Prevailing Wage for Pediatricians, General
Prevailing wage for Pediatricians, General (SOC 29-1221) sets the minimum salary a U.S. employer must pay when sponsoring a General Pediatrician, Developmental Pediatrician, or Emergency Room Pediatrician (ER Pediatrician) on an H-1B, E-3, or green card. DOL assigns four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly depending on the city where the work is performed.
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Entry-level pediatricians with limited post-residency experience, typically working under supervision in a group practice or hospital setting. DOL assigns Level 1 to roles requiring foundational skills rather than independent clinical judgment across complex or unusual cases.
Qualified pediatricians who practice independently and handle routine to moderately complex cases without close supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Pediatricians, General, covering most attending physicians in outpatient or community-based practice settings.
Experienced pediatricians with a track record of managing complex cases, supervising residents or junior physicians, or holding sub-specialty responsibilities within a general pediatrics scope. DOL recognizes this level for roles requiring recognized expertise beyond standard attending duties.
Fully competent pediatricians in senior attending, department lead, or section chief roles with broad independent authority, supervisory scope over clinical staff, and responsibility for program development or quality outcomes across a patient population.
Prevailing Wage for Pediatricians, General 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 Pediatricians, General and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your filing level matches your supervision structure
Pediatric employers routinely file at Level 2 for attending physicians, but a new graduate completing a first post-residency year under structured supervision may genuinely qualify at Level 1. Mismatches between your actual autonomy and the filed level can trigger an RFE from USCIS.
Watch how signing bonuses are treated in total compensation
Pediatric group practices and hospital systems often offer signing bonuses amortized over a two- or three-year retention period. DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against base salary only, so a high signing bonus does not offset a base that falls below the filed wage level.
Flag title aliasing when your offer says Medical Doctor
Offers listing your title as Medical Doctor (MD) rather than a pediatric-specific title risk being filed under a different SOC code entirely, which could mean a different prevailing wage floor. Confirm that your employer's LCA certifies SOC 29-1221, not a broader physician category.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers sponsoring pediatric roles
Migrate Mate shows which employers have a verified history of sponsoring Pediatricians, General on H-1B or green card petitions, letting you focus your search on health systems and group practices that have already run the process for this occupation.
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Find Jobs for Pediatricians, GeneralPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-1221.00 alongside Pediatricians, General, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Developmental Pediatrician Prevailing Wage
Developmental Pediatrician Prevailing Wage
Developmental Pediatrician positions fall under SOC 29-1221.00 (Pediatricians, General). 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.
Emergency Room Pediatrician (ER Pediatrician) Prevailing Wage
Emergency Room Pediatrician (ER Pediatrician) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Emergency Room Pediatrician (ER Pediatrician) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1221.00 (Pediatricians, General). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
General Pediatrician Prevailing Wage
General Pediatrician Prevailing Wage
General Pediatrician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1221.00 (Pediatricians, General). 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.
Group Practice Pediatrician Prevailing Wage
Group Practice Pediatrician Prevailing Wage
Group Practice Pediatrician positions fall under SOC 29-1221.00 (Pediatricians, General). 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.
Medical Doctor (MD) Prevailing Wage
Medical Doctor (MD) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Medical Doctor (MD) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1221.00 (Pediatricians, General). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician Prevailing Wage
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician Prevailing Wage
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1221.00 (Pediatricians, General). 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.
Pediatric Physician Prevailing Wage
Pediatric Physician Prevailing Wage
Pediatric Physician positions fall under SOC 29-1221.00 (Pediatricians, General). 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.
Physician Prevailing Wage
Physician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Physician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1221.00 (Pediatricians, General). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Primary Care Pediatrician Prevailing Wage
Primary Care Pediatrician Prevailing Wage
Primary Care Pediatrician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1221.00 (Pediatricians, General). 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 Pediatricians, General?
DOL derives prevailing wages for Pediatricians, General from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. OFLC compiles those survey results by SOC code and geographic area, then publishes four wage levels reflecting the distribution of actual salaries paid to workers in the occupation across each region. Employers certify compliance on the Labor Condition Application before filing with USCIS.
What do the four wage levels mean, and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect experience and supervision: Level 1 covers entry-level practice under supervision, Level 2 covers independent qualified practitioners, Level 3 reflects experienced physicians with supervisory or complex-case responsibilities, and Level 4 covers senior or department-lead roles. Your level is determined by the actual duties in your job description, not your years of training alone. Review the LCA your employer files with DOL to confirm which level they certified.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same pediatrician role differ so much by city?
OFLC sets wages using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so each metro area reflects local salary norms rather than a national average. Employers must use the prevailing wage for the worksite city listed on the LCA, not the city where the company is headquartered. Dense physician markets and high cost-of-living metros like San Francisco produce materially higher floors than smaller or rural markets, which is why the gap between cities can be substantial for this occupation.
What happens if a job offer for a sponsored pediatrician position is below the prevailing wage?
If the offered salary falls below the DOL prevailing wage for the certified wage level and worksite, OFLC will deny or withdraw certification of the Labor Condition Application. Without a certified LCA, USCIS cannot approve the H-1B or other sponsored petition. The employer must either raise the base salary to meet the floor or reclassify the role to a level whose floor the offered salary does clear. A below-floor offer cannot be remedied by bonuses or benefits alone.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Pediatricians, General role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you query by SOC code 29-1221 and select the metropolitan area matching your worksite address. The result shows all four wage levels currently in effect for that location. Cross-check against the O*NET occupation profile to confirm the job duties align with SOC 29-1221. Migrate Mate can also help you identify employers with a documented sponsorship history for this occupation in specific metro markets.
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