Overview of BLS Wage Data by Area and Occupation

BLS wage data are available by occupation for the nation, regions, states, and many metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.

National Wage Data

• For over 800 occupations. Data are classified using the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) System.
• Data by job characteristics and the level of difficulty and complexity of work.
• For about 400 industries. Occupational wage data for sector, 3-, 4- and 5-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industries.
• Data by occupation and gender Data for men and for women in 200 occupations.

Wage Data by State

• By state. 50 states plus District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands.
• Data by job characteristics and the level of difficulty and complexity of work. (Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands excluded).

Wage Data by Metropolitan Area

• For 395 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and over 130 nonmetropolitan areas. (MSAs consist of one or more counties (or towns and cities in New England) and contain a core area with a substantial population that has a high degree of economic and social integration with the surrounding areas; also, an MSA must have at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more inhabitants. Certain MSAs have subdivisions called metropolitan divisions.
• Data by job characteristics and the level of difficulty and complexity of work. (Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands excluded).

BLS wage data by area and occupation are from the National Compensation Survey, Occupational Employment Statistics Survey, or the Current Population Survey.

Other BLS programs that publish wage data (though not by detailed occupation) are Employment Cost Trends, Current Employment Statistics, and Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Last Modified Date: April 3, 2019