A persistent myth: H1B holders must accept prevailing wage as their salary. This is wrong. H1B prevailing wage is a FLOOR, not a ceiling. Here is how to negotiate significantly above it.
**What prevailing wage actually means:** The DOL prevailing wage is the minimum your employer must pay you to comply with H1B regulations. It has nothing to do with what the market pays or what you should accept. Top candidates at top companies earn 2–3x the prevailing wage.
**Market data that helps you:** Use DOL LCA disclosure data (public record) to see what your exact employer paid recent H1B employees in your role. This tells you exactly what's possible. Sites like h1bvisajobs.com Sponsor Intel show this data.
**Competing offer strategy:** Having a competing H1B offer from another sponsor is the single most powerful negotiation lever. If Company A offers $180,000 and Company B offers $160,000, use Company A's offer to negotiate B up. Most H1B-sponsoring employers are accustomed to this.
**Why H1B does not limit your negotiating power:** Employers who sponsor H1B are investing $3,000–$10,000+ in filing fees and attorney costs per petition. They are motivated to close the deal. This investment actually slightly increases your leverage compared to non-H1B candidates.
**What to negotiate beyond salary:** Sign-on bonus (not subject to prevailing wage rules), equity/RSU grants, premium processing (employer should pay), annual H1B renewal coverage, PERM sponsorship timeline, green card support.