Prevailing Wage for Personal Care Aides
Personal Care Aides sponsored under H-1B, E-3, or green card pathways must be paid at or above the DOL prevailing wage for their experience level. Whether the role is titled Caregiver, Care Provider, or Direct Care Worker, DOL sets four wage levels tied to experience and complexity. The floor varies significantly by worksite city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level aides with limited experience, typically under two years, performing routine personal care tasks under close supervision. Education is usually a high school diploma or equivalent, with on-the-job training providing most of the occupational knowledge.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Personal Care Aides. Workers at this stage have established competency in daily care routines, handle clients with moderate needs with some independence, and typically bring two to four years of hands-on experience in a care setting.
Level 3 applies to experienced aides who manage clients with complex or multiple care needs, exercise significant independent judgment, and may informally guide less experienced coworkers. Typically five or more years of experience and familiarity with specialized populations such as dementia or pediatric care.
Level 4 reflects fully competent aides in senior or lead roles, overseeing care plans, coordinating with clinical staff, and mentoring junior workers. This level is rare in direct-hire sponsorship but appears in larger home care agencies with formal career ladders.
Prevailing Wage for Personal Care Aides 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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Confirm your title maps to SOC 31-1122
Job postings for Home Care Aides, Personal Care Assistants, or Medication Aides sometimes get filed under home health aide or nursing aide SOC codes, which carry different wage floors. Verify the LCA lists SOC 31-1122 before accepting an offer.
Watch for Washington state metro premiums
Seattle, Bremerton, Longview, Kennewick, and Wenatchee all set prevailing wages well above the national median for this occupation. If your offer is in a Washington metro, the worksite city on the LCA must match your actual assignment location.
Exclude non-cash benefits from wage compliance math
Home care agencies sometimes bundle transportation stipends or meal allowances into total compensation. DOL counts only cash wages toward prevailing wage compliance for this occupation, so stipends that vary by shift do not satisfy the floor.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers who sponsor caregivers
Home care sponsorship is concentrated among a small number of agencies. Migrate Mate shows which employers have a documented history of sponsoring Personal Care Aides, so you can target companies already familiar with the LCA process for this occupation.
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Find Jobs for Personal Care AidesPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 31-1122.00 alongside Personal Care Aides, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Care Provider Prevailing Wage
Care Provider Prevailing Wage
Care Provider positions fall under SOC 31-1122.00 (Personal Care Aides). 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.
Caregiver Prevailing Wage
Caregiver Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Caregiver for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1122.00 (Personal Care Aides). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Direct Care Worker Prevailing Wage
Direct Care Worker Prevailing Wage
Direct Care Worker is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1122.00 (Personal Care Aides). 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.
Home Care Aide Prevailing Wage
Home Care Aide Prevailing Wage
Home Care Aide positions fall under SOC 31-1122.00 (Personal Care Aides). 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.
Medication Aide Prevailing Wage
Medication Aide Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Medication Aide for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1122.00 (Personal Care Aides). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Personal Care Assistant (PCA) Prevailing Wage
Personal Care Assistant (PCA) Prevailing Wage
Personal Care Assistant (PCA) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1122.00 (Personal Care Aides). 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.
Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Prevailing Wage
Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Prevailing Wage
Personal Care Attendant (PCA) positions fall under SOC 31-1122.00 (Personal Care Aides). 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.
Resident Assistant Prevailing Wage
Resident Assistant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Resident Assistant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1122.00 (Personal Care Aides). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Resident Care Assistant (RCA) Prevailing Wage
Resident Care Assistant (RCA) Prevailing Wage
Resident Care Assistant (RCA) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1122.00 (Personal Care Aides). 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 Personal Care Aides?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across metro and non-metro areas. For each area, DOL calculates four wage levels based on the distribution of reported wages for SOC 31-1122. Employers filing an LCA for a sponsored aide must offer at least the wage corresponding to the worker's experience level at the specific worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
Level 1 is entry-level with routine tasks under close supervision. Level 2 reflects established competency with moderate client independence, and it is the most common level employers file for this occupation. Level 3 covers experienced aides managing complex care needs. Level 4 applies to senior or lead roles. Your level should reflect your actual duties and years of experience, not just your job title. USCIS and DOL both scrutinize mismatches between stated level and actual job duties.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Personal Care Aide role vary so much by city?
DOL runs regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys that capture local labor market conditions, so wages in high-cost metros like Seattle reflect what employers in that area actually pay. The worksite address listed on the LCA determines which metro wage applies, not the employer's headquarters. Dense care markets with strong union presence or high minimum wages, such as those in Washington state, consistently produce higher prevailing wage floors than rural or lower-cost regions.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify a compliant LCA if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage. If they file anyway with an understated wage level, OFLC can audit or reject the LCA, and USCIS can deny the petition. Workers already in the role are entitled to back pay for any shortfall. If you identify a gap before filing, the employer must either raise the offered wage or reclassify the role to the correct level before submitting.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Personal Care Aides in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up the four-level wage range for SOC 31-1122 by metropolitan area or county. Enter the worksite city or zip code, select the occupation code, and the tool returns the current DOL wage for each level. Cross-check the result against the wage listed on any LCA disclosure filing for your employer. Migrate Mate can also show you which employers have sponsored this role in your target city.
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