Where do the numbers come from?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 release, the wage data most HR platforms and job boards build on.

236,120 benchmark cells covering every SOC occupation nationally, per state and per metro area. Each cell has employment, mean wage and the 10th, 25th, median, 75th and 90th percentiles, hourly and annual, plus jobs per thousand and location quotient.

How do I find the right occupation code?

Search the occupations endpoint by title, for example software, to get SOC codes such as 15-1252 for software developers. Codes are accepted with or without the dash.

How often is it updated?

Annually, when the BLS publishes the next May survey. The sources endpoint reports the release in use.

Does it include individual salaries or company data?

No. These are survey-based statistics for occupations and areas. They are the right tool for ranges and benchmarks, not for a specific employer's pay.

BusinessMAINTAINED1 token / call

Salary Benchmarks API

BLS wage benchmarks for every US occupation by state and metro: mean, median and percentiles

US salary benchmarks by occupation and location from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey — the wage data every HR platform, job board and compensation tool builds on, self-hosted: 236,120 benchmark cells covering every SOC occupation nationally, per state and per metro area. Each cell carries employment, mean wages, and the full distribution — 10th, 25th, median, 75th and 90th percentiles, both hourly and annual — plus job concentration (per 1,000 employed, location quotient). One call answers "what do Software Developers earn?" (nationally: $135,980 median, $214,670 at p90, with the top-paying metros attached) or "what's the going rate in Austin?" ($134,120). Filter by occupation, area or area type; rank by median, p90 or employment; find SOC codes and area codes by name. SOC codes accepted with or without the dash. Survey data is public domain and refreshes with the annual spring release. Built for HR tech, job boards, offer benchmarking, relocation calculators and market research. Self-hosted — no third-party calls at request time.

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response.json

{
  "ok": true,
  "area": {
    "code": "0000000",
    "name": "National",
    "type": "national"
  },
  "occupation": {
    "code": "15-1252",
    "title": "Software Developers"
  },
  "year": 2025,
  "employment": 1687890,
  "wages": {
    "hourly": {
      "mean": 71.2,
      "p10": 39.64,
      "p25": 50.58,
      "median": 65.38,
      "p75": 82.68,
      "p90": 103.21
    },
    "annual": {
      "mean": 148100,
      "p10": 82460,
      "p25": 105210,
      "median": 135980,
      "p75": 171980,
      "p90": 214670
    }
  },
  "emp_per_1000": null,
  "location_quotient": null,
  "top_paying_metros": [
    {
      "area": "San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA",
      "annual_median": 213110
    },
    {
      "area": "San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA",
      "annual_median": 186640
    },
    {
      "area": "Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA",
      "annual_median": 167280
    },
    {
      "area": "New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ",
      "annual_median": 166830
    },
    {
      "area": "Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH",
      "annual_median": 166090
    }
  ]
}

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Use cases for Salary Benchmarks API

Show a salary range with 10th to 90th percentiles on job postings and career pages.
Benchmark offers and pay bands against official data for a role in a specific metro area.
Compare where an occupation pays most and where it is most concentrated for relocation and hiring decisions.
Power a salary calculator or compensation report without licensing a commercial survey.

Salary Benchmarks API endpoints

Every endpoint with its parameters and a real example response.

OpenAPI definition Postman workspace

GETData Sources
GETNational Benchmark
GETSearch Areas
GETSearch Occupations
GETSearch Wages

GETData Sources

https://api-salary-benchmarks.dataandapis.com/v1/sources

This endpoint takes no parameters.

