Prevailing Wage for Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary
Prevailing wage floors for Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1067) are set by the DOL using regional wage surveys, so an Assistant Professor position in San Francisco clears a very different floor than the same role in Birmingham. Whether you're filing as an Adjunct Instructor or Lecturer, DOL assigns four experience levels, and the wage floor shifts significantly with each.
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Entry-level applies to newly hired instructors with limited teaching experience, typically fresh from a doctoral program. The role involves routine course delivery under departmental supervision, with limited independent research responsibilities and minimal curriculum development authority.
The most common filing level for Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary. Covers instructors with solid independent teaching experience, typically two or more years post-degree, who manage their own course sections, advise students, and contribute to departmental service without senior oversight.
Applies to experienced faculty who lead curriculum development, supervise graduate students, hold committee responsibilities, or carry an active research agenda. Associate Professors or senior Instructors with a recognized publication record typically fall at this level.
Reserved for fully competent senior faculty, including tenured professors and department leads, who exercise broad academic authority, shape institutional curriculum, mentor junior faculty, and maintain an established national or international research profile.
Prevailing Wage for Sociology 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 Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch for title mismatches on your LCA
Colleges sometimes file LCAs under broader education SOC codes rather than SOC 25-1067. Confirm your Labor Condition Application explicitly lists the Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary occupation code, or your petition may cite a wage floor that does not match your actual role.
Account for the L2-to-L3 jump at research universities
At R1 institutions, employers often file Assistant Professors at Level 2 initially, then refile at Level 3 when tenure-track duties expand. Understand where in that progression your offer sits so you can assess whether the wage matches your full scope of work.
Check your worksite city, not your institution headquarters
Branch campuses, satellite programs, and online-but-resident teaching arrangements can place your worksite in a lower-wage metro than the flagship location. The LCA wage floor must reflect the city where you physically teach, not the university system's main address.
Find employers who have sponsored sociology faculty before
Migrate Mate shows historical visa sponsorship counts by employer, so you can identify which universities and community colleges have actually filed for Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary roles rather than relying on general institutional reputation.
Jobs for Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-1067.00 alongside Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Adjunct Instructor Prevailing Wage
Adjunct Instructor Prevailing Wage
Adjunct Instructor positions fall under SOC 25-1067.00 (Sociology 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 25-1067.00 (Sociology 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 25-1067.00 (Sociology 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 25-1067.00 (Sociology 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.
Instructor Prevailing Wage
Instructor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Instructor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1067.00 (Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Lecturer Prevailing Wage
Lecturer Prevailing Wage
Lecturer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1067.00 (Sociology 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 25-1067.00 (Sociology 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 Science Instructor Prevailing Wage
Social Science Instructor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Social Science Instructor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-1067.00 (Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Sociology Instructor Prevailing Wage
Sociology Instructor Prevailing Wage
Sociology Instructor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-1067.00 (Sociology 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.
Sociology Professor Prevailing Wage
Sociology Professor Prevailing Wage
Sociology Professor positions fall under SOC 25-1067.00 (Sociology 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 Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through employer surveys in each metropolitan area. For SOC 25-1067, it computes four wage percentiles tied to experience levels. Your employer submits a Labor Condition Application to OFLC declaring they will pay at least the prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
Level 1 is entry, Level 2 is qualified, Level 3 is experienced, and Level 4 is fully competent. For faculty roles, the determining factors include years of independent teaching experience, research responsibilities, supervisory scope, and tenure-track status. Most first-time Assistant Professor hires land at Level 2, while roles with active research expectations or committee leadership often warrant Level 3. Review the LCA your employer files to confirm which level they selected.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same sociology faculty role differ so much between cities?
DOL derives wage floors from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so local market rates drive the result. The LCA worksite rule requires the wage to reflect the city where you actually teach, not where the institution is headquartered. Dense academic markets like the San Francisco Bay Area or Southern California produce substantially higher floors than metros with fewer postsecondary employers, because the local survey captures a higher-wage pool of competing institutions.
What happens if a job offer for a sponsored position is below the prevailing wage floor?
OFLC will not certify a Labor Condition Application where the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage for the selected level and worksite. Without a certified LCA, USCIS cannot approve the H-1B or other work visa petition. If the offer is below floor, your employer must either raise the salary to meet the requirement or reclassify the position at a lower experience level that the duties genuinely support, before filing.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 25-1067 by metropolitan area. Select the relevant experience level and the worksite metro to see the current DOL-published floor. Cross-check against Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data for the same area. Migrate Mate can also help you identify which employers have sponsored sociology faculty positions and in which locations, so you can narrow your search before independently verifying the wage floor.
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