Read the label beside the number
You find a salary figure for an occupation, then a vacancy with a lower range. Before treating that as a warning, check what each figure describes. Job titles alone can hide different responsibilities.
Keep the occupation, location, reporting period and pay unit beside the amount. A national annual estimate and a local hourly rate need more context before you can compare them. A publication date may also differ from the period the data covers.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ OEWS definitions describe wages as gross, straight-time pay. They include some incentive pay, commissions and tips, while excluding overtime premiums and employer benefit costs. For most occupations, annual estimates use 2,080 hours to convert hourly pay. Your actual paid hours may differ.
That means an OEWS wage figure is neither take-home pay nor a complete benefits package. If another source uses a different definition, keep its definition with the number.
A median is the middle of a distribution
The median separates the lower and upper halves of wages for the workers represented. The mean is an arithmetic average. Neither tells you what one employer will offer you.
A wage percentile is not an experience requirement. The 25th percentile does not, by itself, mean “entry-level salary.” People in an occupation differ in duties, employers and working conditions. See the BLS answers about wage estimates and percentiles for the measure you are using.
OEWS covers wage and salary employment; self-employed workers are excluded. If you freelance, an employee wage estimate will not account for your business expenses, unpaid time or the way you price a project.
Compare a fictional posting
Every amount in this example is invented for the exercise. These are not current wages for a real occupation or city.
| Item | What you have | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Occupation statistic | $85,000 annual median for a fictional local occupation group. | Do its duties and geography match the job? Which reporting period and wage definition apply? |
| Job posting | $72,000 to $88,000 annual base pay, plus a possible bonus. | How is starting pay set within the range? What are the bonus conditions? |
| Individual offer | None yet. | The posting does not establish what this applicant would receive. |
The posting’s range includes $85,000. That observation alone cannot establish whether a future offer is competitive. We still need the role’s scope, working hours and compensation details.
Suppose the employer explains that the role covers one location, while the occupation group also includes jobs with broader responsibilities. You now have a reason to examine the comparison more closely. You still do not have evidence for a precise adjustment to the median.
Ask about the actual offer
Use the gaps in the comparison to ask specific questions. “What determines the starting point within this range?” is more useful than assuming the top number is available to every applicant.
For the fictional posting, ask whether the bonus is guaranteed or conditional, what determines it, and when it is paid. Keep guaranteed base pay separate from an amount that depends on future conditions. Ask for the benefits and expected working hours in writing so you can compare the actual terms.
If the posting covers several locations, check which range applies to yours. For hourly work, use the expected paid hours and weeks. Multiplying by 2,080 is a convention in many statistics; it does not confirm your schedule.
Keep the source beside the figure
The free worksheet separates the occupation statistic, the posting and any later offer. It includes the fictional example above and blank rows for your own comparison.
Download the salary worksheet (.csv)Start with the free U.S. occupation lookup to inspect available sourced market information. Record missing values as unavailable. Then use the employer’s own posting or written offer for the job-specific side.
HoroJob keeps market facts separate from astrological interpretation. The worksheet does not calculate what you should earn or predict an employer’s decision. It gives you a place to record what each number means and what you still need to ask.