Prevailing Wage for Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other
Prevailing wage floors for Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other (SOC 39-9099) are set by DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data. DOL assigns four experience-based levels, so the wage floor your sponsored position must meet depends on your background and the specific metro where you will work.
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Level 1 covers entry-level workers with limited experience who perform routine tasks under close supervision. Workers at this stage typically follow established procedures with minimal independent judgment and are still developing occupation-specific skills.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for personal care and service roles. It applies to workers with practical experience who handle a range of standard tasks with moderate independence, requiring some judgment beyond entry-level routines.
Level 3 applies to experienced workers who handle complex assignments with significant autonomy. These individuals may informally guide less experienced colleagues and are expected to adapt their approach to varied client or worksite conditions.
Level 4 reflects fully competent workers at the top of the occupation. These individuals operate with a high degree of independence, may hold lead or supervisory responsibilities, and bring specialized knowledge applied across a broad scope of service tasks.
Prevailing Wage for Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other 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 worksite city before comparing wages
Prevailing wage for personal care and service roles varies sharply by metro. San Jose and San Francisco floors run significantly above the national median, while markets like Jackson, MS sit well below it. The city listed on your LCA controls which rate applies, not your employer's headquarters.
Watch for signing bonus amortization in personal care offers
Some personal care and service employers offer signing bonuses that are amortized to inflate apparent compensation. DOL prevailing wage compliance counts only the base wage, not one-time bonuses, so verify your annualized salary alone clears the applicable level floor.
Check whether your title maps to SOC 39-9099
Roles titled companion aide, lifestyle coordinator, or wellness attendant are sometimes filed under broader care occupations rather than SOC 39-9099. A misclassified SOC code can set a different wage floor than the one your actual duties require, so confirm the code on the LCA matches this occupation.
Find employers who have sponsored this role before
Migrate Mate shows which employers have a history of sponsoring personal care and service workers, letting you focus on companies with verified sponsorship track records rather than applying broadly and encountering employers unfamiliar with LCA requirements for this occupation.
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Find Jobs for this roleFrequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other?
DOL derives prevailing wages for SOC 39-9099 from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected at the metro and national level. OFLC publishes these figures annually. Employers sponsoring workers under H-1B, E-3, or PERM must pay at least the DOL-published wage for the applicable level and worksite location, confirmed through the OFLC Wage Search tool.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
DOL assigns levels based on experience, supervision, and complexity of duties. Level 1 is entry-level under close supervision; Level 2 covers qualified workers handling standard tasks with moderate independence; Level 3 applies to experienced workers with significant autonomy; Level 4 is for fully competent workers in senior or lead roles. Your employer selects the level on the LCA based on your actual job duties and qualifications, and USCIS may scrutinize that selection during adjudication.
Why does the prevailing wage for this occupation differ so much between cities?
DOL calculates wages separately for each metropolitan statistical area using local BLS survey data, which reflects regional cost of labor and employer competition in that market. Because the LCA worksite rule requires employers to use the wage for the city where work is actually performed, a position in San Jose carries a higher floor than the same role in Jackson, MS. Dense employer markets and higher local wages push metro figures well above the national median.
What happens if a sponsored job offer is below the prevailing wage for this occupation?
An LCA certifying a wage below the DOL prevailing wage floor for SOC 39-9099 at the listed worksite violates DOL regulations. USCIS can deny the H-1B or E-3 petition on that basis, and DOL's Wage and Hour Division can assess back-wage liability and civil penalties against the employer. A below-floor offer is not correctable through negotiation after filing; the employer must amend the LCA before submitting the visa petition.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool on the DOL website, enter SOC code 39-9099, select your metro area, and choose the appropriate wage level. This returns the current certified prevailing wage your employer must meet on the LCA. For identifying which employers have sponsored personal care and service workers in your target city, Migrate Mate filters sponsored job listings by role and location so you can see active sponsoring employers before applying.
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