Prevailing Wage for Lawyers
Prevailing wage requirements for Lawyers (SOC 23-1011.00) apply to every sponsored H-1B visa, H-1B1 visa, E-3 visa, H-2B visa, and PERM petition for this occupation. DOL sets four experience levels for Attorneys and Attorneys at Law, and the wage floor shifts significantly by city, meaning an offer that clears the floor in one metro may fall short in another.
See all jobs for LawyersPrevailing Wage Calculator for Lawyers
Looking up a different role? Open the full calculator →
Entry-level attorneys with limited experience, typically recent bar admittees working under direct supervision on routine legal matters. Employers filing at Level 1 must document that the role requires minimal independent judgment and falls within structured guidelines.
Attorneys with moderate experience handling assignments with some independence. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Lawyers, covering associates who manage their own caseload or transactions but still operate within established firm or department practices.
Experienced attorneys with a track record of independent judgment, specialized expertise, or supervisory responsibility over junior staff. Roles at this level often involve complex matters, client development responsibility, or leadership of a practice group or legal team.
Senior counsel, partners, or general counsel roles requiring full autonomy, strategic direction, and recognized expertise. Employers must document that the position sets policy, leads significant matters independently, or holds firm-wide or enterprise-wide legal authority.
Prevailing wage for Lawyers by OES area
Each area on the map is a DOL OES wage zone. Click any location to see the prevailing wage floor for Lawyers at each level.
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
See all jobs for Lawyers
See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Lawyers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Lawyers
Verify your filing level matches your actual role
Law firms sometimes file associates at Level 1 to reduce wage obligations, even when the role involves independent caseload management. If you're handling client matters without close supervision, Level 2 is the defensible floor for sponsored attorneys.
Treat bonus and contingency pay as excluded from the floor
DOL's prevailing wage for attorneys covers base salary only. Signing bonuses, origination bonuses, and performance contingency pay do not count toward satisfying the wage floor on an LCA, even when these amounts are substantial in BigLaw compensation structures.
Check worksite wage when moving between in-house and firm roles
In-house counsel positions at corporate headquarters in low-cost metros can carry prevailing wage floors well below San Jose or San Francisco BigLaw rates. The LCA worksite city controls the floor, not the employer's headquarters if attorneys work remotely or at a branch office.
Find employers that have sponsored attorneys before
Migrate Mate shows which law firms, corporations, and government contractors have historically sponsored Lawyers for H-1B or green card positions, so you can focus your search on employers with an established record of attorney sponsorship rather than guessing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Lawyers?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate regional wage medians for SOC 23-1011.00. OFLC then publishes four wage levels derived from those regional distributions. Employers must pay at least the level that matches the position's actual duties and required experience before USCIS will approve the underlying petition.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which applies to my offer?
The four levels correspond to increasing experience and autonomy: Level 1 for entry-level work under close supervision, Level 2 for qualified practitioners with some independence, Level 3 for experienced attorneys with specialized expertise or supervisory duties, and Level 4 for senior or leadership roles. The correct level depends on the position description in the LCA, not your personal credentials. If the job posting describes independent client management, Level 1 is almost certainly wrong.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same attorney role vary so much by city?
OFLC calculates wages from regional OES surveys, so the floor reflects what employers in each metro actually pay. Dense legal markets like San Jose and San Francisco produce high survey medians, while smaller metros produce lower ones. The LCA must list the actual worksite address, and that address determines which regional wage applies, regardless of where the firm is headquartered or where the offer letter originates.
What happens if a job offer for a sponsored attorney position is below the prevailing wage?
USCIS will deny the H-1B or green card petition if the LCA shows a wage below the applicable DOL floor. The employer cannot supplement with bonuses or equity to meet the floor. If the offer is below the certified wage level, the employer must either increase the base salary, reclassify the position to a lower level with a matching job description, or withdraw the sponsorship.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Lawyers position in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, entering SOC code 23-1011.00 and the target metropolitan area. The results show all four wage levels for that region. O*NET provides supporting detail on how the occupation is classified. For job-search purposes, Migrate Mate lists attorney positions from employers with documented H-1B and green card sponsorship history, filtered by location and role, so you can identify which openings align with your visa type.
