Prevailing Wage for Industrial Engineers
The prevailing wage for Industrial Engineers, including roles filed under titles like Continuous Improvement Engineer, Process Engineer, and Operations Engineer, is set by DOL using four experience levels. The floor shifts significantly by city, so a qualifying offer in one metro may fall short in another. Check your level and location before accepting any sponsored position.
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Level 1 covers entry-level industrial engineers with a bachelor's degree and limited professional experience, typically performing routine tasks under close supervision. Employers filing H-1B petitions for new graduates or career changers entering process improvement or facilities roles commonly use this level.
Level 2 applies to qualified industrial engineers with some years of independent experience in areas like production coordination, quality control, or logistics. This is the most common filing level for Industrial Engineers, reflecting the practical mid-career professional in most sponsored positions.
Level 3 covers experienced industrial engineers who handle complex, multi-variable assignments with minimal supervision. Professionals leading cost analysis programs, managing plant-level workflow redesigns, or coordinating cross-functional manufacturing improvement initiatives typically qualify at this level.
Level 4 designates fully competent industrial engineers in senior or lead roles, setting occupational standards and exercising full technical authority. Plant engineers managing enterprise-wide production systems or principals directing integrated logistics strategy for large facilities fall here.
Prevailing Wage for Industrial Engineers 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 Industrial Engineers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch for title aliasing in manufacturing filings
Roles advertised as Plant Engineer or Facilities Engineer sometimes get filed under facilities management SOCs rather than SOC 17-2112, missing the Industrial Engineers prevailing wage floor entirely. Confirm the SOC code on your employer's LCA before signing any offer.
Account for shift differentials excluded from the wage floor
DOL's prevailing wage calculation for industrial engineers counts only base salary. Shift premiums, production bonuses, and signing bonuses that the employer amortizes over the visa period do not count toward meeting the floor. Verify your base rate independently.
Check Migrate Mate for employers with industrial engineering sponsorship history
Manufacturing and logistics companies vary widely in H-1B filing volume for this occupation. Migrate Mate shows which employers have a track record of sponsoring industrial engineers, so you can target companies already familiar with the LCA and I-129 process.
Flag low-wage metros early in your job search
The prevailing wage floor for industrial engineers in markets like Puerto Rico or smaller Southern metros can be substantially below the national median. If you're negotiating a remote or hybrid arrangement, confirm which worksite city the employer lists on the LCA.
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Find Jobs for Industrial EngineersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 17-2112.00 alongside Industrial Engineers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Continuous Improvement Engineer Prevailing Wage
Continuous Improvement Engineer Prevailing Wage
Continuous Improvement Engineer positions fall under SOC 17-2112.00 (Industrial Engineers). 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.
Engineer Prevailing Wage
Engineer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Engineer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-2112.00 (Industrial Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Facilities Engineer Prevailing Wage
Facilities Engineer Prevailing Wage
Facilities Engineer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-2112.00 (Industrial Engineers). 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.
Operations Engineer Prevailing Wage
Operations Engineer Prevailing Wage
Operations Engineer positions fall under SOC 17-2112.00 (Industrial Engineers). 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.
Plant Engineer Prevailing Wage
Plant Engineer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Plant Engineer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-2112.00 (Industrial Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Process Engineer Prevailing Wage
Process Engineer Prevailing Wage
Process Engineer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-2112.00 (Industrial Engineers). 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.
Project Engineer Prevailing Wage
Project Engineer Prevailing Wage
Project Engineer positions fall under SOC 17-2112.00 (Industrial Engineers). 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 Engineer Prevailing Wage
Quality Engineer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Quality Engineer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 17-2112.00 (Industrial Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Research and Development Engineer (R and D Engineer) Prevailing Wage
Research and Development Engineer (R and D Engineer) Prevailing Wage
Research and Development Engineer (R and D Engineer) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 17-2112.00 (Industrial Engineers). 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Industrial Engineers?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from employers across the country. For SOC 17-2112, these surveys capture wages actually paid to industrial engineers in each metropolitan area. OFLC then assigns four wage levels to that local data. Employers filing an LCA must pay at least the level that matches the position's experience requirements.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
The four levels reflect experience and supervision. Level 1 is entry-level work under close direction; Level 2 is qualified independent work; Level 3 involves complex assignments with significant autonomy; Level 4 designates senior or lead roles setting standards. To identify your level, compare the duties in your offer letter against the position description your employer submits with the LCA. The level on the LCA determines the wage floor your offer must meet.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same industrial engineering role vary so much by city?
DOL's wage floors are built from regional OES surveys, which capture what employers in each metro area actually pay. Dense manufacturing and tech markets command higher wages because of employer competition and cost of living. The LCA rule requires employers to list the actual worksite, not headquarters, so a role performed in a high-cost metro like San Jose carries a different floor than the same title in a smaller market. That worksite address is binding.
What happens if my offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA at a wage below the applicable prevailing wage level for the worksite. If the offer falls short, OFLC will not certify the LCA, blocking the H-1B or green card filing entirely. If the underpayment is discovered after approval, DOL can require back wages and debar the employer from future sponsorships. USCIS may also deny or revoke the petition. The floor is a legal requirement, not a negotiating reference point.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an industrial engineering role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up SOC 17-2112 for any metropolitan area. Enter the occupation code, select the metro, and the tool returns the four level wages currently in effect. Cross-reference this against your offer's base salary and the worksite city listed on the LCA. For finding employers who actively sponsor industrial engineers, Migrate Mate filters sponsored listings by role and location so you can identify which companies are filing in your target market.
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