About and methodology

Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025, at national level. We publish the median, the mean, and the 10th, 25th, 75th and 90th percentiles, hourly and annual, because a single number hides how wide the range usually is.

The median is the midpoint: half of workers earn more, half less. It is a better guide to a realistic salary than the mean, which a small number of very high earners can pull upward. Figures are national and unadjusted for cost of living, so local pay can differ considerably.

BLS data is a U.S. government work in the public domain.

Descriptions, task statements, skills, knowledge areas, education levels, related occupations and alternate job titles are from the O*NET 31.0 Database, published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). O*NET data is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. ericacve.org has modified the data: we select the most important tasks, skills and knowledge areas by O*NET's own importance ratings rather than reproducing every row, and we present it alongside BLS wages.

O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by USDOL/ETA or BLS.

O*NET identifies occupations with a 10-character O*NET-SOC code such as 29-2021.00. BLS uses the 6-character Standard Occupational Classification code, 29-2021. Trimming the last three characters of the O*NET code produces the BLS key, and that is how pay is matched to each page.

976 of 1,016 occupations get a wage match this way. For the remainder, BLS either combines the role into a broader category or does not publish it separately. Where a broader published category applies, the page says so directly under the figure. Where nothing suitable exists, the salary section is left out entirely rather than filled with an estimate.

The five job zones are O*NET's own classification of how much preparation an occupation needs, each with a plain-English description of the education, experience and training involved. They are the backbone of the “how to become one” section on every page, and you can browse occupations by zone.

It is not a job board. There are no live vacancies here and no employer listings — only reference information about occupations. For openings, use a job board or your state workforce agency.

Nothing here is career, financial or legal advice, and licensing requirements in particular vary by state. Always check with the relevant state board before committing to a training program.

Data is refreshed when new O*NET releases and OEWS survey rounds are published. If a figure looks wrong, it is worth checking against the source release first, since we do not adjust the published numbers.