Prevailing Wage for Wind Turbine Service Technicians
Prevailing wages for Wind Turbine Service Technicians (SOC 49-9081) are set by the DOL and serve as the minimum base salary an employer must offer when sponsoring a Field Service Technician or Renewable Energy Technician for an H-1B, E-3, or green card. DOL publishes four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly depending on the worksite city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level technicians with limited field experience, typically less than two years, who perform routine inspections and maintenance tasks under direct supervision. Work is generally limited to standard procedures with little independent judgment required.
Level 2 applies to qualified technicians with hands-on experience in turbine diagnostics, electrical troubleshooting, and hydraulic systems who work with moderate supervision. This is the most common filing level for Wind Turbine Service Technicians, reflecting the occupation's experience-based progression.
Level 3 covers experienced technicians who independently diagnose complex mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic malfunctions across multiple turbine platforms. They may provide guidance to junior team members and handle non-routine repairs with minimal supervision.
Level 4 applies to fully competent senior technicians or lead specialists who manage multi-site maintenance programs, train others, and serve as subject-matter authorities on turbine systems. Employers filing at this level typically document extensive cross-platform expertise.
Prevailing Wage for Wind Turbine Service Technicians 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 Wind Turbine Service Technicians and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Wind Turbine Service Technicians
Check whether your title matches the LCA filing
Titles like Service Technician or Field Service Technician are sometimes filed under a broader maintenance SOC rather than 49-9081, which can set a different wage floor. Confirm the SOC code on any Labor Condition Application before accepting an offer.
Account for California's steep regional premium
Los Angeles wages for this role run dramatically higher than the national median, particularly at upper experience levels. If your worksite is in California, the prevailing wage floor on your LCA should reflect that metro, not a national average.
Watch for bonus structures that exclude base wage compliance
Wind technician offers sometimes bundle hazard pay, travel allowances, or per-diem payments into total compensation. DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against the base wage on the LCA, so non-guaranteed payments do not count toward the floor.
Find employers sponsoring Wind Turbine Service Technicians on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate shows which employers have a verified history of sponsoring this role and lets you filter by visa type and location, so you can focus on operators and OEMs that have actually filed for Wind Turbine Service Technicians before.
Jobs for Wind Turbine Service Technicians are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 49-9081.00 alongside Wind Turbine Service Technicians, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Field Service Technician Prevailing Wage
Field Service Technician Prevailing Wage
Field Service Technician positions fall under SOC 49-9081.00 (Wind Turbine Service Technicians). 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.
Renewable Energy Technician Prevailing Wage
Renewable Energy Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Renewable Energy Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-9081.00 (Wind Turbine Service Technicians). 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 49-9081.00 (Wind Turbine Service Technicians). 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.
Troubleshooting Technician Prevailing Wage
Troubleshooting Technician Prevailing Wage
Troubleshooting Technician positions fall under SOC 49-9081.00 (Wind Turbine Service Technicians). 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.
Wind Farm Support Specialist Prevailing Wage
Wind Farm Support Specialist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Wind Farm Support Specialist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-9081.00 (Wind Turbine Service Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Wind Technician Prevailing Wage
Wind Technician Prevailing Wage
Wind Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-9081.00 (Wind Turbine Service Technicians). 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.
Wind Turbine Operator Prevailing Wage
Wind Turbine Operator Prevailing Wage
Wind Turbine Operator positions fall under SOC 49-9081.00 (Wind Turbine Service Technicians). 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.
Wind Turbine Technician Prevailing Wage
Wind Turbine Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Wind Turbine Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-9081.00 (Wind Turbine Service Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Wind Turbine Troubleshooting Technician Prevailing Wage
Wind Turbine Troubleshooting Technician Prevailing Wage
Wind Turbine Troubleshooting Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-9081.00 (Wind Turbine Service Technicians). 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 Wind Turbine Service Technicians?
DOL derives prevailing wages for Wind Turbine Service Technicians from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) maps these survey results to SOC 49-9081 and calculates four wage levels based on the statistical distribution of wages reported for that occupation in each geographic area.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect increasing experience and independence. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision, Level 2 is qualified with moderate supervision, Level 3 is experienced with independent judgment, and Level 4 is fully competent or senior. Your employer selects the level based on the actual duties and supervision structure described in the LCA, not your title. Compare the job description to DOL's level definitions to verify the filing is correct.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Wind Turbine Service Technician role vary so much by city?
OFLC bases wages on regional Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys, which capture local labor market conditions. The worksite address listed on the LCA determines which metro's wage floor applies, not the employer's headquarters. Markets with higher costs of living or stronger union presence, such as Los Angeles, produce higher survey results than lower-cost plains states markets. This worksite-on-LCA rule means two technicians at the same company can have different prevailing wage floors if they work in different cities.
What happens if an employer offers a wage below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
USCIS will not approve an H-1B petition if the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage certified on the LCA. For green card PERM cases, DOL audits the application and can reject it if the wage does not meet the floor. An employer paying below the certified wage also risks debarment from future sponsorships. You should not accept a sponsored offer where the base salary is below the prevailing wage level stated on the LCA.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Wind Turbine Service Technicians in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up SOC 49-9081 filtered by your worksite metro area. The results will show all four wage levels for that geography. You can cross-reference with O*NET for occupation details. Migrate Mate also lets you filter Wind Turbine Service Technician listings by location and see which employers have sponsored the role in that region, giving you a practical starting point for salary benchmarking.
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