Level II Experienced
Wage Level II
One step up. Something in the job description clears the occupational norm, usually experience or education.
What Level II means
Level II describes a position that has moved past entry work: it applies judgement within established procedure, works with less direct supervision, and the employer asks for something the occupation itself doesn’t ordinarily require.
It’s the level most certified filings land on, which makes it the one most often argued over. One step is all it takes to get here, so the interesting question is usually which step was taken and whether the job description actually supports it.
The kind of role that lands here
The two-to-four-year hire. A developer owning a component rather than a ticket, an analyst who scopes their own work, a specialist whose employer asked for a degree the occupation doesn’t require at entry.
For Software Developers, 12,940 of 29,058 certified H-1B filings in FY2025 Q1 to Q4 were filed at Level II, which is 44.5% of them. That's what employers filed, not what any of those jobs should have been.
Level mix for Software Developers (15-1252) from the DOL Labor Condition Application disclosure data, FY2025 Q1 to Q4, certified H-1B filings only.
What the worksheet inputs look like
- Experience beyond the Job Zone norm, or
- education above the occupation usual entry level, or
- a special skill or requirement the occupation doesn’t ordinarily carry, or
- supervisory duties that aren’t inherent to the occupation.
One step up from the starting point.
What Level II costs, worked
Software Developers in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, wage year 2026-27: Level II is $66.21 an hour, which annualizes at 2,080 hours to $137,717. Across the 500 areas where this occupation's wage was surveyed locally, the median Level II is $100,214 a year.
| Level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | $52.81 | $109,845 |
| Level II | $66.21 | $137,717 |
| Level III | $79.61 | $165,589 |
| Level IV | $93.01 | $193,461 |
Software Developers (15-1252), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. ALC_Export.csv, OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip, wage year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
The other three levels
None of this is a wage determination. Run your own facts through the calculator, then verify in FLAG before you file. The disclaimer says the rest.