Example request

curl "https://api-salary-benchmarks.dataandapis.com/v1/sources" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Example response

{
  "ok": true,
  "count": 1,
  "sources": [
    {
      "slug": "bls-oews",
      "name": "BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025)",
      "publisher": "US Bureau of Labor Statistics",
      "licence": "US Government work - public domain",
      "source_url": "https://www.bls.gov/oes/",
      "file_url": "https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/oe/oe.data.1.AllData",
      "cadence": "annual (spring release)",
      "record_count": 236120,
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-02"
    }
  ]
}

GETNational Benchmark

https://api-salary-benchmarks.dataandapis.com/v1/wages/national/{soc}

Path parameters

Parameter	Example
soc	15-1252	Required

Example request

curl "https://api-salary-benchmarks.dataandapis.com/v1/wages/national/15-1252" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Example response

{
  "ok": true,
  "area": {
    "code": "0000000",
    "name": "National",
    "type": "national"
  },
  "occupation": {
    "code": "15-1252",
    "title": "Software Developers"
  },
  "year": 2025,
  "employment": 1687890,
  "wages": {
    "hourly": {
      "mean": 71.2,
      "p10": 39.64,
      "p25": 50.58,
      "median": 65.38,
      "p75": 82.68,
      "p90": 103.21
    },
    "annual": {
      "mean": 148100,
      "p10": 82460,
      "p25": 105210,
      "median": 135980,
      "p75": 171980,
…

Show full response

{
  "ok": true,
  "area": {
    "code": "0000000",
    "name": "National",
    "type": "national"
  },
  "occupation": {
    "code": "15-1252",
    "title": "Software Developers"
  },
  "year": 2025,
  "employment": 1687890,
  "wages": {
    "hourly": {
      "mean": 71.2,
      "p10": 39.64,
      "p25": 50.58,
      "median": 65.38,
      "p75": 82.68,
      "p90": 103.21
    },
    "annual": {
      "mean": 148100,
      "p10": 82460,
      "p25": 105210,
      "median": 135980,
      "p75": 171980,
      "p90": 214670
    }
  },
  "emp_per_1000": null,
  "location_quotient": null,
  "top_paying_metros": [
    {
      "area": "San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA",
      "annual_median": 213110
    },
    {
      "area": "San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA",
      "annual_median": 186640
    },
    {
      "area": "Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA",
      "annual_median": 167280
    },
    {
      "area": "New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ",
      "annual_median": 166830
    },
    {
      "area": "Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH",
      "annual_median": 166090
    }
  ]
}

GETSearch Areas

https://api-salary-benchmarks.dataandapis.com/v1/areas

Query parameters

Parameter	Example
limit	50	Optional
q	Austin	Optional
type	metro	Optional

Example request

curl "https://api-salary-benchmarks.dataandapis.com/v1/areas?limit=50&q=Austin&type=metro" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Example response

{
  "ok": true,
  "count": 1,
  "areas": [
    {
      "code": "0012420",
      "name": "Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX",
      "area_type": "metro"
    }
  ]
}

GETSearch Occupations

https://api-salary-benchmarks.dataandapis.com/v1/occupations

Query parameters

Parameter	Example
limit	50	Optional
majors	false	Optional
q	nurse	Optional

Example request

curl "https://api-salary-benchmarks.dataandapis.com/v1/occupations?limit=50&majors=false&q=nurse" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Example response

{
  "ok": true,
  "count": 6,
  "occupations": [
    {
      "code": "29-1141",
      "title": "Registered Nurses",
      "major_group": false
    },
    {
      "code": "29-1151",
      "title": "Nurse Anesthetists",
      "major_group": false
    },
    {
      "code": "29-1161",
      "title": "Nurse Midwives",
      "major_group": false
    },
    {
      "code": "29-1171",
      "title": "Nurse Practitioners",
      "major_group": false
    },
    {
      "code": "29-2061",
      "title": "Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses",
      "major_group": false
…

Show full response

{
  "ok": true,
  "count": 6,
  "occupations": [
    {
      "code": "29-1141",
      "title": "Registered Nurses",
      "major_group": false
    },
    {
      "code": "29-1151",
      "title": "Nurse Anesthetists",
      "major_group": false
    },
    {
      "code": "29-1161",
      "title": "Nurse Midwives",
      "major_group": false
    },
    {
      "code": "29-1171",
      "title": "Nurse Practitioners",
      "major_group": false
    },
    {
      "code": "29-2061",
      "title": "Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses",
      "major_group": false
    },
    {
      "code": "45-2092",
      "title": "Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse",
      "major_group": false
    }
  ]
}

