Prevailing Wage for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Prevailing wage for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General (SOC 49-9071) is set by DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data. Whether your offer is for a Facilities Technician, Maintenance Engineer, or Building Mechanic role, DOL establishes four experience-based wage levels and the floor shifts significantly by worksite city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level workers with limited experience who follow detailed instructions and work under close supervision. These candidates typically handle routine maintenance tasks with minimal independent judgment and are new to cross-trade repair work.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General. It applies to qualified workers with hands-on experience across multiple trades who handle standard maintenance duties with moderate supervision and some independent decision-making.
Level 3 covers experienced workers who independently manage complex maintenance tasks across mechanical, electrical, and structural systems. These candidates typically supervise junior staff on specific assignments and troubleshoot multi-system failures without close oversight.
Level 4 applies to fully competent workers with broad cross-trade mastery who set work standards, lead maintenance crews, and take ownership of facility-wide systems. These professionals often hold lead or senior titles and operate with full autonomy.
Prevailing Wage for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 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 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Match your trade breadth to the right level
DOL calibrates maintenance worker levels on cross-trade versatility, not seniority alone. A candidate proficient in both electrical repair and HVAC maintenance typically qualifies for Level 2 or higher, even with fewer total years on the job.
Flag title mismatches before your LCA is filed
Roles posted as Maintenance Technician or Facilities Technician are sometimes filed under a different SOC, missing the SOC 49-9071 wage floor entirely. Confirm your employer is using the correct SOC code before the LCA is certified with OFLC.
Prioritize Bay Area and Seattle postings for higher floors
San Francisco and San Jose set the highest prevailing wages for this occupation nationally, with Seattle close behind. Targeting these metros substantially raises the L1 and L2 floors compared to Puerto Rico metros, where floors are significantly lower.
Search sponsored maintenance roles on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate lists maintenance and repair positions from employers with documented H-1B sponsorship history. You can filter by location and visa type to identify which facilities and property management companies have actually sponsored this occupation before.
Jobs for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 49-9071.00 alongside Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Building Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Building Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Building Mechanic positions fall under SOC 49-9071.00 (Maintenance and Repair Workers, General). 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.
Equipment Engineering Technician Prevailing Wage
Equipment Engineering Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Equipment Engineering Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-9071.00 (Maintenance and Repair Workers, General). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Facilities Technician Prevailing Wage
Facilities Technician Prevailing Wage
Facilities Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-9071.00 (Maintenance and Repair Workers, General). 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.
Maintenance Engineer Prevailing Wage
Maintenance Engineer Prevailing Wage
Maintenance Engineer positions fall under SOC 49-9071.00 (Maintenance and Repair Workers, General). 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.
Maintenance Journeyman Prevailing Wage
Maintenance Journeyman Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Maintenance Journeyman for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-9071.00 (Maintenance and Repair Workers, General). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Maintenance Man Prevailing Wage
Maintenance Man Prevailing Wage
Maintenance Man is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-9071.00 (Maintenance and Repair Workers, General). 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.
Maintenance Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Maintenance Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Maintenance Mechanic positions fall under SOC 49-9071.00 (Maintenance and Repair Workers, General). 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.
Maintenance Specialist Prevailing Wage
Maintenance Specialist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Maintenance Specialist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-9071.00 (Maintenance and Repair Workers, General). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Maintenance Technician Prevailing Wage
Maintenance Technician Prevailing Wage
Maintenance Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-9071.00 (Maintenance and Repair Workers, General). 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.
Maintenance Worker Prevailing Wage
Maintenance Worker Prevailing Wage
Maintenance Worker positions fall under SOC 49-9071.00 (Maintenance and Repair Workers, General). 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 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For SOC 49-9071, OFLC maps the regional wage distribution into four levels corresponding to the 17th, 34th, 50th, and 67th percentiles for that occupation in the worksite metro area. Employers sponsoring a worker under H-1B or PERM must pay at least the level that matches the position's actual duties and required experience.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect increasing experience, independence, and scope. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision; Level 2 is a qualified worker handling standard duties; Level 3 is experienced with significant autonomy; Level 4 is fully competent with lead or supervisory responsibility. Your level is determined by the job duties on the LCA, not your personal resume. Review the job description carefully against DOL's level definitions and confirm the level with your employer's immigration team before the LCA is submitted to OFLC.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same maintenance role vary so much between cities?
DOL calculates wages from regional OES surveys, so each metro area produces its own wage distribution for SOC 49-9071. Dense employer markets like San Francisco and San Jose have higher survey medians because local competition for skilled maintenance workers drives up wages. The LCA rules require employers to use the wage for the actual worksite location, not company headquarters. That means a Maintenance Engineer working at a facility in Ponce, PR will have a much lower floor than one in Seattle, WA, even if the employer is the same.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA with DOL if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage level for the worksite location. OFLC will reject or flag the application, and USCIS will not approve an H-1B or PERM petition built on a non-compliant LCA. If your offer is below the floor, your employer must either raise the offered salary to meet or exceed the prevailing wage or re-evaluate the wage level classification. A wage below the floor is not a negotiating baseline; it is a hard legal requirement.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. city for this occupation?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up current prevailing wages for SOC 49-9071 by metro area. Select the occupation code, choose your worksite location, and the tool will display all four wage levels for that area. For additional context on how wages compare across metros, the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes OES data by occupation and geography. Migrate Mate can also help you identify which employers have historically sponsored Maintenance and Repair Workers, General roles so you can target your search toward active sponsors.
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