[ojbyrne]

It's defined by the federal government by region and classification. The classifications are pretty formalized as part of the visa process.

[ig1]

My point was the data is wrong. It classifies someone doing php work for a small non-profit as the same as someone developer high-frequency trading systems for an investment bank, even though in reality there can be an order of magnitude difference in salaries.

The whole concept of "prevailing wage" is a sham in high-skill occupations. It's a hangover from blue-collar jobs.