Prevailing Wage for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary
Prevailing wages for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary are set by the DOL using occupation-specific survey data, and every sponsored position must meet the floor before an LCA clears. Whether your offer letter reads Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Adjunct Professor, the applicable floor depends on your experience level and your worksite city. DOL defines four wage levels, and the gap between them can be substantial.
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Level 1 covers entry-level postsecondary instructors, typically newly appointed faculty with limited independent teaching experience and close departmental oversight. These are often visiting instructor or adjunct roles where curriculum decisions are largely guided by senior faculty.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary. It applies to qualified faculty who manage their own courses and research agenda independently, usually holding a doctorate and one to four years of full-time postsecondary teaching experience.
Level 3 applies to experienced faculty who lead research programs, supervise graduate students, and carry departmental service responsibilities. These professors bring a documented publication record and are typically at the associate professor rank or its equivalent.
Level 4 covers fully competent senior faculty, including full professors and endowed chair holders, whose expertise shapes departmental curriculum and research direction. These individuals are widely recognized in their subfield and often hold administrative or program leadership roles.
Prevailing Wage for Political Science 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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Confirm your rank maps to the right level
University HR titles like Visiting Assistant Professor or Lecturer are often filed at Level 1 even when the role carries a full course load. Verify that your LCA wage level reflects your actual responsibilities, not just the title on the appointment letter.
Account for the Florida metro wage gap
Tampa and Orlando consistently report the lowest prevailing wages for this occupation nationally. If you are comparing offers across states, the gap between a Florida campus and a California research university can equal more than one full wage level.
Watch for excluded summer research stipends
Summer salary supplements and research stipends paid outside the nine-month academic contract are not guaranteed annual compensation and cannot be used to satisfy the prevailing wage requirement for the base period covered by the LCA.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsoring universities
Migrate Mate shows which colleges and universities have historical H-1B or green card sponsorship records for faculty roles, helping you target Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary openings at institutions already experienced with the sponsorship process.
Jobs for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-1065.00 alongside Political Science 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 25-1065.00 (Political Science 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 25-1065.00 (Political Science 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 25-1065.00 (Political Science 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.
Faculty Member Prevailing Wage
Faculty Member Prevailing Wage
Faculty Member positions fall under SOC 25-1065.00 (Political Science 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.
Government Professor Prevailing Wage
Government Professor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Government Professor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1065.00 (Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1065.00 (Political Science 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.
Political Science Instructor Prevailing Wage
Political Science Instructor Prevailing Wage
Political Science Instructor positions fall under SOC 25-1065.00 (Political Science 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.
Political Science Professor Prevailing Wage
Political Science Professor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Political Science Professor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1065.00 (Political Science 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 25-1065.00 (Political Science 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.
Public Administration Professor Prevailing Wage
Public Administration Professor Prevailing Wage
Public Administration Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1065.00 (Political Science 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 Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan areas. For this occupation, wages are tabulated under SOC 25-1065 and divided into four levels based on experience and job complexity. An employer must request a prevailing wage determination from OFLC before filing an LCA, and the certified wage becomes the legal floor for the sponsored position.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which applies to my offer?
DOL defines the four levels by scope of work, supervision, and experience. Level 1 covers entry-level positions with close oversight. Level 2 is for independently functioning qualified faculty, which is the most common filing level for postsecondary instructors. Level 3 reflects experienced faculty with research and supervisory responsibilities. Level 4 applies to senior or fully autonomous professors. Your level should match your actual duties, not simply your job title, and USCIS reviews LCA wage levels during H-1B adjudication.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same faculty role vary so much between cities?
OFLC derives prevailing wages from regional OES surveys, which capture local labor market conditions. A political science faculty position in the San Francisco Bay Area is benchmarked against wages paid by Bay Area universities, while the same SOC code in Tampa is measured against the Tampa market. Because the LCA must list the actual worksite address, the applicable wage is always tied to the physical campus location, not the institution's national reputation or endowment size.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify the LCA if the offered salary falls below the OFLC-determined prevailing wage for the worksite location and wage level. If the offer is below the floor, the employer must either increase the salary before filing or document a higher wage from a valid alternative source. USCIS will deny an H-1B petition if the underlying LCA wage is insufficient, and an underpaid H-1B worker may be entitled to back wages under DOL enforcement rules.
How can I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary role in a specific U.S. city?
You can look up the current wage directly through the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you search by SOC code 25-1065 and select any of the covered metropolitan areas. Enter the worksite city and the applicable wage level to see the exact floor DOL has set. For a broader search that also shows which employers have sponsored faculty roles in the past, Migrate Mate filters by role and location using verified sponsorship history data.
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