Prevailing Wage for Food Science Technicians
Prevailing wage for Food Science Technicians (SOC 19-4013) sets the minimum DOL-mandated salary a U.S. employer must pay when sponsoring a Lab Tech, Central Laboratory Technician (CLT), or Food Science Tech (Food Science Technician) on an H-1B, E-3, or green card. DOL calculates four experience levels, and the floor shifts significantly depending on the worksite city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level food science technicians who perform routine, closely supervised lab tasks. Candidates typically hold a relevant associate or bachelor's degree with little or no prior industry experience. Employers set duties within well-defined procedures and provide direct oversight throughout.
Level 2 applies to qualified technicians who work with moderate supervision and handle a standard range of food quality and safety tests independently. This is the most common filing level for Food Science Technicians, reflecting the majority of sponsored QA Lab Tech and QC Tech roles.
Level 3 covers experienced technicians who exercise judgment on complex testing procedures, may coordinate junior staff, and contribute to process development or regulatory compliance work. Candidates typically bring several years of hands-on food or beverage laboratory experience and operate with limited day-to-day supervision.
Level 4 applies to fully competent senior technicians who lead lab operations, develop or validate testing methodologies, and may serve as the primary technical resource for a production facility. These roles often carry project ownership and cross-functional responsibility alongside deep occupational expertise.
Prevailing Wage for Food Science 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 Food Science Technicians and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your title maps to SOC 19-4013
Employers sometimes post QA Lab Tech or Laboratory Assistant roles under broader SOC codes such as chemists or agricultural technicians, triggering a different prevailing wage floor entirely. Verify that your LCA explicitly lists SOC 19-4013 before accepting an offer.
Weigh Washington DC offers against the national floor
Washington DC posts L2 and L3 prevailing wages for food science technicians far above the national median. If an employer cites the national floor to justify a DC-worksite salary, the LCA worksite city rule requires the higher regional wage instead.
Watch for signing bonuses excluded from the wage calculation
DOL prevailing wage compliance for food science technician roles is measured against annualized base salary, not total compensation. Signing bonuses and production incentives do not count toward the floor, so an offer that looks generous on paper may still fall short.
Find employers who have sponsored lab technician roles before
Migrate Mate shows historical visa sponsorship counts by employer, so you can filter for companies that have actually sponsored Food Science Technicians or QC Tech roles in the past rather than cold-applying to employers with no relevant sponsorship history.
Jobs for Food Science Technicians are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Food Science TechniciansPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 19-4013.00 alongside Food Science Technicians, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Central Laboratory Technician (CLT) Prevailing Wage
Central Laboratory Technician (CLT) Prevailing Wage
Central Laboratory Technician (CLT) positions fall under SOC 19-4013.00 (Food Science 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.
Food Science Tech (Food Science Technician) Prevailing Wage
Food Science Tech (Food Science Technician) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Food Science Tech (Food Science Technician) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-4013.00 (Food Science Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Laboratory Assistant (Lab Assistant) Prevailing Wage
Laboratory Assistant (Lab Assistant) Prevailing Wage
Laboratory Assistant (Lab Assistant) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-4013.00 (Food Science 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.
Laboratory Technician (Lab Tech) Prevailing Wage
Laboratory Technician (Lab Tech) Prevailing Wage
Laboratory Technician (Lab Tech) positions fall under SOC 19-4013.00 (Food Science 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.
QA Lab Tech (Quality Assurance Lab Technician) Prevailing Wage
QA Lab Tech (Quality Assurance Lab Technician) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a QA Lab Tech (Quality Assurance Lab Technician) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-4013.00 (Food Science Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
QC Tech (Quality Assurance Technician) Prevailing Wage
QC Tech (Quality Assurance Technician) Prevailing Wage
QC Tech (Quality Assurance Technician) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-4013.00 (Food Science 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.
QC Tech (Quality Control Technician) Prevailing Wage
QC Tech (Quality Control Technician) Prevailing Wage
QC Tech (Quality Control Technician) positions fall under SOC 19-4013.00 (Food Science 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.
Quality Analyst Prevailing Wage
Quality Analyst Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Quality Analyst for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-4013.00 (Food Science Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Quality Assurance Analyst (QA Analyst) Prevailing Wage
Quality Assurance Analyst (QA Analyst) Prevailing Wage
Quality Assurance Analyst (QA Analyst) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-4013.00 (Food Science 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.
Quality Tech (Quality Technician) Prevailing Wage
Quality Tech (Quality Technician) Prevailing Wage
Quality Tech (Quality Technician) positions fall under SOC 19-4013.00 (Food Science 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 Food Science Technicians?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from employer surveys across hundreds of metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. For SOC 19-4013, OFLC converts those survey results into four wage levels tied to the regional distribution of salaries, then publishes the figures through the OFLC Wage Search tool. Employers must use the level that matches the actual duties and supervision of the sponsored position.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which applies to my offer?
DOL assigns levels based on experience, supervision, and complexity. Level 1 is entry-level with close oversight; Level 2 is independent but qualified; Level 3 involves judgment and some supervisory responsibility; Level 4 is fully competent and typically leads lab operations. The level on your LCA must reflect the actual job duties. If your responsibilities match Level 3 but the employer filed at Level 1 to reduce the wage floor, that is a compliance issue worth raising before you accept.
Why does the same food science technician role pay so differently across cities?
OFLC calculates prevailing wages from regional OES surveys, so wages reflect local labor market conditions. A QA Lab Tech position in Washington DC draws on a high-cost survey area with strong demand from federal contractors and research institutions, pushing the floor well above what the same role commands in Sioux City or Salem. The LCA worksite rule requires the employer to use the wage for the city where you actually work, not a lower-cost office elsewhere in the company.
What happens if my offer falls below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA if the offered salary is below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite and level. USCIS will deny an H-1B or E-3 petition built on a non-compliant LCA. If underpayment is discovered after approval, DOL enforcement can require back wages and bar the employer from future sponsorships. For candidates, the practical consequence is that a below-floor offer cannot legally support a work visa petition without the employer raising the salary first.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Food Science Technician role in a specific city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, enter SOC code 19-4013 and the metropolitan area where the worksite is located, and select the wage year matching your LCA. The result shows all four levels for that area. Cross-check with the O*NET profile for SOC 19-4013 to confirm the duties description aligns with your role. Migrate Mate lets you filter Food Science Technician listings by location and employer sponsorship history, helping you identify companies that have filed LCAs for this occupation in your target city.
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