Prevailing Wage for Real Estate Brokers
The prevailing wage for Real Estate Brokers sets the minimum salary a U.S. employer must offer when sponsoring a Broker, Broker Associate, or Managing Broker for an H-1B, E-3, or green card. DOL assigns four experience levels to this occupation, and the floor varies significantly by city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level brokers with limited experience who perform routine transactions under close supervision. This level applies to associates new to managing real estate deals independently, typically with fewer than two years in the field.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for sponsored Real Estate Brokers. It covers qualified professionals who independently handle transactions with moderate complexity, typically with two to four years of practical experience overseeing deals or managing client relationships.
Level 3 applies to experienced brokers who handle complex commercial or residential portfolios with minimal oversight. These professionals often supervise junior associates, manage high-value transactions, and bring specialized market knowledge developed over several years.
Level 4 covers fully competent brokers in senior or designated broker roles with broad authority over office operations, staff supervision, and high-stakes transactions. This level reflects top-of-range expertise and leadership responsibility within a brokerage.
Prevailing Wage for Real Estate Brokers 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 Real Estate Brokers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch the gap between title and SOC code
Titles like Real Estate Sales Associate or Broker Associate sometimes get filed under a sales agent SOC rather than SOC 41-9021. Confirm the LCA cites the correct code; a mismatch can place your offer below the true broker prevailing wage floor.
Account for commission-heavy comp structures
Many Real Estate Brokers earn a significant share of pay through commissions. For sponsored positions, DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against guaranteed base salary only. Commission, bonuses, and splits do not count toward meeting the wage floor.
Compare metros before accepting a sponsored offer
The prevailing wage spread for this occupation is wide. Des Moines and San Francisco both appear among higher-paying metros, while Monroe, LA and Oklahoma City post substantially lower floors. A market offering lower wages may still trigger a high local prevailing wage obligation.
Use Migrate Mate to find brokerages with sponsorship history
Few residential brokerages have an established H-1B filing track record. Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored Real Estate Brokers in the past, helping you target firms already familiar with the LCA and prevailing wage process for this occupation.
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Find Jobs for Real Estate BrokersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 41-9021.00 alongside Real Estate Brokers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Broker Prevailing Wage
Broker Prevailing Wage
Broker positions fall under SOC 41-9021.00 (Real Estate Brokers). 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.
Broker Associate Prevailing Wage
Broker Associate Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Broker Associate for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 41-9021.00 (Real Estate Brokers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Designated Broker Prevailing Wage
Designated Broker Prevailing Wage
Designated Broker is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 41-9021.00 (Real Estate Brokers). 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.
Managing Broker Prevailing Wage
Managing Broker Prevailing Wage
Managing Broker positions fall under SOC 41-9021.00 (Real Estate Brokers). 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.
Real Estate Associate Prevailing Wage
Real Estate Associate Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Real Estate Associate for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 41-9021.00 (Real Estate Brokers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Real Estate Sales Associate Prevailing Wage
Real Estate Sales Associate Prevailing Wage
Real Estate Sales Associate is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 41-9021.00 (Real Estate Brokers). 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.
Realtor Prevailing Wage
Realtor Prevailing Wage
Realtor positions fall under SOC 41-9021.00 (Real Estate Brokers). 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 Real Estate Brokers?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For SOC 41-9021, wage data is gathered by metro area and sorted into four levels based on experience and complexity. Employers filing an LCA through OFLC must offer at least the wage corresponding to the role's level and worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
DOL defines four levels based on experience, supervision, and job complexity. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision; Level 2 is independent but routine work; Level 3 involves complex transactions and some supervisory duties; Level 4 covers senior or designated broker roles. The employer determines the correct level when preparing the LCA, but the actual duties described in the petition must match the level claimed.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same broker role vary so much by city?
DOL uses regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so prevailing wages reflect local labor market conditions rather than a national rate. The LCA must list the actual worksite address, and the wage floor is tied to that specific metro area. Dense real estate markets in high-cost cities typically produce higher survey wages, while smaller or lower-cost markets produce lower floors for the same occupation.
What happens if a sponsored offer falls below the prevailing wage?
USCIS will likely issue a Request for Evidence or deny the petition if the offered salary is below the certified LCA wage. DOL can also audit the LCA filing and, if a violation is found, require back-pay and bar the employer from future sponsorships. An offer below the prevailing wage floor is not correctable by pointing to commissions or bonuses; only guaranteed base salary counts.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current prevailing wage for SOC 41-9021 by metropolitan area and wage level. Enter the worksite city and occupation code to retrieve the exact floor your employer must meet. You can also review O*NET for occupation-level context. Migrate Mate lists employers with verified sponsorship history for Real Estate Brokers so you can target companies already experienced with meeting these wage requirements.
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