Prevailing Wage for Hydrologic Technicians
Prevailing wage for Hydrologic Technicians is set by DOL under SOC 19-4044 and determines the minimum salary a sponsored employee must receive. DOL establishes four experience-based levels, and the floor shifts considerably depending on which U.S. city the worksite is located in. Checking the right level and location before accepting an offer protects your visa status.
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Entry-level hydrologic technicians with limited field experience, typically performing routine data collection and equipment maintenance under direct supervision. Most candidates in this tier hold an associate degree or have recently completed a relevant technical program with minimal independent fieldwork.
Qualified technicians with practical experience conducting water sampling, flow measurements, and field equipment calibration with limited supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for hydrologic technicians, reflecting roles where hands-on fieldwork proficiency is established but senior oversight remains in place.
Experienced technicians who independently manage field data collection programs, troubleshoot sampling equipment, and may coordinate with hydrologists or engineers on project deliverables. Candidates at this level typically have several years of progressively responsible fieldwork across multiple site types or water systems.
Fully competent senior technicians who lead field crews, design sampling protocols, and serve as the primary technical resource on complex water resource projects. This level reflects near-independent authority over data collection methodology and may include mentoring junior staff or interfacing directly with agency clients.
Prevailing Wage for Hydrologic 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 Hydrologic Technicians and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Verify which worksite city governs your LCA
Hydrologic technicians frequently rotate across field sites spanning multiple counties or metro areas. The worksite listed on your employer's LCA must match where you physically work, since the prevailing wage floor is set by that specific location, not the employer's headquarters city.
Watch for nonprofit and government agency filing patterns
A large share of hydrologic technician sponsorships come from federal and state agencies, water districts, and environmental consulting firms. Government employers often file at Level 1 or Level 2 even for roles requiring prior fieldwork, so confirm the filed level matches your actual responsibilities before signing.
Account for the wide spread between metro floors
The prevailing wage floor for this occupation varies sharply by location. Riverside and Portland post significantly higher L1 floors than Houston or Bozeman. If you are comparing offers across cities, recalculate the floor for each worksite rather than using a single national figure.
Find employers sponsoring hydrologic technicians on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified H-1B and green card sponsorship histories, letting you filter specifically for companies that have sponsored hydrologic technician roles before. This narrows your search to organizations already familiar with the LCA and prevailing wage process for this occupation.
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Find Jobs for Hydrologic TechniciansPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 19-4044.00 alongside Hydrologic Technicians, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Field Technician (Field Tech) Prevailing Wage
Field Technician (Field Tech) Prevailing Wage
Field Technician (Field Tech) positions fall under SOC 19-4044.00 (Hydrologic 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.
GIS Technician (Geographic Information System Technician) Prevailing Wage
GIS Technician (Geographic Information System Technician) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a GIS Technician (Geographic Information System Technician) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-4044.00 (Hydrologic Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Groundwater Monitoring Technician Prevailing Wage
Groundwater Monitoring Technician Prevailing Wage
Groundwater Monitoring Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-4044.00 (Hydrologic 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.
Hydro Operator Prevailing Wage
Hydro Operator Prevailing Wage
Hydro Operator positions fall under SOC 19-4044.00 (Hydrologic 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.
Hydrographer Prevailing Wage
Hydrographer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Hydrographer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-4044.00 (Hydrologic Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Hydrography Technician Prevailing Wage
Hydrography Technician Prevailing Wage
Hydrography Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-4044.00 (Hydrologic 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.
Hydrologic Aid Prevailing Wage
Hydrologic Aid Prevailing Wage
Hydrologic Aid positions fall under SOC 19-4044.00 (Hydrologic 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 hydrologic technicians?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to calculate wage floors for each occupation and metropolitan area. For hydrologic technicians under SOC 19-4044, DOL derives four wage levels from that survey data. Employers sponsoring a 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 identify mine?
DOL assigns Level 1 to entry-level roles with close supervision, Level 2 to qualified technicians with established fieldwork skills, Level 3 to experienced technicians working with significant autonomy, and Level 4 to senior or lead roles. Your level is determined by the job duties and supervision structure in the employer's LCA, not your years of experience alone. Review the LCA your employer files before accepting an offer to confirm the level reflects your actual position.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same hydrologic technician title vary so much by city?
DOL calculates prevailing wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, which capture local labor market conditions. Metro areas with higher concentrations of water resource employers, government agencies, or environmental consulting firms tend to produce higher survey wages. Under LCA rules, the wage floor is tied to the physical worksite, not the employer's main office, so a technician stationed in Riverside faces a different floor than one based in Houston even for identical duties.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA with DOL if the offered salary falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite and level. USCIS will not approve an H-1B or employment-based green card petition built on a non-certified LCA. If the offer is below the floor, the employer must either raise the salary or reclassify the role to a level consistent with the offered wage before filing. Accepting a below-floor offer puts both your petition and your status at risk.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific hydrologic technician position?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current DOL prevailing wage for SOC 19-4044 in any metro area. Enter the occupation code, select the worksite metropolitan area, and choose the applicable wage level. You can also cross-reference BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data for the same metro. Migrate Mate lists employers with sponsorship histories for technical roles, helping you identify which companies have filed for this occupation in specific locations.
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