Prevailing Wage for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
Prevailing wage floors for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives, including roles titled Captain, Detective Sergeant, Lieutenant, or Patrol Sergeant, are set by the DOL under SOC 33-1012. DOL publishes four experience levels, and the floor shifts meaningfully depending on the worksite city listed on the LCA.
See all jobs for this roleLook up your work address
Level 1 applies to entry-level supervisors new to a direct oversight role, typically with limited independent authority, working under close direction from senior command staff. Candidates transitioning from line officer positions into their first supervisory assignment commonly file here.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives. It covers supervisors with some years of command experience who apply established departmental procedures with moderate independence and oversee routine patrol or detective unit operations.
Level 3 applies to experienced supervisors who exercise significant independent judgment, manage complex operational situations, and may mentor junior supervisors. Candidates with a strong record in specialized units such as detective divisions or tactical commands typically fall here.
Level 4 reflects fully competent supervisors at the top of the first-line command tier, often overseeing multiple units or geographic zones, setting operational priorities, and acting as the primary liaison to command staff above the sergeant or lieutenant rank.
Prevailing Wage for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives 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
See all jobs for this role
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.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
Confirm your command tier matches the filed SOC
Titles like Captain or Deputy Sheriff sometimes get filed under broader management SOC codes rather than SOC 33-1012, which can mean a different prevailing wage floor applies. Verify the employer's LCA lists SOC 33-1012 before accepting an offer.
Account for shift differentials excluded from the wage base
Police and detective supervisor pay often includes night-shift differentials and hazard pay that DOL excludes from the prevailing wage calculation. Confirm your base salary alone clears the floor, not a combined total that includes variable premium pay.
Watch the wage gap between California metros and mid-size cities
The L2 prevailing wage in San Jose or San Francisco runs well above the national median for this occupation. If you are negotiating offers across multiple locations, the city listed on the LCA controls the floor, not national figures.
Use Migrate Mate to identify agencies with sponsorship history
Public safety employers who have sponsored First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives before are uncommon. Migrate Mate shows which employers have actual H-1B or green card sponsorship history for this occupation, so you can target outreach efficiently.
Jobs for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 33-1012.00 alongside First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Captain Prevailing Wage
Captain Prevailing Wage
Captain positions fall under SOC 33-1012.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives). 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.
Deputy Sheriff Prevailing Wage
Deputy Sheriff Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Deputy Sheriff for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 33-1012.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Detective Sergeant Prevailing Wage
Detective Sergeant Prevailing Wage
Detective Sergeant is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 33-1012.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives). 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.
Lieutenant Prevailing Wage
Lieutenant Prevailing Wage
Lieutenant positions fall under SOC 33-1012.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives). 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.
Patrol Sergeant Prevailing Wage
Patrol Sergeant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Patrol Sergeant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 33-1012.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Police Captain Prevailing Wage
Police Captain Prevailing Wage
Police Captain is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 33-1012.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives). 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.
Police Chief Prevailing Wage
Police Chief Prevailing Wage
Police Chief positions fall under SOC 33-1012.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives). 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.
Police Lieutenant Prevailing Wage
Police Lieutenant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Police Lieutenant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 33-1012.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Police Sergeant Prevailing Wage
Police Sergeant Prevailing Wage
Police Sergeant is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 33-1012.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives). 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.
Shift Supervisor Prevailing Wage
Shift Supervisor Prevailing Wage
Shift Supervisor positions fall under SOC 33-1012.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives). 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 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives?
DOL bases prevailing wages on Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For SOC 33-1012, BLS surveys employers across metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas to establish regional wage distributions. DOL then maps those distributions to four experience levels. An employer filing an LCA for a sponsored supervisor position must offer at least the wage corresponding to the applicable level and worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect experience and job complexity: Level 1 is entry, Level 2 is qualified, Level 3 is experienced, and Level 4 is fully competent. OFLC guidance ties level selection to factors including years of supervisory experience, degree of independent judgment, and scope of oversight. The employer, not the candidate, selects the level on the LCA, so request a copy of the certified LCA and confirm the level matches your actual duties and background.
Why does the prevailing wage for this role vary so much from city to city?
DOL calculates wages from regional OES surveys, so local labor market conditions drive the numbers. The LCA rules require the employer to list the actual worksite address, and the prevailing wage tied to that location controls the floor. High-cost metros like San Jose and San Francisco have police and detective supervisor wages that are substantially above those in smaller markets or Puerto Rico territories, because BLS survey data reflects local compensation norms in those areas.
What happens if my job offer falls below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA with USCIS or DOL if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite and experience level. If the offer is below the floor, the LCA will not be certified, and the visa petition cannot proceed. For existing sponsored employees, paying below the certified wage creates compliance liability for the employer under DOL enforcement rules. The offer must be revised upward before filing.
How do I find the prevailing wage for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up SOC 33-1012 by metropolitan area and wage level. Enter the worksite city or county, select the occupation code, and the tool returns all four level wages for that location. You can also cross-reference with O*NET for occupation context. Migrate Mate can complement this by showing which employers have a track record of sponsoring this occupation in specific cities.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives right now.
Search Jobs for this role