📐 Methodology

Our Methodology

How we source, process, and present salary data.

Data Source

All salary data on USA Salaries is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) program. The OES survey is a semi-annual mail survey of approximately 1.1 million business establishments that produces employment and wage estimates for about 800 occupations.

Current Dataset

Survey period: May 2025
Published: 2026
Coverage: All 50 states, District of Columbia, and U.S. territories
Methodology: Employer-reported data from nonfarm establishments
Sample size: ~1.1 million establishments over 3 years

Wage Estimates

The OES program produces the following wage estimates that we display:

Mean (average) wage — The arithmetic average of all reported wages
Median wage — The 50th percentile; half earn more, half earn less
10th percentile — Entry-level wages (10% earn less than this)
25th percentile — Lower-quarter wages
75th percentile — Upper-quarter wages
90th percentile — Top-earner wages (only 10% earn more)

Geographic Adjustments

State-level salary estimates are calculated using cost-of-living multipliers derived from BLS regional price data. These multipliers reflect the relative cost of living in each state compared to the national average, providing a more accurate picture of compensation by location.

Important: Geographic salary differences reflect both cost-of-living variations and local labor market conditions. A higher salary in an expensive state may not represent greater purchasing power.

Salary Growth Trends

Year-over-year growth rates are calculated from historical OES data releases. The 6-year trend charts show the trajectory of average wages for each occupation, helping users understand whether compensation is growing, stable, or declining.

Demand Indicators

Demand levels (Very High, High, Medium) are determined by total national employment in each occupation:

Very High: 500,000+ employed nationally
High: 200,000–499,999 employed nationally
Medium: 50,000–199,999 employed nationally

Limitations

OES data excludes self-employed workers
Wages do not include benefits, bonuses, or non-cash compensation
Some occupations have high margins of error due to small sample sizes
Data represents a point-in-time snapshot and may not reflect very recent market changes

Updates

We update our data annually when the BLS publishes new OES estimates, typically in spring of each year. The site is rebuilt automatically to reflect the latest available data.