Prevailing Wage for Surgeons, All Other
Prevailing wage for Surgeons, All Other (SOC 29-1249) is set by DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. The floor varies by city and divides into four experience levels, so a sponsored position in one metro may carry a significantly different wage requirement than the same title filed elsewhere.
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Level 1 covers entry-level surgeons new to independent practice, typically completing their first attending role after residency or fellowship. DOL expects limited independent judgment and close supervision, with work primarily within defined clinical protocols.
Level 2 applies to qualified surgeons with established independent practice and moderate procedural breadth. Most H-1B and green card filings for attending surgeons fall at this level, reflecting standard hospital or practice group employment without supervisory or research leadership duties.
Level 3 covers experienced surgeons exercising broad independent judgment, often with a subspecialty focus, departmental responsibilities, or teaching duties at an academic medical center. DOL expects demonstrated expertise beyond routine case management.
Level 4 applies to fully competent surgeons in senior leadership roles, such as division chiefs, program directors, or surgeons directing a clinical department. These positions involve setting institutional standards and supervising other medical staff.
Prevailing Wage for Surgeons, 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
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Confirm your fellowship subspecialty maps to the right level
Fellowship-trained surgeons in a subspecialty such as cardiothoracic or pediatric surgery often qualify for Level 3 rather than Level 2. Filing at the wrong level can expose an employer to a wage violation if the certified wage falls short of what DOL assigns the actual position.
Watch how signing bonuses are treated in total compensation
Hospital systems and academic medical centers routinely offer large signing bonuses to recruited surgeons. DOL prevailing wage compliance looks at the base wage on the LCA, not total compensation, so a bonus cannot offset a below-floor annual salary.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with surgical sponsorship history
Surgical roles require rare employer willingness to navigate specialty-occupation documentation for MD-level hires. Migrate Mate shows which hospital systems and academic medical centers have actually sponsored surgeons before, narrowing your search to realistic targets.
Account for worksite location when comparing metro wage floors
A surgeon employed by a national hospital network may be assigned to a rural affiliate or satellite campus. DOL requires the LCA to reflect the actual worksite metro, which can carry a materially different wage floor than the corporate headquarters location.
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Find Jobs for Surgeons, All OtherFrequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Surgeons, All Other?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected from employers across every metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area. For SOC 29-1249, OFLC assigns a wage to each of four experience levels in each survey area. Employers must certify on the Labor Condition Application that they will pay at least the applicable level wage for the 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. The employer selects the level based on the actual job duties, required experience, and degree of supervision in the position description. Most attending surgeon roles without supervisory duties are filed at Level 2, while subspecialty or departmental leadership positions typically warrant Level 3 or Level 4. Reviewing the job description against DOL level definitions clarifies the correct filing.
Why does the prevailing wage for this role vary so much from city to city?
OFLC derives wages from regional BLS surveys, so each metropolitan statistical area produces its own wage distribution. Areas with high concentrations of academic medical centers or high costs of living tend to generate higher survey wages, while smaller metros with fewer surveyed employers produce lower floors. The LCA must list the actual worksite location, so the applicable wage is the rate for the city where the surgeon will practice, not the employer's billing or administrative address.
What happens if an offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
USCIS will not approve an H-1B or employment-based green card petition if the underlying LCA certifies a wage below the OFLC prevailing wage for the relevant level and worksite. If OFLC audits an employer and finds the actual wage paid is below the certified wage, the employer faces back-pay liability, debarment from future filings, and civil penalties. The sponsored worker's status can also be jeopardized if the petition is revoked.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific city?
The OFLC Wage Search tool allows you to look up the current four-level prevailing wage for SOC 29-1249 in any metropolitan area where survey data exists. Enter the occupation code and the worksite metropolitan area to retrieve the certified wage floor. Migrate Mate also shows which employers have sponsored surgeons in specific metros, helping you cross-reference realistic hiring markets against the applicable wage floors.
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