GETSearch Wages

https://api-salary-benchmarks.dataandapis.com/v1/wages

Query parameters

Parameter	Example
area		Optional
area_type	metro	Optional
limit	20	Optional
min_annual_median	100000	Optional
occupation	15-1252	Optional
page	1	Optional
sort	median	Optional

Example request

curl "https://api-salary-benchmarks.dataandapis.com/v1/wages?area_type=metro&limit=20&min_annual_median=100000&occupation=15-1252&page=1&sort=median" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Example response

{
  "ok": true,
  "total": 453,
  "page": 1,
  "limit": 20,
  "count": 3,
  "results": [
    {
      "area": {
        "code": "0041940",
        "name": "San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA",
        "type": "metro"
      },
      "occupation": {
        "code": "15-1252",
        "title": "Software Developers"
      },
      "year": 2025,
      "employment": 87350,
      "wages": {
        "hourly": {
          "mean": 106.59,
          "p10": 66.55,
          "p25": 83.49,
          "median": 102.46,
          "p75": 108.69,
          "p90": 139.02
        },
…

Show full response

{
  "ok": true,
  "total": 453,
  "page": 1,
  "limit": 20,
  "count": 3,
  "results": [
    {
      "area": {
        "code": "0041940",
        "name": "San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA",
        "type": "metro"
      },
      "occupation": {
        "code": "15-1252",
        "title": "Software Developers"
      },
      "year": 2025,
      "employment": 87350,
      "wages": {
        "hourly": {
          "mean": 106.59,
          "p10": 66.55,
          "p25": 83.49,
          "median": 102.46,
          "p75": 108.69,
          "p90": 139.02
        },
        "annual": {
          "mean": 221710,
          "p10": 138420,
          "p25": 173650,
          "median": 213110,
          "p75": 226080,
          "p90": 289150
        }
      },
      "emp_per_1000": 76.96,
      "location_quotient": 7.09
    },
    {
      "area": {
        "code": "0041860",
        "name": "San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA",
        "type": "metro"
      },
      "occupation": {
        "code": "15-1252",
        "title": "Software Developers"
      },
      "year": 2025,
      "employment": 69030,
      "wages": {
        "hourly": {
          "mean": 93,
          "p10": 61.58,
          "p25": 78.61,
          "median": 89.73,
          "p75": 105.61,
          "p90": 131.44
        },
        "annual": {
          "mean": 193430,
          "p10": 128090,
          "p25": 163500,
          "median": 186640,
          "p75": 219670,
          "p90": 273400
        }
      },
      "emp_per_1000": 29.08,
      "location_quotient": 2.68
    },
    {
      "area": {
        "code": "0042660",
        "name": "Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA",
        "type": "metro"
      },
      "occupation": {
        "code": "15-1252",
        "title": "Software Developers"
      },
      "year": 2025,
      "employment": 92770,
      "wages": {
        "hourly": {
          "mean": 84.09,
          "p10": 47.69,
          "p25": 63.85,
          "median": 80.42,
          "p75": 101.86,
          "p90": 124.02
        },
        "annual": {
          "mean": 174920,
          "p10": 99190,
          "p25": 132800,
          "median": 167280,
          "p75": 211860,
          "p90": 257960
        }
      },
      "emp_per_1000": 44.47,
      "location_quotient": 4.1
    }
  ]
}

Where the data comes from

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (public domain).
Freshness: Annual reload with each BLS release.

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import axios from 'axios';

const { data } = await axios.get(
  'https://api-salary-benchmarks.dataandapis.com/v1/sources',
  { headers: { 'X-Api-Key': process.env.API_KEY } }
);

Salary Benchmarks API · X-Api-Key

Explore the endpoints

Browse request parameters and inspect live example responses.

Available Endpoints

Request Parameters

API URL

Headers

X-Api-Key

Target:

Client:

import axios from 'axios';

const url = 'https://api-salary-benchmarks.dataandapis.com/v1/sources';
const { data } = await axios.get(url, {
  headers: { 'X-Api-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY' }
});