Prevailing Wage for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
The prevailing wage for an English Teacher in the U.S. is set by DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data, and it applies to any sponsored position in this occupation, whether the hire is an Art Teacher, Music Teacher, or PE Teacher. DOL establishes four experience levels, and the wage floor shifts significantly by city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level teachers new to independent classroom instruction, typically recent graduates or those with fewer than two years of teaching experience. The position involves routine assignments with close oversight from department heads or senior staff.
Level 2 applies to qualified teachers with solid classroom experience who work with moderate supervision. This is the most common filing level for sponsored secondary school teaching positions, reflecting candidates who hold standard licensure and manage their own curriculum delivery.
Level 3 describes experienced teachers who handle complex instructional responsibilities, mentor junior colleagues, or lead subject-area curriculum development. Candidates at this level typically bring several years of demonstrated classroom performance and broader professional contributions.
Level 4 applies to fully competent lead or department-chair teachers who exercise significant professional judgment, set instructional standards for others, and operate with minimal oversight. This level reflects senior educators recognized within their school or district.
Prevailing Wage for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 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 English Teacher and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Know which license tier drives your level
Secondary school teaching positions are often filed at Level 2 because standard state licensure is the baseline expectation. If your offer letter lists lead-teacher or department-chair duties, confirm the employer filed at Level 3 or Level 4, not the default.
Watch how California metros stretch the floor
San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles post prevailing wages far above national medians for this occupation. If your offer is in a California district but uses a national or regional wage figure, the LCA may be undercounting the required floor.
Check that your title matches SOC 25-2031
Titles like Instructional Coach or Curriculum Specialist are sometimes filed under adjacent SOC codes with lower prevailing wages. If your primary duties are classroom teaching at the secondary level, the offer should be benchmarked to SOC 25-2031.
Find sponsors with a teaching hiring track record
Migrate Mate shows which school districts and private schools have historically sponsored secondary-level teaching roles, so you can focus your search on employers who have navigated the H-1B or E-3 process for this occupation before.
Jobs for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for English TeacherPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-2031.00 alongside Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Art Teacher Prevailing Wage
Art Teacher Prevailing Wage
Art Teacher positions fall under SOC 25-2031.00 (Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education). 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.
English Teacher Prevailing Wage
English Teacher Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a English Teacher for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-2031.00 (Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher) Prevailing Wage
Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher) Prevailing Wage
Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-2031.00 (Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education). 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.
Music Teacher Prevailing Wage
Music Teacher Prevailing Wage
Music Teacher positions fall under SOC 25-2031.00 (Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education). 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.
PE Teacher (Physical Education Teacher) Prevailing Wage
PE Teacher (Physical Education Teacher) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a PE Teacher (Physical Education Teacher) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-2031.00 (Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Science Teacher Prevailing Wage
Science Teacher Prevailing Wage
Science Teacher is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-2031.00 (Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education). 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.
Secondary Teacher Prevailing Wage
Secondary Teacher Prevailing Wage
Secondary Teacher positions fall under SOC 25-2031.00 (Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education). 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.
Social Studies Teacher Prevailing Wage
Social Studies Teacher Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Social Studies Teacher for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-2031.00 (Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Spanish Teacher Prevailing Wage
Spanish Teacher Prevailing Wage
Spanish Teacher is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-2031.00 (Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education). 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.
Teacher Prevailing Wage
Teacher Prevailing Wage
Teacher positions fall under SOC 25-2031.00 (Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education). 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 English Teacher?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For SOC 25-2031, it surveys actual wages paid to secondary school teachers across metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, then maps those survey results to four wage levels. Employers sponsoring an English Teacher must certify on the LCA that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL's four levels reflect experience and responsibility: Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision, Level 2 is a qualified professional working independently, Level 3 is experienced with broader scope or mentoring duties, and Level 4 is fully competent at a senior or lead level. Compare your job duties and years of verified classroom experience against those definitions. Most sponsored English Teacher offers are filed at Level 2, but a department-chair or lead-teacher role may justify Level 3.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same teaching role vary so much by city?
DOL requires the LCA to list the actual worksite location, and the prevailing wage is then pulled from regional OES survey data for that specific area. School districts in high-cost metro areas like San Francisco or San Jose pay wages that reflect local labor markets, which are captured in area-specific OES samples. This is why the L2 wage in a California coastal district can be nearly double the L2 wage in a rural or lower-cost metro. OFLC's Wage Search lets you look up the exact figure for any area.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored teaching position?
An employer cannot certify a compliant LCA if the offered salary falls below the applicable DOL prevailing wage. USCIS will deny the H-1B petition or, for PERM green card cases, OFLC will not approve the labor certification. If the shortfall is discovered after an LCA is filed, the employer must either increase the offered wage or withdraw the petition. Accepting a below-floor offer does not create a valid sponsored status.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an English Teacher in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, select SOC code 25-2031, and enter the intended worksite area. The tool returns all four wage levels for that location. Cross-check against the employer's LCA, which is a public document and must list both the wage level and the offered wage. Migrate Mate can also help you identify which school districts and private schools have actively sponsored secondary-level teaching positions, so you can target employers already familiar with the process.
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