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

"Underpaid" is easy to feel and hard to prove. Salary websites built on self-reported numbers can tell you almost anything, depending on who reported. This guide uses official US data instead: the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) wage percentiles by occupation and state. They will not settle every case, but they give you a reference point that your employer can check too.

Step 1: find your occupation, by duties

Look up your work in our US wage data table, which lists all 830 occupations BLS publishes. Choose the occupation that matches what you actually do, not your job title. Titles vary between employers; BLS classifies jobs by duties, and the profile linked from each row describes them. If your work spans two occupations, note both.

Step 2: compare with the percentiles

Here is one occupation as an example.

Occupation (SOC)	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
Accountants and Auditors (13-2011)	$56,020	$67,020	$83,680	$109,810	$144,090

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, United States, national, all industries, annual wages in US dollars (file retrieved 20 October 2026). Percentiles: the share of workers in the occupation who earn less than the figure. Excludes overtime, nonproduction bonuses and employer benefit costs; covers wage and salary workers only. BLS methodology.

A practical way to read your position:

• Below the 10th percentile. Nine in ten people in the occupation nationally earn more. Unless you are new to the work, part-time, or in one of the lowest-paid states for it, this is a strong signal.
• Between the 10th and 25th percentile. Common early in a career. With several years of experience, it is worth investigating.
• Between the 25th percentile and the median. Within the normal range. Whether it is fair depends on experience, location and what is expected of you.
• Above the median. You are paid more than half the people in the occupation. A case for more will rest on your contribution, not on the market.

This scale is our own reading of the percentiles, not an official definition of underpayment.

Step 3: adjust for your state

National figures can mislead badly, because pay for the same occupation differs a great deal by state.

State	Employment	Median	vs US median
District of Columbia	9,810	$111,530	+33%
New York	109,830	$102,640	+23%
New Jersey	42,250	$100,830	+20%
Massachusetts	46,230	$99,460	+19%
Connecticut	16,770	$97,550	+17%
…
Louisiana	14,050	$73,810	-12%
West Virginia	4,900	$73,320	-12%
Nebraska	10,340	$72,080	-14%
Mississippi	7,350	$68,100	-19%
Arkansas	7,870	$66,330	-21%
United States		$83,680

Show all 51 states and DC

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, State estimates, all industries (file oesm25st.zip, retrieved 20 October 2026). n/a: not published by BLS for that state. State medians are not adjusted for living costs or state taxes. BLS state tables.

For accountants and auditors the state median runs from $66,330 in Arkansas to $111,530 in the District of Columbia, against a national median of $83,680.

A worked example. An accountant in Arkansas earning $64,000 is below the national 25th percentile ($67,020), which looks like underpayment. Against the Arkansas median of $66,330, though, the gap is about 3.5%. The national comparison overstates the problem. An accountant in Texas on the same $64,000 is in a different position: the Texas median is $80,920, so the salary is about 21% below the typical pay in the same state. The figures are BLS medians; the salaries in the example are hypothetical.

The BLS profile linked from each occupation also shows pay by metropolitan area, which matters if you work in a large city.

Step 4: check that you are comparing like with like

The BLS percentiles are base pay. They exclude overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. Before concluding you are underpaid:

• Add any regular bonus to your side of the comparison only if it is a nonproduction bonus (for example a discretionary annual bonus). Commissions and production bonuses are already counted in the BLS figures.
• If your employer pays unusually generous benefits, take that into account. Across US private industry, benefits were 30.0% of compensation costs in June 2026, but that share varies a lot between employers; see our benefits guide.
• If you work part-time, compare hourly rates, not annual totals.

What to do with the result

If you are clearly below the range for your state, make the case in a scheduled meeting with your manager. Bring the figures: your occupation, the BLS median and 25th percentile for your state, your salary and your experience. Ask for a specific number, for example the state median, and ask what the process is. Our guide to asking for a raise covers timing and wording, and negotiation scripts gives example phrasing.

If you are inside the range, the market argument is weak, and the stronger case is about scope: whether your job has grown into something closer to a higher-paid occupation or grade.

If the employer will not move, test the market. An outside offer is the clearest evidence of what your work is worth, but use it only if you are ready to take it.

In some places, employers must publish pay ranges in job advertisements or give them on request. Where that applies, current job ads for similar roles are another useful reference. Check the rules in your state or country.

Key takeaways

• Compare your pay with BLS percentiles for your occupation, chosen by duties rather than title.
• Adjust for your state: the same salary can be far below the local median in one state and close to it in another.
• Compare base with base; the BLS figures exclude nonproduction bonuses, overtime and benefits.
• Take a specific number and the evidence for it into a scheduled conversation.