Prevailing Wage for Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
Prevailing wage for Adjunct Professor roles sets the DOL-mandated salary floor that U.S. employers must meet when sponsoring an H-1B, E-3, or green card petition. DOL assigns four experience-based levels to this occupation, so the floor an Assistant Professor or Health and Physical Education Professor must clear depends on both seniority and worksite city.
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Entry-level adjunct instructors with limited teaching experience and minimal independent curriculum responsibility. Typically new to postsecondary instruction, often working under close faculty supervision, and holding a recently completed graduate degree with no substantial research record.
Qualified instructors with some postsecondary teaching experience who handle course sections with moderate independence. Level 2 is the most common filing level for this occupation, covering faculty hired into standard adjunct or visiting assistant professor roles.
Experienced faculty with a demonstrated teaching record, independent course or program responsibilities, and often an active research or publication history. Positions with committee work, curriculum development duties, or departmental service typically fall here.
Senior faculty at the fully competent tier: tenured or tenure-track associate and full professors leading programs, directing research centers, or holding named appointments. These positions set departmental direction and carry the highest institutional responsibility.
Prevailing Wage for Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary 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 Adjunct Professor and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your title maps to SOC 25-1193
Job postings for fitness lecturer, exercise science instructor, or kinesiology faculty sometimes get filed under a broader education SOC. Verify your offer letter and LCA both reference SOC 25-1193 so the prevailing wage floor matches your actual role.
Watch how California campuses compress levels
San Diego and Los Angeles show dramatically higher L1 floors than national medians for this occupation. Adjunct offers from California community college districts frequently underpay relative to the local OES floor, making location the primary compliance risk here.
Separate base salary from teaching overload pay
Many postsecondary employers supplement adjunct base pay with per-course overload stipends. DOL counts only the guaranteed base salary toward prevailing wage compliance, so overload and summer session pay cannot bridge a gap between your base offer and the floor.
Find employers sponsoring fitness faculty on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate shows which colleges and universities have historically sponsored H-1B or green card positions in recreation and fitness studies. Filtering by this occupation lets you target institutions with an established sponsorship track record before negotiating.
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Find Jobs for Adjunct ProfessorPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-1193.00 alongside Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Adjunct Professor Prevailing Wage
Adjunct Professor Prevailing Wage
Adjunct Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1193.00 (Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Assistant Professor Prevailing Wage
Assistant Professor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Assistant Professor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1193.00 (Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Associate Professor Prevailing Wage
Associate Professor Prevailing Wage
Associate Professor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1193.00 (Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Health and Human Performance Professor Prevailing Wage
Health and Human Performance Professor Prevailing Wage
Health and Human Performance Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1193.00 (Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Health and Physical Education Professor (HPE Professor) Prevailing Wage
Health and Physical Education Professor (HPE Professor) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Health and Physical Education Professor (HPE Professor) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1193.00 (Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Professor (HPER Professor) Prevailing Wage
Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Professor (HPER Professor) Prevailing Wage
Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Professor (HPER Professor) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1193.00 (Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor positions fall under SOC 25-1193.00 (Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Kinesiology Professor Prevailing Wage
Kinesiology Professor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Kinesiology Professor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1193.00 (Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Physical Education Professor (PE Professor) Prevailing Wage
Physical Education Professor (PE Professor) Prevailing Wage
Physical Education Professor (PE Professor) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1193.00 (Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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.
Professor Prevailing Wage
Professor Prevailing Wage
Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1193.00 (Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary). 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 an Adjunct Professor position?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to establish four wage levels for each SOC code. For SOC 25-1193, OFLC maps survey responses from postsecondary employers to Level 1 through Level 4 thresholds. The employer then selects the level that matches the actual job duties and experience requirements before certifying the Labor Condition Application.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify which applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry positions with limited independent responsibility, Level 2 covers qualified instructors in standard teaching roles, Level 3 applies to experienced faculty with curriculum or research duties, and Level 4 covers senior or program-leading appointments. Your level is determined by the complexity and supervision requirements in the job description, not your personal credentials alone. Review the LCA your employer files with OFLC to confirm which level they selected.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Adjunct Professor role vary so much by city?
OFLC derives wages from regional OES surveys, so each metropolitan area produces its own wage distribution for SOC 25-1193. Dense higher-education markets like Los Angeles and San Diego have higher faculty salary norms than smaller metros, pushing all four level thresholds up. Critically, the worksite address on the LCA must match where the faculty member actually teaches, so a San Diego campus appointment cannot use a lower-cost metro's floor even if the institution has campuses elsewhere.
What happens if a sponsored Adjunct Professor offer falls below the prevailing wage?
An LCA with a wage below the applicable level floor will be rejected during OFLC review, blocking H-1B or PERM petition filing. If an under-wage LCA is certified through error and later audited, the employer faces back-pay liability and potential debarment from future sponsorship. USCIS also cross-checks wages during I-129 adjudication, so a below-floor offer can result in a Request for Evidence or denial even after LCA certification.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an Adjunct Professor role at a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, select SOC 25-1193, choose the metropolitan area matching your worksite, and compare each level against your offered salary. You can also request a formal Prevailing Wage Determination from OFLC for PERM-based green card cases, which produces a binding wage finding. Migrate Mate can help you identify which employers have sponsored recreation and fitness studies faculty positions and in which metro areas, giving you a starting point before you run the OFLC Wage Search.
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