Prevailing Wage for Protective Service Workers, All Other
Prevailing wage for Protective Service Workers, All Other (SOC 33-9099) is set annually by the DOL using regional wage surveys. Four experience levels establish the floor, and the gap between an entry-level wage in a rural area and a senior rate in a high-cost metro can be substantial. Verify the floor for your specific worksite before accepting a sponsored offer.
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Level 1 covers entry-level protective service workers with limited experience, typically performing routine assignments under close supervision. Workers at this level are still developing job-specific skills and generally hold a position that requires minimal independent judgment.
Level 2 applies to qualified workers with a foundational grasp of the role and moderate independent responsibility. Most H-1B and green card LCA filings for this occupation land at Level 2, reflecting the typical experience profile employers hire for.
Level 3 covers experienced workers who handle complex or non-routine assignments with significant autonomy. These individuals often provide informal guidance to junior staff and bring specialized knowledge that distinguishes them from the broader workforce in this occupation.
Level 4 represents fully competent protective service workers in senior or lead roles. Responsibilities typically include overseeing operations, setting procedures, and exercising full independent judgment. Employers filing at this level are generally sponsoring supervisory or program-lead positions.
Prevailing Wage for Protective Service Workers, All Other 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 Protective Service Workers, All Other and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Protective Service Workers, All Other
Watch for wide wage spreads across metros
This occupation shows some of the widest city-to-city wage spreads in the DOL data. A senior-level floor in Albuquerque or Washington, DC can be more than four times the entry floor in low-wage metros like Brownsville. Always verify the floor for the exact worksite city listed on the LCA.
Confirm your title maps to SOC 33-9099
Job titles in protective services vary widely, and many employers file LCAs under adjacent SOC codes covering security guards or first-line supervisors. If your offer letter uses a non-standard title, confirm the SOC code on the actual LCA matches 33-9099 so the correct wage floor applies.
Verify government and contract employer wage practices
Protective service roles are often filled through staffing agencies or government contractors, where base wages may be supplemented by shift differentials or hazard pay. These additions generally do not count toward the prevailing wage floor; only the guaranteed base salary satisfies the LCA wage requirement.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsors for this occupation
Employers actively sponsoring Protective Service Workers, All Other are a small subset of the broader market. Migrate Mate shows which companies have a documented history of sponsoring this occupation, helping you focus applications on employers who have navigated the process before.
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Find Jobs for this roleFrequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Protective Service Workers, All Other?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through regional employer surveys. For SOC 33-9099, those survey results are translated into four wage levels reflecting experience and responsibility. Employers filing an LCA with OFLC must offer at least the level that matches the position's actual duties and required experience.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels correspond to increasing experience and autonomy: Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision, Level 2 is qualified with moderate independence, Level 3 is experienced with complex assignments, and Level 4 is fully competent in a senior or lead role. To identify your level, compare the actual duties in your job offer against DOL's level definitions. The level recorded on the employer's certified LCA determines the binding wage floor.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same protective service role differ so much between cities?
DOL calculates wages from regional OES surveys, so the floor reflects what local employers actually pay. Dense employer markets with higher costs of living, such as Washington, DC or Urban Honolulu, produce higher survey medians and therefore higher floors. The LCA rules require employers to use the wage for the worksite location listed on the LCA, not the company's headquarters, so a remote or field-based assignment in a low-wage metro like Brownsville would carry a significantly lower floor.
What happens if my job offer falls below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An LCA cannot be certified by OFLC if the offered wage is below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite location and experience level. If a petition reaches USCIS with a wage that does not meet the floor, it risks denial. For existing sponsored workers, paying below the LCA wage creates compliance liability for the employer. The offer must be corrected before the LCA is filed.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Protective Service Workers, All Other in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current wage for SOC 33-9099 by entering the target worksite area. Select the wage level that matches the position's duties to see the binding floor. For jobs already posted on the market, Migrate Mate lists employers with a documented history of sponsoring this occupation, which helps you identify which companies have successfully filed LCAs for comparable roles in your target location.
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