Compare your offer against DOL Level II prevailing wage and market rates by role and city.
Your offer is 4% above the DOL Level II minimum.
| Benchmark | Amount | vs Your Offer |
|---|---|---|
| DOL Level II Prevailing Wage | $125,000 | +$5,000 |
| Median Market Rate | $145,000 | $-15,000 |
| Your Offered Salary | $130,000 | — |
The Department of Labor assigns four wage levels to every occupation in every geographic area. These levels are published in the DOL Foreign Labor Certification Wage Data and are used to determine the prevailing wage that every H1B employer must certify on the Labor Condition Application (LCA). Understanding the four levels is essential for evaluating whether your offer is competitive, legally compliant, and strategically positioned for USCIS adjudication.
Level I — Entry Level
~17th percentile
Workers with limited experience performing routine tasks under close supervision. USCIS heavily scrutinizes Level I wages — a Level I filing for an experienced engineer or scientist often triggers an RFE.
Example: Entry-level analyst, junior developer with 0–2 years experience
Level II — Qualified
~34th percentile
Workers with some experience performing moderately complex tasks. This is the DOL minimum acceptable wage for most H1B petitions. Offers at Level II are compliant but borderline — USCIS may still question whether the role is truly entry-level.
Example: Mid-level software engineer, staff accountant, associate product manager
Level III — Experienced
~50th percentile (median)
Workers with significant experience performing complex tasks with general supervision. Level III wages strengthen H1B petitions considerably and are associated with meaningfully lower RFE rates. Many immigration attorneys recommend targeting Level III or above.
Example: Senior software engineer, senior financial analyst, experienced product manager
Level IV — Fully Competent
~67th percentile
Top-tier workers in their field performing highly complex tasks with full autonomy. Level IV wages are the strongest H1B position — USCIS rarely questions specialty occupation at this wage level. These wages also provide compelling evidence for O-1A extraordinary ability petitions.
Example: Principal engineer, VP of finance, director of product, chief architect
The table below shows approximate national prevailing wages by DOL wage level for the most common H1B occupations. These figures are based on the DOL Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program data for fiscal year 2025–2026. Actual wages vary by geography — major metros like San Francisco and New York will have higher levels than national averages. Always look up your specific SOC code and MSA for accuracy.
| Job Title | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Software Engineer SOC 15-1252 | $98,800 | $128,440 | $158,080 | $189,189 |
Data Scientist SOC 15-2051 | $104,520 | $134,992 | $165,464 | $198,250 |
Product Manager SOC 11-2021 | $112,000 | $148,200 | $184,400 | $222,000 |
Financial Analyst SOC 13-2051 | $72,800 | $95,200 | $117,600 | $141,000 |
Mechanical Engineer SOC 17-2141 | $68,640 | $88,192 | $107,744 | $128,648 |
Accountant / CPA SOC 13-2011 | $63,440 | $82,784 | $102,128 | $122,200 |
Registered Nurse SOC 29-1141 | $68,120 | $85,696 | $103,272 | $124,000 |
Marketing Manager SOC 11-2021 | $82,000 | $108,000 | $134,000 | $163,000 |
Civil Engineer SOC 17-2051 | $66,560 | $84,552 | $102,544 | $122,200 |
Management Consultant SOC 13-1111 | $88,400 | $112,320 | $136,240 | $163,280 |
National averages. Actual wages vary by location. Source: DOL OEWS 2025–2026 data.
Many H1B workers are paid at or just above the DOL Level II prevailing wage — the legal minimum — while the actual market rate for their role is significantly higher. A 2023 analysis of USCIS public LCA disclosure data found that over 40% of H1B workers in software engineering roles were filed at Level I or Level II, compared to median market compensation that typically falls between Level III and Level IV. This creates a structural underpayment dynamic that H1B workers are uniquely vulnerable to: changing employers requires a new petition, and many workers avoid negotiating for fear of jeopardizing the sponsorship.
