Prevailing Wage for Nursing Assistants
Prevailing wage for Nursing Assistants (SOC 31-1131) is set by the DOL across four experience levels, from entry-level CNAs to fully competent licensed nursing assistants. Whether your title reads Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) or Certified Medication Aide (CMA), the floor that applies to a sponsored position depends on the worksite city and your experience level.
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Level 1 applies to entry-level CNAs with limited hands-on experience, typically in their first role under close supervision. Work scope is narrowly defined, following established routines with little independent judgment expected.
Level 2 covers qualified nursing assistants with moderate experience who perform standard duties with general supervision. This is the most common filing level for Nursing Assistants, reflecting the broad mid-range of working CNAs in sponsored positions.
Level 3 applies to experienced nursing assistants who handle complex patient care tasks with minimal supervision, often mentoring newer staff or managing more demanding caseloads in long-term care or acute settings.
Level 4 reflects fully competent nursing assistants in senior or lead roles, exercising independent judgment, coordinating care activities, and setting standards for others. Employers filing at this level typically designate the role as a lead or charge aide.
Prevailing Wage for Nursing 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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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Nursing Assistants and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your title maps to SOC 31-1131
Titles like Patient Care Technician or Home Health Aide are sometimes filed under different SOC codes with lower prevailing wage floors. Verify your employer's LCA lists SOC 31-1131 so the correct Nursing Assistants wage floor applies to your offer.
Watch how agency placements affect your worksite wage
Staffing agencies placing CNAs at hospital or nursing facility worksites must use the wage for the actual work location, not the agency's home city. A placement in San Jose carries a significantly higher floor than a placement in a rural market.
Check which employers have sponsored CNAs before
Migrate Mate shows historical visa sponsorship counts by employer, so you can filter for facilities and health systems that have actually sponsored Certified Nurse Aide and CNA roles rather than applying speculatively to employers with no track record.
Understand why signing bonuses do not count toward the floor
DOL prevailing wage compliance for nursing assistants is measured against base hourly or annualized wages only. One-time signing bonuses and shift differentials are excluded, so an offer padded with a bonus may still fall short of the required floor.
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Find Jobs for Nursing AssistantsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 31-1131.00 alongside Nursing Assistants, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Certified Medication Aide (CMA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Medication Aide (CMA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Medication Aide (CMA) positions fall under SOC 31-1131.00 (Nursing 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.
Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1131.00 (Nursing Assistants). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Certified Nurses Aide (CNA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Nurses Aide (CNA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Nurses Aide (CNA) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1131.00 (Nursing 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.
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Prevailing Wage
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) positions fall under SOC 31-1131.00 (Nursing 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.
Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) Prevailing Wage
Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1131.00 (Nursing Assistants). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Nurses' Aide Prevailing Wage
Nurses' Aide Prevailing Wage
Nurses' Aide is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1131.00 (Nursing 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.
Nursing Aide Prevailing Wage
Nursing Aide Prevailing Wage
Nursing Aide positions fall under SOC 31-1131.00 (Nursing 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.
Patient Care Assistant (PCA) Prevailing Wage
Patient Care Assistant (PCA) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Patient Care Assistant (PCA) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1131.00 (Nursing Assistants). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) Prevailing Wage
State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) Prevailing Wage
State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1131.00 (Nursing 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Nursing Assistants?
DOL calculates the prevailing wage for Nursing Assistants using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For each metro area, DOL ranks reported wages and assigns four levels based on wage percentiles. Employers sponsoring a CNA or similar title must pay at or above the level that matches the position's scope and experience requirements, as certified on the Labor Condition Application filed with OFLC.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
The four levels reflect increasing experience and independence. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision; Level 2 is qualified with general supervision and is the most common filing level for Nursing Assistants; Level 3 is experienced with minimal supervision; Level 4 is fully competent in a lead or senior capacity. Your level should match the actual duties and supervision structure in the job offer, not just your years on paper. OFLC guidance and the job description together determine the correct level.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same CNA role vary so much by city?
DOL builds prevailing wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so wages reflect local labor market conditions in each metro area. An LCA must list the actual worksite location, meaning the floor is tied to where the work happens, not where the employer is headquartered. Markets like San Jose and San Francisco have dense unionized healthcare workforces and high costs of living, which push surveyed wages well above what employers in lower-cost metros report to BLS.
What happens if a job offer for a sponsored position is below the prevailing wage?
An employer cannot certify an LCA with OFLC if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite location and wage level. If the LCA is already certified and a discrepancy is later found, DOL can investigate and impose back-pay obligations, civil penalties, or debarment. For workers already in status, USCIS can deny or revoke the petition. The prevailing wage floor is a compliance floor, not a negotiating baseline.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Nursing Assistants in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up the current DOL prevailing wage by occupation, SOC code, and geographic area. Search for SOC 31-1131 and select your target metro to see all four wage levels. You can also consult O*NET for occupation details that help confirm the correct SOC. For finding employers who have sponsored Nursing Assistants roles in specific cities, Migrate Mate filters sponsored job listings by role and location using verified sponsorship history.
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