# H-1B filings and wage comparisons by industry
> https://www.xh1b.org/learning/course/industries
## H-1B filings and wage comparisons by industry
Explore H-1B filing and wage records in staffing, technology, healthcare, accounting, and education. Industry groups do not rank fraud prevalence.
## H-1B filings and wage comparisons by industry
These are the site’s review groups, not a ranking of fraud prevalence. SOC codes classify occupations, while employer industry and staffing status need separate evidence. Each group below points to records and rules an investigator can inspect. The disclosure data alone does not establish that one industry has more violations than another. [1](#reference-courseIndustries-soc-system)
## The role of SOC codes
Each LCA records an occupation code. SOC codes classify jobs, not employers’ census industries. Prevailing-wage comparisons depend on occupation, area, and job requirements. The site groups occupations for exploration. The WARN matcher uses employer identity, dates, and geography; it does not require the same SOC code. [2](#reference-courseIndustries-lca-data) [3](#reference-courseIndustries-wage-guidance) [4](#reference-courseIndustries-displacement-method)
## Five groups to explore
| Topic | Evidence limit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| IT staffing & consulting | Third-party employment records | Inspect wage, worksite, payroll, and fee evidence. A staffing label alone does not establish any of the five patterns. |
| Technology (product companies) | Wage and layoff records | Compare wages and layoff timing. This page does not measure which violation types dominate. |
| Healthcare & medicine | Shortage designations and worksite evidence | Inspect the designation and employer record. Payroll and worker evidence are needed to establish unpaid wages or coercion. |
| Accounting & finance | Occupation and worksite records | Use wage and worksite comparisons as leads, with their stated scope. |
| Education (cap-exempt) | Cap-exempt: outside the lottery | Check the cap-exemption conditions. This page does not measure violation prevalence at educational employers. |
These groups organize record review. They do not rank violation rates. Compare the stated occupation and wage evidence, then inspect the linked records.
Review group
Evidence to inspect
Record to check
Our reading
You know where the patterns live. Lesson 5 covers the one flag the government itself attaches.
## Record scope and common questions
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Review groups | 5 |
| Example group | IT staffing |
| Sorting key | SOC code |
| Cap-exempt | Qualifying employers |
SOC codes classify occupations. These pages group jobs and employers for exploration; the groups are not a measure of fraud prevalence.
## Why group the records for review?
This page groups occupations for review. It does not measure fraud prevalence by industry. Compare employers, job requirements, offered wages, worksites, and any government findings before drawing a conclusion.
## What is a SOC code?
The Standard Occupational Classification, the federal system every labor condition application must name. It is how 'software developer' or 'registered nurse' becomes a countable category in the disclosure data.
## How should I compare wages?
Compare a filing’s [offered wage](https://www.xh1b.org/h1b-salary) with the stated occupation and location benchmark. That comparison does not show pay actually received or decide whether the employer met the legal required wage.
## References
1. Guidance · BLS. [Standard Occupational Classification](https://www.bls.gov/soc/finding_soc_code.htm). Classification Principles 1–2 and Coding Guideline 2; job duties, not job titles. Checked 2026-10-08.
2. Dataset documentation · DOL OFLC. [LCA public disclosure record layout (FY2026 Q3)](https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/oflc/pdfs/FY26Q3/LCA_Record_Layout_FY2026_Q3.pdf). Pages 1–4: application, DOL outcome and dates, requested positions, employer, representatives, worksites and pay units. This layout covers determinations issued October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. It documents employer-provided application fields and DOL decisions, not USCIS decisions, payroll verification, legal bills or worker-linked moves. Older layouts can differ. Checked 2026-10-17.
3. Guidance · DOL OFLC. [Prevailing Wage Determination Policy Guidance](https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/eta/oflc/pdfs/npwhc_guidance_revised_11_2009.pdf). Revised November 2009; Level I through Level IV definitions; Appendix C, wage-level worksheet. Checked 2026-10-08.
4. XH1B method or registry · XH1B. [Displacement Model and Assumptions](https://www.xh1b.org/displacement). Eligibility, requested-position weighting, scopes, WARN matching, and counting limits. Model outputs are estimates. A matched layoff notice does not prove that an H-1B worker replaced a laid-off worker.
5. Law or rulemaking · eCFR. [8 CFR 214.2](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/section-214.2). 8 CFR 214.2(h)(2)(i)(A), (D)–(E); (h)(4)(i)(B), including (B)(3) third-party requirements; (h)(9)(i); (h)(10)(ii), (iv); (h)(18): petition, LCA, approval and denial notices; 8 CFR 214.2(h)(2)(i)(H); 8 CFR 214.2(h)(8). Petition approval, visa issuance, admission, and work authorization are separate steps.; Read the eligibility conditions, start date, denial rule, and successive-petition provisions.; The regular cap, advanced-degree exemption, employer exemptions, and prior cap counting have distinct conditions. Checked 2026-10-17.
6. Primary record · U.S. Department of Justice. [Brothers Sentenced on Visa Fraud Convictions](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/brothers-sentenced-visa-fraud-convictions). Northern District of Texas, June 3, 2016; Dibon case. This is a specific adjudicated example of false job representations, unpaid bench time, and prohibited fee shifting. It does not establish prevalence across staffing firms. Checked 2026-10-08.
7. Dataset documentation · HRSA. [Shortage Areas](https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas). HPSA designation type, discipline, geography, and status. A county-level overlap is not proof of eligibility at a specific worksite.
8. Law or rulemaking · eCFR. [Required wage and wage sources](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-20/section-655.731#p-655.731(a)). 20 CFR 655.731(a). The required wage is the higher of the actual wage and prevailing wage. An independent market median is a comparison, not this legal test. Checked 2026-10-08.
9. Dataset documentation · BLS. [OEWS technical notes (May 2025)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2025/may/oes_tec.htm). Scope of the survey; occupational coding; concepts and estimation methodology. Documents occupation and geographic wage estimates, not an individual worker’s pay. Use the estimate year and geography stated by the site; older releases can differ. Checked 2026-10-17.