Prevailing Wage for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Prevailing wage for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (SOC 29-1022) is set by the DOL using regional wage surveys and applied to every sponsored position. Whether your offer names you as an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS), a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), or simply an Oral Surgeon, DOL assigns one of four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts considerably from city to city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level oral and maxillofacial surgeons completing or recently finishing residency training. These candidates typically perform procedures under close supervision with limited independent caseload. Employers filing at Level 1 must document that the position requires minimal post-residency experience.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. It applies to qualified practitioners with some post-residency experience who work with routine independence, handle a standard surgical caseload, and do not carry supervisory or specialty leadership responsibilities.
Level 3 covers experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeons with a well-established independent practice scope, complex case experience, or subspecialty focus such as orthognathic or reconstructive surgery. These practitioners often contribute to departmental protocols or train junior surgeons.
Level 4 applies to fully competent senior oral and maxillofacial surgeons in lead or department-head roles. These professionals set clinical standards, manage other surgeons, or direct a surgical program. Employers filing here must clearly document supervisory authority and breadth of independent practice.
Prevailing Wage for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 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 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your residency counts toward experience
DOL wage levels hinge on years of relevant experience. Oral and maxillofacial surgery residencies typically run four to six years and may or may not count toward Level 2 or Level 3 thresholds depending on how the employer documents the position.
Watch for signing-bonus exclusions on LCA filings
Hospital and group-practice offers for oral surgeons often include large signing bonuses. Bonuses are excluded from the prevailing wage calculation, so confirm that base salary alone clears the filed wage level before treating total compensation as the compliance figure.
Check whether your OMS title maps correctly to SOC 29-1022
Some hospital systems file oral and maxillofacial surgeon positions under general dentist or physician SOC codes. A mismatch means the prevailing wage floor used on the LCA may not reflect the correct 29-1022 benchmark for your specialty.
Use Migrate Mate to see which employers sponsor oral surgeons
Migrate Mate shows historical visa sponsorship counts by employer, so you can identify hospital systems and surgical groups that have actually sponsored Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS) roles before starting a negotiation or relocation process.
Jobs for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-1022.00 alongside Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) Prevailing Wage
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) Prevailing Wage
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) positions fall under SOC 29-1022.00 (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons). 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.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS) Prevailing Wage
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1022.00 (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Oral Surgeon Prevailing Wage
Oral Surgeon Prevailing Wage
Oral Surgeon is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1022.00 (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons). 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.
Surgeon Prevailing Wage
Surgeon Prevailing Wage
Surgeon positions fall under SOC 29-1022.00 (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons). 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 oral and maxillofacial surgeons?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to establish prevailing wages. For SOC 29-1022, DOL calculates four wage levels from the regional distribution of reported salaries. The OFLC Wage Search database publishes these figures by metropolitan area. Employers must certify on the Labor Condition Application that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
The four DOL wage levels reflect increasing experience and responsibility. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision, Level 2 is qualified with routine independence, Level 3 is experienced with complex caseloads or supervisory input, and Level 4 is fully competent in a senior or lead role. The level is determined by the position description, not your personal credentials. Review the job offer's stated requirements and the employer's LCA filing to confirm the assigned level matches the actual scope of the role.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same oral surgeon role vary so much by city?
DOL prevailing wages are calculated from regional OES surveys, so they reflect local salary distributions rather than a single national figure. A densely populated metropolitan area with high costs of living and many competing hospital systems will show a higher wage floor than a smaller market. The LCA must list the actual worksite city, so the wage floor that matters is always the one tied to where the surgeon will physically work, not the employer's headquarters location.
What happens if a sponsored oral surgeon offer is below the prevailing wage?
If the offered wage is below the prevailing wage level filed on the LCA, USCIS will deny the H-1B or other sponsored visa petition. If a discrepancy is discovered after filing, DOL can investigate and require back wages. Employers found to have underpaid sponsored workers face debarment from future LCA filings. For candidates, an offer below the floor should be addressed directly with the employer before the LCA is submitted.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an oral surgeon position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 29-1022 wages by metropolitan area. Select the relevant area and wage year to see all four level figures. You can also cross-reference with Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data for broader context. To see which employers have historically sponsored oral and maxillofacial surgeon roles, Migrate Mate lists sponsored positions and shows employer-level sponsorship history, giving you a starting point before you verify the specific LCA wage on OFLC.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons right now.
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