Prevailing Wage for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other
Prevailing wage for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other (SOC 19-3099) is set by the DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. Four experience levels determine the wage floor, and the required minimum shifts substantially depending on where the worksite is located.
See all jobs for this roleLook up your work address
Entry-level professionals new to the occupation, typically with a relevant bachelor's or master's degree and limited independent research experience. Level 1 applies when work is closely supervised and assignments follow established methods within a defined scope.
Qualified practitioners with moderate experience applying social science methods with some independence. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other, covering professionals who handle standard assignments with occasional guidance.
Experienced professionals who exercise significant independent judgment, lead portions of research projects, and may mentor junior staff. Level 3 typically reflects several years of progressively complex work in applied social science or policy-related settings.
Fully competent senior professionals with broad authority over research design, methodology, or program direction. Level 4 applies when the role requires recognized expertise, spans multiple functional areas, and involves little or no supervisory oversight.
Prevailing Wage for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other 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
See all jobs for this role
See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for this role and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other
Watch for title misclassification on federal contracts
Social science roles on government contracts are sometimes filed under policy or program analyst SOC codes, which carry different wage floors. Confirm your LCA lists SOC 19-3099 before accepting an offer, since a misfiled code can leave your wage below the correct prevailing floor.
Factor in the Washington DC wage premium
Federal agency contractors and think tanks concentrated in the DC metro file at substantially higher prevailing wages than the national median. If you are comparing offers from federal-adjacent employers, use the DC worksite figures rather than national benchmarks when assessing whether an offer is competitive.
Identify sponsor history using Migrate Mate filters
Think tanks, federal contractors, and research nonprofits are the most active sponsors for this SOC. Migrate Mate shows which specific employers have sponsored Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other previously, so you can focus applications on organizations with a verified sponsorship track record.
Clarify whether research stipends count toward the wage floor
Some research institutions structure compensation with a base salary plus project stipends or publication bonuses. Only guaranteed, recurring salary counts toward the DOL prevailing wage requirement. Variable research incentives and one-time grants do not satisfy the wage floor on their own.
Jobs for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this roleFrequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other?
DOL calculates prevailing wages for SOC 19-3099 using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regional OES surveys capture actual wages paid to workers in each metro area, and OFLC converts those survey results into the four wage levels used on Labor Condition Applications and PERM applications.
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 independence: Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision, Level 2 covers qualified practitioners working with some autonomy, Level 3 reflects experienced professionals exercising independent judgment, and Level 4 applies to fully competent senior staff. Your level is determined by the actual job duties, not your title. Review the LCA your employer files with OFLC, which must state the level and confirm the offered wage meets or exceeds that level's floor.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same role vary so much between cities?
DOL requires employers to pay the prevailing wage for the specific worksite location listed on the LCA, not a national average. Regional OES surveys reflect local labor market conditions, so a metro with dense federal agency and contractor demand, such as Washington DC, produces a much higher wage floor than a smaller market. The worksite address on the LCA controls which metropolitan area's survey figures apply.
What happens if my job offer is below the DOL prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify a compliant LCA if the offered wage is below the prevailing wage for the worksite and level. USCIS will not approve an H-1B petition without a certified LCA, and OFLC will not certify a PERM application with a non-compliant wage. If an offer falls short, the employer must raise the salary before filing, or the sponsorship process cannot proceed.
How can I find and verify the prevailing wage for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool on the DOL website to look up SOC 19-3099 wages by metropolitan area. Select the current wage year and enter the worksite metro to see all four level floors. You can also cross-reference O*NET for occupational details. Migrate Mate lets you filter sponsored job listings for this occupation by location, so you can see which employers are actively hiring and sponsoring in the metros that interest you.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other right now.
Search Jobs for this role