How can I tell if my H-1B salary offer is competitive?

Compare your offer against LCA (Labor Condition Application) filings at the same employer and for similar roles. Every H-1B employer must file an LCA with the DOL disclosing the offered wage. GreenCardClock's Compare My Offer tool shows your percentile rank against these filings.

What are prevailing wage levels for H-1B workers?

The DOL assigns prevailing wage levels (I-IV) based on experience and skill requirements. Level I is entry-level (17th percentile), Level II is qualified (34th), Level III is experienced (50th), and Level IV is fully competent (67th). Many H-1B workers are filed at Level I even when they have years of experience.

Are H-1B workers underpaid compared to market rates?

Research suggests H-1B workers are often paid at or near the prevailing wage minimum, which can be below market rates for experienced workers. The Compare My Offer tool helps you see where your offer falls relative to other filings at the same employer and at competing companies.

Compare My Offer

See how your job offer compares to real H-1B LCA filings at the same employer. Get your percentile rank, prevailing wage analysis, and competitor comparison.

When an employer extends an H-1B offer, you usually get a single number with no frame of reference. Compare My Offer places your offer against every LCA that employer has filed for the same SOC code, and against what competing employers pay for the same role, so you can negotiate with real data instead of a gut feel.

Your percentile rank: Where your offered wage sits in the distribution of what the same employer has filed for this role, plus how that compares to the DOL prevailing wage levels (I, II, III, IV) for that occupation.
Competitor view: Wages at other companies filing the same SOC code in the same geographic area. This is the closest public proxy for what the market is paying.
Wage trend: Three-year history of filings for this role at this employer, so you can spot whether wages are moving up, flat, or down.

Data from DOL OFLC. LCA wages may differ from total compensation (equity, bonus) and do not represent final salary outcomes.

Data from the DOL OFLC Performance Data. All LCA data is public record under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Why Compare Your Offer Against H-1B LCA Data?

Every employer that hires an H-1B worker must file a Labor Condition Application (LCA) with the Department of Labor, disclosing the offered wage. This creates a unique dataset of 960,000+ employer-verified salary filings — not self-reported estimates.

What makes this different from Glassdoor or Levels.fyi: Those platforms use crowdsourced, self-reported data. Our benchmark uses government-filed wages that employers submitted under penalty of perjury. And we add immigration-specific context — prevailing wage levels, sponsorship signals, and whether you have negotiation leverage based on the employer's filing patterns.

Prevailing wage levels matter: The DOL assigns wage levels (I-IV) based on experience requirements. Level I is the 17th percentile — entry level. Many H-1B workers are filed at Level I even with years of experience. Understanding where your offer falls relative to prevailing wage levels is critical for negotiation.

Your data is never stored. We query LCA filing data in real-time and do not save your salary, employer, or any personal information.

Understanding Salary Benchmarking

Comparing your offer against real LCA filings helps you negotiate effectively and understand where you stand in the market.

What Does This Tool Do?

Enter your employer, job title, state, and offered salary. The tool searches DOL OFLC LCA filings to show how your offer compares to what the employer has filed for similar roles, including your percentile rank.

Percentile Ranking

Your percentile rank shows where your salary falls relative to all LCA filings at that employer. The 50th percentile means half of filings are above and half below. Higher is better, but context matters since wage levels and job titles vary.

Prevailing Wage Context

Every LCA must meet the DOL prevailing wage for the occupation and area. The prevailing wage is a floor, not a ceiling. Many employers pay above it. Your offer should ideally be at or above the median for your role.

Limitations

LCA data shows filed wages, not necessarily current compensation. Bonuses, equity, and benefits are not included. Some filings are for positions that were never filled. Use this as one data point, not the sole basis for decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Data sourced from DOL OFLC quarterly disclosure files. LCA wages represent filed wages, not necessarily current compensation. Not legal or financial advice.