Prevailing Wage for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
The prevailing wage for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants under SOC 43-6013 is set by the DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. Whether your offer is for a Medical Receptionist, Front Desk Receptionist, or Medical Office Specialist role, DOL assigns four wage levels based on experience, and the floor shifts significantly by city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level medical administrative staff with limited experience, typically performing routine scheduling, filing, and data entry under close supervision. Candidates new to medical office environments with a high school diploma or equivalent generally fall here.
Level 2 applies to qualified staff with a few years of medical office experience who handle a broader task range with moderate supervision. This is the most common filing level for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants on H-1B and PERM petitions.
Level 3 applies to experienced professionals who work with significant independence, handle complex medical correspondence, billing, and records management, and may guide junior staff. Candidates with several years of specialized clinical or hospital administrative experience typically fall here.
Level 4 reflects fully competent senior medical administrative professionals who exercise independent judgment, often oversee office workflows or small teams, and bring deep expertise in medical terminology, compliance documentation, and multi-provider practice administration.
Prevailing Wage for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants 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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Confirm your title maps to SOC 43-6013
Titles like Clinic Office Assistant or Physician Office Specialist should file under SOC 43-6013. If an employer uses a generic administrative title and files under a different SOC, your offer may be benchmarked against a lower or unrelated wage floor, affecting your sponsored position.
Watch how California metros raise your floor
San Jose, San Francisco, and Napa consistently post the highest prevailing wages for this occupation nationwide. If your offer is based in one of these metros, the L1 floor alone significantly exceeds the national median, so verify the worksite city listed on your LCA matches your actual location.
Check whether bonuses count toward the wage floor
Signing bonuses and non-discretionary bonuses are generally excluded from prevailing wage calculations for medical administrative roles. Employers sometimes quote total compensation to meet the floor; confirm your base salary alone clears the DOL level before accepting a sponsored offer.
Find employers sponsoring this role on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate shows which employers have historically sponsored Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, including hospital networks and multi-site clinic operators. Filtering by this occupation narrows your search to sponsors with a real track record rather than employers filing for the first time.
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Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 43-6013.00 alongside Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Clinic Office Assistant Prevailing Wage
Clinic Office Assistant Prevailing Wage
Clinic Office Assistant positions fall under SOC 43-6013.00 (Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants). 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.
Front Desk Receptionist Prevailing Wage
Front Desk Receptionist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Front Desk Receptionist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 43-6013.00 (Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Medical Office Specialist Prevailing Wage
Medical Office Specialist Prevailing Wage
Medical Office Specialist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 43-6013.00 (Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants). 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.
Medical Receptionist Prevailing Wage
Medical Receptionist Prevailing Wage
Medical Receptionist positions fall under SOC 43-6013.00 (Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants). 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.
Medical Secretary Prevailing Wage
Medical Secretary Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Medical Secretary for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 43-6013.00 (Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Physician Office Specialist Prevailing Wage
Physician Office Specialist Prevailing Wage
Physician Office Specialist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 43-6013.00 (Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants). 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.
Secretary Prevailing Wage
Secretary Prevailing Wage
Secretary positions fall under SOC 43-6013.00 (Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants). 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.
Unit Clerk Prevailing Wage
Unit Clerk Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Unit Clerk for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 43-6013.00 (Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Unit Support Representative Prevailing Wage
Unit Support Representative Prevailing Wage
Unit Support Representative is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 43-6013.00 (Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants). 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.
Ward Clerk Prevailing Wage
Ward Clerk Prevailing Wage
Ward Clerk positions fall under SOC 43-6013.00 (Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants). 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 Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. For SOC 43-6013, OFLC calculates four wage levels from that survey data. Employers filing an LCA for a sponsored Medical Secretary or Administrative Assistant must offer at least the level that matches the candidate's experience and the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
The four levels reflect a progression from entry-level work under close supervision (Level 1) to fully independent, senior-scope practice administration (Level 4). Your level depends on your years of experience in medical administrative roles, the complexity of duties in the job description, and how much supervision the position requires. Level 2 is the most common filing level for this occupation. Review the job description against DOL's level definitions to identify where your role fits.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same role vary so much between cities?
DOL derives wages from regional OES surveys, so the floor reflects local labor market rates rather than a national average. A medical administrative role in San Jose carries a much higher floor than the same role in a rural area because Bay Area employers compete for staff in a higher-cost market. The worksite address listed on the LCA, not the employer's headquarters, determines which metro wage applies. This is why candidates should always confirm the LCA lists their actual work location.
What happens if an employer offers a salary below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An offer below the DOL prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite will prevent LCA certification by OFLC. Without a certified LCA, an H-1B or PERM petition cannot proceed. If underpayment is discovered after filing, USCIS may issue a request for evidence or deny the petition. DOL can also investigate and require back pay. Candidates should verify the offer clears the floor before the employer files.
How do I find the prevailing wage for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up SOC 43-6013 by metropolitan area and wage level. Select the relevant area and confirm which level matches the experience described in your offer. You can also cross-reference BLS occupational wage data for the same metro. Migrate Mate lets you filter sponsored Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant listings by location so you can see which employers are actively hiring and sponsoring in your target city.
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