The prevailing wage is the average wage paid to similarly employees in a specific field of expertise in the geographic area of prospective employment. The H-1B employee has to be paid by the petitioning employer the higher of:

• the actual wage rate that he pays to all other employees with similar experience and qualifications, or
• the prevailing wage level for the profession in the “area of intended employment,” which is the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) or the narrower Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PSMA).