Know Your Worth.Get Paid What You Deserve.
Accurate salary data for 80+ occupations across 50 major US cities. Powered by official Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Welcome to SalaryMetro
SalaryMetro is your comprehensive resource for understanding wages and compensation across the United States. Whether you're negotiating a raise, planning a career change, evaluating a job offer, or researching salary trends in your industry, our platform provides the data you need to make informed decisions about your career and earnings potential.
Our salary data covers over 80 occupations across 50 major metropolitan areas, allowing you to compare wages by location and see how cost of living impacts your earning power. From entry-level positions to executive roles, we break down compensation by percentile so you can understand the full salary range for any career path.
How to Use This Data
- Compare salaries across different metro areas before relocating
- Research your occupation's pay range for salary negotiations
- Explore career paths with higher earning potential
- Understand how certifications and skills impact compensation
Data Source
All salary information comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. This official government survey collects wage data from over 1.1 million establishments nationwide, making it the most authoritative source for occupational wage data in the United States.
80+
Occupations
50
Metro Areas
72
Skills Analyzed
6,500+
Salary Pages
Browse by Career Category
View all →Healthcare
Medical and healthcare occupations including nurses, doctors, therapists, and medical technicians
Technology
Information technology and computer science occupations including developers, analysts, and IT specialists
Business & Finance
Business, finance, and management occupations including accountants, analysts, and managers
Education
Teaching and education occupations at all levels from preschool to higher education
Legal
Legal occupations including lawyers, paralegals, and court staff
Construction & Trades
Skilled trades and construction occupations including electricians, plumbers, and carpenters
Popular Careers
View all →Registered Nurse
healthcare
Software Developer
technology
Dental Hygienist
healthcare
Licensed Practical Nurse
healthcare
Bookkeeper
business & finance
Accountant
business & finance
Elementary School Teacher
education
Physician Assistant
healthcare
Top Metropolitan Areas
View all →Career Path Guides
View all →Skills & Certifications That Boost Salaries
View all →Salary Calculators & Tools
View all →Frequently Asked Questions
View all FAQs →What is a good salary in the United States?
A "good" salary depends on your location, occupation, experience, and personal circumstances. According to BLS data, the median annual wage for all occupations in the United States is approximately $48,060. However, cost of living varies dramatically by location. A $75,000 salary in Houston, TX provides similar purchasing power to over $115,000 in San Francisco, CA. Use our metro-specific salary data to understand what constitutes a competitive wage in your area.
How do I know if I am being paid fairly for my job?
To determine if you are paid fairly, compare your salary to the median wage for your occupation in your specific metropolitan area. If you earn above the 50th percentile (median), you earn more than half of workers in your role. Factors that justify higher pay include advanced degrees, professional certifications, specialized skills, years of experience, and performance. Our salary data shows percentile breakdowns (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) so you can see exactly where you fall in the pay distribution. Learn how to interpret salary percentiles.
What are the highest paying jobs in America?
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the highest paying jobs in America include Anesthesiologists (median $302,000+), Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ($311,460), Orthodontists ($229,380), Psychiatrists ($226,880), and Family Medicine Physicians ($211,300). Outside of healthcare, top earners include Chief Executives, Airline Pilots, Computer and Information Systems Managers, and Financial Managers. Explore high-paying careers.
Where does SalaryMetro get its salary data?
All salary data on SalaryMetro comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. This is the most comprehensive occupational wage survey in the United States, surveying approximately 1.1 million business establishments over a three-year cycle. Unlike self-reported salary websites, BLS data comes directly from employers, making it more accurate and statistically valid. Learn more about our data sources.
How much does location affect salary?
Location significantly affects salary. The same job can pay 30-50% more in high-cost metropolitan areas like San Francisco, New York, or Boston compared to lower-cost cities. For example, a Software Developer earning $130,000 in San Francisco might earn $95,000 in Dallas for similar work. However, after accounting for cost of living differences, the Dallas salary may provide better purchasing power. Read our cost of living guide.
What does median salary mean?
Median salary is the middle value of all salaries for an occupation when arranged from lowest to highest. Half of workers earn more than the median, and half earn less. The median is generally more useful than the average (mean) because it is not skewed by extremely high or low salaries. For example, if a few executives earn millions, the average would be inflated, but the median better represents what a typical worker earns. Understand salary statistics.
How do I negotiate a higher salary?
To negotiate a higher salary, start by researching the market rate for your role and location using BLS data. Present specific accomplishments and quantifiable results from your work, and time your request after a major achievement or during a performance review. Practice your pitch beforehand and be prepared to discuss the full compensation package, including benefits, bonuses, and remote work flexibility, not just base salary. Read our salary negotiation guide.
What is a cost of living adjustment (COLA)?
