Prevailing Wage for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
Prevailing wage for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary is set by the DOL using four experience levels, from Entry to Fully Competent. Whether you hold a title like Assistant Professor, Clinical Nursing Instructor, or Associate Professor, the floor your employer must meet varies by worksite city and the level assigned to your position.
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Entry-level instructors new to postsecondary nursing education, typically with limited teaching experience and a primary clinical background. Performs routine instruction under close faculty oversight. Common for first-time nursing faculty appointments or those transitioning from clinical practice.
Qualified instructors with some postsecondary teaching experience who work independently on standard course assignments. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary, reflecting educators who carry a full teaching load without senior oversight.
Experienced nursing faculty who supervise other instructors, lead curriculum development, or manage clinical placement programs. Typically holds several years of postsecondary teaching experience and may coordinate across multiple course sections or clinical sites.
Fully competent senior nursing faculty in lead or program-director roles, setting educational standards and overseeing department-wide curriculum. Often holds advanced credentials and extensive combined clinical and academic experience, with institution-wide responsibilities.
Prevailing Wage for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary 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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Confirm your LCA title matches the SOC
Employers sometimes file nursing faculty roles under broader SOC codes like Health Specialties Teachers or Registered Nurses. If the LCA lists a different SOC than 25-1072, the prevailing wage floor used may not match what DOL sets for this occupation.
Watch for wide metro variation in California and Texas
Top-paying metros for this role include Sacramento, Riverside, and Waco, while low-paying metros like Joplin and Wichita sit well below the national median. A Level 2 offer in a California metro clears a much higher floor than the same level in Kansas.
Exclude signing bonuses from your wage compliance check
DOL requires the prevailing wage to be met through base salary alone. Signing bonuses and one-time payments do not count toward the annual wage obligation on an LCA for nursing faculty positions. Verify your base offer clears the floor independently.
Find employers who have sponsored nursing faculty before
Migrate Mate shows which universities and health system colleges have historical H-1B or green card sponsorship counts for nursing instructor roles, helping you identify institutions that have navigated this process rather than starting from scratch with a new sponsor.
Jobs for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-1072.00 alongside Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Assistant Professor Prevailing Wage
Assistant Professor Prevailing Wage
Assistant Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1072.00 (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Associate Professor Prevailing Wage
Associate Professor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Associate Professor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1072.00 (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Clinical Nursing Instructor Prevailing Wage
Clinical Nursing Instructor Prevailing Wage
Clinical Nursing Instructor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1072.00 (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Faculty Member Prevailing Wage
Faculty Member Prevailing Wage
Faculty Member positions fall under SOC 25-1072.00 (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Instructor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1072.00 (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Lecturer Prevailing Wage
Lecturer Prevailing Wage
Lecturer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1072.00 (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Nurse Educator Prevailing Wage
Nurse Educator Prevailing Wage
Nurse Educator positions fall under SOC 25-1072.00 (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Nursing Instructor Prevailing Wage
Nursing Instructor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Nursing Instructor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1072.00 (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Nursing Professor Prevailing Wage
Nursing Professor Prevailing Wage
Nursing Professor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1072.00 (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Professor Prevailing Wage
Professor Prevailing Wage
Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1072.00 (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary?
DOL sets the prevailing wage for this occupation using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through regional employer surveys. OFLC applies those figures to SOC 25-1072 and publishes four wage levels. Employers must certify on the LCA that they will pay at least the applicable level for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry-level nursing faculty with limited teaching experience. Level 2 reflects qualified instructors working independently, and is the most common filing level for this occupation. Level 3 covers experienced faculty with supervisory or curriculum responsibilities. Level 4 applies to senior or program-director roles. Your level should match your actual job duties and supervision structure, not just your title. If the employer files at a lower level than your responsibilities warrant, the wage floor used may be understated.
Why does the prevailing wage for this role vary so much from city to city?
OFLC calculates prevailing wages using regional OES surveys, which capture what employers in a specific metro area actually pay. Nursing faculty wages in high-cost markets like Sacramento or the Connecticut shoreline reflect local university pay scales and cost of living, while smaller metros in Alabama or Kansas show lower regional averages. The LCA must list the actual worksite address, so the applicable wage is always the rate for the city where you will physically teach, not the employer's headquarters.
What happens if an employer offers below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
If the offered salary is below the DOL prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite, OFLC will not certify the LCA, and the H-1B or PERM process cannot proceed. USCIS may also deny a petition if the wage shown on the LCA does not meet the required level. An employer can resolve this by increasing the offered salary, reclassifying to a lower level if the duties genuinely support it, or selecting a different worksite with a lower prevailing wage.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. city for this role?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current DOL prevailing wage for SOC 25-1072 by state and metropolitan area. Select the relevant wage level based on your duties and experience. You can also reference O*NET for occupation details that help confirm the correct SOC. Because wages are updated annually, always check the current fiscal year data before evaluating an offer.
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