Prevailing Wage for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
Environmental Health Officers checking a U.S. job offer against the DOL prevailing wage floor should start with the correct SOC code and experience level. Whether the posting calls you an Environmental Technician, a Public Health Sanitarian, or an EHO, DOL sets four wage levels based on experience, and the floor shifts substantially by city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level Environmental Health Officers with limited field or lab experience, typically recent graduates performing routine sample collection and testing under direct supervision, with no expectation of independent judgment on compliance or remediation decisions.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for this occupation. It covers technicians with one to three years of hands-on experience conducting environmental monitoring, interpreting field data, and handling standard compliance tasks with moderate supervision.
Level 3 applies to experienced Environmental Health Officers who work independently, mentor junior staff, lead field investigations, and apply specialized knowledge across multiple environmental media such as air, soil, and water sampling programs.
Level 4 is reserved for fully competent senior professionals who set program direction, exercise independent authority over compliance determinations, and may serve as lead sanitarians or industrial pretreatment program specialists managing complex regulatory portfolios.
Prevailing Wage for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health 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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Verify which SOC your employer filed under
Titles like Environmental Technician or Lab Technician are sometimes filed under life science or general technician SOC codes, pulling them away from the SOC 19-4042 wage floor. Confirm the LCA lists SOC 19-4042 before accepting an offer.
Watch how signing bonuses affect your base wage
DOL prevailing wage compliance for this occupation is measured against the regular rate of pay, not total compensation. Signing bonuses and relocation allowances are excluded, so the base salary alone must clear the floor for your level and worksite city.
Factor in California and Idaho metro premiums
San Francisco and Boise City both carry prevailing wages well above the national median for Environmental Health Officers. If you are negotiating in either market, the L2 floor already reflects a premium, giving you a stronger baseline for salary discussions.
Find employers who have sponsored this role before
Migrate Mate shows which employers have a history of sponsoring Environmental Health Officers and Environmental Technicians, letting you focus applications on organizations that have already navigated DOL and USCIS requirements for SOC 19-4042 positions.
Jobs for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Environmental Health OfficerPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 19-4042.00 alongside Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Environmental Health Officer (EHO) Prevailing Wage
Environmental Health Officer (EHO) Prevailing Wage
Environmental Health Officer (EHO) positions fall under SOC 19-4042.00 (Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health). 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 Technician (Environmental Tech) Prevailing Wage
Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-4042.00 (Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Industrial Pretreatment Program Specialist (IPP Specialist) Prevailing Wage
Industrial Pretreatment Program Specialist (IPP Specialist) Prevailing Wage
Industrial Pretreatment Program Specialist (IPP Specialist) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-4042.00 (Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health). 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.
Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician) Prevailing Wage
Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician) Prevailing Wage
Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician) positions fall under SOC 19-4042.00 (Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health). 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.
Public Health Sanitarian Prevailing Wage
Public Health Sanitarian Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Public Health Sanitarian for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-4042.00 (Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Sanitarian Prevailing Wage
Sanitarian Prevailing Wage
Sanitarian is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-4042.00 (Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health). 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.
Sanitarian Specialist Prevailing Wage
Sanitarian Specialist Prevailing Wage
Sanitarian Specialist positions fall under SOC 19-4042.00 (Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health). 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.
Soil Lab Technician (Soil Laboratory Technician) Prevailing Wage
Soil Lab Technician (Soil Laboratory Technician) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Soil Lab Technician (Soil Laboratory Technician) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-4042.00 (Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Water Quality Analyst Prevailing Wage
Water Quality Analyst Prevailing Wage
Water Quality Analyst is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-4042.00 (Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health). 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.
Water Quality Specialist Prevailing Wage
Water Quality Specialist Prevailing Wage
Water Quality Specialist positions fall under SOC 19-4042.00 (Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health). 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 Environmental Health Officers?
DOL derives prevailing wages for Environmental Health Officers from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across more than 600 geographic areas. OFLC converts those survey medians into four wage levels using a formula that distributes wages across the experience range for SOC 19-4042. Employers must pay at least the level that matches the position's actual duties and required experience.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL assigns Environmental Health Officers to one of four levels based on complexity, supervision, and experience. Level 1 covers entry roles under close supervision; Level 2 covers qualified technicians working with moderate guidance; Level 3 applies to experienced professionals working independently; Level 4 covers senior or lead roles. Review the LCA your employer files with OFLC and compare the job duties description to these criteria to confirm the level is accurate for your position.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Environmental Health Officer role vary so much between cities?
OFLC uses regional BLS survey data, so prevailing wages reflect local labor market conditions in the area where the work actually occurs. Employers must list the actual worksite on the LCA, and the wage floor is drawn from that specific metro or combined statistical area. Dense employer markets and higher local costs of living push wages up in cities like San Francisco, while rural or lower-cost metros produce significantly lower floors, which is why the range across locations is wide for this occupation.
What happens if an employer's offer for a sponsored Environmental Health Officer position falls below the prevailing wage?
An employer cannot certify an LCA with OFLC if the offered wage is below the prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite. If USCIS or DOL discovers a wage violation during or after the petition, the employer faces back-wage liability, potential debarment from future sponsorship, and the petition may be denied or revoked. The sponsored worker is not personally penalized, but the visa petition cannot proceed on a sub-floor wage.
How can I look up the prevailing wage for an Environmental Health Officer position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you enter the SOC code 19-4042 and select a geographic area to retrieve the current four-level prevailing wages for that metro. You can also search O*NET for occupational detail that confirms the role falls under this SOC. To see which employers have actively sponsored Environmental Health Officer and Environmental Technician roles, Migrate Mate filters sponsorship history by role and location so you can identify active sponsors before applying.
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