VSVisaSignalOfficial filing intelligence

H-1B minimum salary

Required wage context before you compare H-1B salaries

There is no single national H-1B minimum salary. Official DOL guidance ties the required wage to the higher of the job's prevailing wage or the employer's actual wage for similarly employed workers, plus any higher applicable wage law.

DOL required-wage context

Primary source

DOL WHD

LCA source

FLAG

Verified

2026-06-05

Official wage-rule sources last checked . VisaSignal is a public filing research tool, not legal advice or a case-specific wage calculator.

How to read it

A safer way to research H-1B salary requirements

Use this page to separate legal required-wage language from the public LCA salary rows that VisaSignal indexes.

Salary requirement queries
No single national H-1B salary floor

The required wage is tied to the specific occupation, worksite area, employer pay practice, and any higher federal, state, or local wage rule. A generic national minimum can be misleading.

Required wage comparison

DOL describes the H-1B required wage as the higher of the prevailing wage for the occupation and area, or the employer's actual wage for similarly employed workers.

Wage levels need source context

A wage level is not just a job title label. Review the prevailing-wage source, SOC code, worksite, duties, experience, and whether the LCA row used OEWS or another legitimate wage source.

LCA rows are research signals

VisaSignal exposes official filing wage fields and source caveats so you can compare patterns. It does not decide the legal required wage for a specific petition.

Checklist

Before treating an LCA wage as the minimum

The same salary number can mean different things depending on source, occupation, location, wage unit, and whether the actual-wage comparison is higher.

Research guardrails
Step 1Start with the job and worksite

Identify the occupation, SOC code, worksite city/area, wage unit, and job duties before comparing salary numbers.

Step 2Check the prevailing wage path

FLAG says employers may use an NPWC prevailing wage determination or another legitimate source when allowed; the source selected matters when reading a filing.

Step 3Compare actual wage language

The DOL WHD fact sheet also points to the actual wage paid to similarly employed workers, so the lower public prevailing-wage number may not be the final required wage.

Step 4Use filing data carefully

Compare imported LCA salary rows by employer, role, SOC code, and location, then keep the official DOL caveats visible before drawing conclusions.

Official-source trail

Where the page gets its wage-rule context

The content above relies on DOL wage guidance and FLAG LCA program instructions, while VisaSignal salary pages rely on imported DOL LCA disclosure rows.

Source-backed

Continue researching

Move from wage rules into filing data

Use these pages to compare salary rows, source freshness, and public disclosure caveats without treating filing data as legal advice.

LCA and PERM rows are filing signals, not USCIS approvals, green-card approvals, legal advice, or outcome predictions.

FAQ

Common questions

What is the minimum salary for an H-1B worker?

There is not one national H-1B minimum salary. DOL describes the required wage as the higher of the local prevailing wage for the occupation or the employer's actual wage for similarly employed workers, with any higher applicable federal, state, or local rule still relevant.

How do H-1B wage levels relate to salary requirements?

Wage levels are part of prevailing-wage research for a specific occupation and worksite. They should be read with the SOC code, duties, experience, wage source, and LCA fields rather than treated as a universal salary scale.

Can VisaSignal calculate the legal H-1B required wage for my case?

No. VisaSignal shows official LCA wage fields and links to DOL sources for research. A case-specific required wage depends on facts outside the public filing row and should be checked with the official DOL tools or qualified counsel.

Where can I compare H-1B salary data by role?

Use the H-1B salary database to compare imported DOL LCA wage rows by role, employer, SOC code, and worksite. Those records are filing signals, not total compensation or a guarantee of sponsorship.

Does an LCA certification mean an H-1B petition was approved?

No. A DOL-certified LCA is not the same as USCIS H-1B petition approval. It is an official labor-condition filing signal that should be interpreted with that limit.

Does a PERM certification mean a green card was approved?

No. PERM certification is one step in an employment-based green card process. It does not mean a green card, I-140 petition, or adjustment of status was approved.

Can this data prove an employer will sponsor a candidate?

No. Official filing history can show recent activity, roles, worksites, and wage signals, but it does not guarantee future sponsorship or predict legal outcomes.