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What should I be paid in the U.S.?

The U.S. Department of Labor sets a minimum "prevailing wage" for every job in every area. A PERM job must pay at least this. Choose a job and a state.

$15.59Typical entry wage (Level I, median) per hour
$10.50 – $20.35Level I range across areas
$32,417≈ per year (full time)
530Wage areas
01

Find the wage for a job

Bars show the four DOL wage levels; the number is the entry level (Level I).

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand

Level I (entry)Level IILevel IIILevel IV (experienced)
  1. Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area PR$10.50per hour · $21,840/yr
  2. Mayaguez, PR$10.54per hour · $21,923/yr
  3. Aguadilla, PR$10.57per hour · $21,986/yr
  4. San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR$10.64per hour · $22,131/yr
  5. Ponce, PR$10.66per hour · $22,173/yr
  6. Arecibo, PR$10.74per hour · $22,339/yr
  7. Guayama, PR$10.86per hour · $22,589/yr
  8. Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA$11.31per hour · $23,525/yr
  9. Monroe, LA$11.64per hour · $24,211/yr
  10. Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area LA$11.72per hour · $24,378/yr
  11. Auburn-Opelika, AL$11.91per hour · $24,773/yr
  12. Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area TX$11.91per hour · $24,773/yr
  13. Guam MSA GU$11.93per hour · $24,814/yr
  14. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$11.94per hour · $24,835/yr
  15. Laredo, TX$11.99per hour · $24,939/yr
  16. Carson City, NV$12.00per hour · $24,960/yr
  17. Gadsden, AL$12.09per hour · $25,147/yr
  18. Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area LA$12.10per hour · $25,168/yr
  19. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$12.14per hour · $25,251/yr
  20. Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$12.24per hour · $25,459/yr
  21. Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area LA$12.24per hour · $25,459/yr
  22. Hammond, LA$12.32per hour · $25,626/yr
  23. Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area TX$12.40per hour · $25,792/yr
  24. Shreveport-Bossier City, LA$12.42per hour · $25,834/yr
  25. Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area TX$12.48per hour · $25,958/yr
  26. Baton Rouge, LA$12.58per hour · $26,166/yr
  27. East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area KY$12.64per hour · $26,291/yr
  28. Lower West Mississippi nonmetropolitan area MS$12.69per hour · $26,395/yr
  29. West Delta Mississippi nonmetropolitan area MS$12.73per hour · $26,478/yr
  30. Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA$12.75per hour · $26,520/yr
  31. Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area AL$12.76per hour · $26,541/yr
  32. Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area WV$12.78per hour · $26,582/yr
  33. San Angelo, TX$12.82per hour · $26,666/yr
  34. Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area AL$12.84per hour · $26,707/yr
  35. Lower East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area MS$12.84per hour · $26,707/yr
  36. Abilene, TX$12.85per hour · $26,728/yr
  37. Alexandria, LA$12.85per hour · $26,728/yr
  38. U.S. Virgin Islands MSA VI$12.87per hour · $26,770/yr
  39. Lafayette, LA$12.89per hour · $26,811/yr
  40. Enid, OK$12.90per hour · $26,832/yr
  41. Eastern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area TX$12.90per hour · $26,832/yr
  42. Montgomery, AL$12.94per hour · $26,915/yr
  43. East Georgia nonmetropolitan area GA$12.94per hour · $26,915/yr
  44. Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area OK$12.97per hour · $26,978/yr
  45. Lake Charles, LA$12.98per hour · $26,998/yr
  46. Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area MS$13.01per hour · $27,061/yr
  47. Eagle Pass, TX$13.04per hour · $27,123/yr
  48. Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area OK$13.04per hour · $27,123/yr
  49. Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area WV$13.06per hour · $27,165/yr
  50. Jacksonville, NC$13.09per hour · $27,227/yr
  51. Valdosta, GA$13.13per hour · $27,310/yr
  52. Dothan, AL$13.16per hour · $27,373/yr
  53. Hot Springs, AR$13.17per hour · $27,394/yr
  54. Amarillo, TX$13.18per hour · $27,414/yr
  55. East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area AR$13.19per hour · $27,435/yr
  56. Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area OK$13.19per hour · $27,435/yr
  57. Lubbock, TX$13.20per hour · $27,456/yr
  58. New Orleans-Metairie, LA$13.20per hour · $27,456/yr
  59. El Paso, TX$13.22per hour · $27,498/yr
  60. Fort Smith, AR-OK$13.26per hour · $27,581/yr

Showing the 60 lowest of 530 areas. Choose a state to see all of its areas.

02

How to read the wage levels

  • DOL sets four levels for each job and area, from entry level (I) to experienced (IV).
  • The employer must offer at least the prevailing wage DOL determines for the job; jobs that need no experience are usually Level I. The real offer can be higher.
  • Yearly figure = hourly wage × 2,080 hours (40 hours × 52 weeks), before tax and overtime.
  • The wage year runs July–June. The official figure for a case is the prevailing wage determination (PWD) DOL issues for that job; this page is a guide.

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Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification wage library (July 2026 – June 2027). Updated 2026-10-29 08:03 UTC.

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