Looking up the Prevailing Wage helps you understand the going rate for a position before assessing an EB-3 opportunity. Although the official determination is made by the Department of Labor, applicants can still reference public data. This article guides you on how to look into wages through official sources.
Knowing how to look this up helps you assess whether an opportunity offers a reasonable salary. It is a useful self-protection tool.
Why you should look up the Prevailing Wage
Looking it up gives you a reference figure for the wage of the position you are interested in. When comparing it with the figure an intermediary offers, you have a basis to assess its reasonableness.
This is a simple way to verify things yourself. A realistic opportunity usually has a wage matching the market rate reflected in official data. An unusual difference, whether high or low, is worth questioning.
Official data sources
Wage data is published by the U.S. Department of Labor and used to determine the prevailing wage. According to U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the official system provides tools related to wages by occupation and area.
Applicants can reference these sources to get a general sense of the wage for their occupation. However, keep in mind that the looked-up figure is only for reference. The official figure for a case is still determined by the relevant agency for each specific position.
How to interpret the lookup results
When you look it up, you will see the wage vary by occupation, area, and sometimes experience level. A job in an area with a high cost of living usually has a higher prevailing wage than elsewhere.
Therefore, you should not compare mechanically across regions. What matters is whether the wage for the specific position at the specific location is reasonable. According to U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), it is the figure tied to the position and location that is the one with real meaning for the case.
How to use the lookup results
The lookup result should be used as an assessment tool, not an absolute figure. If the salary of an opportunity matches the reference rate, that is a positive sign. If it deviates too much, you should find out why.
This is especially useful when staying alert to unrealistic offers. An opportunity offering a salary far above the going rate to attract participants is just as suspicious as one that is far too low.
Summary
A Prevailing Wage lookup gives you a reference figure for the typical wage of the position you’re interested in, drawn from Department of Labor data. It’s a tool for self-verifying whether an opportunity is reasonable. You should use this result for evaluation, while keeping in mind that the official wage is determined by the agency for each individual case.
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References
- U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Foreign Labor Application Gateway – https://flag.dol.gov/
- U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), PERM – https://flag.dol.gov/programs/perm
Read more: Overview of the EB-3 visa for US immigration · How to Find a Reputable EB-3 Employer and Avoid Fraudulent Ones
