H-1B SOC Codes: How to Find the Right Occupation Code

Q: How to Find Your SOC Code Method 1: Search by Job Title Use our Wage Level Calculator — type your job title and it searches 57,543 O*NET alternate titles to find matching SOC codes. Method 2: Browse O*NET Visit our occupation pages to browse all SOC codes with H-1B filing data. Each page shows the occupation description, skills, and prevailing wages. Method 3: Match Job Duties The most defensible approach is matching your actual job duties to the O*NET occupation description. Each occupation page on our site includes the official description and list of typical tasks. Common SOC Code Mistakes Using "All Other" codes unnecessarily. Codes ending in "9" (like 15-1299 "Computer Occupations, All Other") are catch-all categories. If a more specific code exists, use it. USCIS may question why a vague code was chosen. Choosing a code for the wage level, not the duties. The SOC code must match the actual job duties. Selecting a different code just because it has more favorable wage thresholds is grounds for denial. Using outdated SOC codes. The SOC system was significantly updated in 2018. Old codes (like 15-1132 "Software Developers, Applications") have been replaced by new ones (15-1252 "Software Developers"). Some filings still use legacy codes. Mismatching SOC and job title. If the LCA says "Data Scientist" but uses the SOC code for "Software Developer," it raises red flags. Find Your SOC Code Now?

Use our Wage Level Calculator to search by job title, or browse our occupation directory for detailed information on every H-1B occupation.

Updated 2026-04-23 · With O*NET occupational data and 1.88M+ LCA filings

What Is a SOC Code?

A Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code is a 6-digit identifier that categorizes every job in the U.S. economy. For H-1B visa filings, the SOC code is critical because it determines:

Your prevailing wage thresholds (Levels I-IV)
Your wage level and therefore your FY2027 lottery odds
Whether the position qualifies as a "specialty occupation"

The DOL uses O*NET-SOC codes (an extended version of SOC) that provide more granular classification. The O*NET database maps 57,543 alternate job titles to ~1,000 occupational codes.

Most Common H-1B SOC Codes

Based on our database of 1.88M+ certified LCA filings:

SOC Code	Occupation	H-1B Filings
15-1252	Software Developers	491,352
15-1299	Computer Systems Engineers/Architects	80,971
15-1132	Software Developers, Applications	75,058
15-1299	Information Technology Project Managers	55,100
15-1253	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	50,075
15-1211	Computer Systems Analysts	49,436
15-2051	Data Scientists	41,599
11-3021	Computer and Information Systems Managers	39,832
15-1251	Computer Programmers	36,173
15-2051	Business Intelligence Analysts	30,843
17-2141	Mechanical Engineers	28,898
13-2011	Accountants and Auditors	27,665
15-2031	Operations Research Analysts	25,470
17-2072	Electronics Engineers, Except Computer	23,648
13-2051	Financial and Investment Analysts	21,314
17-2071	Electrical Engineers	20,875
15-1121	Computer Systems Analysts	20,814
13-1111	Management Analysts	20,335
15-1242	Database Administrators	17,826
17-2112	Industrial Engineers	15,508

Browse all 867 occupation pages →

How to Find Your SOC Code

Method 1: Search by Job Title

Use our Wage Level Calculator — type your job title and it searches 57,543 O*NET alternate titles to find matching SOC codes.

Method 2: Browse O*NET

Visit our occupation pages to browse all SOC codes with H-1B filing data. Each page shows the occupation description, skills, and prevailing wages.

Method 3: Match Job Duties

The most defensible approach is matching your actual job duties to the O*NET occupation description. Each occupation page on our site includes the official description and list of typical tasks.

Common SOC Code Mistakes

Using "All Other" codes unnecessarily. Codes ending in "9" (like 15-1299 "Computer Occupations, All Other") are catch-all categories. If a more specific code exists, use it. USCIS may question why a vague code was chosen.
Choosing a code for the wage level, not the duties. The SOC code must match the actual job duties. Selecting a different code just because it has more favorable wage thresholds is grounds for denial.
Using outdated SOC codes. The SOC system was significantly updated in 2018. Old codes (like 15-1132 "Software Developers, Applications") have been replaced by new ones (15-1252 "Software Developers"). Some filings still use legacy codes.
Mismatching SOC and job title. If the LCA says "Data Scientist" but uses the SOC code for "Software Developer," it raises red flags.

Find Your SOC Code Now

Use our Wage Level Calculator to search by job title, or browse our occupation directory for detailed information on every H-1B occupation.