Prevailing Wage for Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
The prevailing wage for Contract Administrator roles sets the minimum salary a sponsoring employer must pay under H-1B, E-3, and green card filings. Whether your offer comes in as a Buyer, Procurement Specialist, or Contract Administrator (Contract Admin), DOL sets four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly by city.
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Level 1 applies to entry-level procurement roles where the worker performs routine purchasing tasks under close supervision, typically with limited independent judgment. Candidates with no prior U.S. work experience or fewer than two years in a structured purchasing function usually fall here.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for this occupation. It covers professionals with two or more years of purchasing experience who handle standard procurement independently, manage vendor relationships, and exercise moderate judgment without requiring constant supervisory review.
Level 3 applies to experienced procurement professionals who manage complex sourcing decisions, negotiate significant contracts, and may oversee junior buyers. Candidates with five or more years of progressively responsible purchasing work or a specialized category focus typically qualify here.
Level 4 covers senior or lead procurement roles with broad authority over sourcing strategy, cross-functional contract management, and policy development. These positions require deep expertise, frequently manage significant spend categories, and may direct the work of other procurement staff.
Prevailing Wage for Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products 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 Contract Administrator and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch for Title-to-SOC Mismatches
Titles like Procurement Analyst or Strategic Sourcing Manager are sometimes filed under management or analyst SOC codes instead of 13-1023, placing the role under a different prevailing wage floor. Confirm your employer's LCA references the correct SOC before accepting an offer.
Factor Out Signing Bonuses Before Comparing
Some procurement offers include a front-loaded signing bonus that inflates apparent total compensation. DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against base salary, not total pay. A strong bonus structure does not offset a base salary that falls below the applicable wage level.
Prioritize Defense and Government Contractor Markets
Metros like Washington DC and Huntsville AL concentrate federal contractor employers who sponsor procurement roles at above-median wages due to government contract labor requirements. These markets often file at Level 3 or Level 4, meaning the prevailing wage floor is higher than the national median.
Use Migrate Mate to Find Proven Sponsors
Procurement sponsorships are less frequent than tech roles, making employer history especially important. Migrate Mate shows which companies have previously sponsored Buyer and Procurement Specialist roles, so you can focus your search on employers with a documented track record in this occupation.
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Find Jobs for Contract AdministratorPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 13-1023.00 alongside Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products, 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 13-1023.00 (Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products). 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.
Contract Administrator (Contract Admin) Prevailing Wage
Contract Administrator (Contract Admin) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Contract Administrator (Contract Admin) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 13-1023.00 (Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Procurement and Contracting Administrator (Procurement and Contracting Admin) Prevailing Wage
Procurement and Contracting Administrator (Procurement and Contracting Admin) Prevailing Wage
Procurement and Contracting Administrator (Procurement and Contracting Admin) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 13-1023.00 (Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products). 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 and Contracting Buyer Prevailing Wage
Procurement and Contracting Buyer Prevailing Wage
Procurement and Contracting Buyer positions fall under SOC 13-1023.00 (Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products). 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 Official Prevailing Wage
Procurement Official Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Procurement Official for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 13-1023.00 (Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Procurement Specialist Prevailing Wage
Procurement Specialist Prevailing Wage
Procurement Specialist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 13-1023.00 (Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products). 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 Administrator (Purchasing Admin) Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Administrator (Purchasing Admin) Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Administrator (Purchasing Admin) positions fall under SOC 13-1023.00 (Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products). 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 Agent Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Agent Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Purchasing Agent for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 13-1023.00 (Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Purchasing and Contracts Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Purchasing and Contracts Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Purchasing and Contracts Coordinator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 13-1023.00 (Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products). 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 Contract Administrator roles?
DOL derives prevailing wages for this occupation from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These surveys collect salary data from employers across industries and geographies. The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) then maps that data to four wage levels, from entry to fully competent, which sponsors must meet or exceed when filing an LCA.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect increasing experience, autonomy, and complexity. Level 1 covers supervised entry-level work; Level 2 covers independent qualified performance; Level 3 covers experienced professionals handling complex procurement; Level 4 covers senior roles with strategic or supervisory scope. Your level is set by the employer based on the actual duties and supervision structure of the position, not your personal resume.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Procurement Specialist role vary so much between cities?
OFLC assigns wages based on the worksite metropolitan area listed on the Labor Condition Application, not the employer's headquarters. Each metro draws from its own regional OES wage survey, which reflects local labor market conditions. A procurement role in San Jose commands a higher floor than the same title in a smaller metro because the regional salary data is higher. The employer must use the rate for wherever you will actually work.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
If the offered salary falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the metro and wage level, the employer cannot lawfully certify the LCA with DOL, and USCIS will not approve the H-1B or other sponsored petition. The employer must either raise the base salary to meet the floor or reclassify the role at a lower wage level, provided the actual job duties support that lower classification.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Contract Administrator role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current prevailing wage by SOC code 13-1023 and metropolitan area. Select the metro that matches your actual worksite, not a nearby city. You can also cross-reference BLS data for the same area. If your employer has already filed an LCA, the certified wage level and amount appear in OFLC disclosure data. Migrate Mate can help you identify employers who have sponsored this occupation in specific locations.
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