H-1B prevailing wages and actual salaries by state and metro area. Where H-1B workers earn the most, DOL wage level data, and how location affects your LCA.
The Labor Condition Application (LCA) requires employers to pay the higher of the actual wage or the prevailing wage for the occupation and area of intended employment. The prevailing wage is determined by the Department of Labor's Foreign Labor Certification Data Center using the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. This means the same job title in San Francisco commands a dramatically different prevailing wage than in Dallas.
California consistently leads H-1B wages, driven by Silicon Valley tech salaries. Washington State (Seattle area) follows, then New York (Manhattan), Massachusetts (Boston/Cambridge), and New Jersey. The tech-heavy coastal metros set prevailing wages 30–60% above the national average for most specialty occupation roles.
DOL assigns four wage levels based on the worker's experience and the complexity of duties: Level I (entry, limited experience), Level II (qualified, moderate experience), Level III (experienced, full competency), Level IV (fully competent, expert-level). Most H-1B petitions should target Level II or III to avoid RFEs for understating duties.
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