Prevailing Wage for Family Medicine Physicians
Prevailing wage requirements for Family Medicine Physicians are set by DOL across four experience levels, from entry-level through fully competent. Whether you're filing as a Family Physician, a Board Certified Family Physician, or under a related title, the wage floor your employer must meet depends on your experience level and the city where you'll work.
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Entry-level physicians with limited post-residency experience, typically practicing under close supervision with a defined patient panel. Applies to newly licensed family practitioners who have not yet developed independent clinical judgment across the full scope of primary care.
Qualified family physicians with some post-residency experience working with routine independence. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Family Medicine Physicians, covering clinicians who manage a broad patient panel without requiring regular supervisory oversight.
Experienced family practitioners who handle complex, multi-system cases and may informally guide junior colleagues. Typically reflects several years of independent practice, specialized panel focus (geriatrics, obstetrics), or a leadership role within a clinical team.
Fully competent senior physicians with broad clinical authority, often holding departmental or medical director responsibilities. Applies to family practitioners who set clinical protocols, supervise other providers, or carry teaching and administrative duties alongside patient care.
Prevailing Wage for Family 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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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Family Medicine Physicians and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Verify your visa level matches your panel complexity
Family medicine employers frequently file at L2 even for physicians managing high-complexity panels or obstetric care. If your scope matches L3 criteria, filing at L2 means your negotiated salary may still technically clear the floor while undervaluing your position.
Account for the rural-to-metro wage gap
Family Medicine Physicians in some rural markets have reported nationally low OES survey wages. If an offer is in a low-survey metro, verify the LCA worksite city matches where you will actually see patients, not a corporate billing address.
Watch for signing-bonus amortization in total compensation
Some hospital systems and FQHCs structure family physician compensation with large signing bonuses spread across the contract term. DOL prevailing wage compliance is calculated on base salary, so a bonus-heavy offer may clear the LCA floor on paper while underpaying annual base.
Search Migrate Mate for employers who have sponsored family physicians
Migrate Mate shows historical sponsorship counts by employer, so you can identify which health systems and multispecialty groups have actually sponsored Family Medicine Physicians under H-1B or green card pathways before approaching them.
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Find Jobs for Family Medicine PhysiciansPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-1215.00 alongside Family Medicine Physicians, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Board Certified Family Physician Prevailing Wage
Board Certified Family Physician Prevailing Wage
Board Certified Family Physician positions fall under SOC 29-1215.00 (Family 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.
Family Physician Prevailing Wage
Family Physician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Family Physician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1215.00 (Family Medicine Physicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Family Practice Medical Doctor (FP MD) Prevailing Wage
Family Practice Medical Doctor (FP MD) Prevailing Wage
Family Practice Medical Doctor (FP MD) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1215.00 (Family 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.
Family Practice Physician (FP Physician) Prevailing Wage
Family Practice Physician (FP Physician) Prevailing Wage
Family Practice Physician (FP Physician) positions fall under SOC 29-1215.00 (Family 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.
Family Practitioner Prevailing Wage
Family Practitioner Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Family Practitioner for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1215.00 (Family Medicine Physicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Medical Doctor (MD) Prevailing Wage
Medical Doctor (MD) Prevailing Wage
Medical Doctor (MD) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1215.00 (Family 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.
Medical Staff Physician Prevailing Wage
Medical Staff Physician Prevailing Wage
Medical Staff Physician positions fall under SOC 29-1215.00 (Family 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.
Physician Prevailing Wage
Physician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Physician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1215.00 (Family Medicine Physicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Primary Care Physician Prevailing Wage
Primary Care Physician Prevailing Wage
Primary Care Physician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1215.00 (Family 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Family Medicine Physicians?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate prevailing wages by occupation and geographic area. For Family Medicine Physicians under SOC 29-1215, DOL publishes four wage levels tied to experience. Employers access these figures through the OFLC Wage Search before certifying a Labor Condition Application for H-1B or E-3 filings, or a PERM application for green card sponsorship.
What do the four wage levels mean, and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL's four levels reflect increasing experience and independence: Level 1 covers entry-level, closely supervised roles; Level 2 covers qualified physicians working with routine independence; Level 3 reflects experienced practitioners handling complex cases; Level 4 applies to senior clinicians with supervisory or medical director duties. Your level should match the actual scope in your job description. Mismatches between your duties and the filed level are a common source of USCIS scrutiny.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same family physician role differ so much by city?
DOL calculates wages from regional OES survey data, so the floor reflects local market rates rather than a national figure. Employers must list the actual worksite on the LCA, and the wage floor tied to that worksite applies, even if the employer's headquarters is in a higher-wage city. Dense metro markets with many competing health systems tend to push survey wages higher, while rural or low-competition areas report lower floors.
What happens if my offer falls below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
A family physician's employer cannot certify a compliant LCA if the offered wage is below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite and level. OFLC will not certify the LCA, which blocks the H-1B or E-3 petition entirely. For PERM green card cases, DOL will audit or deny the application. The employer must either increase the offered salary to meet the floor or reclassify the position at a level whose floor the salary does clear.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a family physician role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up SOC 29-1215 for your target metropolitan area. Select the OES wage source and the relevant wage year to see all four level thresholds for that location. You can also browse Migrate Mate to see which employers have active or historical sponsorship for Family Medicine Physicians by location, giving you a practical starting point for identifying where offers are likely to clear the floor.
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