Prevailing Wage for Procurement Clerks
Prevailing wage for Procurement Clerks (SOC 43-3061) is set by the DOL across four experience levels, so the floor a Purchasing Assistant must clear differs from what a senior Procurement Specialist faces. Whether you work as a Buyer or a Procurement Officer, the required minimum shifts significantly depending on where your employer's worksite sits.
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Level 1 covers entry-level Procurement Clerks with limited experience, typically performing routine purchasing tasks under close supervision. Candidates new to compiling purchase orders or processing vendor records in a structured environment generally file at this level.
Level 2 applies to qualified clerks who handle procurement tasks with moderate independence. This is the most common filing level for Procurement Clerks, covering candidates who manage purchase orders, track supplier records, and coordinate with vendors without constant oversight.
Level 3 covers experienced clerks who handle complex procurement workflows, resolve vendor discrepancies, and may guide junior staff. Candidates with several years of hands-on purchasing experience and a track record of managing multi-category orders typically fall here.
Level 4 applies to fully competent procurement professionals who set purchasing procedures, lead sourcing decisions, and operate with substantial autonomy. Senior Procurement Specialists or lead Buyers overseeing procurement functions for a department or division file at this level.
Prevailing Wage for Procurement Clerks 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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Watch for title mismatches on your LCA
Titles like Procurement Specialist or Purchasing Associate sometimes get filed under management or analyst SOC codes instead of 43-3061, which carries a different prevailing wage floor. Confirm your employer's LCA lists SOC 43-3061 before signing an offer.
Factor out bonuses before comparing offers
Procurement Clerks in government-contractor and defense-supplier roles often receive signing bonuses or annual procurement incentives. DOL prevailing wage compliance counts only base salary, so a high total-comp offer can still fall short of the required floor.
Prioritize West Coast metro postings for this role
Procurement Clerk wages in the San Francisco Bay Area and greater Seattle metros run well above the national median at every level. Targeting sponsored roles in those markets meaningfully raises your chances of an offer that clears the prevailing wage with room to negotiate.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers who sponsor Procurement Clerks
Migrate Mate shows which employers have a documented history of sponsoring Procurement Clerks and Purchasing Assistants specifically, so you can focus applications on companies that have filed for this SOC before rather than guessing at sponsorship willingness.
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Find Jobs for Procurement ClerksPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 43-3061.00 alongside Procurement Clerks, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Buyer Prevailing Wage
Buyer Prevailing Wage
Buyer positions fall under SOC 43-3061.00 (Procurement Clerks). 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.
Procurement Assistant Prevailing Wage
Procurement Assistant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Procurement Assistant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 43-3061.00 (Procurement Clerks). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Procurement Officer Prevailing Wage
Procurement Officer Prevailing Wage
Procurement Officer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 43-3061.00 (Procurement Clerks). 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.
Procurement Specialist Prevailing Wage
Procurement Specialist Prevailing Wage
Procurement Specialist positions fall under SOC 43-3061.00 (Procurement Clerks). 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.
Purchasing Assistant Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Assistant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Purchasing Assistant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 43-3061.00 (Procurement Clerks). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Purchasing Associate Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Associate Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Associate is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 43-3061.00 (Procurement Clerks). 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.
Purchasing Clerk Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Clerk Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Clerk positions fall under SOC 43-3061.00 (Procurement Clerks). 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.
Purchasing Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Coordinator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Purchasing Coordinator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 43-3061.00 (Procurement Clerks). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Purchasing Specialist Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Specialist Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Specialist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 43-3061.00 (Procurement Clerks). 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.
Warehouse Clerk Prevailing Wage
Warehouse Clerk Prevailing Wage
Warehouse Clerk positions fall under SOC 43-3061.00 (Procurement Clerks). 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 Procurement Clerks?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across U.S. metro areas. For Procurement Clerks (SOC 43-3061), OFLC publishes four wage levels derived from the wage distribution in each area, and employers must certify on the LCA that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
The four levels reflect experience and independence: Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision, Level 2 is qualified with moderate independence, Level 3 is experienced with complex duties, and Level 4 is fully competent with lead-level responsibility. Your level is determined by the actual job duties your employer describes on the LCA, not your job title or years of experience alone. Review the LCA carefully before your visa is filed.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Procurement Clerks role vary so much by city?
OFLC uses regional OES survey data, so wages reflect local labor market conditions in each metro area. The LCA worksite rule requires the employer to use the wage for the city where you will actually work, not company headquarters. Dense employer markets with high demand for procurement talent, such as the Bay Area, push local OES figures well above what rural or lower-cost metros report for the same SOC.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA if the offered wage falls below the DOL prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite. USCIS will deny an H-1B or other sponsored petition if the underlying LCA is deficient on wage. The employer must either raise the offered salary to meet the floor or reclassify the position at a lower wage level with duties that genuinely match that level.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Procurement Clerks position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 43-3061 for any metro area. Select the fiscal year, enter the occupation code or title, and choose your worksite area to see all four wage levels. You can cross-check the underlying survey data through the Bureau of Labor Statistics OES tables. Migrate Mate also filters sponsored Procurement Clerks listings by location, letting you see which employers are actively hiring for the role in your target market.
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