Prevailing Wage for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
Prevailing wage for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1054) is set by DOL using Occupational Employment Statistics surveys and applies to every sponsored position, whether the employer titles the role Assistant Professor, Adjunct Professor, or Instructor. DOL establishes four experience-based wage levels, and the floor differs substantially from one metro to another.
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Level 1 applies to entry-level postsecondary physics instructors with limited teaching experience, typically new to independent course instruction, performing work under closer faculty or departmental oversight with a narrower scope of research or curricular responsibility.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary. It applies to qualified instructors with foundational independent teaching experience, some research output, and routine departmental responsibilities consistent with an Assistant Professor or mid-career Instructor role.
Level 3 covers experienced physics faculty who exercise significant academic independence, lead research programs or graduate students, hold recurring committee or curriculum leadership roles, and bring a demonstrated publication or grant record beyond entry expectations.
Level 4 applies to fully competent senior physics faculty, typically tenured or tenure-track Associate or Full Professors, with broad institutional authority, sustained external funding, recognized research contributions, and mentorship responsibilities over junior colleagues and doctoral candidates.
Prevailing Wage for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary 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 Physics Teachers, Postsecondary and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
Watch for title aliasing between SOC codes
Positions advertised as Lecturer or Research Scientist in physics departments sometimes get filed under a different SOC code, shifting the applicable prevailing wage floor. Confirm your offer letter title aligns with SOC 25-1054 before your employer certifies the LCA.
Account for the California metro wage gap
San Francisco and San Diego show prevailing wage floors well above the national median for this occupation, while metros like Orlando carry significantly lower floors. If your worksite is in California, expect the LCA to reflect a substantially higher wage requirement than a national benchmark suggests.
Verify which employers have sponsored physics faculty
Migrate Mate shows historical visa sponsorship counts by employer, so you can see which universities and research institutions have actually sponsored Physics Teachers, Postsecondary before approaching them about an H-1B or green card filing.
Understand how research stipends affect wage compliance
DOL counts only guaranteed, recurring salary toward prevailing wage compliance for LCA purposes. Research stipends, one-time grants, or course-overload payments paid outside base salary generally do not count toward meeting the wage floor for sponsored physics faculty positions.
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Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-1054.00 alongside Physics Teachers, Postsecondary, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Adjunct Professor Prevailing Wage
Adjunct Professor Prevailing Wage
Adjunct Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1054.00 (Physics Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Assistant Professor Prevailing Wage
Assistant Professor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Assistant Professor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1054.00 (Physics Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Associate Professor Prevailing Wage
Associate Professor Prevailing Wage
Associate Professor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1054.00 (Physics Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor positions fall under SOC 25-1054.00 (Physics Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Physical Science Professor Prevailing Wage
Physical Science Professor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Physical Science Professor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1054.00 (Physics Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Physics Instructor Prevailing Wage
Physics Instructor Prevailing Wage
Physics Instructor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1054.00 (Physics Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Physics Lecturer Prevailing Wage
Physics Lecturer Prevailing Wage
Physics Lecturer positions fall under SOC 25-1054.00 (Physics Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Physics Professor Prevailing Wage
Physics Professor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Physics Professor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1054.00 (Physics Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Professor Prevailing Wage
Professor Prevailing Wage
Professor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1054.00 (Physics Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Science Instructor Prevailing Wage
Science Instructor Prevailing Wage
Science Instructor positions fall under SOC 25-1054.00 (Physics Teachers, Postsecondary). 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 Physics Teachers, Postsecondary?
DOL uses Occupational Employment Statistics wage surveys collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. For SOC 25-1054, OFLC averages area survey data to produce four wage levels. Employers filing an LCA must offer at least the prevailing wage for the correct level and worksite location before USCIS can approve an H-1B or other sponsored visa.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
DOL assigns wage levels based on experience, supervision, and job complexity. Level 1 is entry-level with limited independent responsibility. Level 2 reflects qualified, independently functioning faculty, and is the level most commonly filed for Assistant Professors and mid-career Instructors. Level 3 covers experienced faculty with leadership duties. Level 4 applies to fully competent senior or tenured faculty. Your level should match the actual duties described in the LCA, not simply the job title.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same physics faculty role differ so much by city?
OFLC derives wages from regional OES surveys, so the floor reflects local labor market conditions rather than a national average. The LCA must list the actual worksite address, and the prevailing wage applied is for that specific metropolitan area. Dense research university markets in California carry higher floors than smaller metros with fewer competing employers, which is why the same Assistant Professor title can carry a very different wage requirement depending on location.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA at a wage below the DOL prevailing wage floor. If the offer falls short, the employer must raise the offered salary before filing, or OFLC will deny the LCA certification. Without a certified LCA, USCIS will not approve the H-1B petition. For green card PERM cases, a below-floor wage similarly blocks certification and can require the employer to restart the process.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location for this occupation?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up current prevailing wages for SOC 25-1054 by metropolitan area. Select the occupation code, choose the worksite area, and the tool returns all four wage levels. You can also cross-reference salary ranges with the O*NET occupation profile for context. If you want to see which employers have sponsored physics faculty roles in a particular city, Migrate Mate lets you filter sponsored job listings by role and location.
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