H-1B Visa Wage Levels Explained: Level I Through Level IV
Your H-1B job offer gets a DOL wage level from I to IV, and since February 2026 that number also decides your lottery odds.
If you've looked at your Labor Condition Application (LCA) or heard a recruiter mention "Level II" or "Level III" next to your salary, that number isn't just paperwork. It's a Department of Labor wage classification that determines the legal minimum your employer must pay you — and since February 2026, it also determines how many entries you get in the H-1B lottery.
Here's the short version: DOL's Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) system sorts every H-1B job offer into one of four wage levels, I through IV, based on the experience, education, and independent judgment the role actually requires. Level I is entry-level; Level IV is senior and highly specialized. Under the wage-weighted H-1B lottery rule that took effect on 2026-02-27, a Level IV offer now earns four entries in the registration pool, Level III earns three, Level II earns two, and Level I earns one. The rest of this guide walks through what determines your level, how to find it, and what it actually means for your odds.
What a wage level is, and what it isn't
A wage level is not a job title, a seniority label, or a judgment about how good your offer is. It's a floor: the minimum an employer is legally required to pay for a given occupation, in a given metro area, at a given level of complexity, based on DOL's OEWS wage survey data.
Every H-1B petition requires an LCA (Form ETA-9035) certified by DOL before the I-129 petition can be filed. On that LCA, the employer attests to a "prevailing wage" for the role — the wage a similarly employed worker in that occupation and location would typically earn. DOL's Wage and Hour framework breaks that prevailing wage into four levels, each corresponding to a different percentile of the OEWS distribution for that occupation code (SOC/O*NET) in that specific metro area.
The employer must pay you at least the prevailing wage for whichever level applies to the actual job duties — not whatever level makes the paperwork easiest. If you want the deeper walkthrough of how the prevailing wage itself gets calculated, see our full guide to DOL prevailing wage levels for H-1B.
The four levels, side by side
| Level | Typical description | Experience/judgment expected |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | Entry-level | Basic understanding of duties; works under close supervision; limited independent judgment |
| Level II | Qualified | Moderate understanding; some independent judgment; may receive detailed instructions on unusual assignments |
| Level III | Experienced | Sound, practical knowledge; exercises judgment on non-routine matters; may supervise others |
| Level IV | Fully competent | Highly skilled with mastery of the field; makes independent decisions on complex assignments |
DOL assigns the level based on four factors written into the job description on the LCA: the education required, the years of experience required, the degree of judgment or discretion the role calls for, and whether the role involves supervisory responsibility. These are documented in DOL's prevailing wage guidance and applied through the Online Wage Library administered by the Foreign Labor Certification (FLC) Data Center.
A new-grad software engineer role with a bachelor's degree requirement and close code review is a plausible Level I or II. A staff engineer role requiring five-plus years, architectural decision-making, and mentorship of junior engineers is a plausible Level III or IV. The level tracks the job's actual requirements, not the employer's budget or your personal résumé.
Why the wage level matters more than ever in 2026
For most of H-1B history, the wage level mattered for one thing: it set your minimum legal salary floor. That's still true. But as of 2026-02-27, it does something new.
DOL published the wage-weighted H-1B selection rule in the Federal Register on 2025-12-29, and it took effect 2026-02-27, applying starting with the FY2027 registration window that ran 2026-03-04 through 2026-03-19. Instead of the flat random draw the lottery used for years, USCIS now enters each registration into the selection pool multiple times based on the wage level of the offered position:
- Level IV — 4 entries in the pool
- Level III — 3 entries in the pool
- Level II — 2 entries in the pool
- Level I — 1 entry in the pool
The annual caps themselves didn't change — still 65,000 regular slots plus 20,000 reserved for the U.S. advanced-degree exemption. What changed is how many chances each registration gets at those slots. A Level IV offer now competes with four times the statistical weight of a Level I offer for the same occupation and location.
If you want the mechanics of how that weighting actually plays out in the draw, our explainer on how wage-based H-1B selection works walks through the pool math in more detail. And because the number of entries you carry is now tied directly to something negotiable — the wage level on your LCA — it's worth raising with your employer's immigration team before that LCA gets filed, not after.
Common mistakes
Assuming the wage level is fixed once an offer is made. The level is determined by how the job is described and how the role's duties are documented on the LCA — not carved in stone the moment you get an offer letter. Some roles genuinely sit on the boundary between two levels depending on how supervisory scope or required experience is written up. That's a conversation for your employer's immigration counsel to have before filing, not something you can unilaterally demand, but it's also not something to assume is untouchable.
Confusing wage level with job seniority or salary size. A Level I classification doesn't mean the job is bad, underpaid relative to market, or a red flag about the employer. Genuinely entry-level roles are correctly filed at Level I. What changed is the lottery weighting, not the legitimacy of entry-level hiring.
Not checking your own LCA. Many candidates never actually look at the wage level on their own petition. Ask your employer or the attorney handling your case for the LCA — it's public information filed with DOL, and the level is stated plainly on the form.
Treating metro area as irrelevant. OEWS wage data is geography-specific. The same job title and duties can land at a different wage level — or a different prevailing wage dollar figure at the same level — depending on the metro area listed as the worksite. If you're weighing offers in different cities, see how different metros push H-1B wage levels higher or lower before assuming two offers with the same title are equivalent.
Assuming a low level disqualifies you. It doesn't. A Level I offer still gets one entry in the pool and is still eligible for selection. It's a real chance, just a smaller share of the weighted pool than a higher-level offer for a comparable role.
