Prevailing Wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten (SOC 25-2055) are subject to DOL prevailing wage requirements under H-1B, E-3, and PERM sponsorship. Whether your job title reads Learning Support Teacher, Resource Program Teacher, or Emotional Disabilities Teacher, the same four-level wage floor applies. Rates vary significantly by worksite city, so the same role can clear the floor in one metro and fall short in another.
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Entry-level candidates with limited professional experience in special education, typically recent graduates completing their first kindergarten placement. Minimal independent caseload responsibility; works under close supervision following established lesson plans and IEP frameworks.
Qualified teachers with a few years of classroom experience managing independent IEP caseloads for kindergarten students. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten, reflecting standard licensed classroom roles at public and private school districts.
Experienced teachers with a substantial record managing complex disability classifications, leading co-teaching arrangements, or serving as a resource program lead. May mentor newer staff and contribute to curriculum adaptation across a building or grade band.
Fully competent professionals in senior or specialist roles, such as district-level special education coordinators or highly specialized itinerant positions serving students who are deaf or have visual impairments. Sets program standards and exercises broad independent judgment.
Prevailing Wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten 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 Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch for the district vs agency filing gap
School districts often file LCAs at Level 2, while staffing agencies placing teachers in the same classrooms sometimes file at Level 1. If your offer comes through an agency rather than the district directly, verify which level the LCA reflects before accepting.
Flag California metros before comparing offers
California metros consistently post the highest prevailing wages for kindergarten special education roles. An offer from a district in the Central Valley or Bay Area should be benchmarked against regional OES data, not the national median, which significantly understates local floors.
Check whether your IEP specialization shifts your SOC
Teachers who work exclusively with students who are deaf or have visual impairments are sometimes filed under adjacent SOC codes rather than 25-2055. A misclassified SOC means the wage floor on your LCA may not match the actual prevailing wage for your specialty.
Use Migrate Mate to find districts with sponsorship history
Public school sponsorship for this role is concentrated in specific districts. Migrate Mate shows which employers have historically sponsored Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten so you can target districts with an established H-1B or green card filing track record.
Jobs for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-2055.00 alongside Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Emotional Disabilities Teacher Prevailing Wage
Emotional Disabilities Teacher Prevailing Wage
Emotional Disabilities Teacher positions fall under SOC 25-2055.00 (Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten). 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.
Hearing Impaired Itinerant Teacher (HI Itinerant Teacher) Prevailing Wage
Hearing Impaired Itinerant Teacher (HI Itinerant Teacher) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Hearing Impaired Itinerant Teacher (HI Itinerant Teacher) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-2055.00 (Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Learning Support Teacher Prevailing Wage
Learning Support Teacher Prevailing Wage
Learning Support Teacher is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-2055.00 (Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten). 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.
Resource Program Teacher Prevailing Wage
Resource Program Teacher Prevailing Wage
Resource Program Teacher positions fall under SOC 25-2055.00 (Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten). 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.
Special Education Inclusion Teacher Prevailing Wage
Special Education Inclusion Teacher Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Special Education Inclusion Teacher for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-2055.00 (Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Special Education Resource Teacher Prevailing Wage
Special Education Resource Teacher Prevailing Wage
Special Education Resource Teacher is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-2055.00 (Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten). 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to establish prevailing wages for each occupation by metropolitan area. For SOC 25-2055, OFLC converts those survey results into four wage levels. Employers must certify on the LCA that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level for the worksite location before USCIS will approve an H-1B or other sponsored visa petition.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
DOL's four levels reflect experience and complexity of duties. Level 1 covers entry-level teachers under close supervision; Level 2 covers qualified professionals managing independent caseloads, and is the most common filing level for this occupation; Level 3 reflects experienced teachers with leadership responsibilities; Level 4 applies to senior or highly specialized roles. Your employer's LCA specifies the level, and it should match your actual job duties and experience, not just your title.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same teaching role vary so much by city?
OFLC sets wages using regional OES survey data, so the floor reflects actual pay in each labor market. A district in El Centro or San Jose draws on California wage surveys, which are significantly higher than surveys in rural Utah or Arizona. The LCA must list the actual worksite location, so if you work in a high-cost metro, the applicable floor is the local figure, not a national average. Dense public-sector employer markets also push regional floors higher.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
If the offered wage falls below the DOL prevailing wage for your level and worksite, the employer cannot certify the LCA. Without a certified LCA, USCIS will not approve the H-1B petition. For PERM-based green card cases, DOL will not certify the application either. The employer must raise the offered wage to at least the prevailing wage floor before filing, or the sponsorship cannot proceed.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 25-2055 for any metro area where your job is located. Enter the occupation code and the worksite city or county to see the current Level 1 through Level 4 figures. You can also reference O*NET for occupation background. Migrate Mate lists employers with confirmed sponsorship history for this role, which helps you identify which districts are already familiar with the LCA wage compliance process.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten right now.
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