Data Sources & Attribution
Complete transparency on where our data comes from, how often it's updated, and how to verify it yourself.
Primary Data Source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
| Source Name: | Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) |
| Publisher: | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) |
| Official URL: | https://www.bls.gov/oes/ |
| Data Type: | Employment counts and wage estimates by occupation and geography |
| Coverage: | 800+ occupations, 400+ metropolitan areas, all 50 states |
| Sample Size: | ~1.2 million establishments surveyed semiannually |
| Public Domain: | Yes - U.S. government data, freely available |
Data Citation Format
When citing Wages USA content, please use:
When citing BLS directly:
Update Schedule
| Event | Timing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BLS Data Collection | May (annually) | Reference period for employment and wage data |
| BLS Data Release | March-April (following year) | Official publication of previous May's data |
| Wages USA Update | Within 30 days of BLS release | Database refresh with new OEWS data |
| Page Verification | Within 7 days of update | Quality checks on high-traffic pages |
Current Data Version
Reference Period: May 2024
BLS Release Date: April 2025
Wages USA Updated: December 2025
Next Expected Update: April 2026 (May 2025 data)
Note: Due to BLS processing timelines, published data is typically 10-12 months old. For example, May 2024 employment and wages are published in April 2025.
Data Verification
You can independently verify any salary figure on Wages USA by comparing it to the original BLS source:
Step-by-Step Verification
- Identify the occupation code: Each page displays the 6-digit SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code. For example, Software Developers is 15-1252.
- Note the geographic area: Pages show state names or metropolitan area codes.
- Visit the BLS OEWS Data Portal: https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
- Select the appropriate table:
- National estimates: "National occupational employment and wage estimates"
- State estimates: "State occupational employment and wage estimates"
- Metro estimates: "Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area occupational employment and wage estimates"
- Search for the SOC code: Use browser search (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) to find the occupation code.
- Compare values: Check that median, mean, and percentile wages match our displayed figures.
Found a Discrepancy?
If you find a mismatch between our data and BLS source files, please report it immediately:
- Email: [email protected]
- Include: Page URL, SOC code, expected value, and BLS source link
- We review data correction requests within 24 hours
Additional BLS Resources
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes several complementary datasets we may integrate in the future:
| Dataset | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) | Career descriptions, education requirements, job outlook | Planned |
| Employment Projections (EP) | 10-year job growth forecasts | Planned |
| Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLTS) | Job openings, hires, and separations | Planned |
| Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX) | Cost of living and spending patterns | Future |
Note: Currently, Wages USA uses only OEWS data. Integration of additional datasets will be announced on our update log.
Third-Party Data (Future)
We are evaluating the following non-BLS data sources for future integration:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS): Demographic data and earnings by education level
- Economic Research Institute (ERI) Cost of Living Index: Geographic cost adjustments
- O*NET: Skill requirements and task descriptions
Commitment: If we integrate third-party data in the future, we will:
- Clearly label which data points come from which sources
- Provide full attribution with links
- Update this page with methodology and update schedules
- Maintain BLS OEWS as the authoritative source for salary figures
Data Freshness Indicators
Every page on Wages USA includes freshness indicators:
| Indicator | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| "As of May 2024..." | Opening paragraph | Inline temporal context |
| Last Updated timestamp | Near page title | When our database was refreshed |
| Data attribution footer | Bottom of page | Full source citation and methodology link |
| Meta tags (modifiedTime) | HTML head | Machine-readable freshness for search engines |
Licensing & Usage Rights
BLS Data: Public Domain
All Bureau of Labor Statistics data is in the public domain. As a U.S. government publication, OEWS data can be freely reproduced without permission.
BLS requests (but does not require) attribution when their data is used. We comply with this request and encourage all users to do the same.
Wages USA Content
Our original content (page layouts, explanatory text, data visualizations, comparisons, and tools) is provided for personal and educational use.
You may:
- Link to any page on Wages USA
- Cite our analysis with proper attribution
- Use salary figures in articles, presentations, or research (with citation)
Please do not:
- Scrape or republish bulk data from our pages
- Represent our analysis as your own work
- Use automated bots to access thousands of pages
For bulk data access or API requests, please contact us to discuss appropriate arrangements.
Related Pages
- Methodology - How we process and present data
- About Wages USA - Our mission and team
- BLS OEWS Homepage - Original data source
- OEWS FAQs - BLS answers to common questions
Last Updated: December 9, 2025
This page will be updated whenever we add new data sources or change our attribution practices.