Prevailing Wage for Nurse Anesthetists
Prevailing wage for Nurse Anesthetists is set by DOL at four experience levels, from entry-level Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) positions through senior Staff Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (Staff CRNA) roles. The floor varies significantly by worksite city, so a Staff Nurse Anesthetist offer in one metro may clear the threshold that the same title misses in another.
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Level 1 covers entry-level CRNAs new to independent anesthesia practice, typically within the first one to two years post-certification. DOL expects limited autonomous decision-making, close physician or anesthesiologist oversight, and a narrow procedural scope such as routine general or regional cases.
Level 2 applies to qualified CRNAs with two or more years of post-certification clinical experience handling a full range of anesthesia modalities without routine supervision. Most H-1B and green card LCA filings for this occupation land at Level 2, as it reflects the standard independent-practice expectation.
Level 3 covers experienced CRNAs who manage complex or high-acuity cases, such as cardiac, pediatric, or obstetric anesthesia, often with some responsibility for training junior staff. DOL ties this level to demonstrated specialty expertise and the ability to handle atypical patient presentations without consultation.
Level 4 reflects fully competent CRNAs in senior or lead roles, including chief CRNA, department head, or clinical director positions. These practitioners set protocols, supervise anesthesia teams, and hold institutional responsibility beyond direct patient care. Sponsoring employers must document this scope explicitly on the LCA.
Prevailing Wage for Nurse Anesthetists 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 Nurse Anesthetists and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Verify your CRNA title matches the filed SOC
Some hospitals file CRNA positions under anesthesiologist-assistant or registered nurse SOC codes, which carry different wage floors. Confirm that SOC 29-1151 appears on any LCA or PERM before signing an offer, because a misclassified title can leave your wage compliance unverifiable.
Watch how signing bonuses affect base wage compliance
Hospital systems often offer large CRNA signing bonuses that are amortized over two or three years. DOL requires the prevailing wage to be met through guaranteed regular wages, not one-time payments, so a high bonus with a below-floor base salary still fails the wage requirement.
Account for locum tenens versus direct-hire wage floors
CRNAs placed through staffing agencies as locum tenens are subject to the prevailing wage at each physical worksite, not the agency's headquarters. If your contract rotates you across hospital campuses in different metro areas, each worksite city sets its own applicable wage floor on the LCA.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with CRNA sponsorship history
Migrate Mate filters visa-sponsored listings by role and shows which health systems have historically sponsored CRNAs, so you can focus applications on employers already familiar with the H-1B or green card process for this specialty rather than educating an employer from scratch.
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Find Jobs for Nurse AnesthetistsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-1151.00 alongside Nurse Anesthetists, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) positions fall under SOC 29-1151.00 (Nurse Anesthetists). 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.
Staff Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (Staff CRNA) Prevailing Wage
Staff Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (Staff CRNA) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Staff Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (Staff CRNA) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1151.00 (Nurse Anesthetists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Staff Nurse Anesthetist Prevailing Wage
Staff Nurse Anesthetist Prevailing Wage
Staff Nurse Anesthetist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1151.00 (Nurse Anesthetists). 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Nurse Anesthetists?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metro areas to calculate median wages for SOC 29-1151 at four experience levels. OFLC publishes these figures annually in its prevailing wage library. Employers filing an LCA for a CRNA position must certify that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level for the worksite metro.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL defines levels by experience and supervisory scope, not just years on the job. Level 1 is entry-level with close oversight; Level 2 is the standard independent-practice CRNA; Level 3 reflects specialty expertise and some training duties; Level 4 covers lead or chief CRNA roles with institutional responsibility. The employer selects the level on the LCA, but OFLC can challenge it if the job description does not match. Check whether the duties in your offer letter align with the level your employer filed.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same CRNA role vary so much between cities?
OFLC derives wages from regional BLS surveys, so each metro area reflects local supply, cost of practice, and hospital market concentration. An LCA must list the specific worksite address, and the wage floor is keyed to that metro, not the employer's headquarters. Dense urban markets with high hospital competition typically show higher floors than rural or mid-size metros. If you change worksites mid-sponsorship, the employer may need to file an amended LCA at the new city's wage level.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored CRNA position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA, and USCIS cannot approve an H-1B or PERM petition, unless the offered wage meets or exceeds the prevailing wage floor. If an offer comes in below the floor, the employer must raise the wage before filing. Accepting a below-floor offer does not create a valid sponsorship path. If your petition is already approved and the employer later reduces your wage below the certified level, it violates the LCA terms and creates immigration and labor compliance risk.
How can I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Nurse Anesthetists role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up SOC 29-1151 for any metro area; select the wage level that matches the duties in your offer. Your employer's filed LCA, which is public record through the OFLC disclosure data, also shows the certified wage and level. To identify which employers have actively sponsored CRNAs and in which locations, Migrate Mate lists sponsored positions and shows each employer's historical visa-sponsorship activity for this occupation.
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