Prevailing Wage for Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians (SOC 49-3041) must clear a DOL prevailing wage floor before an employer can file a sponsored visa petition. Whether your title is Agricultural Mechanic (Ag Mechanic) or Agricultural Service Technician (Ag Service Tech), DOL sets four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly by worksite city.
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Entry-level technicians with limited hands-on experience, typically performing routine maintenance and basic repairs under close supervision. Workers new to farm equipment service, with a vocational certificate or limited field exposure, generally fall at Level 1.
Qualified technicians who independently diagnose and repair tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems with minimal supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians, reflecting journeyman-level competency across standard agricultural machinery.
Experienced technicians who handle complex diagnostics, mentor junior staff, and manage multi-system repairs on specialized equipment. Workers with several years of field experience and demonstrated expertise in precision agriculture technology or dairy equipment systems typically fall here.
Fully competent senior technicians or lead service specialists with authority over shop operations, training programs, or large-territory field accounts. Level 4 applies to workers whose judgment and expertise set the standard for others in the service department.
Prevailing Wage for Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service 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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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for this role and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch the worksite city on your LCA
Farm equipment service work is often performed at multiple farm locations across a region. DOL wages on the LCA must reflect the actual worksite county, so a petition citing a low-wage rural address can set a floor far below what nearby metro filings show.
Confirm which SOC code your employer used
Employers sometimes file Farm Equipment Mechanic roles under general mechanic SOC codes like 49-3093, which carry different wage floors. Confirm your petition cites SOC 49-3041 so your prevailing wage is benchmarked to agricultural equipment service, not a broader repair category.
Expect most offers to land at Level 2
Because farm equipment service requires independent diagnostic work on tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems with minimal supervision, most visa petitions for this occupation are filed at Level 2. An offer filed at Level 1 for a role requiring solo field diagnosis is worth questioning.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsors with real filing history
Migrate Mate shows which employers have historically sponsored Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians, so you can target companies with demonstrated H-1B or green card filing activity in agricultural equipment service before you apply.
Jobs for Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 49-3041.00 alongside Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Agricultural Mechanic (Ag Mechanic) Prevailing Wage
Agricultural Mechanic (Ag Mechanic) Prevailing Wage
Agricultural Mechanic (Ag Mechanic) positions fall under SOC 49-3041.00 (Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service 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.
Agricultural Service Technician (Ag Service Tech) Prevailing Wage
Agricultural Service Technician (Ag Service Tech) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Agricultural Service Technician (Ag Service Tech) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-3041.00 (Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Dairy Service Technician (Dairy Service Tech) Prevailing Wage
Dairy Service Technician (Dairy Service Tech) Prevailing Wage
Dairy Service Technician (Dairy Service Tech) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-3041.00 (Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service 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.
Farm Equipment Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Farm Equipment Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Farm Equipment Mechanic positions fall under SOC 49-3041.00 (Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service 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.
Farm Equipment Service Technician (Farm Equipment Service Tech) Prevailing Wage
Farm Equipment Service Technician (Farm Equipment Service Tech) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Farm Equipment Service Technician (Farm Equipment Service Tech) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-3041.00 (Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Field Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Field Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Field Mechanic is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-3041.00 (Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service 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.
Field Technician (Field Tech) Prevailing Wage
Field Technician (Field Tech) Prevailing Wage
Field Technician (Field Tech) positions fall under SOC 49-3041.00 (Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service 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.
Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Mechanic Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Mechanic for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-3041.00 (Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Service Technician (Service Tech) Prevailing Wage
Service Technician (Service Tech) Prevailing Wage
Service Technician (Service Tech) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-3041.00 (Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service 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.
Tractor Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Tractor Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Tractor Mechanic positions fall under SOC 49-3041.00 (Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service 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 DOL set the prevailing wage for Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and state workforce agencies. For SOC 49-3041, wages are calculated from actual employer-reported pay for farm equipment service roles in each geographic area. OFLC publishes these figures annually, and employers must use the rate in effect when they file the Labor Condition Application.
What do the four wage levels mean, and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL assigns Level 1 to entry workers under close supervision, Level 2 to qualified technicians working independently, Level 3 to experienced workers with complex responsibilities or mentorship duties, and Level 4 to fully competent senior or lead technicians. Your level should reflect the actual duties and supervision in the job description, not just your years of experience. Review the LCA your employer files with OFLC to see which level they selected.
Why does the prevailing wage for this role vary so much from city to city?
OFLC bases wages on regional OES surveys, which capture local labor market rates. Farm equipment service pay is significantly higher in metros like Chicago or Portland than in rural Texas markets because local employer competition, cost of living, and survey respondent pools differ. The LCA must list the actual worksite location, so a technician placed at a farm outside McAllen is benchmarked to that region's lower survey data, not a national average.
What happens if an employer offers a wage below the prevailing wage floor for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify a Labor Condition Application with OFLC unless the offered wage meets or exceeds the prevailing wage for the role and worksite. If the offer falls short, OFLC will not certify the LCA, and USCIS will not approve the visa petition. The employer must either raise the offered salary to the floor or refile at the correct wage level before the petition can proceed.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians position in a U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up wages by SOC code and geographic area. Enter SOC 49-3041 and select the metro or county where you would work. The results show the current L1 through L4 floors for that location. You can also cross-reference with O*NET for occupation details. Migrate Mate lists Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians roles from employers with verified sponsorship history, so you can see which companies are actively hiring in this occupation.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians right now.
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