Prevailing Wage for Residential Advisors
Prevailing wages for Residential Advisors are set by DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys across more than 270 metropolitan areas. Whether your title is Hall Coordinator, Residence Director, or Residence Life Coordinator, DOL assigns four experience levels, and the wage floor for each level shifts considerably depending on the worksite city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level Residential Advisors with limited experience who perform routine duties under close supervision, such as basic room assignments and supply ordering. Candidates new to residence life coordination or recent graduates typically file at this level.
Level 2 applies to qualified advisors with moderate experience who handle resident support, maintenance coordination, and household records with some independent judgment. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Residential Advisors sponsored through H-1B or employment-based green card processes.
Level 3 covers experienced Residential Advisors who manage complex resident issues, supervise junior staff, and coordinate facility operations with considerable autonomy. Candidates with several years in residence life leadership or group-home program management typically qualify here.
Level 4 applies to fully competent senior advisors or directors who set program standards, oversee multiple residential units, and exercise independent authority over staffing and resource decisions. Residence Life Directors and senior program leads typically file at this level.
Prevailing Wage for Residential Advisors 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 Residential Advisors and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your filing level matches your resident caseload
Residential Advisors at universities often carry broader responsibilities than their title suggests. If you supervise junior RAs or manage counseling referrals independently, the scope supports Level 3 rather than Level 2, even when the posted title reads entry-level.
Watch for room-and-board offsets in your offer
Some group-home and dormitory employers structure compensation to include subsidized housing or meals. DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against the cash wage alone, so non-cash benefits do not count toward meeting the floor for a sponsored position.
Compare metros before accepting a campus offer
The prevailing wage for Residential Advisors varies sharply by location. California metro areas like San Jose and San Francisco carry wage floors significantly above the national median, while markets in Alabama and Kentucky sit well below it. Confirm the worksite city on the LCA before signing.
Find sponsors with a Residential Advisors hiring track record
Migrate Mate shows which employers have historically sponsored Residential Advisors and Residence Directors for H-1B or green card, so you can focus applications on institutions that have already navigated the DOL process for this occupation rather than employers who are unfamiliar with it.
Jobs for Residential Advisors are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Residential AdvisorsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 39-9041.00 alongside Residential Advisors, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Hall Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Hall Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Hall Coordinator positions fall under SOC 39-9041.00 (Residential Advisors). 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.
Residence Director Prevailing Wage
Residence Director Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Residence Director for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 39-9041.00 (Residential Advisors). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Residence Hall Director Prevailing Wage
Residence Hall Director Prevailing Wage
Residence Hall Director is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 39-9041.00 (Residential Advisors). 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.
Residence Life Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Residence Life Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Residence Life Coordinator positions fall under SOC 39-9041.00 (Residential Advisors). 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.
Residence Life Director Prevailing Wage
Residence Life Director Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Residence Life Director for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 39-9041.00 (Residential Advisors). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Resident Advisor Prevailing Wage
Resident Advisor Prevailing Wage
Resident Advisor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 39-9041.00 (Residential Advisors). 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 Assistant Prevailing Wage
Resident Assistant Prevailing Wage
Resident Assistant positions fall under SOC 39-9041.00 (Residential Advisors). 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.
Resident Director Prevailing Wage
Resident Director Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Resident Director for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 39-9041.00 (Residential Advisors). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Residential Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Residential Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Residential Coordinator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 39-9041.00 (Residential Advisors). 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.
Residential Life Director Prevailing Wage
Residential Life Director Prevailing Wage
Residential Life Director positions fall under SOC 39-9041.00 (Residential Advisors). 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 Residential Advisors?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from employers in each metropolitan area. For Residential Advisors under SOC 39-9041, OFLC publishes four wage levels derived from that regional data. Employers must pay at least the level that matches the position's actual duties and experience requirements before USCIS will approve a sponsored visa petition.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect increasing experience and autonomy. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision, Level 2 is qualified with moderate independent work, Level 3 is experienced with significant autonomy, and Level 4 is fully competent with supervisory or program-leadership scope. The level on your LCA should match the duties described in your actual job offer, not just your years of experience. If the listed duties include supervising staff or managing multiple units, the employer should file at Level 3 or 4.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Residential Advisors role vary so much between cities?
DOL derives prevailing wages from regional OES surveys, so each metropolitan area produces its own wage floor for SOC 39-9041. Markets with higher costs of living, denser concentrations of universities, or stronger labor demand for residence life professionals produce higher floors. Critically, the worksite address on the LCA determines which metropolitan area wage applies, not where the employer's headquarters is located. A California campus role is benchmarked against California OES data regardless of where HR is based.
What happens if a sponsored Residential Advisors offer falls below the prevailing wage?
An employer cannot certify an LCA at a wage below the applicable DOL prevailing wage floor. If the offered salary is below the floor for the worksite location and experience level, OFLC will not certify the LCA, and USCIS will not approve the H-1B or green card petition. The employer must either raise the offered wage to meet the floor or request a prevailing wage determination that more accurately reflects the position before filing.
How can I find and verify the prevailing wage for Residential Advisors at a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up the current prevailing wage for SOC 39-9041 by metropolitan area and wage level. Enter the worksite city or metro to see all four level wages directly from DOL data. Migrate Mate also shows which employers have sponsored Residential Advisors and Residence Life Coordinators before, so you can identify institutions already familiar with meeting these wage requirements.
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