Prevailing Wage for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
Prevailing wage requirements for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists (SOC 19-3032) set the minimum salary a U.S. employer must offer when sponsoring an I-O Psychologist or Consulting Psychologist on an H-1B, E-3, or green card. DOL assigns four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts considerably depending on where the worksite is located.
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Entry-level I-O Psychologists with limited professional experience, typically recent master's or doctoral graduates working under direct supervision on defined projects with a narrow scope of independent judgment.
Qualified practitioners with moderate experience who handle assignments with some independence. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists, covering roles such as mid-career I-O Practitioners in applied research or HR consulting.
Experienced professionals who lead projects, mentor junior staff, and apply specialized expertise across complex organizational assessments, selection system design, or large-scale employee development programs with minimal oversight.
Senior I-O Psychologists in lead or principal roles setting strategic direction, managing multi-stakeholder programs, or heading an internal people-analytics function. These positions demand broad autonomy and recognized subject-matter authority.
Prevailing Wage for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists 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-Organizational Psychologists and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Verify your title maps to SOC 19-3032
Job titles like Management Consultant or Organizational Consultant are listed O*NET alternates for this SOC but are also filed under business and management codes. Confirm your employer's LCA cites SOC 19-3032, or your offer may be benchmarked to a lower wage floor.
Distinguish in-house from consulting firm filings
Large consulting firms that deploy I-O Practitioners at client worksites must list the client site on the LCA, not headquarters. A firm headquartered in a low-wage metro but placing you at a high-cost client location may underpay if the worksite address is filed incorrectly.
Account for bonus exclusions in total compensation
DOL's prevailing wage covers guaranteed base salary only. Performance bonuses, signing bonuses amortized over tenure, and equity grants do not count toward meeting the floor for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists on sponsored positions.
Search Migrate Mate for employers with I-O sponsorship history
Because I-O Psychologist roles appear under multiple alias titles, Migrate Mate's employer-level sponsorship history helps you identify which companies have actually sponsored this occupation before, reducing the risk of approaching employers unfamiliar with the SOC.
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Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 19-3032.00 alongside Industrial-Organizational Psychologists, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Consulting Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Consulting Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Consulting Psychologist positions fall under SOC 19-3032.00 (Industrial-Organizational Psychologists). 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.
I-O Practitioner (Industrial-Organizational Practitioner) Prevailing Wage
I-O Practitioner (Industrial-Organizational Practitioner) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a I-O Practitioner (Industrial-Organizational Practitioner) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-3032.00 (Industrial-Organizational Psychologists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
I-O Psychologist (Industrial-Organizational Psychologist) Prevailing Wage
I-O Psychologist (Industrial-Organizational Psychologist) Prevailing Wage
I-O Psychologist (Industrial-Organizational Psychologist) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-3032.00 (Industrial-Organizational Psychologists). 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.
Industrial Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Industrial Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Industrial Psychologist positions fall under SOC 19-3032.00 (Industrial-Organizational Psychologists). 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.
Management Consultant Prevailing Wage
Management Consultant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Management Consultant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-3032.00 (Industrial-Organizational Psychologists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Organizational Consultant Prevailing Wage
Organizational Consultant Prevailing Wage
Organizational Consultant is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-3032.00 (Industrial-Organizational Psychologists). 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.
Organizational Development Specialist (OD Specialist) Prevailing Wage
Organizational Development Specialist (OD Specialist) Prevailing Wage
Organizational Development Specialist (OD Specialist) positions fall under SOC 19-3032.00 (Industrial-Organizational Psychologists). 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.
Organizational Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Organizational Psychologist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Organizational Psychologist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 19-3032.00 (Industrial-Organizational Psychologists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Personnel Research Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Personnel Research Psychologist Prevailing Wage
Personnel Research Psychologist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 19-3032.00 (Industrial-Organizational Psychologists). 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.
Research Scientist Prevailing Wage
Research Scientist Prevailing Wage
Research Scientist positions fall under SOC 19-3032.00 (Industrial-Organizational Psychologists). 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 Industrial-Organizational Psychologists?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, mapped to SOC 19-3032. It calculates four wage levels by applying percentile thresholds to regional wage distributions. Employers filing an LCA for a sponsored I-O Psychologist must offer at least the level that matches the position's experience requirements.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which applies to my offer?
DOL's four levels correspond to increasing experience and independence. Level 1 covers entry-level roles under close supervision. Level 2 applies to qualified practitioners working with moderate autonomy, and is the most common filing level for this occupation. Level 3 covers experienced leads. Level 4 applies to senior or principal practitioners. Your employer's LCA specifies the level, and it must genuinely match the job duties described in the petition.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same I-O Psychologist role vary so much by city?
OFLC calculates wages from regional OES surveys, so the data reflects actual pay in each labor market. An employer must use the wage for the worksite listed on the LCA, not company headquarters. Dense employer markets with high competition for I-O talent, such as major tech and financial hubs, produce higher survey medians and therefore higher wage floors than smaller metros.
What happens if an employer offers below the prevailing wage for a sponsored I-O Psychologist position?
USCIS can deny the H-1B or E-3 petition if the LCA wage does not meet the required prevailing wage level. For green card PERM cases, DOL may reject the application. Even after approval, an employer who pays below the certified LCA wage faces back-pay liability and debarment from future sponsorship filings. The offer must meet the floor before the LCA is certified.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist position at a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, enter SOC code 19-3032, select the relevant metropolitan or statewide area, and choose the appropriate wage level. This returns the current DOL-certified prevailing wage for that worksite. You can also search recent LCA disclosure data published by OFLC to see what wages employers have certified for comparable roles. Migrate Mate lets you filter I-O Psychologist listings by employer sponsorship history to identify companies already familiar with these requirements.
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