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Pay Guides

Guides to US pay by occupation and industry, and to negotiating salary, raises, benefits, equity and severance. Every pay figure is cited to an official source (BLS or OPM) with its year, geography and definition.

Featured 8 min

Software Developer Pay in the US: Official Data and How to Compare Offers

US government percentiles for software and IT occupations, a state-by-state comparison, and how base, bonus and equity fit together in an offer.

Salary Guides 7 min

Data Scientist Pay in the US: Official Figures and Their Limits

US wage percentiles for data scientists, state medians, and an explanation of why this page carries no figures for other countries.

Salary Guides 7 min

Marketing Pay in the US: Manager and Specialist Figures with Sources

US wage data for marketing managers, advertising managers, PR managers and marketing specialists, with notes on what the figures exclude.

Salary Guides 7 min

Civil Engineering Pay in the US: Engineers, Surveyors and Licensure

US wage data for civil and environmental engineers, surveyors, technicians and construction managers, plus how licensing and public-sector pay work.

Salary Guides 7 min

Accounting Pay in the US: Accountants, Auditors and Related Roles

US wage percentiles for accountants, auditors, tax preparers, bookkeeping clerks and budget analysts, and why practice owners are missing from the data.

Negotiation 11 min

Salary Negotiation: How to Set Your Number with Official Pay Data

A step-by-step method for choosing a salary number from US percentile data, pricing the whole offer, making the ask and closing it in writing.

Negotiation 9 min

How to Ask for a Raise: Using Wage-Growth and Inflation Data to Set Your Number

What official data says about typical pay rises and inflation, how to turn that into a specific ask, and how to handle a no.

Negotiation 9 min

Negotiating Equity and Stock Options

Equity is often the most valuable and least understood part of a compensation package. Here is how to negotiate and evaluate equity intelligently.

Negotiation 7 min

Counter Offer: Should You Accept?

Receiving a counter-offer when you resign is flattering, but money alone may not fix why you wanted to leave. Here is how to evaluate it and decide.

Negotiation 8 min

Negotiating Your First Job Offer

Negotiating your first job offer feels intimidating when you have no leverage. Here is how early-career professionals can negotiate successfully.

Negotiation 8 min

Negotiating a Severance Package

When you are being laid off or let go, severance is often negotiable. Here is how to negotiate a stronger severance package professionally and effectively.

Negotiation 9 min

Negotiating Benefits: What Employers Spend on Them and How to Value Each One

Official data on what US employers spend on paid leave, insurance, retirement and bonuses, how to put a dollar value on each, and which ones are usually open to negotiation.

Negotiation 8 min

Negotiation Psychology: Confidence and Power

Negotiation is as much psychological as financial. Here is how to build the confidence and understand the power dynamics that drive successful negotiations.

Negotiation 9 min

Are You Underpaid? How to Check Against Official Pay Data, and What to Do

A four-step check of your pay against BLS percentiles for your occupation and state, how to read the result honestly, and how to raise it with your employer.

Negotiation 8 min

Negotiation Scripts: What to Say

Having the right words ready transforms negotiation from stressful to natural. Here are practical scripts for the most common negotiation situations.

Remote Work 9 min

Remote Pay and Location: How Much the Same Job Pays from State to State (US Data)

Official BLS data on how far pay for the same occupation varies between US states, what is left of the gap after price levels, and how that shapes remote pay policies and negotiations.

Remote Work 8 min

Hybrid Work Models Explained

Hybrid work is common, but it comes in many forms. Here is a clear guide to the main hybrid models and their trade-offs for employees and employers.

Remote Work 9 min

Remote Work Taxes and Residency

Remote work across borders creates complex tax situations. Here is what you need to know about tax residency, double taxation, and staying compliant.

Pay by Industry 7 min

Tech Industry Pay: US Data and How Compensation Is Structured

What US government data shows for technology occupations, why it can understate total pay at some employers, and how to compare base, bonus and equity.

Pay by Industry 7 min

Finance Industry Pay: US Data and How Bonuses Work

US wage data for finance occupations, how base and variable pay differ across roles, and what to ask about bonuses before you accept an offer.

Pay by Industry 9 min

Healthcare Pay: Physicians, Nurses, Pharmacists and Other Roles (US Data)

US wage data for physicians by specialty, nursing roles, pharmacists, therapists and managers, with notes on what the figures leave out.

Pay by Industry 7 min

Manufacturing Pay: Engineers, Supervisors and Skilled Trades (US Data)

US wage data for engineers, production managers, supervisors and skilled trades in manufacturing, plus what overtime, unions and licensure change.

Pay by Industry 7 min

Education Pay: Teachers, Administrators and Training Roles (US Data)

US wage data for teachers, school and college administrators, instructional coordinators and training specialists, plus how salary schedules and benefits work.

Pay by Industry 6 min

Retail Pay: Store Roles, Supervisors and Distribution (US Data)

US wage data for retail salespeople, cashiers, supervisors and distribution managers, with notes on hourly pay, scheduling, commissions and minimum wages.

Pay by Industry 7 min

Energy Industry Pay: Engineers, Operators and Field Trades (US Data)

US wage data for petroleum and nuclear engineers, geoscientists, plant operators, line workers and renewable-energy technicians, with notes on rotations, overtime and cyclicality.

Pay by Industry 7 min

Media and Entertainment Pay: Creative Roles and Freelance Income (US Data)

US wage data for producers, directors, editors, writers, camera operators, designers and journalists, and why project-based work makes annual figures harder to read.

Pay by Industry 7 min

Real Estate Pay: Agents, Brokers and Property Managers (US Data)

US wage data for real estate sales agents, brokers, property managers and construction managers, and why official figures cannot describe most self-employed agents.

Pay by Industry 6 min

Government Pay: The US Federal General Schedule Explained

How US federal pay works under the General Schedule, with the official 2026 base pay for selected grades, and why public sector pay needs a like-for-like comparison.

Pay by Industry 6 min

Nonprofit and NGO Pay: How to Research What Organizations Actually Pay

US wage data for common nonprofit occupations, and a practical method for finding what a specific nonprofit pays using its public tax filings.

Pay by Industry 6 min

Agriculture Pay: Managers, Scientists and Farm Workers (US Data and Its Limits)

US wage data for agricultural managers, supervisors, food scientists, soil and plant scientists and agricultural engineers, and why it cannot describe farm income.