H-1B Prevailing Wage Levels Explained: What Level I to IV Means (2026)
H-1B prevailing wages have four levels set by the U.S. Department of Labor. In FY2024, Level I (entry) averages $82,080 per year for technology roles (SOC 15-xxxx). Level IV (expert) averages $143,928. In the SF Bay Area, Level IV reaches $200,157. Your wage level determines your minimum required salary.
Every H-1B employer must file a Labor Condition Application (LCA) that specifies a prevailing wage level. The DOL calculates these levels from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, broken down by SOC code and metropolitan area.
Wage Level Definitions
| Level | Percentile | Description | Typical Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level I | 17th | Entry level. Performs routine tasks under close supervision. | 0 to 2 years |
| Level II | 34th | Qualified. Performs moderately complex tasks with limited supervision. | 2 to 5 years |
| Level III | 50th | Experienced. Applies special skills and knowledge independently. | 5 to 8 years |
| Level IV | 67th | Fully competent. Expert who leads and mentors others. | 8+ years |
Average Salary by Wage Level (Technology Roles, FY2024)
The table below uses all SOC 15-xxxx technology roles filed as certified LCAs in FY2024. Metro definitions use explicit city+state lists (SF Bay Area includes San Francisco, San Jose, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and surrounding peninsula cities; NYC Metro includes Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Jersey City, Newark, Hoboken; Seattle Area includes Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Bothell).
| Wage Level | National | SF Bay Area | NYC Metro | Seattle Area | Austin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level I | $82,080 | $114,749 | $81,700 | $94,988 | $73,218 |
| Level II | $98,966 | $146,976 | $105,726 | $118,779 | $89,151 |
| Level III | $122,944 | $173,526 | $132,071 | $143,962 | $110,637 |
| Level IV | $143,928 | $200,157 | $158,140 | $171,430 | $133,261 |
Wage Level Distribution by Company Type (FY2024)
Product companies tend to file at higher wage levels than IT consulting firms. Finance firms concentrate heavily at Level IV due to senior-heavy roles. This directly impacts both the salary and how USCIS scrutinizes the petition.
| Company Type | % Level I | % Level II | % Level III | % Level IV | Total Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Tech (Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Apple) | 9% | 44% | 32% | 14% | 39,199 |
| Finance (Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Capital One) | 9% | 31% | 24% | 36% | 5,601 |
| IT Consulting (Infosys, TCS, Cognizant, HCL, Accenture, Capgemini) | 1% | 55% | 32% | 12% | 39,515 |
Approval Rates by Wage Level
USCIS approval and Request for Evidence (RFE) rates by wage level come from USCIS adjudication data, which is separate from the DOL LCA data used for the wage tables above. Current approval rates by employer, fiscal year, and filing type are published in the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub. As a general pattern: higher wage levels correlate with higher approval rates and fewer RFEs, while Level I filings (especially from IT consulting firms) face the most scrutiny.
How to Check Prevailing Wages via API
Query the H-1B Salary Data API to see salary distributions by wage level for any role and location:
GET /api/v1/salaries?job_title=software+engineer&state=CA&wage_level=III&sort=salary_desc
Compare across levels to understand what each tier pays in your target location. See the API documentation for all filter options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 4 H-1B prevailing wage levels?
The DOL assigns four wage levels to H-1B positions. Level I (entry level, 17th percentile) is for workers with basic understanding. Level II (qualified, 34th percentile) is for workers with some experience. Level III (experienced, 50th percentile) is for workers with special skills. Level IV (fully competent, 67th percentile) is for expert workers.
What is the minimum salary for H-1B in 2024?
There is no single minimum H-1B salary. The minimum is the prevailing wage for the specific role and location. For a Level I software engineer in San Francisco, this is approximately $120,000/year. In a smaller city like Columbus, OH, it may be $75,000/year for the same role.
What is the difference between Wage Level I and Level III?
Level I is the 17th percentile salary for a role in a given area (entry level). Level III is the 50th percentile (experienced). For software engineers nationally in FY2024, Level I averages $95,700 and Level III averages $148,644, a ~$53,000 gap. In the SF Bay Area the gap is much larger: Level I $138,802 vs Level III $211,332.
How is the H-1B prevailing wage calculated?
The DOL calculates prevailing wages using the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey data. Each role (by SOC code) in each metropolitan area has four wage levels based on percentiles of the local salary distribution.
Can an employer file H-1B at Wage Level I for a senior engineer?
Technically yes, but USCIS may issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) if the wage level does not match the job duties. Filing a senior role at Level I is a common red flag and can trigger RFEs, particularly for IT consulting company petitions.
Do higher wage levels improve H-1B approval chances?
Higher wage levels generally correlate with higher approval rates, though exact approval figures come from USCIS adjudication data rather than DOL LCA data. The USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub publishes approval rates and RFE data by employer and fiscal year. Level I filings, especially from consulting firms, tend to receive more scrutiny.
How to negotiate salary based on prevailing wage data?
Use the H-1B Salary Data API to find what other companies pay for the same role, level, and location. If your offer is at Level I but your experience qualifies for Level II or III, you can present this data during salary negotiation. Query: GET /api/v1/salaries?job_title=your_role&state=XX&wage_level=II
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