Prevailing Wage for Network and Computer Systems Administrators
Prevailing wage for Network and Computer Systems Administrators is set by DOL under SOC 15-1244 and applies to H-1B, E-3, and green card sponsorship. Whether your title reads Network Administrator, Information Technology Specialist (IT Specialist), or Information Analyst, the same four experience levels determine the floor, and that floor shifts significantly by worksite city.
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Entry-level administrators with limited experience performing routine tasks under close supervision. Typically recent graduates or candidates transitioning into network administration without prior professional LAN or WAN management experience. DOL expects minimal independent judgment at this level.
Qualified administrators with moderate experience handling standard network configurations and system maintenance with general supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Network and Computer Systems Administrators, reflecting typical mid-career hires with demonstrated hands-on production environment experience.
Experienced administrators managing complex infrastructure, mentoring junior staff, and resolving advanced network issues with limited oversight. DOL places professionals who independently design and troubleshoot multi-site or hybrid environments at this level. Often seen in senior network administrator roles.
Fully competent administrators in lead or principal roles exercising broad independent judgment across the organization's entire network architecture. Responsibilities typically include strategic planning, vendor management, and enterprise-wide policy setting. DOL reserves this level for top-of-range scope and authority.
Prevailing Wage for Network and Computer Systems Administrators 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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Watch for misclassified contractor and MSP titles
Managed service providers and IT staffing agencies frequently post Network Administrator roles under generic IT titles that employers file at lower SOC codes, bypassing the SOC 15-1244 floor entirely. Confirm the LCA lists SOC 15-1244 before accepting any contractor placement.
Treat government-adjacent markets as wage outliers
Washington DC and Baltimore metro areas show L3 and L4 prevailing wages well above national medians, driven by federal contractor demand for cleared network administrators. If your offer is in these metros, an L2 filing at national rates may fall short of the actual local floor.
Filter Network Administrator sponsors on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate shows historical H-1B sponsorship counts by employer for Network and Computer Systems Administrators, so you can distinguish companies that routinely sponsor the role from those that have filed only once or twice in the past several years.
Exclude RSUs and signing bonuses from your wage floor check
DOL counts only guaranteed cash wages toward prevailing wage compliance for LCA purposes. Equity grants and one-time signing bonuses common in mid-market and FAANG network engineering offers do not count, so base salary alone must clear the applicable level floor.
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Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 15-1244.00 alongside Network and Computer Systems Administrators, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Information Analyst Prevailing Wage
Information Analyst Prevailing Wage
Information Analyst positions fall under SOC 15-1244.00 (Network and Computer Systems Administrators). 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.
Information Technology Specialist (IT Specialist) Prevailing Wage
Information Technology Specialist (IT Specialist) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Information Technology Specialist (IT Specialist) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 15-1244.00 (Network and Computer Systems Administrators). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
LAN Specialist (Local Area Network Specialist) Prevailing Wage
LAN Specialist (Local Area Network Specialist) Prevailing Wage
LAN Specialist (Local Area Network Specialist) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 15-1244.00 (Network and Computer Systems Administrators). 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.
Local Area Network Administrator (LAN Administrator) Prevailing Wage
Local Area Network Administrator (LAN Administrator) Prevailing Wage
Local Area Network Administrator (LAN Administrator) positions fall under SOC 15-1244.00 (Network and Computer Systems Administrators). 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.
Network Administrator Prevailing Wage
Network Administrator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Network Administrator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 15-1244.00 (Network and Computer Systems Administrators). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Network Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Network Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Network Coordinator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 15-1244.00 (Network and Computer Systems Administrators). 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.
Network Manager Prevailing Wage
Network Manager Prevailing Wage
Network Manager positions fall under SOC 15-1244.00 (Network and Computer Systems Administrators). 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.
Systems Administrator (Systems Admin) Prevailing Wage
Systems Administrator (Systems Admin) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Systems Administrator (Systems Admin) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 15-1244.00 (Network and Computer Systems Administrators). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Network and Computer Systems Administrators?
DOL derives prevailing wages for SOC 15-1244 from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through its Occupational Employment Statistics surveys. OFLC publishes these figures annually in the National Prevailing Wage Center database. Employers sponsoring H-1B or PERM workers must request or use the published wage that matches the worksite area and experience level.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which applies to my offer?
DOL defines the levels by supervisory oversight, complexity, and judgment required. Level 1 is entry with close supervision; Level 2 is qualified with general supervision; Level 3 is experienced with limited oversight; Level 4 is fully competent with broad independent authority. Your level is determined by the actual job duties on the LCA, not your years of experience alone. Review the position description your employer submits to OFLC and confirm it matches the role you will perform.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same network administrator role vary so much by city?
OFLC uses metropolitan statistical area-level OES survey data, so wages reflect local employer competition and cost of labor in each market. San Francisco and San Jose show L1 floors roughly 40 percent above national medians because of dense technology sector demand. Puerto Rico metros show floors well below the national median for the same reason. The LCA must cite the actual worksite location, so a remote employee physically working in a low-wage market cannot use a high-wage headquarters address to set the floor.
What happens if a sponsored job offer is below the prevailing wage for this occupation?
An employer cannot certify an LCA if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite and level. USCIS will deny an H-1B petition if the underlying LCA is deficient on wage grounds. For PERM green card cases, DOL will reject the application at audit. The employer must either raise the offered salary to meet the floor or reclassify the position to a lower level with duties that genuinely match that classification.
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 SOC 15-1244 wages by metropolitan area and wage level. Enter the worksite city or MSA, select the occupation, and the tool returns the current four-level wage floor. Cross-reference the result with the LCA your employer files, which must list the same worksite and a wage at or above the applicable level. Migrate Mate can also show you which employers have sponsored Network and Computer Systems Administrators in your target city, giving you a practical benchmark before you negotiate.
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