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Our data & methodology

Every guide on SalaryScout is built from a real, citable government dataset — not guesses. Here is exactly where the numbers come from, how they are figured, and where they can't tell the whole story.

Primary source: U.S. BLS OEWS

Our occupation pages are compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program — the official federal survey of employer-reported wages across US industries and states. This is the same dataset governments and labor economists cite when they talk about average wages.

What the figures mean

• Mean annual wage — the average of all reported annual wages for the occupation, weighted by employment. It can be pulled upward by a few very high earners.
• Median annual wage — the midpoint: half of workers earn more, half earn less. We show the median when it best represents the typical worker, and always prefer it when a mean would be skewed.
• Hourly rate — the mean hourly wage where the BLS reports it; otherwise we estimate it from the annual figure at a standard 2,080 working hours per year.
• Monthly figure — the annual figure divided by 12, shown for easier budgeting.

Where the BLS suppresses a mean for confidentiality (some teacher and public-role categories), each page falls back to the published median and labels it clearly.

Geography

Each guide lists all 50 states plus the District of Columbia for which the BLS publishes data, with one page per occupation showing the whole state table in a single view. We also publish per-state salary pages (every state + D.C.) and per-city salary pages for 49 U.S. metro areas. City figures use the official BLS metropolitan statistical area (MSA) definition — the city plus its surrounding counties — because that is how federal local wage data is published. Always weigh a wage against its cost of living — a lower dollar figure in a cheaper state can go further.

Verification & updates

Every guide carries a "Last verified" date plus its cited source. The BLS republishes OEWS data on an annual cycle, and we refresh our tables when a new release lands. A "verified" stamp means the numbers on the page were checked against the official dataset on that date.

What the data can't tell you

• Your exact pay. Experience, employer, specialty, union status, education and local demand all move real pay far more than a state average can capture.
• Neighborhood-level nuance. Our metro figures cover a whole metropolitan statistical area; pay can still differ across suburbs and zip codes within it.
• Benefits. Bonuses, overtime, healthcare and retirement are not included in the base wage.

Treat it as a starting point

SalaryScout's figures are research estimates from official sources — solid for benchmarking an offer, budgeting, or a negotiation, but never a promise of what any employer will pay. Not financial or career advice.