Prevailing Wage for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
The prevailing wage for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education is set by the DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data. Whether your offer is for a Classroom Teacher, Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher, or Educator role, DOL assigns four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly by worksite city.
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Level 1 applies to entry-level kindergarten teachers new to the classroom, typically with a bachelor's degree in education and minimal independent teaching experience. Assignments are closely supervised, with lesson plans and curriculum provided by the school or district.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education. It covers teachers who independently manage a classroom, apply standard curriculum, and have completed their first few years of practice with a state teaching credential.
Level 3 covers experienced classroom teachers who take on instructional leadership responsibilities, mentor newer colleagues, or lead curriculum adaptation across grade-level teams. A clear track record of independent performance and several years of credentialed teaching is typical.
Level 4 applies to fully competent teachers functioning at a senior or lead capacity: department heads, master teachers, or instructional coaches whose work shapes school-wide or district-wide educational practice.
Prevailing Wage for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education 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 this role and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your state teaching credential matches the LCA worksite
Kindergarten teaching positions require a state-issued credential tied to the worksite state. An LCA filed for California must reflect California wage levels, and your credential must be valid in that state before USCIS will approve the petition.
Watch for district pay schedules that compress lower levels
Public school districts often use step-and-lane salary schedules that front-load compensation for experienced hires. If your lane places you above the L2 floor but your petition is filed at L1, the LCA can be challenged during USCIS adjudication.
Compare coastal California metro wages before accepting district offers
Oxnard, Modesto, and Salinas post some of the highest prevailing wages for kindergarten teachers nationally. If a district in those metros offers at the national median, it may not clear the local DOL floor, which is the legally binding threshold for your LCA.
Use Migrate Mate to find districts with kindergarten sponsorship history
School districts that have sponsored kindergarten teachers before are far more likely to navigate the LCA and I-129 process correctly. Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored this specific role, so you can target districts with a proven track record.
Jobs for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-2012.00 alongside Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher Prevailing Wage
Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher Prevailing Wage
Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher positions fall under SOC 25-2012.00 (Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education). 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.
Classroom Teacher Prevailing Wage
Classroom Teacher Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Classroom Teacher for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-2012.00 (Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Educator Prevailing Wage
Educator Prevailing Wage
Educator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-2012.00 (Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education). 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.
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor positions fall under SOC 25-2012.00 (Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education). 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.
Kinder Teacher Prevailing Wage
Kinder Teacher Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Kinder Teacher for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-2012.00 (Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Kindergarten Classroom Teacher Prevailing Wage
Kindergarten Classroom Teacher Prevailing Wage
Kindergarten Classroom Teacher is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-2012.00 (Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education). 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.
Teacher Prevailing Wage
Teacher Prevailing Wage
Teacher positions fall under SOC 25-2012.00 (Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education). 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.
Title One Kindergarten Teacher Prevailing Wage
Title One Kindergarten Teacher Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Title One Kindergarten Teacher for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-2012.00 (Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Transitional Kindergarten Teacher Prevailing Wage
Transitional Kindergarten Teacher Prevailing Wage
Transitional Kindergarten Teacher is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-2012.00 (Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education). 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 kindergarten teachers?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate four wage levels for each SOC occupation and metro area. For SOC 25-2012, OFLC applies a formula that distributes wages across Level 1 through Level 4 based on the regional earnings distribution. Employers must file an LCA certifying the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level before USCIS will process an H-1B or E-3 petition.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which applies to me?
The four levels reflect experience and responsibility. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision; Level 2 is a fully independent classroom teacher, which is the most common filing level for this occupation; Level 3 covers instructional leadership or mentoring responsibilities; Level 4 applies to master teachers or lead educators. Your level should match your actual duties and years of experience as described in the petition, not just your job title.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same kindergarten teacher role vary so much by city?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using regional OES surveys, so the floor reflects local labor market conditions rather than a national rate. A district in Oxnard or Bridgeport pays out of a fundamentally different wage pool than one in Fayetteville or Enid. Critically, OFLC uses the worksite address listed on the LCA, not the employer's headquarters. If a teacher works at a school in a high-wage metro, the LCA must reflect that metro's wage level regardless of where the district office is located.
What happens if an employer's offer falls below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An LCA cannot be certified if the offered wage is below the DOL prevailing wage for that level and worksite. OFLC will reject or deny certification. If USCIS identifies a wage deficiency during petition review, it may issue a Request for Evidence or deny the petition outright. Employers are legally prohibited from requiring sponsored workers to pay or reimburse immigration filing fees, and underpaying relative to the LCA-certified wage can trigger DOL enforcement.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a kindergarten teacher position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 25-2012 for any metro area covered by OES surveys. Select the worksite area, enter the SOC code, and the tool returns all four wage levels. Cross-reference with O*NET to confirm the job duties align with SOC 25-2012 before your employer files the LCA. Migrate Mate can also show you which school districts have historically sponsored kindergarten teachers so you can identify employers already familiar with the process.
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