Prevailing Wage for Psychiatric Aides
Prevailing wage rates for Psychiatric Aides, the official DOL classification under SOC 31-1133, apply to H-1B, E-3, and green card sponsorships in this occupation. Whether your offer letter calls the role Mental Health Aide (MHA), Mental Health Worker (MHW), or Developmental Aide, DOL sets four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly depending on the worksite city.
See all jobs for Psychiatric AidesLook up your work address
Level 1 applies to entry-level aides with limited experience, typically working under close supervision on routine patient care tasks. Employers file at this level for candidates new to psychiatric or residential care settings with no specialized prior training.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Psychiatric Aides. It covers workers with some relevant experience who handle a standard range of patient support duties with moderate supervision, including activity assistance and basic behavioral observation.
Level 3 applies to experienced aides who work more independently, handle complex or higher-acuity patients, and may informally guide newer staff. Employers typically file at this level for candidates with several years of direct psychiatric care experience.
Level 4 is reserved for fully competent aides operating at the top of the occupation, often in senior or lead roles within inpatient psychiatric units or specialized residential programs. Minimal supervision and broad patient responsibility characterize this level.
Prevailing Wage for Psychiatric Aides 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
See all jobs for Psychiatric Aides
See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Psychiatric Aides and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Psychiatric Aides
Verify your title maps to SOC 31-1133
Job postings for this occupation use at least six common titles, including Psychiatric Assistant and Qualified Medication Aide (QMA). If your offer letter uses a different title, confirm the employer filed the LCA under SOC 31-1133, not a nursing or orderly code with a different wage floor.
Watch for low-wage metro offers in the South
Psychiatric Aide wages in metro areas like Memphis and Gulfport fall well below the national median at every level. If you are evaluating offers in those markets, the prevailing wage floor is significantly lower than coastal or Midwest metros, affecting your long-term sponsorship trajectory.
Confirm your worksite city, not headquarters
LCA prevailing wage is tied to the physical worksite on the certified form, not the employer's main office. Psychiatric Aides placed at a hospital affiliate or residential facility in a different metro than HR must ensure the LCA reflects that specific worksite location.
Find employers sponsoring Psychiatric Aides on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate shows which employers have a verified history of sponsoring Mental Health Aides and similar roles. You can filter by location and visa type to identify psychiatric facilities and health systems that have actually filed for this occupation before.
Jobs for Psychiatric Aides are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Psychiatric AidesPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 31-1133.00 alongside Psychiatric Aides, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Developmental Aide Prevailing Wage
Developmental Aide Prevailing Wage
Developmental Aide positions fall under SOC 31-1133.00 (Psychiatric Aides). 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.
Mental Health Aide (MHA) Prevailing Wage
Mental Health Aide (MHA) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Mental Health Aide (MHA) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1133.00 (Psychiatric Aides). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Mental Health Worker (MHW) Prevailing Wage
Mental Health Worker (MHW) Prevailing Wage
Mental Health Worker (MHW) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1133.00 (Psychiatric Aides). 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.
Psychiatric Assistant Prevailing Wage
Psychiatric Assistant Prevailing Wage
Psychiatric Assistant positions fall under SOC 31-1133.00 (Psychiatric Aides). 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.
Psychiatric Nursing Aide Prevailing Wage
Psychiatric Nursing Aide Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Psychiatric Nursing Aide for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1133.00 (Psychiatric Aides). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Qualified Medication Aide (QMA) Prevailing Wage
Qualified Medication Aide (QMA) Prevailing Wage
Qualified Medication Aide (QMA) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1133.00 (Psychiatric Aides). 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.
Resident Care Technician (Resident Care Tech) Prevailing Wage
Resident Care Technician (Resident Care Tech) Prevailing Wage
Resident Care Technician (Resident Care Tech) positions fall under SOC 31-1133.00 (Psychiatric Aides). 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.
Residential Care Tech (Residential Care Technician) Prevailing Wage
Residential Care Tech (Residential Care Technician) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Residential Care Tech (Residential Care Technician) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-1133.00 (Psychiatric Aides). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Therapeutic Program Worker (TPW) Prevailing Wage
Therapeutic Program Worker (TPW) Prevailing Wage
Therapeutic Program Worker (TPW) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-1133.00 (Psychiatric Aides). 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Psychiatric Aides?
DOL calculates prevailing wages for Psychiatric Aides using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. OFLC publishes these figures annually in its wage library. Employers sponsoring a Psychiatric Aide on an H-1B or PERM application must certify on the LCA that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable DOL prevailing wage for the worksite location and experience level.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
DOL assigns Level 1 to entry-level workers with limited experience under close supervision, Level 2 to qualified workers handling standard duties with moderate oversight, Level 3 to experienced workers operating more independently, and Level 4 to fully competent senior staff. Your level is determined by the job duties and supervision described in the LCA, not your personal resume. If the posted duties match a Level 2 role but the employer files at Level 1, the wage floor is understated and may draw USCIS scrutiny.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Psychiatric Aide role vary so much by city?
DOL derives wages from regional OES surveys, so local labor market conditions drive the figures. A Psychiatric Aide position in the New York or Boston metro area reflects higher regional wage norms than the same role in rural Mississippi. Critically, the LCA must list the actual worksite address, so the controlling wage is the rate for that specific metropolitan statistical area, not where the employer is headquartered or where HR is located. Dense urban markets with strong union presence or high healthcare demand consistently produce higher floors.
What happens if an employer offers below the prevailing wage for a sponsored Psychiatric Aide position?
USCIS will not approve an H-1B petition or PERM application where the offered wage falls below the DOL prevailing wage certified on the LCA. The employer must either raise the offered salary to meet the floor before filing or file at a lower experience level that reflects a reduced wage requirement. Submitting an LCA with a wage below the applicable prevailing rate is a compliance violation that can result in DOL debarment for the employer and denial of the underlying visa petition.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Psychiatric Aides position in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up current prevailing wages by SOC code 31-1133 and the metropolitan area where the job is located. Select the appropriate wage level based on the duties described in the offer. For sponsored positions already on the market, Migrate Mate lists psychiatric aide roles from employers with documented H-1B and green card sponsorship history, so you can cross-reference posted salary ranges against the DOL floor for that metro before applying.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Psychiatric Aides right now.
Search Jobs for Psychiatric Aides