Prevailing Wage for Food Processing Workers, All Other
Prevailing wage for Food Processing Workers, All Other is set by DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data, organized into four experience levels. The floor varies significantly by worksite city, so a qualifying offer in one metro may fall short in another. Visa sponsors must meet or exceed the level that matches the worker's experience.
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Level 1 covers entry-level workers with limited food processing experience, typically performing routine tasks under close supervision. No prior industry experience is expected. Employers filing at this level are sponsoring workers who are learning standard production line procedures and safety protocols.
Level 2 applies to workers with some hands-on food processing experience who can perform assigned tasks with moderate supervision. This is the most common filing level for Food Processing Workers, All Other, reflecting the industry's reliance on trained but non-supervisory production staff.
Level 3 covers experienced workers who handle more complex processing tasks with minimal supervision. These workers typically have several years in food production environments and may troubleshoot equipment or quality issues independently without requiring step-by-step direction from a supervisor.
Level 4 is reserved for fully competent workers in senior or lead capacities, such as those who train others, oversee a production segment, or hold specialized processing certifications. Employers filing at Level 4 must document duties that clearly exceed routine line work.
Prevailing Wage for Food Processing Workers, All Other 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 Food Processing Workers, All Other and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Food Processing Workers, All Other
Confirm the worksite metro before comparing wages
Food processing wages vary sharply by region. Rochester, MN floors run far higher than McAllen, TX floors at every level. The LCA must reflect the actual plant or facility location, not the employer's corporate headquarters city.
Watch for Level 1 filings at production-heavy plants
High-volume food manufacturers sometimes file at Level 1 even for workers with prior processing experience. If your resume shows two or more years on a production line, a Level 1 offer may not reflect the correct DOL floor for your background.
Verify shift differentials and bonuses count toward wage
Attendance bonuses, one-time signing payments, and some shift-differential structures may not satisfy the prevailing wage requirement. The base wage on the LCA must meet the floor before any variable pay is added to the total compensation figure.
Find employers sponsoring food processing roles on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate shows which employers have historical visa sponsorship counts for food processing occupations, letting you target companies that have actually filed for this role before rather than guessing at willingness to sponsor.
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Find Jobs for this roleFrequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Food Processing Workers, All Other?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For each metro area, OFLC calculates four wage levels based on the distribution of wages reported for SOC 51-3099. Employers sponsoring a worker must submit a Labor Condition Application certifying the offered wage meets or exceeds the level that matches the worker's experience and duties.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
The four levels reflect increasing experience and independence. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision; Level 2 is a qualified worker performing standard tasks; Level 3 is experienced with minimal oversight; Level 4 is fully competent in a senior or lead role. Your level is determined by the duties in the job description and your documented experience, not by job title alone. Employers choose the level when filing the LCA, but the choice must be defensible against actual duties.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same food processing role vary so much from city to city?
OFLC calculates wages from regional OES survey data, which reflects local labor market conditions. Areas with dense food manufacturing activity, strong union presence, or higher general wage levels produce higher survey benchmarks. The LCA rule ties the required wage to the worksite location, so an offer at a plant in Cedar Rapids, IA must meet that metro's floor, not the national median. Workers should always check the specific metro where the facility is located.
What happens if a job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
USCIS will not approve a visa petition supported by an LCA where the offered wage falls below the certified prevailing wage. DOL can also investigate wage violations after employment begins and may require back pay. For the worker, an underpaid LCA creates compliance risk for the employer that can affect status maintenance. If an offer appears below the floor, ask the employer to verify the wage level classification before the LCA is submitted to OFLC.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Food Processing Workers, All Other in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up current prevailing wages by SOC code 51-3099 and the metro area where the worksite is located. Select the wage year that matches the LCA filing period. For sponsored job searches, Migrate Mate lists employers with documented sponsorship history for food processing roles, so you can focus outreach on companies that have already filed petitions for this occupation.
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