers at its West Coast or DC offices.
Find employers that have sponsored Engineers, All Other before
Migrate Mate shows which employers have historical H-1B and green card sponsorship counts for engineering roles, so you can focus on companies that have already navigated the LCA and I-140 process for this occupation rather than employers sponsoring for the first time.
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Find Jobs for Engineers, All OtherFrequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Engineers, All Other?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to establish four wage levels for each SOC code in each geographic area. For SOC 17-2199, OFLC publishes these rates annually in the Foreign Labor Certification Data Center. Employers sponsoring an H-1B or PERM case must certify on the LCA that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable prevailing wage.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL defines four levels based on complexity, supervision, and judgment. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision; Level 2 is qualified with moderate independence; Level 3 is experienced with significant autonomy; Level 4 is fully competent in senior or lead roles. The employer selects the level on the LCA. Compare your job duties, years of experience, and the degree of supervision described in the offer to DOL's level definitions to gauge whether the classification fits your actual role.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same engineering role vary so much by city?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using regional OES surveys, so rates reflect local labor market conditions rather than a national average. The LCA rule requires employers to use the wage for the actual worksite location, not company headquarters. Dense engineering markets in California, the Pacific Northwest, and the DC metro command higher survey wages because competing employers bid up salaries, while smaller metro areas with thinner engineering labor pools produce lower survey benchmarks.
What happens if a sponsored offer falls below the prevailing wage floor?
USCIS will deny the H-1B petition if the offered wage on the LCA does not meet the prevailing wage for the occupation and worksite. For PERM cases, OFLC will not certify an application where the offered wage falls below the applicable rate. An employer cannot lawfully sponsor an engineer at a wage below the floor, so a below-floor offer either requires renegotiation or a different worksite classification before filing.
How do I find and verify the Engineers, All Other prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the current DOL prevailing wage by SOC code 17-2199 and the metropolitan area matching your worksite. You can also review recent LCA disclosure files published by OFLC to see what wage levels employers have used for this occupation in your target metro. Migrate Mate lists employers with active H-1B sponsorship history for engineering roles, which helps you identify companies already familiar with the prevailing wage requirements before you apply.
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