U.S. salaries by job

For all occupations combined, the median wage in May 2025 was $24.51 an hour, or $50,980 a year (BLS OEWS). Half of U.S. wage and salary workers earned more and half earned less. The average (mean) was higher, $69,770, because very high earners pull the average up.

Every number comes from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which surveys about 1.1 million business establishments over three years. These are the May 2025 estimates, published in May 2026, the latest release available.

No. OEWS covers wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments; self-employed workers, owners and partners in unincorporated firms are not included.

OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay: base rate, cost-of-living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazard pay, incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses, and tips. Overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits are not included.

For occupations that usually work fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid by the year, such as teachers and airline pilots, BLS publishes only annual wages, so an hourly figure would be misleading.