Prevailing Wage for Neurologists
Prevailing wage for Neurologists under SOC 29-1217 is set by the DOL across four experience levels, from entry-level General Neurologist through fully competent Adult and Pediatric Neurologist roles. The floor an employer must meet on a sponsored visa petition depends on which level applies and where the worksite is located, since rates vary significantly by city.
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Level 1 covers entry neurologists with limited post-training experience, typically within the first year or two after residency or fellowship. Work is performed under closer supervision, with a narrower patient scope and less independent clinical decision-making expected by the employer.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Neurologists. It applies to qualified practitioners with moderate independent experience, standard subspecialty competency, and a typical attending or staff neurologist scope. Most H-1B petitions for hospital-employed neurologists are filed here.
Level 3 covers experienced neurologists with substantial independent practice history, often including subspecialty depth such as epilepsy, stroke, or movement disorders. Employees at this level exercise broad judgment and may mentor junior clinicians or lead program components.
Level 4 reflects fully competent neurologists in senior attending, program director, or department leadership roles. These positions carry the highest clinical authority, significant administrative responsibility, and are typically filed for candidates with a well-established national or regional practice reputation.
Prevailing Wage for Neurologists 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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Verify your fellowship counts toward experience
DOL counts post-residency fellowship training as relevant experience for level determination. A neurologist completing a two-year epilepsy or stroke fellowship may qualify at Level 2 rather than Level 1, meaningfully raising the wage floor an employer must meet.
Confirm wRVU bonuses are excluded from the floor
Neurology compensation often includes work relative value unit bonuses. DOL prevailing wage calculations count only guaranteed base salary. Variable wRVU payments, signing bonuses, and quality incentives cannot be used to satisfy the prevailing wage floor on the LCA.
Watch for academic medical center title mismatches
Academic hospitals sometimes file H-1B petitions under a generic Physician SOC rather than SOC 29-1217 for Neurologists. That substitution can shift the applicable wage floor. Confirm your LCA cites the Neurologists SOC before your employer submits the petition.
Use Migrate Mate to find active neurology sponsors
Migrate Mate shows which health systems and medical groups have a verified history of sponsoring neurologists. Filtering by role and location lets you target employers already familiar with the H-1B or green card process for this specialty.
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Find Jobs for NeurologistsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-1217.00 alongside Neurologists, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Adult and Pediatric Neurologist Prevailing Wage
Adult and Pediatric Neurologist Prevailing Wage
Adult and Pediatric Neurologist positions fall under SOC 29-1217.00 (Neurologists). 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.
Adult Neurologist Prevailing Wage
Adult Neurologist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Adult Neurologist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1217.00 (Neurologists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
General Neurologist Prevailing Wage
General Neurologist Prevailing Wage
General Neurologist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1217.00 (Neurologists). 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.
Pediatric Neurologist Prevailing Wage
Pediatric Neurologist Prevailing Wage
Pediatric Neurologist positions fall under SOC 29-1217.00 (Neurologists). 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.
Physician Prevailing Wage
Physician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Physician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1217.00 (Neurologists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Neurologists?
DOL derives prevailing wages from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan areas. For SOC 29-1217, OFLC maps those survey results to four experience levels. Employers filing an LCA for a sponsored neurologist must pay at least the wage that corresponds to the applicable level and worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
Level 1 is entry, Level 2 is qualified, Level 3 is experienced, and Level 4 is fully competent. The employer selects the level based on the actual duties, required experience, and degree of supervision described in the job. Most staff neurologist roles at hospitals land at Level 2. If your offer letter describes subspecialty leadership or independent program authority, Level 3 or 4 may be required, raising the wage floor accordingly.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same neurologist role differ so much between cities?
Regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys reflect local labor markets, cost of living, and the concentration of competing employers in each metro area. OFLC rules require employers to use the wage for the actual worksite listed on the LCA, not a national average. A neurology position at a large academic center in a high-cost metro will carry a materially different floor than the identical title at a smaller system in a lower-wage market.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
USCIS reviews the certified LCA as part of the H-1B or other sponsored visa petition. If the offered salary is below the prevailing wage for the stated level and worksite, USCIS can issue a request for evidence or deny the petition. For PERM-based green card cases, DOL itself audits wage compliance. An offer below the floor must be corrected before filing, either by renegotiating salary or by reclassifying the experience level.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Neurologists role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 29-1217 and select the relevant metropolitan area. The tool returns Level 1 through Level 4 wage floors for that worksite. Cross-reference with your employer's LCA, which must state both the SOC code and the wage level. Migrate Mate can help you identify which employers have actively sponsored neurologists in the metro you are targeting.
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