Prevailing Wage for Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other
Prevailing wage for Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other (SOC 53-3099) is set by the DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. Four experience levels establish the wage floor, and the required minimum shifts considerably depending on where the worksite is located across the country.
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Level 1 covers entry-level operators with limited experience who perform routine driving tasks under close supervision. Workers at this level typically have minimal years in the occupation and follow established procedures with little independent judgment required.
Level 2 applies to qualified operators with moderate experience who handle standard assignments with some independence. This is the most common filing level for Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other, reflecting the typical profile of sponsored hires in this occupation.
Level 3 covers experienced operators who perform varied and complex tasks with considerable autonomy. Workers at this level often train others, handle non-routine situations independently, and bring several years of demonstrated competence to the role.
Level 4 represents fully competent operators at the top of the experience range. These workers exercise substantial independent judgment, may carry lead or senior responsibilities, and are recognized for specialized expertise within the occupation.
Prevailing Wage for Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other 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 worksite city before filing
For Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other, the LCA wage is tied to the physical worksite, not the employer's headquarters. Multi-stop routes or depot-based assignments can span metro areas with meaningfully different wage floors, so pin the correct OES area before filing.
Watch for misclassified titles on LCAs
Job titles like courier, shuttle driver, or transport operator sometimes get filed under adjacent SOC codes rather than SOC 53-3099, pushing the certified wage below the actual Motor Vehicle Operators floor. Verify the SOC code on any LCA you review.
Check which employers have sponsored this role
Sponsorship for Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other is concentrated in specific employer categories such as transit authorities, logistics contractors, and government fleets. Migrate Mate filters sponsoring employers by role and shows historical visa filing counts so you can see who has actually sponsored this occupation before.
Treat signing bonuses as excluded from the wage floor
DOL's prevailing wage calculation for Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other counts only the base hourly or salary rate. One-time signing bonuses and per-diem allowances do not count toward meeting the certified wage floor under an LCA, so base pay alone must clear the threshold.
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Find Jobs for this roleFrequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. OFLC converts those statistics into four wage levels tied to experience. Employers filing an LCA for a sponsored Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other position must certify they will pay at least the prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify which applies to me?
Level 1 is entry-level with limited experience and close supervision. Level 2 is qualified with moderate experience and some independence. Level 3 is experienced with significant autonomy and complex assignments. Level 4 is fully competent at the senior or lead scope. Your level is determined by your actual duties, years of relevant experience, and the degree of supervision your position requires, not by your job title alone.
Why does the prevailing wage for this occupation vary so much from city to city?
OFLC sets wages using regional OES surveys, so areas with higher costs of living or stronger demand for operators produce higher survey results. The LCA worksite rule requires employers to certify the wage for the specific metropolitan area where work is performed. A depot in urban Honolulu or the San Francisco Bay Area produces a much higher floor than a depot in Wichita or Lancaster because the underlying regional survey data differ substantially.
What happens if an employer offers a wage below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An LCA cannot be certified by DOL if the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite. If an employer attempts to sponsor an H-1B or similar visa petition with a below-floor wage, USCIS will deny the petition. For existing sponsored workers, paying below the certified wage creates compliance liability for the employer, including potential debarment from future sponsorship filings.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up SOC 53-3099 wages by metropolitan area and wage level. Cross-reference with O*NET for occupation details. If you want to see which employers have actively sponsored Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other positions in a particular location, Migrate Mate shows historical sponsorship counts filtered by role and metro area so you can identify employers with a real filing track record.
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