Prevailing Wage for Physician Assistants
Prevailing wage requirements for Physician Assistants are set by the DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data and apply to every H-1B, E-3, and PERM green card sponsorship. Whether you work as a Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C), a Family Practice Physician Assistant, or a Cardiology Physician Assistant, DOL assigns four experience levels and the wage floor shifts significantly by worksite city.
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Entry-level Physician Assistants with limited post-graduation experience, typically under two years in practice. Scope is closely supervised, with straightforward patient presentations and limited independent clinical decision-making. Employers in new-graduate recruitment programs commonly file at this level.
Qualified Physician Assistants with two or more years of practice experience who handle a broader patient mix with moderate supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Physician Assistants, reflecting standard clinical autonomy in outpatient or hospital settings.
Experienced Physician Assistants who practice with substantial independence, manage complex or specialty patient populations, and may informally mentor newer staff. Specialty roles such as Emergency Medicine PA or Orthopaedic Physician Assistant positions often land at this level.
Fully competent Physician Assistants in senior clinical or lead roles, exercising near-full independence, directing protocols, or carrying program-level responsibilities. These positions typically require extensive specialty experience and reflect the top of the non-physician clinical ladder.
Prevailing Wage for Physician Assistants 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 Physician Assistants and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Verify your specialty determines your level
Emergency medicine, orthopedic, and cardiology PA roles frequently attract Level 3 filings due to higher complexity and independence. If your offer letter reflects a specialty title but the LCA shows Level 1 or 2, the wage floor may be understated for your actual scope of work.
Watch how signing bonuses are counted
Hospital systems and staffing agencies often offer large PA signing bonuses that are amortized over an employment commitment. DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against base salary, not total compensation, so a generous bonus does not offset a below-floor annual wage on the LCA.
Compare California metros against your offer carefully
Physician Assistant wages in California metros like Salinas and San Jose carry some of the highest prevailing wage floors in the country across all four levels. If your worksite is listed anywhere in California, verify the specific metro floor before accepting, as statewide averages significantly understate local requirements.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsoring PA employers
Migrate Mate shows which employers have a verified history of sponsoring Physician Assistants specifically, including sponsorship counts by role. That record helps you target hospital networks and multispecialty groups that have filed for PA positions before, rather than employers new to sponsorship.
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Find Jobs for Physician AssistantsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-1071.00 alongside Physician Assistants, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Cardiology Physician Assistant Prevailing Wage
Cardiology Physician Assistant Prevailing Wage
Cardiology Physician Assistant positions fall under SOC 29-1071.00 (Physician Assistants). 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 Physician Assistant (PA-C) Prevailing Wage
Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1071.00 (Physician Assistants). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant (Emergency Medicine PA) Prevailing Wage
Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant (Emergency Medicine PA) Prevailing Wage
Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant (Emergency Medicine PA) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1071.00 (Physician Assistants). 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.
Family Practice Physician Assistant Prevailing Wage
Family Practice Physician Assistant Prevailing Wage
Family Practice Physician Assistant positions fall under SOC 29-1071.00 (Physician Assistants). 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.
Orthopaedic Physician Assistant Prevailing Wage
Orthopaedic Physician Assistant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Orthopaedic Physician Assistant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1071.00 (Physician Assistants). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Orthopedic Physician Assistant Prevailing Wage
Orthopedic Physician Assistant Prevailing Wage
Orthopedic Physician Assistant is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1071.00 (Physician Assistants). 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.
Physician Assistant (PA) Prevailing Wage
Physician Assistant (PA) Prevailing Wage
Physician Assistant (PA) positions fall under SOC 29-1071.00 (Physician Assistants). 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's Assistant Prevailing Wage
Physician's Assistant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Physician's Assistant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1071.00 (Physician Assistants). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Surgical Critical Care Physician Assistant (Surgical Critical Care PA) Prevailing Wage
Surgical Critical Care Physician Assistant (Surgical Critical Care PA) Prevailing Wage
Surgical Critical Care Physician Assistant (Surgical Critical Care PA) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1071.00 (Physician Assistants). 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.
Surgical Physician Assistant (Surgical PA) Prevailing Wage
Surgical Physician Assistant (Surgical PA) Prevailing Wage
Surgical Physician Assistant (Surgical PA) positions fall under SOC 29-1071.00 (Physician Assistants). 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 Physician Assistants?
DOL calculates prevailing wages for Physician Assistants using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys administered through the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those surveys collect wage data by occupation and geography, and OFLC publishes the resulting wage tables employers must use when filing an LCA. The wage is tied to SOC code 29-1071 and updated annually.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL defines four levels based on experience, supervision, and complexity. Level 1 covers entry-level supervised practice, Level 2 applies to qualified PAs with standard clinical autonomy, Level 3 reflects experienced specialists working with significant independence, and Level 4 covers senior or lead roles. The employer selects the level when filing the LCA, and it must accurately match the actual job duties described in the petition.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same PA role differ so much between cities?
OFLC bases wages on regional BLS survey data, so each metropolitan area produces its own wage floor. The worksite city listed on the LCA determines which floor applies, regardless of where the employer is headquartered. Markets with dense health system competition and high living costs, like California coastal metros, generate higher survey wages than smaller regional markets, producing the wide city-to-city variation you see in the published tables.
What happens if a job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored PA position?
An employer cannot certify a below-floor LCA with OFLC, and USCIS will not approve an H-1B or other sponsored petition that lacks a valid certified LCA. If the offered salary falls short, the employer must raise it to at least the prevailing wage floor for the applicable level and worksite before filing. Failing to pay the certified wage after approval can trigger DOL back-wage liability and debarment.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Physician Assistants role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC code 29-1071 and select the metropolitan area that matches your worksite address. The tool returns the four level wages for that geography. You can also review public LCA disclosure data to see what wages employers have recently certified for PA positions in that market. Migrate Mate lists employers with a history of sponsoring Physician Assistants, which can help you identify which health systems are actively filing and at what locations.
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