H1B Requirement 4: prevailing wage

You must be paid at least the actual or prevailing wage for your occupation, whichever is higher.

The prevailing wage is determined based on the position in which you will be employed and the geographic location where you will be working (among other factors). The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) maintains a database with applicable current prevailing wage levels based on occupation and work location.

To demonstrate you will be paid the appropriate wage, you must submit a Labor Condition Application (LCA) for your position, certified by the Secretary of Labor, which states, in part:

The employer is offering and will offer during the period of authorized employment to aliens admitted or provided status as an H-1B non-immigrant wages that are at least the actual wage level paid by the employer to all other individuals with similar experience and qualifications for the specific employment in question, or the prevailing wage level for the occupational classification in the area of employment, whichever is greater, based on the best information available as of the time of filing the application.

If you are currently working for the company (e.g. working for the company you started while on OPT), some of the evidence you may submit to demonstrate that you will be paid the appropriate wage includes: 

• Your most recent paystubs


• Your most recent W-2 showing the wages you received

If you are not currently working for the company, you may submit a letter from the company attesting to the wage that you will be paid once employed as an H-1B.