Prevailing Wage for Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers
Prevailing wage for Broadband Technician roles is set by DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data, and it shifts considerably depending on where the work is performed. DOL assigns four experience levels, so a Central Office Technician filing at entry level faces a very different floor than a senior Field Technician. Visa sponsors must meet or exceed whichever level applies to the specific position.
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Entry-level Broadband Technician roles with limited hands-on experience, typically under two years. Work is closely supervised, tasks are routine, and the technician is still building proficiency with switching, distribution, or customer-premises equipment. Most employers file H-1B petitions at this level only for new graduates.
The most common filing level for Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers. Qualified technicians with two or more years of relevant experience who work independently on standard installations, repairs, and equipment configuration with only general supervision.
Experienced technicians who handle complex or non-routine service scenarios, mentor junior staff, and may coordinate installations across multiple sites or central office environments. Work is performed with minimal oversight and requires broad knowledge of communications equipment and network topology.
Fully competent senior or lead technicians who set standards, train teams, and resolve the most technically demanding equipment or network issues. Employers filing at this level typically require deep specialization in central office switching, fiber distribution, or advanced broadband infrastructure.
Prevailing Wage for Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers 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 Broadband Technician and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Flag worksite city before accepting an offer
For Field Technicians and Combination Technicians who travel between customer sites, the LCA worksite address determines which metro wage applies. Anchorage and San Francisco floors differ from Puerto Rico floors by tens of thousands of dollars annually, so confirm the designated worksite city before evaluating any offer.
Watch how signing bonuses affect base wage compliance
DOL prevailing wage compliance for sponsored Broadband Technician roles is calculated against base salary only. Signing bonuses, per-diem allowances, and truck or equipment stipends cannot be counted toward meeting the wage floor, so verify base pay independently.
Check historical sponsor counts with Migrate Mate
Telecom employers range from large carriers to regional contractors. Migrate Mate shows which companies have historically sponsored Broadband Technician and Central Office Technician roles, so you can prioritize employers with a demonstrated sponsorship track record rather than guessing from job postings.
Verify the SOC code on your LCA
Customer Service Technician and Install and Repair Technician titles are common aliases that employers sometimes file under adjacent SOC codes with lower prevailing wages. Confirm your LCA lists SOC 49-2022 before your petition is submitted to avoid a wage-floor shortfall.
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Find Jobs for Broadband TechnicianPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 49-2022.00 alongside Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Broadband Technician Prevailing Wage
Broadband Technician Prevailing Wage
Broadband Technician positions fall under SOC 49-2022.00 (Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers). 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.
Central Office Technician Prevailing Wage
Central Office Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Central Office Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-2022.00 (Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Combination Technician Prevailing Wage
Combination Technician Prevailing Wage
Combination Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-2022.00 (Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers). 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.
Customer Service Technician (CST) Prevailing Wage
Customer Service Technician (CST) Prevailing Wage
Customer Service Technician (CST) positions fall under SOC 49-2022.00 (Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers). 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 Technician Prevailing Wage
Field Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Field Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-2022.00 (Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Install and Repair Technician Prevailing Wage
Install and Repair Technician Prevailing Wage
Install and Repair Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-2022.00 (Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers). 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.
Installer Prevailing Wage
Installer Prevailing Wage
Installer positions fall under SOC 49-2022.00 (Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers). 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.
Outside Plant Technician Prevailing Wage
Outside Plant Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Outside Plant Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-2022.00 (Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Service Technician Prevailing Wage
Service Technician Prevailing Wage
Service Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-2022.00 (Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers). 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.
Telecommunications Technician Prevailing Wage
Telecommunications Technician Prevailing Wage
Telecommunications Technician positions fall under SOC 49-2022.00 (Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers). 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 Broadband Technician roles?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For each metro area, BLS surveys employer-reported wages for SOC 49-2022. OFLC then converts those survey results into four wage levels corresponding to entry through fully competent experience. Employers sponsoring a Broadband Technician must certify on the LCA that they will pay at least the applicable level wage for that worksite.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which applies to me?
Level 1 covers entry-level work under close supervision. Level 2, the most common filing level for this occupation, applies to technicians working independently on standard installations and repairs. Level 3 reflects experienced technicians handling complex scenarios or leading others. Level 4 is reserved for senior specialists setting technical standards. Your level is determined by the actual job duties your employer describes on the LCA, not your years of experience alone.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Broadband Technician role vary so much by city?
OFLC uses regional OES surveys, so the wage floor reflects local employer pay practices, not a national average. A dense carrier market like San Francisco produces a higher surveyed median than a smaller Puerto Rico metro. Critically, the LCA must list the actual worksite address, so a technician dispatched to customer sites in one metro cannot use a lower-wage metro's floor. The worksite on the LCA, not the employer's headquarters, controls which prevailing wage applies.
What happens if a job offer for a sponsored position is below the prevailing wage?
USCIS will deny the H-1B petition if the LCA wage commitment does not meet or exceed the DOL prevailing wage for the designated worksite and experience level. For green card PERM cases, OFLC will reject the application at audit. The employer must either raise the offered salary to the floor before filing or file at a lower experience level that matches both the duties and the offered wage. Underpaying a sponsored worker after approval can also trigger DOL enforcement and back-wage liability.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Broadband Technician role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, enter SOC code 49-2022, and select the metro area matching your worksite. The tool returns all four level wages for that area. You can also review OFLC disclosure data to see what wage levels competing employers have certified for Central Office Technician and Field Technician positions in that market. Migrate Mate can help you identify which employers have sponsored this role, so you can benchmark offers against active sponsors in your target city.
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