Which US Occupations Had the Biggest Wage Changes in 2025?
A like-for-like comparison of 808 detailed occupations in the BLS OEWS May 2024 and May 2025 releases (same SOC classification), ranked by the change in national median annual wage.
matched occupations
median wages rose
median wages fell
median change (2 unchanged)
What changed between the two OEWS releases?
In the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics releases, 808 detailed occupations had a published national median in both May 2024 and May 2025 under the same SOC classification. Of those, 730 increased, 76 decreased, and 2 were unchanged. The median occupation-level change was +2.9%.
These are differences between two annual establishment-survey estimates. They are not inflation-adjusted, do not track the same workers, and can reflect sampling, employment mix, and genuine pay movement. Occupations without a median in either year, or whose SOC vintage differs across the two releases, are excluded rather than treated as zero.
Largest increases in national median wage, May 2024 to May 2025
Percentage change among detailed occupations reported in both BLS OEWS releases under the same SOC classification
- Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
93 change
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
77 change
- Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters
Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters
54 change
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers 33
Terrazzo Workers and Finishers
33 change
- Biochemists and Biophysicists 23
Biochemists and Biophysicists
23 change
- Farm Labor Contractors 20
Farm Labor Contractors
20 change
- Therapists, All Other 20
Therapists, All Other
20 change
- Craft Artists 20
Craft Artists
20 change
- Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers 20
Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers
20 change
- Commercial Divers 19
Commercial Divers
19 change
- Agricultural Engineers 17
Agricultural Engineers
17 change
- Taxi Drivers 16
Taxi Drivers
16 change
- Music Directors and Composers 16
Music Directors and Composers
16 change
- Transportation Workers, All Other 15
Transportation Workers, All Other
15 change
- Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners 15
Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners
15 change
Top increases
| Occupation | 2024 median | 2025 median | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | $50,280 | $97,150 | +93.2% |
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | $109,840 | $193,950 | +76.6% |
| Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters | $40,790 | $62,620 | +53.5% |
| Terrazzo Workers and Finishers | $57,260 | $76,170 | +33% |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | $103,650 | $127,410 | +22.9% |
| Farm Labor Contractors | $48,690 | $58,460 | +20.1% |
| Therapists, All Other | $65,010 | $77,930 | +19.9% |
| Craft Artists | $38,480 | $46,080 | +19.8% |
| Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers | $34,530 | $41,380 | +19.8% |
| Commercial Divers | $61,130 | $72,990 | +19.4% |
| Agricultural Engineers | $84,630 | $98,590 | +16.5% |
| Taxi Drivers | $36,220 | $42,100 | +16.2% |
| Music Directors and Composers | $63,670 | $73,710 | +15.8% |
| Transportation Workers, All Other | $39,630 | $45,650 | +15.2% |
| Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners | $30,460 | $34,980 | +14.8% |
Largest decreases
- Models: $89,990 → $48,470 (-46.1%)
- Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes: $96,310 → $82,890 (-13.9%)
- Animal Scientists: $79,120 → $68,940 (-12.9%)
- Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors: $63,940 → $58,170 (-9%)
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators: $60,560 → $55,490 (-8.4%)
- Motorboat Operators: $51,880 → $47,520 (-8.4%)
- Costume Attendants: $54,810 → $50,400 (-8%)
- Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers: $67,670 → $62,750 (-7.3%)
- Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas: $62,740 → $58,620 (-6.6%)
- Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders: $38,160 → $35,650 (-6.6%)
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 and May 2025 national occupation tables. WageDex joins like-for-like SOC codes within the same classification vintage and excludes suppressed medians.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. WageDex computes dollar and percentage changes only where the same SOC code and the same SOC classification vintage have a published national median wage in both releases. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.