Prevailing Wage for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary
Prevailing wage for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1113) is set by the Department of Labor across four experience levels, from entry-level Adjunct Professor positions to senior Clinical Professor or full Professor roles. The floor varies significantly by city, so an offer that clears the threshold in one metro may fall short in another.
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Level 1 covers entry-level postsecondary social work instructors with limited teaching experience, typically in their first faculty appointment. Duties are closely defined, often involving standard course delivery under departmental oversight with minimal independent curriculum development.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary. It applies to qualified instructors with some independent course management, advising responsibilities, and demonstrated competency in social work pedagogy, typically holding a master's degree or early-career doctoral credential.
Level 3 covers experienced faculty who exercise significant independent judgment, lead curriculum development, supervise field education components, or hold associate professor rank. These positions typically require an established research or practice record within social work.
Level 4 applies to fully competent senior faculty, including full professors and program directors, with extensive teaching records, leadership over departmental initiatives, and recognized expertise in social work education or scholarship.
Prevailing Wage for Social Work 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 Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary
Confirm your rank maps to the right level
Academic titles like Assistant Professor and Associate Professor often signal different DOL wage levels. An Assistant Professor filing at Level 1 when the role carries independent curriculum duties may trigger a wage compliance issue during LCA review.
Account for field education coordinator duties
Positions titled Field Education Coordinator within social work programs sometimes get filed under a different SOC, missing the postsecondary teacher floor entirely. Verify the employer's LCA lists SOC 25-1113 if your role involves supervising student field placements alongside teaching.
Watch how part-time appointments affect annualized wages
Many social work faculty appointments are part-time or semester-based. DOL prevailing wage benchmarks are annualized, so a per-course stipend that looks competitive can fall well below the Level 1 floor when converted to a full-year equivalent.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers sponsoring this role
Postsecondary social work faculty positions with active H-1B or green card sponsorship are concentrated at specific universities. Migrate Mate shows which institutions have sponsored Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary in the past, so you can target programs with a verified sponsorship track record.
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Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-1113.00 alongside Social Work 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 25-1113.00 (Social Work 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 25-1113.00 (Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Clinical Professor Prevailing Wage
Clinical Professor Prevailing Wage
Clinical Professor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1113.00 (Social Work 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.
Faculty Member Prevailing Wage
Faculty Member Prevailing Wage
Faculty Member positions fall under SOC 25-1113.00 (Social Work 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.
Field Education Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Field Education Coordinator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Field Education Coordinator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1113.00 (Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Professor Prevailing Wage
Professor Prevailing Wage
Professor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1113.00 (Social Work 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.
Social Work Associate Professor Prevailing Wage
Social Work Associate Professor Prevailing Wage
Social Work Associate Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1113.00 (Social Work 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.
Social Work Instructor Prevailing Wage
Social Work Instructor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Social Work Instructor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1113.00 (Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Social Work Lecturer Prevailing Wage
Social Work Lecturer Prevailing Wage
Social Work Lecturer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1113.00 (Social Work 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.
Social Work Professor Prevailing Wage
Social Work Professor Prevailing Wage
Social Work Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1113.00 (Social Work 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 Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary?
DOL calculates the prevailing wage using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For SOC 25-1113, DOL identifies the wage distribution for social work faculty in each geographic area and assigns four wage levels based on percentile thresholds. Employers file a Labor Condition Application through OFLC and must attest they will pay at least the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL assigns levels based on experience, complexity, and supervision. Level 1 is entry-level with structured duties; Level 2 reflects qualified independent work and is the most common filing level for postsecondary social work faculty; Level 3 covers experienced practitioners with significant autonomy; Level 4 applies to fully competent senior roles. Your level should reflect the actual duties in the job description, not just the title. If the LCA level seems lower than your responsibilities warrant, that is worth raising with the employer.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same role vary so much between cities?
DOL derives wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, which capture local labor market conditions. Social work faculty salaries in Los Angeles or New York reflect the cost of labor and competition at research universities in dense academic markets, while smaller metros like Columbus or Fayetteville show lower survey results. The LCA must list the actual worksite, so if you teach at a campus in a high-wage metro, the employer must meet that metro's prevailing wage, not a national average.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify a Labor Condition Application with USCIS if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage. If the LCA is filed with an understated wage, OFLC can decertify it and DOL can pursue back-wage liability. For the sponsored worker, a deficient wage can jeopardize the H-1B or PERM application. Employers must bring the offered salary to at least the prevailing wage floor before the LCA can be approved.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up SOC 25-1113 for any covered metropolitan area. Enter the occupation code and select the worksite metro to see all four wage levels. You can also cross-reference BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables for the same SOC. Migrate Mate lists sponsored social work faculty positions filtered by location, letting you see which employers are actively hiring and sponsoring in the metros where the prevailing wage fits your offer.
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