Prevailing Wage for Orderlies
Prevailing wage for Orderlies (SOC 31-1132) is set by DOL across four experience levels, from entry-level Attendant positions through senior Patient Care Technician roles. Whether your offer is for an Operating Room Assistant or a general Patient Escort, the floor your employer must meet shifts considerably depending on the worksite city.
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Entry-level candidates with less than two years of experience and limited independent responsibility. Typical for new hires learning patient transport protocols under direct supervision, often placed here when the job description specifies no prior clinical setting experience.
The most common filing level for Orderlies. Candidates with two or more years of experience performing standard transport and supply duties with routine supervision. Most hospital and long-term care employers use Level 2 as their baseline for sponsored positions.
Experienced professionals handling complex transport assignments, equipment maintenance responsibilities, or specialty-unit rotations such as operating room or psychiatric ward support. Candidates who cross-train across multiple departments often qualify here.
Fully competent senior orderlies exercising independent judgment, training junior staff, or carrying lead responsibilities in high-acuity units. These positions typically exist in large academic medical centers or high-volume surgical facilities.
Prevailing Wage for Orderlies 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 Orderlies and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your assigned unit before accepting
Orderlies working in operating rooms or psychiatric wards are sometimes filed under adjacent SOC codes by employers, which can shift the prevailing wage floor. Verify that your LCA lists SOC 31-1132 and matches your actual unit assignment before signing an offer.
Watch California metro gaps closely
The wage spread between top California metros and Gulf Coast or Puerto Rico postings for this occupation is unusually wide. An offer at the L1 floor in a Louisiana or Puerto Rico market may clear compliance but leave significant earning potential on the table compared to Sacramento or Riverside postings.
Check how your employer classifies part-time shifts
Hospitals filing sponsored Orderly positions sometimes annualize part-time schedules to meet the prevailing wage threshold on paper. Confirm your offer letter reflects a full-time annualized base salary, not a prorated figure that only clears the floor on paper.
Use Migrate Mate to find hospitals with Orderly sponsorship history
Not all hospitals sponsor visa candidates for patient care support roles. Migrate Mate shows which employers have a documented history of sponsoring Orderlies and similar Patient Care Technician positions, so you can focus applications on facilities that have done it before.
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Find Jobs for OrderliesPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 31-1132.00 alongside Orderlies, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Attendant Prevailing Wage
Attendant Prevailing Wage
Attendant positions fall under SOC 31-1132.00 (Orderlies). 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.
Operating Room Assistant Prevailing Wage
Operating Room Assistant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Operating Room Assistant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1132.00 (Orderlies). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Orderly Prevailing Wage
Orderly Prevailing Wage
Orderly is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1132.00 (Orderlies). 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.
Patient Care Assistant (PCA) Prevailing Wage
Patient Care Assistant (PCA) Prevailing Wage
Patient Care Assistant (PCA) positions fall under SOC 31-1132.00 (Orderlies). 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 Technician (PCT) Prevailing Wage
Patient Care Technician (PCT) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Patient Care Technician (PCT) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1132.00 (Orderlies). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Patient Escort Prevailing Wage
Patient Escort Prevailing Wage
Patient Escort is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1132.00 (Orderlies). 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.
Patient Transporter Prevailing Wage
Patient Transporter Prevailing Wage
Patient Transporter positions fall under SOC 31-1132.00 (Orderlies). 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.
Radiology Transporter Prevailing Wage
Radiology Transporter Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Radiology Transporter for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1132.00 (Orderlies). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Transporter Prevailing Wage
Transporter Prevailing Wage
Transporter is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1132.00 (Orderlies). 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 Orderlies?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. For Orderlies under SOC 31-1132, DOL publishes four wage levels derived from the wage distribution in each survey area. Employers must request a prevailing wage determination from OFLC before filing an LCA for a sponsored position.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry-level work under close supervision with limited experience. Level 2 applies to qualified candidates performing standard duties independently, and is the most commonly filed level for this occupation. Level 3 reflects experienced workers with broader responsibilities. Level 4 covers fully competent senior staff in lead or training roles. Your level should match the actual duties and experience requirements described in your job posting, not simply the title.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Orderly role vary so much from city to city?
DOL bases wages on regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so the floor reflects local labor market conditions in each metropolitan area. Your employer must use the wage for the worksite city listed on the LCA, not the company headquarters. Dense healthcare markets in California carry higher survey medians than smaller Southern or Puerto Rico markets, which is why the spread across metros for this occupation is especially pronounced.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored Orderly position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA at a wage below the OFLC-determined prevailing wage for the worksite location and experience level. If the offer falls short, USCIS will not approve the petition. The employer must either raise the offered salary to meet the floor, reclassify the position to the correct level, or obtain a new prevailing wage determination if the job duties have changed materially.
How can I find and verify the prevailing wage for an Orderly position in a specific U.S. city?
You can look up the current DOL wage by occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search tool, which publishes the four-level figures for each metropolitan area. Enter SOC code 31-1132 and the worksite metro to see the applicable floor. Migrate Mate also lets you filter sponsored Orderly and Patient Care Technician listings by location and employer sponsorship history, so you can cross-reference postings against the relevant wage level for that market.
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