About SalaryScope
Free, transparent salary data for every career — powered by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Our Mission
Salary data should be free and accessible to everyone. SalaryScope was built to give workers, students, and job seekers a clear, unbiased picture of what jobs actually pay — without paywalls, sign-ups, or inflated crowd-sourced numbers. We believe informed workers negotiate better, choose better, and live better.
Data Sources
All salary data on SalaryScope comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program — the most comprehensive and authoritative source of US occupational wage data available.
- Data covers 830+ occupations across all major US industries
- Collected via surveys of 1.1 million+ business establishments
- Published annually by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Supplemented with community-submitted salaries (clearly labeled, moderated)
How We Process the Data
- Raw OEWS data is downloaded from bls.gov after each annual release
- Occupations are mapped to human-readable job titles and URL-friendly slugs
- Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) codes are matched to city/region names
- Salary figures are stored as-is — we do not adjust, smooth, or inflate numbers
- Pages are rebuilt and cached on our servers within 48 hours of new BLS releases
Update Schedule
The BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in April/May for the prior year's reference period. SalaryScope updates all salary pages within 48 hours of each new BLS data release. The current dataset reflects the most recent available BLS release.
Community Salary Submissions
In addition to BLS data, SalaryScope accepts anonymous salary submissions from real workers. Every submission is reviewed by our team before being published. We verify that values are plausible and reject submissions that appear fraudulent or promotional. Community data is clearly labeled separately from official BLS figures.
Limitations & Disclaimer
Salary data is provided for informational purposes only. Actual compensation varies based on employer, experience, education, skills, location, and market conditions. SalaryScope is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any employer. Do not use this data as the sole basis for employment, hiring, or compensation decisions.
Tools We Offer
- Cost of Living Calculator — Compare your salary across 80+ US cities adjusted for cost of living
- Job Salary Comparisons — Side-by-side salary comparison for similar roles
- Skilled Trades Salary Guide — Electricians, plumbers, welders, and more
- Government Job Salaries — Federal GS pay scale and public sector salaries