Prevailing Wage for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Prevailing wage for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051) is set by DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. Whether your offer is for a Deputy, Peace Officer, or Patrol Officer role, DOL assigns four experience-based wage levels, and the floor varies significantly by worksite city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level patrol officers with limited law enforcement experience, typically fresh from a police academy or with under two years on the job. Duties are closely supervised, with assignments limited in scope and complexity.
Level 2 applies to qualified officers with practical field experience who handle routine patrol, traffic enforcement, and investigations with moderate supervision. This is the most common filing level for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers sponsored for work visas.
Level 3 covers experienced officers who exercise independent judgment across complex situations, may serve in specialized units such as detectives or K-9, and require minimal supervision. Several years of demonstrated law enforcement experience typically support this level.
Level 4 applies to fully competent senior officers or lead deputies who set operational standards, mentor junior personnel, or carry specialized command responsibilities. Employers filing at this level must document that the role demands the highest range of occupational competency.
Prevailing Wage for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers 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 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Confirm your filing level matches your assignment
Law enforcement employers sometimes file at Level 1 for positions that involve independent patrol and investigative discretion, which DOL associates with Level 2 or higher. Verify that your actual duties align with the level on your LCA before accepting a sponsored offer.
Account for shift differentials in base wage calculations
Law enforcement pay often includes night-shift premiums, hazard pay, and overtime that inflate total compensation. DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against the base hourly or annual wage, so shift differentials and overtime cannot bridge a gap between the offer and the floor.
Watch for California metro wage gaps in your decision
San Jose, San Francisco, and Vallejo post prevailing wages for patrol officers that are roughly double those in southern metros. If your sponsoring agency is in a high-cost California county, the floor at each level rises substantially and should anchor your salary negotiation.
Search Migrate Mate for agencies with sponsorship history
Law enforcement sponsorship is rare but does occur, particularly at large municipal and county agencies. Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored patrol officer and deputy roles before, letting you focus outreach on agencies with a demonstrated track record.
Jobs for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 33-3051.00 alongside Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Deputy Prevailing Wage
Deputy Prevailing Wage
Deputy positions fall under SOC 33-3051.00 (Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers). 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.
Deputy Sheriff Prevailing Wage
Deputy Sheriff Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Deputy Sheriff for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 33-3051.00 (Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Law Enforcement Officer Prevailing Wage
Law Enforcement Officer Prevailing Wage
Law Enforcement Officer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 33-3051.00 (Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers). 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.
Patrol Deputy Prevailing Wage
Patrol Deputy Prevailing Wage
Patrol Deputy positions fall under SOC 33-3051.00 (Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers). 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.
Patrol Officer Prevailing Wage
Patrol Officer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Patrol Officer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 33-3051.00 (Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Peace Officer Prevailing Wage
Peace Officer Prevailing Wage
Peace Officer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 33-3051.00 (Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers). 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.
Police Officer Prevailing Wage
Police Officer Prevailing Wage
Police Officer positions fall under SOC 33-3051.00 (Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers). 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.
Police Patrol Officer Prevailing Wage
Police Patrol Officer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Police Patrol Officer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 33-3051.00 (Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Public Safety Officer Prevailing Wage
Public Safety Officer Prevailing Wage
Public Safety Officer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 33-3051.00 (Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers). 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.
State Trooper Prevailing Wage
State Trooper Prevailing Wage
State Trooper positions fall under SOC 33-3051.00 (Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers). 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 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers?
DOL draws on Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to set prevailing wages for SOC 33-3051. The agency calculates four wage levels for each geographic area based on the statistical distribution of wages reported by employers in that area. Employers must pay at least the level that matches the position's experience and supervision requirements, certified through an LCA filed with OFLC.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify which one applies to me?
DOL assigns Level 1 to entry positions under close supervision, Level 2 to officers with practical field experience working with moderate oversight, Level 3 to experienced personnel exercising independent judgment, and Level 4 to fully competent senior or lead officers. Your level is determined by the complexity of duties and degree of supervision, not by title. Review your LCA, which your employer files with OFLC, to confirm which level was certified for your specific position.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same patrol officer role differ so much from city to city?
DOL sets wages using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so prevailing wages reflect actual pay in each local labor market rather than a national average. Under the worksite-on-LCA rule, the controlling wage is tied to the physical location where you will work, not your employer's headquarters. Dense municipal markets with strong public-sector unions, such as those in coastal California, consistently produce higher survey wages than rural or lower-cost regions, creating wide geographic variation.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
If an employer certifies an LCA at a wage below the applicable DOL prevailing wage, the LCA will not be approved by OFLC, and the underlying visa petition cannot proceed. If an underpayment is discovered after approval, USCIS or DOL can initiate back-wage liability and debar the employer from future sponsorship. From a candidate's perspective, an offer below the floor means the sponsorship is not legally supportable without the employer raising the salary to meet or exceed the certified level.
How can I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers position in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool on the DOL website, entering SOC code 33-3051 and the worksite metropolitan area to retrieve the four wage levels for that geography. You can also check the O*NET profile for occupational context. To identify which law enforcement agencies have historically sponsored officers and deputies for work visas, Migrate Mate lets you filter by role and location to see employers with confirmed sponsorship activity.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers right now.
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