A cost of living adjustment (COLA) is a salary increase designed to keep your purchasing power consistent as prices rise due to inflation. Many employers offer annual COLAs of 2-4% to offset rising costs for housing, food, and transportation. COLAs are different from merit-based raises, which reward individual performance. When evaluating a job offer in a new city, compare the salary against local cost of living to determine your real purchasing power. Use our cost of living calculator.
Salary Guides & Career Resources
Expert guides on salary negotiation, career planning, benefits, and making the most of your compensation.
Salary Negotiation
Proven strategies to negotiate a higher salary at your next job or review.
Cost of Living vs. Salary
How to compare salaries across different cities and metro areas.
High-Paying Careers
The top-paying occupations in America and how to break into them.
Employee Benefits Guide
Understanding the full value of health insurance, retirement, and PTO.
Remote Work & Salary
How remote work affects compensation and location-based pay adjustments.
Career Change Guide
Planning a career transition and understanding salary expectations.
Salary Percentiles
What the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentile mean for your earning potential.
Certification ROI
Which certifications deliver the biggest salary boost for your field.
Understanding Salary Data: What the Numbers Really Mean
Salary data can be misleading if you do not understand how to interpret it correctly, which is why SalaryMetro goes beyond simply displaying numbers. When you see a median salary of $65,000 for a particular occupation, that figure represents the midpoint of all workers in that role nationally. Half earn more and half earn less. But the real story lies in the full distribution. Our percentile breakdowns show you the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages, painting a complete picture of the earning trajectory from entry-level to senior positions.
Location is perhaps the single most important factor in salary variation. A registered nurse in San Francisco earns a median of over $130,000, while the same role in rural Mississippi might pay $55,000. However, after accounting for housing costs, taxes, and general cost of living, the Mississippi nurse may have comparable or even superior purchasing power. Our metro-by-metro salary pages allow you to make these comparisons directly, and our cost of living calculator helps you translate nominal salary differences into real-world economic impact.
We also recognize that BLS wage data captures base salary and does not reflect total compensation. Bonuses, stock options, health insurance contributions, retirement matching, and other benefits can add 20 to 40 percent to the value of a compensation package, particularly in tech, finance, and executive roles. When using our data for salary negotiations or career planning, we recommend treating the BLS figures as a baseline and factoring in total compensation when evaluating specific job offers.
Career and Salary Trends for 2026
The labor market in 2026 continues to evolve rapidly, shaped by technological advancement, shifting workforce expectations, and regional economic differences. Technology-related occupations remain among the highest-paying careers, with software developers, data scientists, and cybersecurity analysts commanding strong salaries across virtually every metropolitan area. However, the salary premium for tech roles varies significantly by city: while the Bay Area still leads in nominal pay, cities like Austin, Raleigh, Denver, and Nashville are narrowing the gap while offering substantially lower costs of living.
Healthcare continues to dominate the top-paying occupations list, with specialists like anesthesiologists, surgeons, and orthodontists earning the highest median salaries in the country. But healthcare also offers strong earning potential at non-physician levels: nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and dental hygienists all earn well above the national median, and these roles are projected to grow faster than average as the population ages and healthcare access expands. Our healthcare career path guide maps the progression from entry-level roles through advanced practice positions.
One of the most impactful trends we track is the growing value of professional certifications and specialized skills. Our analysis shows that credentials like AWS Cloud Architect, PMP, CPA, and specialized programming skills can add 25 to 35 percent to base salary compared to similar roles without those credentials. The skills and certifications section of SalaryMetro is designed to help you identify which investments in professional development will yield the greatest return for your specific career path and geographic market.
Our Commitment to Transparent, Actionable Data
SalaryMetro exists because we believe that salary transparency benefits everyone. Workers deserve to know what fair compensation looks like for their occupation, experience level, and location. Job seekers deserve to negotiate from a position of knowledge rather than guessing. And employers benefit when compensation expectations are grounded in reliable data rather than anecdotal comparisons. By making BLS salary data accessible and easy to explore, we aim to create a more informed and equitable labor market.
Unlike salary data from self-reported survey sites, our data comes directly from employer reports to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means it is not skewed by selection bias, inflated by aspirational reporting, or limited to workers at particular companies or in particular industries. The OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across every sector of the economy, producing estimates that are statistically robust and nationally representative. When you look up a salary on SalaryMetro, you can trust that the number reflects actual wages paid by real employers.
Trusted Government Data
All salary data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. This survey produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations across the United States. The OEWS program is a federal-state cooperative effort that surveys approximately 1.1 million business establishments every year, collecting data on occupational employment and wages by industry and geographic area.
We present this data in an accessible format to help job seekers, employees, and employers understand wage trends and make informed decisions about careers and compensation. Our salary ranges show the 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentiles, giving you a complete picture of what workers earn at every experience level.
Important: Salary data represents base wages and does not include bonuses, benefits, or other compensation. Actual total compensation may vary based on employer, experience, education, certifications, and other factors. We recommend using this data as a starting point for your salary research.