Prevailing Wage for Watch and Clock Repairers
Prevailing wage requirements for Watch and Clock Repairers are set by the DOL using regional wage surveys and apply to H-1B, E-3, and green card sponsorships. Whether you work as a Clock Repair Technician or an Antique Clock Repairer, DOL assigns four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts considerably depending on which city your worksite is in.
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Level 1 covers entry-level repairers with limited hands-on experience, typically under two years, performing routine cleaning and adjustment tasks under close supervision. Employers file here for candidates still developing independent diagnostic and movement-repair skills.
Level 2 applies to qualified technicians with a few years of experience who handle a full range of repair and cleaning tasks with moderate supervision. This is the most common filing level for Watch and Clock Repairers on sponsored positions.
Level 3 covers experienced repairers who work independently on complex mechanical movements, train junior staff, and handle specialty timepiece restoration. Employers file here when the role requires advanced diagnostic judgment and minimal oversight.
Level 4 is reserved for fully competent senior technicians who lead repair operations, set quality standards, and may oversee a workshop. These roles involve the highest technical complexity and often carry supervisory or client-relations responsibilities.
Prevailing Wage for Watch and Clock Repairers 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 Watch and Clock Repairers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your filing level before accepting
Watch and clock repair shops frequently file at Level 1 even when the posted role requires independent movement overhaul or escapement work. If your offer involves unsupervised precision repairs, push for Level 2 classification before signing.
Check Miami and New York wage floors first
Miami consistently carries the highest prevailing wage floors for this occupation across all four levels, followed by New York. Washington, DC filings sit near the national floor despite high local living costs, making metro selection a real planning variable.
Watch for title mismatches on LCA filings
Job postings for Watch Repair Technician or Watch Estimator roles sometimes get filed under broader repair SOC codes, pulling the prevailing wage floor away from SOC 49-9064. Verify the SOC code on your LCA matches this occupation before your petition is submitted.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsored repair employers
Independent jewelers and specialty retailers dominate Watch and Clock Repairers sponsorship history. Migrate Mate shows which employers have actually sponsored this occupation before, letting you prioritize shops with a real H-1B or E-3 filing record.
Jobs for Watch and Clock Repairers are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Watch and Clock RepairersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 49-9064.00 alongside Watch and Clock Repairers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Antique Clock Repairer Prevailing Wage
Antique Clock Repairer Prevailing Wage
Antique Clock Repairer positions fall under SOC 49-9064.00 (Watch and Clock Repairers). 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.
Clock Repair Technician Prevailing Wage
Clock Repair Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Clock Repair Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-9064.00 (Watch and Clock Repairers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Clock Repairer Prevailing Wage
Clock Repairer Prevailing Wage
Clock Repairer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-9064.00 (Watch and Clock Repairers). 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.
Watch Estimator Prevailing Wage
Watch Estimator Prevailing Wage
Watch Estimator positions fall under SOC 49-9064.00 (Watch and Clock Repairers). 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.
Watch Repair Person Prevailing Wage
Watch Repair Person Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Watch Repair Person for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-9064.00 (Watch and Clock Repairers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Watch Repair Technician Prevailing Wage
Watch Repair Technician Prevailing Wage
Watch Repair Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-9064.00 (Watch and Clock Repairers). 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.
Watch Repairer Prevailing Wage
Watch Repairer Prevailing Wage
Watch Repairer positions fall under SOC 49-9064.00 (Watch and Clock Repairers). 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.
Watch Technician (Watch Tech) Prevailing Wage
Watch Technician (Watch Tech) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Watch Technician (Watch Tech) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-9064.00 (Watch and Clock Repairers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Watch and Clock Repairers?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For Watch and Clock Repairers under SOC 49-9064, it pulls regional wage distributions and divides them into four levels. Employers use the OFLC Wage Search tool to retrieve the certified wage floor for the specific worksite location before filing an LCA.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL's four levels map to experience and supervision. Level 1 is entry-level with close oversight; Level 2 is qualified with routine independence; Level 3 is experienced with advanced technical scope; Level 4 is fully competent with senior or lead responsibilities. Your employer selects the level based on the actual job duties in the LCA. Review the job description and compare it against DOL's level definitions to confirm the right classification.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same repair role vary so much from city to city?
DOL bases wages on regional OES surveys, so local labor market conditions drive the numbers. A worksite in Miami produces a different floor than one in Washington, DC because wage distributions differ across those markets. The LCA must list the actual worksite address, and that city's wage applies, not a national average. Dense employer markets and higher local costs of labor push metro-level floors above the national median.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
USCIS and DOL require that the offered wage meet or exceed the prevailing wage for the certified level and worksite location. If the offer falls short, the LCA will not receive DOL certification, and without a certified LCA, an H-1B or E-3 petition cannot be filed. The employer must either raise the offered wage to meet the floor or reclassify the role at a level whose floor the offer satisfies.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Watch and Clock Repairers in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you search by SOC code 49-9064 and select your specific metropolitan area. The results show the certified wage floor for each of the four levels at that worksite location. Cross-check against the Bureau of Labor Statistics OES data for broader context. Migrate Mate also shows which employers have filed sponsorships for this occupation, giving you a practical sense of where active hiring is concentrated.
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