Prevailing Wage for Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
The prevailing wage for an Air Quality Instrument Specialist under SOC 17-3025 is set by the DOL through regional wage surveys covering 530 metro areas. Whether your offer is for an Environmental Engineering Technician, an Environmental Field Technician, or a similar role, DOL assigns four experience levels, and the wage floor shifts significantly depending on your worksite city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level Environmental Engineering Technicians with limited experience, typically working under close supervision on routine sampling, testing, or equipment operation tasks. This level suits candidates fresh from a two- or four-year technical program with minimal independent field responsibility.
Level 2 applies to qualified technicians with some independent judgment in environmental sampling, monitoring, or remediation support. This is the most common filing level for Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians, reflecting journeyman-level competency without full autonomy on complex site assessments.
Level 3 covers experienced Environmental Engineering Assistants who regularly exercise independent judgment, lead field teams, or specialize in areas such as air quality instrumentation or site remediation planning. Employers typically file at this level when the role requires mentoring junior staff or managing multi-phase projects.
Level 4 designates fully competent technicians at the top of the non-engineer track, often holding senior or lead titles. These professionals set methodological standards, coordinate across engineering and regulatory teams, and may serve as primary points of contact for agency compliance reporting.
Prevailing Wage for Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians 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 worksite city before accepting
Environmental Field Technicians are often dispatched to project sites rather than headquartered in one office. The LCA must list the actual worksite location, and wages in San Jose can exceed those in Orlando by more than double at the same experience level.
Watch for Level 1 filings on experienced roles
Air Quality Instrument Specialist roles that require specialized monitoring equipment knowledge are frequently misfiled at Level 1. If your offer involves independent calibration, air dispersion modeling support, or multi-site compliance oversight, Level 2 or Level 3 is the defensible DOL classification.
Exclude signing bonuses from your wage floor comparison
DOL prevailing wage compliance is assessed against the base annual salary on the LCA, not total compensation. Signing bonuses, per diem field allowances, and equipment stipends common in environmental consulting do not count toward satisfying the wage floor for sponsored technician roles.
Search Migrate Mate for employers with technician sponsorship history
Environmental engineering technician roles are sponsored by a narrower set of employers than engineering positions. Migrate Mate shows which firms have historically sponsored SOC 17-3025 roles, letting you target companies already familiar with the LCA process for this occupation.
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Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 17-3025.00 alongside Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Air Quality Instrument Specialist Prevailing Wage
Air Quality Instrument Specialist Prevailing Wage
Air Quality Instrument Specialist positions fall under SOC 17-3025.00 (Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians). 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.
Engineer Technician Prevailing Wage
Engineer Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Engineer Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-3025.00 (Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Environmental Engineering Assistant Prevailing Wage
Environmental Engineering Assistant Prevailing Wage
Environmental Engineering Assistant is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-3025.00 (Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians). 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.
Environmental Engineering Technician Prevailing Wage
Environmental Engineering Technician Prevailing Wage
Environmental Engineering Technician positions fall under SOC 17-3025.00 (Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians). 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.
Environmental Field Technician Prevailing Wage
Environmental Field Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Environmental Field Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-3025.00 (Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Environmental Technician Prevailing Wage
Environmental Technician Prevailing Wage
Environmental Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-3025.00 (Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians). 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.
Haz Tech (Hazardous Technician) Prevailing Wage
Haz Tech (Hazardous Technician) Prevailing Wage
Haz Tech (Hazardous Technician) positions fall under SOC 17-3025.00 (Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians). 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 an Air Quality Instrument Specialist?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metro areas. For SOC 17-3025, those survey results are published in the OFLC wage library and grouped into four levels. An employer filing an LCA for an Air Quality Instrument Specialist must offer at least the wage that corresponds to the assigned level for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL defines the four levels by experience, supervision, and job complexity. Level 1 is entry-level under close supervision. Level 2 reflects qualified, semi-independent work and is the most common filing level for Environmental Engineering Technicians. Level 3 covers experienced technicians who lead field activities or specialize. Level 4 is reserved for fully competent senior or lead roles. Your employer assigns the level based on actual job duties, and you can verify the assigned level on the certified LCA.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Environmental Engineering Technician role vary so much by city?
DOL calculates wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so each metro reflects local labor market conditions. Dense markets like San Jose or San Francisco have far higher survey-reported wages for SOC 17-3025 than markets in Florida or Puerto Rico. The LCA must cite the actual worksite, not the employer's headquarters, so if you work at a project site in a different metro your employer must use wages for that location.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored Environmental Field Technician position?
An employer cannot certify a compliant LCA unless the offered wage meets or exceeds the DOL prevailing wage for the worksite and experience level. USCIS will not approve an H-1B or other sponsored petition backed by a deficient LCA. If the offer falls short, the employer must either raise the salary to the floor, reclassify the role to a lower level with documented justification, or withdraw the sponsorship petition.
How can I find and verify the prevailing wage for an Air Quality Instrument Specialist in a specific U.S. city?
OFLC publishes wage data through the OFLC Wage Search tool, where you can look up SOC 17-3025 by metro area and wage level. Cross-reference with BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data for additional context on regional pay ranges. To find employers who have already sponsored this occupation, Migrate Mate filters roles by visa type and shows historical sponsorship counts so you can identify which companies are active sponsors for Environmental Engineering Technician positions.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians right now.
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