Salary Guide 2026: Median, Mean, Hourly and Take-Home

The four pay numbers

Median, mean, hourly and take-home answer different questions — use the right one.

• Median: the middle earner — best for typical pay
• Mean: skewed by top earners
• Hourly: median ÷ 2080 work hours
• Take-home: minus your effective tax

Convert instantly

Annual ÷ 2080 = hourly. Hourly × 2080 = annual. Monthly = annual ÷ 12.

Benchmark yourself

• Find your occupation median
• Compare your state band
• Check top-paying states for your field
• Re-run at every offer

Deep dive: how BLS pay data really works

The Occupational Employment Survey polls ~1.2 million establishments covering 800+ occupations. Published medians are base wages — no bonuses, no equity, no overtime. Percentiles (10/25/75/90) matter more than the median for negotiation: the 25th percentile is your walk-away floor, the 75th your stretch target. Metro granularity beats state averages by 20–40% spreads inside big states. Always match vintage: mixing 2023 medians with 2026 offers silently underprices you.

• Use 25/50/75 bands, never single numbers
• Metro > state > national precision order
• Add total comp separately (bonus + equity)
• Refresh at every scope change

Case files: same job, three states

A software developer median near $130k nationally splits dramatically: Bay Area bands run 40–60% above Southern metros for identical titles. Texas keeps more via zero wage tax; California pays more gross but keeps less. Run each offer through take-home math before comparing.

Advanced tactics

• Get competing timelines, not just offers
• Negotiate level, not just pay (bands jump)
• Ask approved range first — always
• Put everything in writing with dates

Glossary deep cuts

• P50/P90: percentile markers
• Locality pay: geo differentials
• Comp ratio: you vs band midpoint
• Green-circle: paid above band max

Pay ladder visual

Ranked BLS medians for major occupations.

Source: lifeindexdata.com · © 2026 LifeIndexData · Occupation medians ($)

State spotlights: pay landscapes

Five labor markets decoded with context.

• Texas: Texas — median income $76,292, median rent $1,339/mo, population 29,640,343. Energy/tech premiums; zero wage tax stretches gross. Best for: engineers, medical, trades.
• California: California — median income $96,334, median rent $1,956/mo, population 39,242,785. Top ceilings, top costs; equity comp common. Best for: tech, medical, trade.
• Florida: Florida — median income $71,711, median rent $1,564/mo, population 21,928,881. Tourism drag offset by healthcare/finance hubs. Best for: health, finance, Remote+.
• New York: New York — median income $84,578, median rent $1,576/mo, population 19,872,319. Finance/tech peaks; upstate value. Best for: finance, media, medical.
• Colorado: Colorado — median income $92,470, median rent $1,693/mo, population 5,810,774. Tech/aerospace mix with mountain premium. Best for: engineers, federal.

Year-in-review method: auditing your pay

Pull your W-2 total, bonus, equity vest value and benefits load. Divide by 2080 for true hourly. Compare against local occupation median AND 75th percentile. Gap over 15% below median with equal scope means negotiate or move. Document three quantified wins quarterly so evidence compounds — memory fades, paper raises.

• W-2 + bonus + equity + benefits = true comp
• True hourly = total ÷ 2080
• Gap vs local median decides action
• Evidence file updated quarterly

Expert roundup: what compensation pros watch

Bands over anecdotes, levels over titles, total over base. Pros track comp-ratio (you ÷ band midpoint): under 0.85 pushes hard, over 1.1 coasts. They refresh at every scope change and keep competing timelines warm regardless of happiness.

Complete occupation pay table (BLS)

Every tracked occupation with median and hourly — find yours.

Negotiation worksheet: 15 lines

Run before every offer call.

• Local 25/50/75 bands printed
• Walk-away number pre-committed
• Total-comp teardown done
• Three quantified wins ready
• Competing timeline live
• Range asked first (them)
• Anchor top-third with proof
• Bonus/equity/remote priced
• Start date + review date asked
• Counter window set
• Benefits load compared
• Non-compete read
• Written offer required
• Reference checks ready
• Resignation timed post-sign

Career audit worksheet: 12 lines

Yearly employability review.

• Skills currency score
• Network warmth (intros/mo)
• Comp ratio vs band
• Relocation optionality
• Credential pipeline active
• Side leverage building
• Manager relationship health
• Scope growth trend
• Market demand check
• Learning budget used
• Mentor + mentee loop
• Next level requirements listed

Full occupation pay reference (BLS)

Every tracked occupation with median and hourly — the negotiation bible. Print your row before every offer call.

Research notes: percentiles over points

A single median hides the band that decides your number. The 10th percentile is the floor market pays beginners; the 25th is competent-core; the 75th rewards scarce scope; the 90th marks stars and hot markets. Place yourself honestly, then target one band up with evidence. Bands move 3–6% yearly in hot fields — stale data silently underprices you.

• 10/25/75/90 bands, not points
• Self-place honestly
• Target one band up
• Refresh bands yearly

Equity compensation decoded

Grants vest over 4 years with 1-year cliffs; refreshers stack for performers; 83(b) elections on early-exercise ISOs can save six figures at exit. Price private equity at 30–50% haircut, model AMT before exercising ISOs, and never let unvested paper drive housing decisions. Negotiate refreshers and level trajectory — initial grants fade, ongoing grants compound.

• 4-yr vest, 1-yr cliff standard
• 83(b) within 30 days
• AMT modeled pre-exercise
• Refreshers = real comp

Freelance rate math

Salary ÷ 1000 ≈ rough hourly rule is wrong for freelancers. Real formula: (target salary ÷ billable hours) × 1.4 overhead ÷ utilization rate. At 60% utilization, a $100k salary equals ~$120/hr freelance ask. Add self-employment tax (15.3%), health premiums, unpaid time, and collections risk explicitly.

Promotion campaign playbook

Six months out: document scope growth, collect sponsor (not just mentor), ship one visible win, socialize the ask early. Promotion packets need business impact in dollars, peer calibration comps, and manager advocacy locked before calibration meetings. Most denials trace to late asks, not weak cases.

Layoff-proofing while employed

Keep pipeline warm with quarterly coffees, skills current with one credential yearly, emergency fund at 6 months, side income tested small. Employed candidates command 15–25% premiums over unemployed peers — leverage peaks before you need it, never after.

• Pipeline quarterly
• Credential yearly
• 6-month buffer
• Side income tested

Complete occupation pay table (BLS) — visual

Source: lifeindexdata.com · © 2026 LifeIndexData