Prevailing Wage for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
Prevailing wage requirements for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials (SOC 51-6021) set the minimum DOL-mandated pay floor any sponsored worker must receive. Whether your offer covers a Garment Presser, Dry Cleaner Presser, or Boarder role, DOL calculates four experience-based wage levels and the floor shifts significantly depending on the worksite city.
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Entry-level pressers with limited experience performing routine tasks under close supervision. Workers at this level follow established procedures with minimal independent judgment and typically have no prior formal training in the occupation.
Qualified pressers with some independent work capability and moderate experience. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials, covering workers who handle a range of pressing tasks with limited oversight.
Experienced pressers who work with significant autonomy, handle complex garment types or specialty equipment, and may informally guide less experienced colleagues. DOL assigns this level to workers with demonstrated occupational expertise.
Fully competent pressers in senior or lead roles who oversee production quality, train staff, or manage pressing operations for a facility. These workers exercise broad judgment and typically hold the highest skill designation in their employer's pressing department.
Prevailing Wage for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials 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 this role and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
Confirm which pressing title your LCA uses
Titles like Pants Presser or Ironing Machine Operator are common aliases for SOC 51-6021. If an employer files your LCA under a mismatched SOC, the prevailing wage floor applied to your offer may be incorrect, underprotecting your pay.
Watch for production bonuses excluded from the wage base
Some dry-cleaning and garment facilities structure pay with piece-rate bonuses or attendance premiums. DOL prevailing wage compliance counts only the guaranteed base wage, so production bonuses do not offset a below-floor base salary for sponsored workers.
Check California metros before accepting a lower offer elsewhere
San Jose, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Santa Maria all set prevailing wage floors well above the national median for this occupation. If you have flexibility on worksite location, California metro wages significantly raise the floor your offer must clear.
Use Migrate Mate to see which employers have sponsored pressers
Migrate Mate shows historical visa sponsorship counts by employer, so you can identify which garment and textile facilities have actually filed for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials roles before targeting your job search.
Jobs for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 51-6021.00 alongside Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Boarder Prevailing Wage
Boarder Prevailing Wage
Boarder positions fall under SOC 51-6021.00 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials). 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.
Dry Cleaner Presser Prevailing Wage
Dry Cleaner Presser Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Dry Cleaner Presser for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-6021.00 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Garment Presser Prevailing Wage
Garment Presser Prevailing Wage
Garment Presser is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-6021.00 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials). 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.
Ironing Machine Operator Prevailing Wage
Ironing Machine Operator Prevailing Wage
Ironing Machine Operator positions fall under SOC 51-6021.00 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials). 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.
Ironing Worker Prevailing Wage
Ironing Worker Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Ironing Worker for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-6021.00 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Pants Presser Prevailing Wage
Pants Presser Prevailing Wage
Pants Presser is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-6021.00 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials). 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.
Presser Prevailing Wage
Presser Prevailing Wage
Presser positions fall under SOC 51-6021.00 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials). 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.
Pressing Machine Operator Prevailing Wage
Pressing Machine Operator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Pressing Machine Operator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-6021.00 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Shirt Presser Prevailing Wage
Shirt Presser Prevailing Wage
Shirt Presser is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-6021.00 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials). 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.
Silk Presser Prevailing Wage
Silk Presser Prevailing Wage
Silk Presser positions fall under SOC 51-6021.00 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials). 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 Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials?
DOL derives prevailing wages for this occupation from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, collected across hundreds of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. OFLC publishes the resulting wage tables by SOC code and geographic area. For SOC 51-6021, those tables set four wage levels employers must meet when filing a Labor Condition Application or PERM application for a sponsored worker.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL defines Levels 1 through 4 based on experience, autonomy, and complexity of work. Level 1 covers entry-level tasks under close supervision. Level 2 applies to qualified workers with moderate independence. Level 3 covers experienced workers handling complex tasks. Level 4 is reserved for senior or lead roles. Your employer assigns a level on the LCA; it should match your actual job duties and experience, not simply the title.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same pressing role vary so much by city?
OFLC assigns wages based on regional BLS surveys, so each metropolitan area produces its own wage floor. Worksite location on the LCA determines which area's rate applies, not where the employer is headquartered. Dense labor markets with higher costs of living, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, produce higher survey wages. The same garment pressing role in El Paso or Columbus, Alabama will carry a substantially lower floor than the same role in Seattle or Los Angeles.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
If the offered wage falls below the DOL prevailing wage for the worksite area and wage level, USCIS or DOL can reject the LCA or PERM filing, and the sponsorship cannot proceed without a corrected offer. Workers already on status who discover a compliance gap may face back-pay liability for the employer. DOL enforces this through OFLC audit and wage-and-hour investigations. The floor is a legal minimum, not a guideline.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 51-6021 by metropolitan area. Select the area matching your worksite city, choose the appropriate wage level, and confirm the annual rate. For broader occupational context, the O*NET profile for this SOC provides wage data and job zone detail. Migrate Mate can complement this research by showing which employers have filed sponsorship for pressing roles in specific locations.
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