Prevailing Wage for Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
The prevailing wage for Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers is set by DOL and defines the minimum a sponsored worker must earn in a given metro. Whether your offer is for a Farm Manager, Greenhouse Manager, or Aquaculture Director role, DOL establishes four experience levels and the floor shifts considerably by worksite city.
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Entry-level agricultural managers with limited supervisory experience and a bachelor's degree or equivalent. Typically responsible for a narrow operational scope under close oversight, such as managing a single crop cycle or a defined section of a farming operation.
Qualified managers with moderate experience directing day-to-day farm or ranch operations with some independence. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers, reflecting roles that coordinate planting, harvesting, and labor with limited senior oversight.
Experienced managers who independently oversee complex or multi-unit agricultural operations, including financial planning, regulatory compliance, and workforce management. Often supervise junior managers or coordinate across multiple growing seasons or production cycles.
Fully competent senior agricultural managers with broad authority over enterprise-level decisions, including capital investment, multi-site operations, and strategic planning. Typically responsible for outcomes across an entire farm enterprise or a portfolio of agricultural properties.
Prevailing Wage for Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers 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.
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Confirm your worksite metro before comparing wages
California's Central Valley and Napa wine country metros pay significantly above the national median for farm and ranch management roles. If your worksite is in Salinas or Modesto rather than a generic statewide posting, the prevailing wage floor can differ by tens of thousands of dollars annually.
Watch for title aliasing under crop or livestock SOCs
Employers sometimes file LCAs for agricultural manager roles under crop or livestock production SOC codes rather than SOC 11-9013. That substitution sets a different prevailing wage floor, potentially underpaying a manager-level candidate. Verify the SOC on your LCA matches the managerial scope of your actual duties.
Account for seasonal bonuses excluded from the wage base
Agricultural management compensation often includes harvest-season bonuses or profit-sharing tied to crop yield. DOL counts only regular wages toward prevailing wage compliance. Harvest bonuses and production incentives do not count, so your guaranteed base salary must independently clear the floor.
Find sponsors with Farm Manager hiring history on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate filters agricultural management roles by employers who have a documented history of sponsoring positions under this occupation. Searching by role and location shows which operations, including large produce growers and nursery groups, have sponsored this SOC before.
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Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 11-9013.00 alongside Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Aquaculture Director Prevailing Wage
Aquaculture Director Prevailing Wage
Aquaculture Director positions fall under SOC 11-9013.00 (Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers). 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 Manager Prevailing Wage
Farm Manager Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Farm Manager for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9013.00 (Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Farm Operations Technical Director Prevailing Wage
Farm Operations Technical Director Prevailing Wage
Farm Operations Technical Director is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9013.00 (Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers). 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.
Fish Hatchery Manager Prevailing Wage
Fish Hatchery Manager Prevailing Wage
Fish Hatchery Manager positions fall under SOC 11-9013.00 (Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers). 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.
Greenhouse Manager Prevailing Wage
Greenhouse Manager Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Greenhouse Manager for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9013.00 (Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Harvesting Manager Prevailing Wage
Harvesting Manager Prevailing Wage
Harvesting Manager is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9013.00 (Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers). 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.
Hatchery Manager Prevailing Wage
Hatchery Manager Prevailing Wage
Hatchery Manager positions fall under SOC 11-9013.00 (Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers). 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.
Hatchery Supervisor Prevailing Wage
Hatchery Supervisor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Hatchery Supervisor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9013.00 (Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Nursery Manager Prevailing Wage
Nursery Manager Prevailing Wage
Nursery Manager is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9013.00 (Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers). 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.
Ranch Manager Prevailing Wage
Ranch Manager Prevailing Wage
Ranch Manager positions fall under SOC 11-9013.00 (Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers). 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 Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate prevailing wages by occupation and metro area. For SOC 11-9013, OFLC publishes four wage levels derived from the wage distribution for this occupation in each surveyed area. Employers sponsoring a foreign worker must certify on the LCA that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my role?
The four levels reflect increasing experience and responsibility: Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision, Level 2 is qualified with moderate independence, Level 3 is experienced with broad autonomous authority, and Level 4 is fully competent at a senior or enterprise scope. Your employer determines the level based on the duties in the job description. OFLC reviews that determination during LCA adjudication, so the level must accurately reflect the role's actual complexity and supervisory scope.
Why does the prevailing wage for this occupation vary so much from city to city?
OFLC calculates wages using regional OES survey data, so wages reflect actual employer pay in each local labor market. Agricultural hubs in California, where land values and operating costs are high and specialized farm management expertise is concentrated, produce significantly higher survey medians than lower-cost markets in Texas or Nebraska. Critically, the LCA must list the actual worksite address, so the wage floor is anchored to where you physically work, not where the employer is headquartered.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify a compliant LCA if the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage floor for the applicable level and worksite. USCIS will not approve an H-1B or other work visa petition tied to a non-certified LCA. For PERM-based green card cases, DOL will deny the labor certification. The employer must either raise the offered wage to meet the floor or reclassify the role to a lower wage level with a job description that genuinely supports that classification.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location for this occupation?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up the current DOL prevailing wage by occupation and metro area. Search for SOC code 11-9013 or the occupation title and select the relevant metropolitan statistical area matching your worksite. The result shows all four wage levels for that location. You can also cross-reference BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, though the OFLC Wage Search reflects the figures employers are required to use for LCA filings.
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