Salary by Job Title and Location
Pick a job and a place. See the median, where your salary sits in the distribution, what you keep after tax, and what is left after rent.
Short answer: pay for the same job varies enormously by place. A registered nurse has a median of $97,550 nationally, $140,270 in California and $77,090 in Mississippi — and $216,740 in the San Jose metro. This tool shows the median, the 10th–90th percentile spread, your own percentile, your take-home after federal, FICA and state tax, and what is left after typical local rent.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025. Rent: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 5-year (B25064).
National median pay by job title, May 2025
Annual wages for the occupations covered by this tool. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the spread — the median alone hides most of it.
| Occupation | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile | Employed (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radiologists | $89,010 | $420,860 | $594,410 | 26,770 |
| Anesthesiologists | $101,460 | $391,490 | $557,130 | 38,760 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $155,250 | $236,590 | $339,500 | 51,840 |
| Dentists, General | $86,250 | $170,950 | $319,630 | 124,390 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $78,420 | $148,080 | $215,610 | 22,510 |
| Pharmacists | $99,290 | $140,910 | $174,230 | 321,970 |
| Software Developers | $82,460 | $135,980 | $214,670 | 1,687,890 |
| Physician Assistants | $99,380 | $135,880 | $190,280 | 162,150 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $101,340 | $132,300 | $174,420 | 323,040 |
| Information Security Analysts | $75,090 | $129,180 | $199,850 | 190,650 |
| Physical Therapists | $77,140 | $102,760 | $135,140 | 267,330 |
| Dental Hygienists | $74,880 | $98,100 | $126,050 | 222,740 |
| Registered Nurses | $68,940 | $97,550 | $137,470 | 3,379,720 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $67,820 | $96,590 | $129,370 | 90,160 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $63,660 | $82,280 | $118,050 | 139,790 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $55,980 | $80,110 | $118,660 | 230,490 |
| Surgical Technologists | $45,940 | $64,650 | $96,940 | 117,460 |
| Flight Attendants | $35,110 | $63,580 | $136,430 | 131,650 |
| Electricians | $42,640 | $63,190 | $108,510 | 757,220 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $44,740 | $62,890 | $101,500 | 392,880 |
| Firefighters | $34,910 | $59,280 | $101,040 | 345,990 |
| Dental Assistants | $37,130 | $48,070 | $62,250 | 387,790 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $36,020 | $45,750 | $61,040 | 471,680 |
| Medical Assistants | $36,050 | $45,690 | $59,310 | 817,870 |
| Phlebotomists | $35,780 | $45,230 | $58,780 | 143,540 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. “≥ $239,200” is BLS’s cap: it does not publish a figure above $115.00/hr. State and metro estimates are in the tool above; BLS suppresses some of them, and this page says so rather than guessing.
What this does that salary sites do not
- It is federal survey data, not self-reported submissions. OEWS surveys employers.
- It places your salary in the percentile distribution for your job in your area, rather than against one national median.
- It nets out tax. Federal, FICA and state income tax, using the same 2026 engine as the state paycheck calculators.
- It subtracts typical rent for the metro you pick (Census ACS median gross rent), so a high salary in an expensive metro stops looking automatically better. This is a housing adjustment, not a full cost-of-living index.
Salary pages by job title
- Air Traffic Controller Salary
- Anesthesiologist Salary
- CRNA Salary
- Cyber Security Salary
- Dental Assistant Salary
- Dental Hygienist Salary
- Dentist Salary
- Electrician Salary
- Firefighter Salary
- Flight Attendant Salary
- Medical Assistant Salary
- Nurse Practitioner Salary
- Paralegal Salary
- Pharmacist Salary
- Pharmacy Technician Salary
- Phlebotomist Salary
- Physical Therapist Salary
- Physician Assistant Salary
- Radiologist Salary
- Radiology Tech Salary
- Registered Nurse Salary
- Respiratory Therapist Salary
- Software Engineer Salary
- Surgical Tech Salary
- Ultrasound Tech Salary
Frequently asked questions
Where does this salary data come from?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics programme, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys employers rather than asking workers to self-report, and covers about 830 occupations nationally, by state, and by metropolitan area. It is public-domain federal data.
Why is some state or metro data missing?
BLS suppresses estimates that do not meet its publication criteria, usually because the sample in that area is too small. Where BLS did not release a figure, this tool says so instead of interpolating or guessing.
What does '$239,200 or more' mean?
BLS does not publish an annual wage above $239,200, which is $115.00 an hour. Occupations such as anesthesiologists and radiologists hit that cap at the upper percentiles, so the true 90th percentile is higher than the number shown.
Is the take-home figure exact?
It is an estimate. It applies 2026 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax to the salary you enter, with no pre-tax deductions, credits, or local taxes. Use the state paycheck calculators for a fuller picture.
Does a higher salary in an expensive metro leave you better off?
Not always, which is the point of the rent line. It subtracts twelve months of the metro's median gross rent (Census ACS) from your take-home. Rent is the largest single cost difference between metros, though it is not the whole cost of living.