LCA Wage Levels Explained

The four wage levels

DOL wage data uses four levels. Common reference points are approximately the 17th, 34th, 50th, and 67th percentiles for Levels I through IV. The wage amount changes with the occupation, geographic area, source year, and filing facts.

Reading PlainVisa records

PlainVisa aggregates fields published in DOL LCA disclosure data. Compare a defined source period, employer filer, occupation, and worksite; do not turn a wage level into a claim about actual pay, job availability, an employer's quality, or future sponsorship.

The site does not publish modeled lottery odds, selection-rate ranges, fictional employer examples, or generic sector salary tables because those claims are not supported by the DOL filing extract.

Important limits

• An LCA is a DOL labor-condition filing, not a USCIS petition or visa decision.
• Listed offered wages are not verified payroll or total compensation.
• A filing count is not headcount, a current opening, or evidence of a hire.
• Eligibility and immigration decisions require current USCIS information and qualified advice.

How to compare records responsibly

Start with a specific source window. A fiscal-year total and a multi-year aggregate answer different questions.

Keep the employer-filer name, occupation, and worksite visible while comparing wage fields.

Use the disclosed wage field as one attribute of that particular LCA record.

Do not replace a current job posting with a historical filing record.

Do not substitute an LCA record for an offer letter, payroll record, or USCIS notice.

Compare like with like: the same occupation and relevant geographic context are more informative than a national average alone.

Record counts should retain their denominator. A percentage without its filing count can mislead.

A missing or null field is not a zero wage, a denial, or proof that a fact did not exist.

When a DOL release changes, use its stated vintage rather than presenting the new value as a live labor-market observation.

Where the record ends

The DOL disclosure dataset can support a transparent description of the fields it publishes.

It cannot establish whether a beneficiary was selected, whether a petition was filed, or how USCIS adjudicated it.

It cannot establish whether the stated wage was ultimately paid or what an entire compensation package contained.

It cannot establish that a role remains open, that an employer will sponsor someone, or that an individual qualifies.

Those are separate questions with separate sources, dates, and legal consequences.

For the current H-1B process, use official USCIS resources and verify dates directly with the agency.

For wage context, use the current DOL wage release and the occupation and area relevant to the question.

For individual immigration decisions, consult a qualified professional who can consider the complete facts.

Keep a record of the page's source vintage when sharing a comparison with someone else.

Use exact labels such as “LCA filing” and “listed offered wage” so a reader can see the source boundary.

Do not relabel a DOL filing count as an H-1B approval count.

Do not use a certification-status percentage as an employer score or a recommendation.

When two sources disagree, identify which agency owns each stage before drawing a conclusion.

PlainVisa's role is to make the DOL disclosure record easier to inspect, not to replace those primary sources.

A transparent comparison names the source, period, denominator, and limit beside the number.

That context lets a reader distinguish a useful filing record from an unsupported immigration claim.

Frequently asked questions