Methodology & data sources
This page documents exactly where the wages on WageAtlas come from and how every derived figure is calculated. Nothing is invented: all wages are real published BLS figures, and any ranking, state aggregate or percentile band is a transparent calculation over them.
Primary source: BLS OEWS
All wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2024 release (published April 2025, retrieved June 2026). OEWS is a semi-annual mail survey of about 1.1 million establishments that produces employment and gross-wage estimates for over 800 detailed occupations, nationally and for every state. It is U.S. public domain.
We use two published data files directly:
- National file —
oesm24nat.zip→national_M2024_dl.xlsx: national mean, median and 10th/25th/75th/90th-percentile annual wage, hourly mean/median, and employment for each occupation. - State file —
oesm24st.zip→state_M2024_dl.xlsx: the same fields for each occupation in each of the 51 states (50 + DC), plus each state's all-occupations total.
We download these files with a refresh script (scripts/fetch-data.mjs) and commit a static
JSON snapshot; the site never fetches at build or request time. We curate 124 of the
most-searched occupations (by employment and search demand) rather than all 800+, to keep the
site focused and every page genuinely useful.
| Source | Cadence | License |
|---|---|---|
| BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — national | annual | U.S. public domain |
| BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — state | annual | U.S. public domain |
OEWS fields we use
OCC_CODE, OCC_TITLE, TOT_EMP (employment),
A_MEAN (annual mean), A_MEDIAN, A_PCT10/25/75/90 (annual
percentiles), H_MEAN/H_MEDIAN (hourly), and for the state file
AREA, AREA_TITLE and PRIM_STATE.
Suppression and top-coding
BLS suppresses some estimates and top-codes very high wages. We honor these exactly:
- A value BLS does not release (
*or**in the file) is shown as a dash (—) — never guessed. - An annual wage at or above the BLS top code of $239,200 (the
#flag) is shown as $239,200+ and marked. This affects some physician and dentist roles.
Derived figures
These are calculated only from the BLS inputs above:
- Rankings (highest-paying jobs, highest-paying states, biggest occupations) sort occupations or states by BLS median wage or employment.
- "vs US median" is the percentage difference between a wage and the $49,500 national all-occupation median.
- Salary percentile bands compare a salary you enter to the occupation's published 10th/25th/median/75th/90th-percentile wages — no modelling.
- "Jobs without a degree" uses the BLS Employment Projections "typical entry-level education" classification (high-school diploma, postsecondary award, apprenticeship or associate degree).
Gross wages, not take-home
OEWS reports gross (pre-tax) wages. We do not convert to take-home pay, which depends on your federal and state tax, filing status, benefits and deductions. This site is distinct from a paycheck or after-tax calculator.
Limitations
OEWS figures are survey estimates and may lag the labor market by a year or more. Statewide averages hide big differences between metros and employers, and they do not control for experience, certifications or industry. Wages vary by employer, experience and location. These figures are information, not career or financial advice. Always verify against bls.gov/oes before relying on a number. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026. See our disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-20