Prevailing Wage for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists
The prevailing wage for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists (SOC 25-4022) is the DOL-mandated minimum a sponsoring employer must pay on an LCA or PERM application. Whether your title reads Catalog Librarian, Library Media Specialist, or Instructional Technology Specialist, DOL sets four experience levels and the floor varies significantly by worksite city.
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Entry-level candidates with limited professional experience, typically recent graduates beginning their first librarian or media collections role. Work is closely supervised, tasks are routine, and independent judgment is minimal. Most employers file Level 1 for new-to-field hires in public or academic library settings.
Qualified professionals with some independent experience in cataloging, reference services, or media collections management. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists, reflecting roles where some professional judgment is exercised but senior oversight remains.
Experienced professionals who independently manage collections, lead instruction programs, or oversee specialized library systems. Work requires applied expertise, limited supervision, and often involves training or mentoring junior staff or paraprofessionals in the department.
Fully competent senior librarians or media specialists who set policy, lead departments, or direct institution-wide collections strategy. These roles typically require advanced credentials, significant years of practice, and accountability for program outcomes and staff development.
Prevailing Wage for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists 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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Distinguish academic from public library filing patterns
Academic institutions and public library systems file LCAs differently. University library roles frequently list Level 2 or Level 3 because a master's in library science is a baseline requirement, pushing the prevailing wage floor higher than entry corporate or school media roles.
Watch title aliasing between SOC codes
Titles like Instructional Technology Specialist or Media Technician sometimes get filed under education or IT SOC codes instead of SOC 25-4022. If your offer letter uses one of these aliases, confirm the LCA lists the correct SOC to ensure the right prevailing wage applies.
Account for the wide California metro premium
San Jose, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz metros carry prevailing wage floors well above the national median for this occupation. If your worksite is in a California metro, even an entry-level filing sets a substantially higher wage obligation than a comparable role in Mississippi or Pennsylvania.
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Migrate Mate shows historical sponsorship counts by employer for library and media collections roles, so you can identify universities, public systems, and media organizations that have actually filed H-1B or green card petitions for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists rather than guessing.
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Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-4022.00 alongside Librarians and Media Collections Specialists, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Catalog Librarian Prevailing Wage
Catalog Librarian Prevailing Wage
Catalog Librarian positions fall under SOC 25-4022.00 (Librarians and Media Collections Specialists). 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.
Instructional Technology Specialist Prevailing Wage
Instructional Technology Specialist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Instructional Technology Specialist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-4022.00 (Librarians and Media Collections Specialists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Librarian Prevailing Wage
Librarian Prevailing Wage
Librarian is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-4022.00 (Librarians and Media Collections Specialists). 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.
Library Media Specialist Prevailing Wage
Library Media Specialist Prevailing Wage
Library Media Specialist positions fall under SOC 25-4022.00 (Librarians and Media Collections Specialists). 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.
Media Specialist Prevailing Wage
Media Specialist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Media Specialist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-4022.00 (Librarians and Media Collections Specialists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Media Technician Prevailing Wage
Media Technician Prevailing Wage
Media Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-4022.00 (Librarians and Media Collections Specialists). 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.
Multimedia Services Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Multimedia Services Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Multimedia Services Coordinator positions fall under SOC 25-4022.00 (Librarians and Media Collections Specialists). 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.
Reference and Instruction Librarian Prevailing Wage
Reference and Instruction Librarian Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Reference and Instruction Librarian for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-4022.00 (Librarians and Media Collections Specialists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Reference Librarian Prevailing Wage
Reference Librarian Prevailing Wage
Reference Librarian is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-4022.00 (Librarians and Media Collections Specialists). 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.
Technical Services Librarian Prevailing Wage
Technical Services Librarian Prevailing Wage
Technical Services Librarian positions fall under SOC 25-4022.00 (Librarians and Media Collections Specialists). 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 Librarians and Media Collections Specialists?
DOL derives prevailing wages for this occupation from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. OFLC then publishes four wage levels for each area, and employers must certify on the LCA that the offered wage meets or exceeds the level corresponding to the position's duties and experience requirements.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL's four levels reflect experience and independence: Level 1 is entry with close supervision, Level 2 is qualified with some independent judgment, Level 3 is experienced with minimal oversight, and Level 4 is fully competent in a senior or lead capacity. Your level is determined by the actual duties in the LCA, not your title. Review the job description carefully and compare it against DOL's level definitions published by OFLC.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same librarian role vary so much from city to city?
OFLC assigns prevailing wages based on regional OES survey data specific to each metropolitan statistical area, so local labor market conditions drive the figures. The worksite address on the LCA determines which area wage applies, not the employer's headquarters. Dense employer markets with many academic institutions and public systems, such as the Seattle or San Francisco metros, produce higher survey wage floors than smaller or rural labor markets.
What happens if a sponsored offer is below the prevailing wage for this occupation?
An LCA cannot be certified by DOL if the offered wage is below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite and level. If an employer submits a wage below the floor, OFLC will deny certification. For already-certified LCAs where a discrepancy is later identified, USCIS can deny the underlying H-1B petition, and back-wage liability may arise for the employer under DOL enforcement rules.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location for this occupation?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up wages by SOC code and metropolitan area. Enter SOC 25-4022 and your worksite metro to see the current Level 1 through Level 4 figures. Cross-check against the Bureau of Labor Statistics OES data for the same area. Migrate Mate can also help you identify employers with a track record of sponsoring library and media collections roles in specific cities, so you can target offers in markets where the wage floor aligns with your situation.
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