Prevailing wages

EB-3 jobs must pay at least the prevailing wage set by DOL. The official determination comes from DOL after the employer (usually through counsel) files Form ETA-9141; you can’t simply estimate it yourself.

What DOL looks at

• Occupation: the duties are matched to a Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code
• Location: the area where the work is done
• Requirements: higher education, experience or skill requirements usually mean a higher wage level (there are generally four)

Where to find reference data

• DOL FLAG wage search: wages by occupation, area and level
• DOL processing times: how long prevailing wage determinations currently take

Reference data is for budgeting only; the official wage is whatever DOL determines.