Prevailing Wage for Home Health Aides
Prevailing wage for Home Health Aides is set by DOL under SOC 31-1121, covering roles also known as Caregiver, Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA), and Home Attendant. DOL publishes four experience-based wage levels for sponsored positions, and the floor varies significantly by metro area, so where the job is located matters as much as the level assigned.
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Entry-level aides with limited experience, typically working under close supervision on routine daily living tasks. This level applies to candidates new to formal home health settings who have not yet developed independent clinical judgment for monitoring patient health status.
Qualified aides with moderate experience performing health monitoring and personal care with general supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Home Health Aides, reflecting the baseline competency most agencies require before placing staff in patient homes.
Experienced aides who handle a broader range of health-related tasks with minimal supervision, including wound care assistance and medication administration support. Candidates at this level typically bring several years of documented field experience and may informally mentor newer staff.
Fully competent aides operating at the top of the occupation's scope, often in complex or high-acuity home settings. This level may apply to senior caregivers who coordinate care plans, liaise with licensed nursing staff, and handle the most demanding patient assignments.
Prevailing Wage for Home Health Aides 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 Home Health Aides and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your worksite address before the LCA files
Home health work is performed at the patient's residence, not the agency office. The LCA must list the actual worksite location, and prevailing wage is drawn from that metro's OES survey, which can differ sharply from the agency's headquarters city.
Watch how agencies handle productivity bonuses
Many home health agencies structure pay with per-visit or hourly productivity bonuses. DOL counts only guaranteed cash wages toward the prevailing wage floor, so bonus-heavy offers can appear above floor while the guaranteed base falls short for sponsored positions.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers sponsoring this role
Migrate Mate shows which employers have a documented history of sponsoring Home Health Aides, letting you filter by visa type and location before applying rather than discovering sponsorship gaps after an offer is extended.
Note that Washington state metros consistently top wages
Seattle, Bremerton, Longview, Kennewick, and Wenatchee metros all report prevailing wages well above the national median across all four levels. Candidates targeting sponsored home health roles should prioritize these labor markets when negotiating relocation or remote-worksite arrangements.
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Find Jobs for Home Health AidesPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 31-1121.00 alongside Home Health Aides, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Caregiver Prevailing Wage
Caregiver Prevailing Wage
Caregiver positions fall under SOC 31-1121.00 (Home Health Aides). 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.
Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1121.00 (Home Health Aides). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Certified Medical Aide (CMA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Medical Aide (CMA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Medical Aide (CMA) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1121.00 (Home Health Aides). 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.
Certified Nurses Aide (CNA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Nurses Aide (CNA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Nurses Aide (CNA) positions fall under SOC 31-1121.00 (Home Health Aides). 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.
Home Attendant Prevailing Wage
Home Attendant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Home Attendant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1121.00 (Home Health Aides). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Home Care Aide Prevailing Wage
Home Care Aide Prevailing Wage
Home Care Aide is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1121.00 (Home Health Aides). 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.
Home Health Aide (HHA) Prevailing Wage
Home Health Aide (HHA) Prevailing Wage
Home Health Aide (HHA) positions fall under SOC 31-1121.00 (Home Health Aides). 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.
Home Health Provider Prevailing Wage
Home Health Provider Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Home Health Provider for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1121.00 (Home Health Aides). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Hospice Aide Prevailing Wage
Hospice Aide Prevailing Wage
Hospice Aide is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1121.00 (Home Health Aides). 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.
In Home Caregiver Prevailing Wage
In Home Caregiver Prevailing Wage
In Home Caregiver positions fall under SOC 31-1121.00 (Home Health Aides). 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 Home Health Aides?
DOL draws wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which collects actual pay data from employers across every metro area. For Home Health Aides under SOC 31-1121, DOL publishes four wage levels calculated as percentiles of that regional survey data. Employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the level that matches the role's experience and supervision requirements.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
The four levels reflect increasing experience, autonomy, and task complexity. Level 1 covers entry-level aides under close supervision. Level 2 represents qualified aides with general supervision, and is the most common filing level in this occupation. Level 3 applies to experienced aides working with minimal supervision. Level 4 covers fully competent aides in complex settings. OFLC guidance instructs employers to match the level to the actual duties and supervision structure in the job description, not simply the candidate's years of experience.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Home Health Aide role vary so much by city?
DOL calculates prevailing wages from regional OES surveys, so the floor reflects actual wages paid in each metro labor market, not a national average. A Caregiver role in Seattle draws from Washington state survey data, where home health wages are significantly higher than in rural or lower-cost metros. Under LCA rules, the wage used must correspond to the worksite on the certified LCA, not the agency's billing address, which makes location the single biggest driver of variation.
What happens if an employer offers below the prevailing wage for a sponsored Home Health Aide position?
For H-1B or PERM-based sponsorship, the employer must certify on the LCA or labor certification that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable prevailing wage. An offer below that floor cannot be certified. If a discrepancy is discovered after certification, DOL's Wage and Hour Division can investigate, and USCIS may deny or revoke approval. The candidate should request the certified LCA to confirm the wage level before accepting any sponsored offer.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you enter SOC code 31-1121 and a target metro area to retrieve current prevailing wages at all four levels. Cross-check results against the job offer's listed worksite, not the agency's corporate address. Migrate Mate can also help you identify employers with a history of sponsoring Home Health Aides in specific cities, so you can focus your search on verified sponsors before verifying the wage floor.
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