Salary Comparison Calculator
See exactly where your pay falls in the real US wage distribution for your job — powered by live government data.
Your role & pay
≈ $41/hour at 40 hrs/week
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. National figures across all industries — your metro and industry will vary.
You vs Registered Nurses
You earn more than about 32% of registered nurses
Where you land in the pay range
10th$98K
median$137K
90th
Your $85,000 is below the median by $12,550.
Median wage
50th percentile
Mean wage
average
Entry (10th pct)
lower earners
Top (90th pct)
highest earners
How it works
We take the official BLS wage distribution for your occupation — the 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile salaries — and find where your pay lands on it. The result is your approximate percentile: the share of workers in your field who earn less than you. Data is the OEWS May 2025 national release.
Percentile placement
percentile = linear interpolation of your salary across the 10th–90th wage points
- p10 … p90
- published wage at each percentile for your occupation
- your salary
- placed on that curve to estimate your rank
Worked example
- Occupation: Registered Nurses
- Median ≈ $97,550; 10th ≈ $68,940; 90th ≈ $137,470
- Your pay: $110,000
- $110,000 sits between the median and the 75th percentile
About the 65th percentile — you earn more than roughly two-thirds of registered nurses nationally.
Good to know
- National figures across all industries. High-cost metros (and some industries) pay well above these numbers; rural areas often below.
- OEWS measures wages, not total compensation — bonuses, equity, and benefits are not included.
- It is an annual survey, so the latest data is typically about a year old; treat it as a solid benchmark, not a live market quote.
Related Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I am paid fairly?
Compare your pay to the wage distribution for your occupation, not just the average. This tool places your salary on the real 10th-to-90th percentile range published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, so you can see whether you are below, at, or above the median for your field.
Where does the wage data come from?
From the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program — the official US government survey of wages by occupation — May 2025 release. Figures are national across all industries; your metro area and industry can shift them up or down.
What does my percentile mean?
If you are at the 70th percentile, you earn more than about 70% of people in your occupation nationally. The median (50th percentile) is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The median is a better benchmark than the average, which a few very high earners can skew upward.
Why is the median different from the average (mean)?
The mean is the simple average and is pulled up by top earners. The median is the middle value and better represents a typical worker. For most occupations the mean is higher than the median — both are shown here.
Should I ask for a raise based on this?
It is a strong starting data point. If you are well below the median for your role and experience, that is real leverage in a negotiation. Pair it with the Real Raise Calculator to check whether recent raises kept up with inflation.