What does this tool do?
The Compare Salaries tool lets you compare average salaries for up to five occupations and up to five locations.
To get started, enter the name of the first occupation you want to compare. You can pick on of two methods:
- You can type the occupation name or a related keyword in the box under "Occupation." Once you've typed three letters, you'll see a list of matching occupation titles appear below the box. You can finish typing your word(s) or you can select a title from the list. Once you've entered your first occupation, you can click "+ add occupation" to add a second. You can add up to five occupations.
- Or, you can browse a list of occupation names by clicking the bar that says "List of Occupations; Select up to five." You'll see a list of 22 occupation groups; click on any title(s) to expand the list. From there, you can click the checkboxes to select up to five occupations you want to compare.
Next, enter up to five locations you want to compare. Enter your location by typing a city (you must include the state) or state or ZIP code into the search box. If you enter a city or ZIP code, your results will reflect the large regional area that your city or ZIP code is part of.
You must enter at least two occupations OR two locations. You can enter up to five of both. Once you've entered the occupations and locations you want to compare, click "Search" to see your results.
Why don’t I see information for the city or ZIP code I entered?
This salary data is not available at the city or ZIP code level. So you’ll see salary data for the area closest to your selection. This data will be labeled in your results with one of two area types:
Metro area, which could be one of two types defined by the Office of Management and Budget as a standard for federal agencies to prepare and publish statistics. You might be seeing data for a:
- Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which is used to describe a large population nucleus (usually a city or combination of cities), together with adjacent communities which have a high degree of economic and social integration with that nucleus
- Metro New England City and Town Area (MNECTA), which is similar to an MSA, with a core area comprised of a group of New England cities and towns containing a substantial population nucleus, together with adjacent communities having a high degree of social and economic integration with that core.
Balance of State (BOS) area , which is sometimes called a nonmetropolitan area. These areas represent the parts of a state not included in a metro area (see above). These areas are defined by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistic (OEWS) program.
What is the source of the salary information?
This salary information is collected by each state through the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) at the U.S. Department of Labor. Wage data are updated on CareerOneStop annually. Data were last updated in May 2024, and reflect May 2023 estimates.
For information about displaying any of this data on your own website, please visit CareerOneStop's Web API.
What is included and excluded in CareerOneStop’s salary and wage data?
Wage estimates include base rate, cost-of-living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (e.g. commissions and production bonuses), and on-call pay. Wage estimates do not include back pay, jury duty pay, overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, and tuition reimbursements.
Yearly wage data applies only to workers with full-time, year-round schedules. The hourly wage data includes information for part-time and part-year workers.
Can I save my list of results?
To download and save your results in a document, click the Download button which you'll find underneath the results table of your salary information, and choose from Excel, PDF, Word, or RTF formats.
To email or print your results, use the links at the top of the page.
Who can I contact for help?
Please contact the CareerOneStop Service Center at info@careeronestop.org.