WageDex guide
Using BLS Salary Data in Negotiations
A source-fit way to record an occupation's wage distribution without turning it into a personal salary target.
Wage figures use the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , Software Developers, May 2025 OEWS
What the data establishes
The May 2025 national OEWS distribution for Software Developers runs from $82,460 at the 10th-percentile boundary to $214,670 at the 90th, with a median of $135,980. These are observed distribution boundaries for covered workers, not recommended offer amounts.
- $82,460
- 10th-percentile boundary
- $135,980
- National median
- $214,670
- 90th-percentile boundary
Occupation, geography, industry, duties, and reference period affect whether a comparison is relevant. OEWS does not select the comparison group for a particular offer.
What does the published distribution show?
OEWS publishes the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th-percentile wage boundaries. Those fields show where wages fall within the covered occupation and geography. They do not classify workers as entry-level, intermediate, experienced, or senior.
National wage distribution: Software Developers
Published percentile boundaries, not candidate experience levels
In this national example, the median is the boundary that divides covered workers into two equal halves. The 10th and 90th percentiles are also boundaries; they are not minimum and maximum wages.
How do you build a reproducible wage-data record?
- Match the occupation. Compare the role's duties with the BLS occupation definition instead of relying only on an employer-specific title.
- Name the comparison group. State whether the estimate is national, state, metro/nonmetropolitan, or industry-specific. Do not call one of these the reader's “actual market” without separate evidence.
- Record the measure. Identify the mean or percentile boundary exactly. “Average,” “median,” and “75th percentile” are different statistics.
- Record the reference period. This page uses May 2025 estimates. A current offer and a published survey estimate may have different dates.
- Keep offer facts separate. Duties, level, schedule, benefits, incentives, equity, work location, and employer policy are not supplied by the aggregate occupation row.
Which geography should you compare?
Scroll the table horizontally to compare all four estimate types.
| Estimate | What it describes | What it does not decide |
|---|---|---|
| National | Covered workers in the occupation across the US | Which location or employer market applies to an offer |
| State | Covered workers in the occupation within a state | Metro differences or remote-work terms |
| Metro/nonmetro | Covered workers in the published BLS area definition | A person's residence, commute, or recruiting market |
| Industry | The occupation within a published NAICS industry | Company level, duties, or total compensation |
More than one comparison may be relevant. WageDex provides national, state, and metro occupation estimates; BLS also publishes industry-specific tables. The person documenting the comparison must explain why the selected group fits the question.
What compensation terms does OEWS exclude?
OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay. BLS includes base rates, commissions, production bonuses, and tips, but excludes items including overtime, shift differentials, stock bonuses, nonproduction bonuses, and employer costs for supplementary benefits. The dataset therefore cannot value a specific health plan, retirement contribution, equity grant, leave policy, or incentive agreement.
Compare those terms from the actual offer and plan documents. WageDex does not apply a generic percentage or dollar uplift to convert an OEWS wage into total compensation.
Frequently asked questions
What does an OEWS percentile wage mean?
A percentile wage is a boundary in the observed wage distribution for an occupation and geography. For example, the 50th percentile is the median: half of covered workers have wages below the boundary and half have wages above it. It is not a recommended offer or a career-stage label.
Should I use a national, state, metro, or industry estimate?
There is no universally correct geography or comparison group. Select the estimate that matches the question being documented, then name it explicitly. An employer location, worker location, remote arrangement, recruiting market, and industry may point to different comparisons; OEWS does not decide which one governs an offer.
Which percentile should I request?
OEWS does not assign a target percentile to an individual. The table does not observe a candidate’s duties, level, performance, credentials, competing offers, employer pay structure, or total compensation. Those facts require separate evidence.
Does OEWS include benefits and bonuses?
OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay. The measure excludes employer costs for supplementary benefits and excludes items including overtime, shift differentials, stock bonuses, and nonproduction bonuses. Actual plan and offer documents are needed to compare those terms.
Can OEWS data be used in a salary discussion?
BLS publishes a guide specifically about using OEWS occupation, location, industry, and wage-distribution data during salary discussions. The data can document an aggregate comparison, but it does not bind an employer or establish what one person should earn.
Primary sources
This page documents aggregate federal wage estimates. It does not determine an individual salary target, value an offer, or provide financial or employment advice.