US Salary Statistics (BLS May 2025)
National pay figures for the United States: the median and mean wage, the spread from the 10th to the 90th percentile, pay by occupation group, and the highest-paying occupations and metro areas. Every figure on this page is taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates.
Key Figures, All Occupations
US Annual Wage Distribution
Half of the jobs in the BLS estimates pay less than $50,980 a year and half pay more. A tenth pay less than $31,200, and a tenth pay more than $128,560.
| Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $31,200 |
| 25th | $37,590 |
| 50th (median) | $50,980 |
| 75th | $80,520 |
| 90th | $128,560 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. National, all occupations.
Median Wage by Occupation Group
The BLS estimates cover 22 major occupation groups. The last column compares each group's median with the all-occupations median of $50,980.
| Occupation Group | Median Annual Wage | Jobs | vs. All Occupations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Occupations | $126,520 | 11,132,700 | +148% |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | $109,280 | 5,260,110 | +114% |
| Legal Occupations | $102,500 | 1,305,620 | +101% |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | $99,520 | 2,617,130 | +95% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | $86,530 | 9,823,860 | +70% |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | $82,660 | 10,537,240 | +62% |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | $82,530 | 1,473,260 | +62% |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations | $62,750 | 2,046,290 | +23% |
| Educational Instruction and Library Occupations | $60,570 | 9,100,570 | +19% |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations | $59,620 | 6,086,190 | +17% |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | $59,540 | 6,425,160 | +17% |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | $58,300 | 2,668,680 | +14% |
| Protective Service Occupations | $50,080 | 3,776,610 | −2% |
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | $47,450 | 17,753,430 | −7% |
| Production Occupations | $46,990 | 8,565,760 | −8% |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | $44,350 | 13,677,150 | −13% |
| Sales and Related Occupations | $38,530 | 13,424,300 | −24% |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | $38,340 | 7,901,670 | −25% |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | $37,680 | 4,548,260 | −26% |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | $36,630 | 435,200 | −28% |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | $36,410 | 3,255,790 | −29% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | $35,050 | 13,680,750 | −31% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. National, major occupation groups.
Highest-Paying Occupations in the US
| Rank | Occupation | Median Annual Wage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pediatric Surgeons | $559,030 | 1,190 |
| 2 | Cardiologists | $496,010 | 17,290 |
| 3 | Radiologists | $420,860 | 26,770 |
| 4 | Surgeons, All Other | $414,010 | 25,140 |
| 5 | Anesthesiologists | $391,490 | 38,760 |
| 6 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $358,550 | 14,100 |
| 7 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $352,220 | 4,910 |
| 8 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $335,550 | 32,880 |
| 9 | Dermatologists | $328,730 | 11,370 |
| 10 | Physicians, Pathologists | $312,400 | 11,110 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Ranked by median annual wage among the 825 detailed occupations with a published annual median; 5 of the 830 detailed occupations have no published annual median and are not ranked.
Highest-Paying US Metro Areas (All Occupations)
| Rank | Metro Area | Median Annual Wage | Mean Annual Wage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $84,050 | $119,230 | 1,134,970 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $74,260 | $100,220 | 2,373,920 |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $72,610 | $91,790 | 2,086,210 |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $71,060 | $91,930 | 3,136,190 |
| 5 | Boulder, CO | $69,580 | $91,760 | 192,390 |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $66,620 | $89,620 | 2,703,890 |
| 7 | Lexington Park, MD | $63,990 | $82,580 | 70,650 |
| 8 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $63,490 | $82,560 | 240,190 |
| 9 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $63,200 | $77,020 | 93,740 |
| 10 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $62,320 | $81,690 | 1,609,350 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Ranked by median annual wage for all occupations across 393 metropolitan areas.
How 39 Occupations Compare with the National Median
National median wages for the occupations covered on this site. Each links to its pay by state and metro area.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. National.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates: the national file and the metropolitan area file, published at bls.gov/oes/tables.htm.
All wages are annual and before tax, except the hourly median. The median is the 50th percentile: half of jobs pay less and half pay more. Wage figures are shown as BLS published them; the percentage comparisons are calculated from those figures.