Prevailing Wage for Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
Prevailing wage for Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products is set by the DOL under SOC 13-1022 and applies to every sponsored position, whether the title on the offer letter reads Buyer, Procurement Specialist, or Purchaser. DOL establishes four experience levels, and the floor shifts considerably by city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level buyers with limited professional experience, typically performing routine purchasing tasks under close supervision. Candidates who are recent graduates or transitioning into a buyer role from a support function generally fall here.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products. It reflects a qualified professional who independently manages vendor relationships and purchasing decisions with moderate supervision, typically with two or more years of buying experience.
Level 3 applies to experienced buyers who lead complex procurement programs, mentor junior staff, and exercise significant judgment on vendor selection and contract terms. Candidates with a strong track record managing multi-category or high-volume purchasing portfolios typically qualify.
Level 4 covers fully competent senior buyers and lead purchasing managers who set department strategy, oversee large spend portfolios, and may manage a team. This level is typically reserved for roles with substantial tenure and enterprise-wide procurement responsibility.
Prevailing Wage for Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products 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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Watch for title-aliasing between buyer SOC codes
Employers sometimes file LCAs for buyer roles under Purchasing Managers (SOC 11-3061) instead of SOC 13-1022, which carries a different prevailing wage floor. Confirm which SOC code appears on your LCA before comparing the offered salary to the correct level.
Exclude bonuses and equity when checking the floor
Buyer compensation packages at retail and wholesale companies often include vendor-performance bonuses or profit-sharing. DOL prevailing wage compliance counts only base salary, so signing bonuses and at-risk pay cannot bridge a gap between your offered base and the applicable wage level.
Factor in metro concentration for major retail hubs
San Jose and Washington DC show substantially higher prevailing wage floors for this occupation than national medians, reflecting dense employer markets. Fayetteville, AR also posts elevated floors, likely tied to large wholesale and retail headquarter operations in that metro.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with buying sponsorship history
Migrate Mate filters visa-sponsoring employers and shows historical sponsorship counts by company, letting you identify which retailers and wholesalers have actually sponsored Buyer or Procurement Specialist roles before rather than relying on job posting language alone.
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Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 13-1022.00 alongside Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Buyer Prevailing Wage
Buyer Prevailing Wage
Buyer positions fall under SOC 13-1022.00 (Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products). 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.
Grocery Buyer Prevailing Wage
Grocery Buyer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Grocery Buyer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 13-1022.00 (Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Procurement Specialist Prevailing Wage
Procurement Specialist Prevailing Wage
Procurement Specialist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 13-1022.00 (Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products). 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.
Purchaser Prevailing Wage
Purchaser Prevailing Wage
Purchaser positions fall under SOC 13-1022.00 (Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products). 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.
Purchasing Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Purchasing Coordinator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Purchasing Coordinator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 13-1022.00 (Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Retail Buyer Prevailing Wage
Retail Buyer Prevailing Wage
Retail Buyer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 13-1022.00 (Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products). 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.
Trader Prevailing Wage
Trader Prevailing Wage
Trader positions fall under SOC 13-1022.00 (Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products). 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 Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products?
DOL derives prevailing wages from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For SOC 13-1022, BLS collects wage data across hundreds of metropolitan areas and assigns four wage levels based on experience, complexity, and supervision. OFLC publishes these figures annually and employers must use the level that matches the actual job duties described in the LCA.
What do the four wage levels mean, and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels map to experience and autonomy: Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision, Level 2 is a qualified professional working independently, Level 3 is experienced with leadership responsibilities, and Level 4 is fully competent with strategic or managerial scope. To identify your level, compare the duties and supervision structure in the job description to the DOL level definitions, then cross-reference with the SOC code on the employer's LCA.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same buyer role differ so much between cities?
DOL calculates prevailing wages from regional OES surveys, so each metropolitan area reflects local labor market conditions independently. A buyer role in San Jose is benchmarked against Silicon Valley compensation norms, while the same title in a lower-cost market produces a lower floor. Critically, the worksite address on the LCA determines which metro's wage applies, so if you work remotely from a different city than the employer's headquarters, the wage floor is set by your actual worksite location.
What happens if an employer offers a salary below the prevailing wage for a sponsored buyer position?
For H-1B and PERM filings, the offered wage must equal or exceed the applicable prevailing wage at the time of filing. If the offer falls short, OFLC will not certify the LCA, and USCIS will not approve the petition. An employer cannot make up the difference with bonuses or equity. If you receive an offer below the prevailing wage floor for your level and location, the employer must raise the base salary or the sponsorship cannot proceed.
How do I find the prevailing wage for Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool on the DOL website, select SOC code 13-1022, and filter by the metropolitan area matching your worksite. OFLC updates the wage tables annually, so confirm you are viewing the current program year. If your city is not listed as a standalone metro, DOL may assign a statewide or national figure, and you should verify which geographic unit applies to your LCA before comparing it to your offered salary.
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