Prevailing Wage for Orthotists and Prosthetists
Prevailing wage for Orthotists and Prosthetists (SOC 29-2091) is set by the DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. Whether your title is Certified Prosthetist Orthotist (CPO), Certified Orthotist (CO), or Licensed Prosthetist Orthotist, DOL assigns four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts considerably depending on the metropolitan worksite listed on the LCA.
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Entry-level practitioners with less than two years of post-certification experience, working under direct supervision on routine orthotic or prosthetic cases. Employers filing at Level 1 typically sponsor new graduates who have recently passed their board certification exams.
Qualified practitioners with two or more years of clinical experience handling a standard caseload independently. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Orthotists and Prosthetists, covering the broad middle tier of practicing clinicians at outpatient and hospital-based practices.
Experienced clinicians who manage complex cases, may supervise technicians or assistants, and contribute to program development or clinical education. Employers filing at Level 3 typically sponsor practitioners with five or more years of specialty experience.
Senior practitioners in lead clinical, directorial, or highly specialized roles, such as a department director or residency program supervisor. Level 4 reflects the top of the clinical hierarchy and is filed for a small subset of sponsored positions.
Prevailing Wage for Orthotists and Prosthetists 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 Orthotists and Prosthetists and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your certification maps to SOC 29-2091
Titles like Certified Pedorthist and Licensed Orthotist are sometimes filed under a different SOC code by employers, which can set a lower wage floor. Verify your LCA lists SOC 29-2091 before accepting an offer.
Account for the wide metro wage spread
Prevailing wages for this occupation vary sharply by location. A position in Portland or New York carries a significantly higher floor than one in Las Cruces or Indianapolis, so relocating can change your minimum protected wage by tens of thousands annually.
Watch for bonus and stipend exclusions in orthotics offers
Continuing education stipends and productivity bonuses common in prosthetics and orthotics practices do not count toward the prevailing wage floor. Only guaranteed base salary satisfies the DOL requirement on the LCA.
Find employers with a sponsorship history on Migrate Mate
Orthotics and prosthetics practices vary widely in sponsorship experience. Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored CPO and CO roles in the past, helping you prioritize outreach to clinics already familiar with the LCA process.
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Find Jobs for Orthotists and ProsthetistsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-2091.00 alongside Orthotists and Prosthetists, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Certified Orthotist (CO) Prevailing Wage
Certified Orthotist (CO) Prevailing Wage
Certified Orthotist (CO) positions fall under SOC 29-2091.00 (Orthotists and Prosthetists). 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 Pedorthist Prevailing Wage
Certified Pedorthist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Certified Pedorthist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-2091.00 (Orthotists and Prosthetists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Certified Prosthetist (CP) Prevailing Wage
Certified Prosthetist (CP) Prevailing Wage
Certified Prosthetist (CP) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-2091.00 (Orthotists and Prosthetists). 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 Prosthetist Orthotist (CPO) Prevailing Wage
Certified Prosthetist Orthotist (CPO) Prevailing Wage
Certified Prosthetist Orthotist (CPO) positions fall under SOC 29-2091.00 (Orthotists and Prosthetists). 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 Orthotist Prevailing Wage
Licensed Orthotist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Licensed Orthotist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-2091.00 (Orthotists and Prosthetists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
LPO (Licensed Prosthetist Orthotist) Prevailing Wage
LPO (Licensed Prosthetist Orthotist) Prevailing Wage
LPO (Licensed Prosthetist Orthotist) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-2091.00 (Orthotists and Prosthetists). 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.
Orthotic Practitioner Prevailing Wage
Orthotic Practitioner Prevailing Wage
Orthotic Practitioner positions fall under SOC 29-2091.00 (Orthotists and Prosthetists). 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.
Orthotist Prevailing Wage
Orthotist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Orthotist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-2091.00 (Orthotists and Prosthetists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Prosthetic Practitioner Prevailing Wage
Prosthetic Practitioner Prevailing Wage
Prosthetic Practitioner is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-2091.00 (Orthotists and Prosthetists). 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.
Prosthetist Prevailing Wage
Prosthetist Prevailing Wage
Prosthetist positions fall under SOC 29-2091.00 (Orthotists and Prosthetists). 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 Orthotists and Prosthetists?
DOL uses Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data to calculate prevailing wages for each SOC code, including SOC 29-2091. The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) publishes these figures annually. Employers cite the applicable wage on the Labor Condition Application when sponsoring an H-1B or other work visa, and the figure reflects the metropolitan area where the employee will actually work.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
DOL defines four levels based on experience, supervision, and complexity of duties. Level 1 covers entry-level, supervised practitioners; Level 2 covers independently functioning clinicians; Level 3 covers experienced specialists who may supervise others; and Level 4 covers senior or lead roles. Your level should match your actual job duties and years of post-certification experience, not simply your job title. Review the position description your employer submits on the LCA and confirm the level reflects your scope of practice.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same role differ so much from city to city?
OFLC calculates prevailing wages from regional BLS wage surveys, so local labor market conditions drive the figures. Dense employer markets with higher costs of living, such as the New York or San Francisco metro areas, produce higher survey medians than smaller or lower-cost markets. Under the LCA rules, the employer must pay the prevailing wage for the specific metropolitan statistical area listed as the worksite, not the company's headquarters location, which is why city selection matters significantly for sponsored positions.
What happens if an employer offers a salary below the prevailing wage for a sponsored role?
USCIS will not approve an H-1B or other sponsored petition if the offered wage falls below the DOL prevailing wage listed on the certified LCA. If the LCA itself understates the wage, OFLC can decertify it. An employer cannot legally pay a sponsored worker less than the prevailing wage during the period of authorized employment. If you receive an offer below the floor, the employer must increase the base salary before the LCA can be filed and certified.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an Orthotists and Prosthetists position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current prevailing wage for SOC 29-2091 at each of the four levels for any covered metropolitan area. Enter the occupation code and the worksite location to retrieve the applicable figures. You can also check OFLC's public LCA disclosure data to see what wage levels employers have historically used when sponsoring this role in a given metro. Migrate Mate lets you filter for sponsored positions by location, so you can see which employers are actively hiring and compare offers against the published floor.
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