To check whether you are being underpaid, use three data sources: (1) the DOL iCERT portal to see your employer's actual LCA filings and wage levels for your job title, (2) the DOL Foreign Labor Certification Data Center to look up the four wage levels for your specific SOC code and metropolitan area, and (3) market compensation tools like Levels.fyi (for tech roles) and Glassdoor. If your offer is at Level I or Level II while the market rate is at Level III, you are leaving $20,000–$40,000 per year on the table — and your employer may be exploiting the captive nature of H1B sponsorship.
DOL iCERT Portal
See all LCA filings by employer — exact wage disclosed
DOL Wage Library
Look up 4-level wages for your SOC code and MSA
Levels.fyi
Real TC data from tech workers at specific companies
H1B workers have full legal rights to negotiate their salary — just like any other worker. There is no rule that H1B employees must accept whatever is offered. In fact, the legal framework around H1B wages (LCA prevailing wage requirements) actually gives H1B workers a negotiating baseline that non-sponsored workers do not have. Use the following five tactics to negotiate effectively.
Use DOL iCERT Data to Anchor Your Ask
The DOL's Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system contains all publicly disclosed LCA filings with exact wages. Search for your job title and zip code in the iCERT database. If your employer's previous H1B filings for your role show wages above your offer, you have concrete leverage to request alignment with their own LCA history.
Request Level III or IV from the Start
When negotiating your offer, explicitly ask which DOL wage level the employer plans to file your LCA at. If they say Level I or II, explain that Level III not only protects you from USCIS RFEs but also demonstrates that the employer is filing in good faith. A Level III filing is a positive signal to USCIS adjudicators — framing it as risk reduction for the employer often resonates.
Benchmark Against Levels.fyi and Glassdoor
Use Levels.fyi for compensation data at specific companies (especially in tech), and Glassdoor for cross-industry benchmarks. These platforms show total compensation — base salary, bonus, and equity. While your H1B prevailing wage is based on base salary, total comp data gives you a negotiating reference point and helps you understand whether an equity package offsets a below-median base.
Negotiate Premium Processing as Part of the Offer
Ask the employer to commit in writing to paying premium processing ($2,805) as part of your offer acceptance. For transfers and new filings, this protects both you (faster work authorization) and them (predictable start date). Most established employers with active immigration programs already pay premium — if they push back, it signals limited immigration experience.
Use Competing Offers to Accelerate Salary
H1B workers are fully permitted to negotiate salary with competing offers. Having a second offer at a higher wage level gives you concrete leverage. Employers who have already invested in immigration attorney fees and LCA filings are highly motivated to close rather than restart with a new candidate. Even a competing offer at a lower company can be used to negotiate total comp (RSUs, signing bonus, annual reviews) upward.
The table below shows approximate average H1B salaries at the top 10 H1B petition filers based on USCIS disclosure data for fiscal year 2025–2026. Note the significant difference between product companies (Amazon, Google, Meta) and IT staffing firms (Infosys, TCS, Wipro). If you are sponsored by a staffing firm, you are typically paid significantly below what you would earn at a direct product employer in the same role.
| Company | FY25 Petitions | Avg H1B Salary | Top Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Services | ~32,000 | $152,000 | Software Development Engineer |
| Infosys BPO | ~30,000 | $96,000 | Technology Analyst |
| Tata Consultancy Services | ~27,000 | $92,000 | Systems Engineer |
| Google LLC | ~14,000 | $168,000 | Software Engineer |
| Microsoft Corporation | ~12,000 | $162,000 | Software Engineer II |
| Wipro Limited | ~11,000 | $89,000 | Project Engineer |
| Meta Platforms (Facebook) | ~9,500 | $175,000 | Software Engineer |
| Apple Inc. | ~8,800 | $160,000 | Hardware Engineer |
| HCL America Inc. | ~8,200 | $88,000 | Software Engineer |
| Cognizant Technology Solutions | ~7,900 | $91,000 | Programmer Analyst |
Petition counts are approximate based on USCIS FY2024–2025 public data. Salaries are estimated averages and vary by location and seniority.
Official Wage Resources
Related Tools
Balaji Ingole
SMIEEE · FBCS · FIETE | 16+ years data engineering | 30+ peer-reviewed papers
Balaji built H1BVisaJobs.com on 10 GB+ of DOL LCA disclosure data (FY2022–FY2025). All immigration data and analysis on this site comes from primary government sources. Read full bio →