Ignoring the wage level when comparing job offers. If you're choosing between two offers with similar base pay, the one at a higher wage level may carry meaningfully better lottery odds this cycle. That's a legitimate factor to weigh alongside salary, team, and location — not the only factor, but one candidates often overlook entirely.
What this means if you're weighing offers right now
If you have multiple offers or you're still negotiating one, it's reasonable to ask what wage level the employer plans to file at — the same way you'd ask about start date or visa sponsorship history. The wage level isn't something you can dictate, since it has to match the real duties and requirements of the role, but understanding it before the LCA is filed lets you have an informed conversation rather than discovering it after the fact on a form you never saw.
This is not a space for guesswork or for trying to characterize your own duties as more senior than they are to angle for a higher level — that's a decision for your employer and their immigration counsel to make based on the actual job, and misrepresenting it on a federal filing carries real risk. What you can do is ask questions, understand the number once it's set, and factor it into how you think about your odds this cycle.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four H-1B wage levels
Level I through Level IV are DOL's OEWS classification for how much experience, education, and independent judgment an H-1B role requires, from entry-level (Level I) to fully competent and highly skilled (Level IV). Each level maps to a different percentile of the OEWS wage survey for that occupation and metro area, and your employer must pay at least the level assigned on your Labor Condition Application. The level is a floor tied to job requirements, not a ranking of how good the job is.
Does a higher H-1B wage level improve your lottery odds
Yes, for any registration submitted starting with the FY2027 window that opened 2026-03-04. Under the wage-weighted selection rule that took effect 2026-02-27, a Level IV wage offer earns four entries in the lottery pool, Level III earns three, Level II earns two, and Level I earns one. A Level I offer is not disqualified, but it now competes with a materially smaller share of the pool than a Level III or IV offer.
How do I find my own H-1B wage level
Ask your employer or immigration attorney for a copy of your Labor Condition Application (Form ETA-9035) — the wage level appears in the wage rate section, usually written as Level I, II, III, or IV next to the prevailing wage figure. You can cross-reference the underlying OEWS wage data yourself through the FLC Data Center's Online Wage Library using your occupation code (SOC/O*NET) and worksite location.
Can my employer choose which wage level to file at
Not arbitrarily. The wage level has to reflect the actual duties, required experience, and supervisory scope described in the job listed on the LCA — DOL's guidance sets out specific criteria for each level tied to those factors, not to what the employer wants to pay. Employers and attorneys do have legitimate discretion in how they write the job requirements, and that drafting can influence which level the role lands in, which is why it is worth a conversation with your employer's counsel before the LCA is filed rather than after.
Is a Level I wage a bad sign for an H-1B job offer
Not necessarily on its own. Genuinely entry-level roles are legitimately filed at Level I, and plenty of real, well-paying jobs start there. What changed in 2026 is the lottery math, not the legitimacy of the wage level itself, so a Level I offer from a real employer is still a real offer, just one that now carries fewer registration entries than a Level III or IV offer for the same occupation and location.
None of this is legal advice, and wage-level questions on a specific offer are worth a real conversation with your employer's immigration attorney before an LCA is filed — not something to guess at from a blog post. If you're navigating job offers, lottery timing, and wage-level questions all at once and want a second set of eyes on your search strategy, reach out to F1Jobs — we work with international candidates through exactly this kind of decision every cycle, and yes, that's the service we sell, so weigh this guide alongside your own research and your attorney's advice.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four H-1B wage levels
Level I through Level IV are DOL's OEWS classification for how much experience, education, and independent judgment an H-1B role requires, from entry-level (Level I) to fully competent and highly skilled (Level IV). Each level maps to a different percentile of the OEWS wage survey for that occupation and metro area, and your employer must pay at least the level assigned on your Labor Condition Application. The level is a floor tied to job requirements, not a ranking of how good the job is.
Does a higher H-1B wage level improve your lottery odds
Yes, for any registration submitted starting with the FY2027 window that opened 2026-03-04. Under the wage-weighted selection rule that took effect 2026-02-27, a Level IV wage offer earns four entries in the lottery pool, Level III earns three, Level II earns two, and Level I earns one. A Level I offer is not disqualified, but it now competes with a materially smaller share of the pool than a Level III or IV offer.
How do I find my own H-1B wage level
Ask your employer or immigration attorney for a copy of your Labor Condition Application (Form ETA-9035) — the wage level appears in the wage rate section, usually written as Level I, II, III, or IV next to the prevailing wage figure. You can cross-reference the underlying OEWS wage data yourself through the FLC Data Center's Online Wage Library using your occupation code (SOC/O*NET) and worksite location.
Can my employer choose which wage level to file at
Not arbitrarily. The wage level has to reflect the actual duties, required experience, and supervisory scope described in the job listed on the LCA — DOL's guidance sets out specific criteria for each level tied to those factors, not to what the employer wants to pay. Employers and attorneys do have legitimate discretion in how they write the job requirements, and that drafting can influence which level the role lands in, which is why it is worth a conversation with your employer's counsel before the LCA is filed rather than after.
Is a Level I wage a bad sign for an H-1B job offer
Not necessarily on its own. Genuinely entry-level roles are legitimately filed at Level I, and plenty of real, well-paying jobs start there. What changed in 2026 is the lottery math, not the legitimacy of the wage level itself, so a Level I offer from a real employer is still a real offer, just one that now carries fewer registration entries than a Level III or IV offer for the same occupation and location.