H-1B Salary Data: How to Read LCA Wages and Wage Levels

Life in the USOct 18, 2026 · 8 min read

If you are negotiating an offer on OPT, comparing two sponsors, or just curious what a "Software Engineer II" in Seattle files at, LCA disclosure data is where real numbers come from. Sites that show H-1B salaries are all built on the same DOL files. This guide explains what is in them, how to read each field, and the traps that make naive comparisons misleading. You can try everything here in our free H-1B Salary Lookup, which covers certified H-1B LCAs decided from October 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026.

What an LCA is

Before an employer can file an H-1B petition with USCIS, it must get a certified Labor Condition Application from the Department of Labor. The form is ETA-9035 (filed electronically as ETA-9035E through DOL's FLAG system). On it, the employer attests to several things, most importantly that it will pay the H-1B worker at least the higher of two numbers:

• the actual wage it pays other employees with similar experience and qualifications in the same job, and
• the prevailing wage for that occupation in the area of employment.

The employer also attests to working conditions, that there is no strike or lockout at the worksite, and that it has given notice of the filing to workers. DOL reviews the form for completeness and obvious errors; it does not investigate the job before certifying. Once certified, the LCA goes into the petition package sent to USCIS.

Where the public data comes from

DOL's Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) publishes LCA and PERM disclosure files on its Performance Data page. The LCA files are released by fiscal year and quarter (the federal fiscal year starts October 1), and each row is one case. DOL describes them as information extracted from its case-management system; the data is entered by employers, so typos and blank fields happen.

Each case has a status. The main ones you will see are:

• Certified: DOL approved the LCA.
• Certified-Withdrawn: it was certified, then the employer withdrew it, often because the hire or petition did not go ahead.
• Withdrawn: withdrawn before a decision.
• Denied: DOL rejected it, usually for errors on the form.

For salary research, use Certified only. Our lookup keeps H-1B cases with status "Certified" and drops certified-withdrawn and denied cases.

The fields that matter

Prevailing wage vs. wage offered

These two numbers are easy to mix up. The prevailing wage is a floor: the legally required minimum for that occupation, level and area, usually taken from DOL's OEWS wage survey. The wage offered (WAGE_RATE_OF_PAY) is what this employer says it will pay this worker. At large tech companies the offered wage is often well above the prevailing wage; at some employers it sits right at the floor. When you research salaries, the offered wage is the number you want. The gap between the two tells you how far above the legal minimum an employer tends to pay.

Wage levels I to IV

DOL's prevailing wage guidance sets four levels for each occupation and area, based on the job's requirements (education, experience, special skills and supervision):

• Level I, entry: a basic understanding of the work, close supervision.
• Level II, qualified: a good understanding, some independent judgment.
• Level III, experienced: a special skill set and more independence.
• Level IV, fully competent: advanced skills, often supervising others.

In the data our lookup uses (912,907 certified H-1B LCAs), the mix looks like this:

"No level" usually means the prevailing wage came from somewhere other than OEWS, such as a private survey or a union contract. Across all of these filings the median annual base wage is $123,261, with the middle half between $93,974 and $160,000. Those are overall figures across every occupation and city, so they say little about any one job; filter before you compare.

Why an LCA is not your salary (or your visa)

• Base wage only. Bonuses, stock and benefits are not on the form. For roles with heavy equity, total pay can be much higher.
• Written at filing time. Pay can change after hire, and raises don't update old filings.
• Ranges. When the employer gives a range, a careful dataset uses the lower bound, since that is the only number the employer is committed to.
• Filings, not people. One LCA can cover several workers, and an employer can file several LCAs for the same person (for example for different worksites) or for positions it never fills.
• Not a petition. A certified LCA is a required step, not an approved H-1B. Many certified LCAs never become petitions, and LCAs also cover extensions, transfers and amendments, not just new lottery cases.
• Annualized. Hourly wages are usually converted at 2,080 hours a year; part-time positions should be excluded.

How to use LCA data in a salary negotiation

1. Match the job, not just the company. Filter by employer and a title keyword ("data scientist", not just the company name).
2. Match the city. The same title in the Bay Area and in Texas can differ by tens of thousands of dollars.
3. Match the level. Compare your offer against filings at the level that fits your experience, and look at the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles rather than the maximum.
4. Check the sample size. With fewer than 30 filings, treat the numbers as rough.
5. Use recent years. Look at the most recent fiscal year separately; salaries drift.
6. Use it as evidence, not a rule. LCA base pay is what employers commit to on paper. If your offer is well below the median for the same title, city and level at that employer, that is a fair, factual point to raise.

The H-1B Salary Lookup does this filtering for you: search a company, job title or city, then narrow by title keyword, city, fiscal year and wage level, and see percentiles, a wage distribution and individual filings. Its compare page puts up to four employers side by side, and employer pages also show PERM (green card) wage offers. Everything is drawn from the DOL files linked below, and the caveats above are printed on every page.

How LCA wage levels connect to the H-1B lottery

Since the FY2027 season, the H-1B lottery is weighted by wage level: a person enters the pool 1 to 4 times depending on the OEWS level their offered wage reaches. Note the subtle difference. The LCA's PW_WAGE_LEVEL reflects the level of the job's requirements, which sets the legal minimum. For the lottery registration, the employer reports the highest OEWS level the offered salary equals or exceeds for that occupation and area. A Level II job paying a Level III salary registers at Level III. That is why knowing where an offer sits against the four local levels now matters for odds, not just pay. Our guide to how the weighted H-1B lottery works covers the details, and the H-1B Odds calculator estimates your chance by level.

FAQ

Is LCA salary data the same as what H-1B workers are actually paid?

Not exactly. It is the base wage the employer stated when filing the LCA. It leaves out bonuses, stock and benefits, uses the low end when a range is given, and does not reflect later raises. It is a good guide to base pay, not a payslip.

What is the difference between prevailing wage and wage offered?

The prevailing wage is the legal minimum for that occupation, level and area. The wage offered is what the employer says it will pay the worker. The employer must pay at least the higher of the prevailing wage and the actual wage it pays similar employees.

Does a certified LCA mean the H-1B was approved?

No. DOL certifies the LCA first; the H-1B petition is a separate filing decided by USCIS. Many certified LCAs never become petitions, and some are for extensions or transfers rather than new hires.

Which years does the H-1B Salary Lookup cover?

As of October 2026 it covers certified H-1B LCAs from DOL's FY2025 files (all four quarters) and FY2026 quarters 1 to 3, with decision dates from October 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026.

What does "no wage level" mean on an LCA?

It usually means the prevailing wage did not come from the OEWS survey but from another source, such as a private wage survey or a union contract, so no Level I to IV was assigned.

Sources

• DOL OFLC Performance Data (LCA and PERM disclosure files)
• DOL: LCA record layout, FY2026 Q3 (PDF)
• DOL prevailing wage guidance: wage levels I to IV (PDF)
• DOL OFLC Wage Search (FLC Data Center)
• USCIS: H-1B Specialty Occupations (LCA required before the petition)
• Federal Register, Dec 29, 2025: H-1B weighted selection final rule

Last updated 2026-10-18. This guide is general information, not legal, immigration or financial advice. Figures come from DOL OFLC disclosure files as processed by the H-1B Salary Lookup; check the official files for any decision.