Our Data Sources

Every number on this site has a source. These are the official resources we use, and how to read what they say.

Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

The OEWS program of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys employers and publishes pay by occupation for the nation and every state. Our pay figures are the May 2025 estimates, retrieved through the BLS Public Data API. For context, the median annual wage for all occupations in May 2025 was$50,980.

• Median means half of workers earn more and half earn less. It is not an average, and it is not a promise.
• Percentiles (10th, 25th, 75th, 90th) show the spread: the 10th percentile is roughly entry-level pay in that job.
• Wage and salary workers only. OEWS does not count self-employed people, so careers where many people work for themselves (real estate agents, owner-operator truck drivers) are only partly described.
• Not published: when BLS does not release an estimate for a state (too few workers surveyed or a quality concern), we say so instead of filling in a number.

Education and outlook: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook

The Occupational Outlook Handbook lists the typical education needed to enter each occupation, the on-the-job training, and the projected change in jobs over ten years. Our "start in under 1 year" list follows its entry-level education categories.

Occupation details: O*NET OnLine

O*NET OnLine, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, describes tasks, skills and the education levels of people in each occupation. O*NET information is used under the CC BY 4.0 license.

Licenses: state boards and CareerOneStop

Professional licenses are issued by state boards, and only their records are official. Our license lookup table links to each board's own search page. Where we have not yet verified a state's board, we point to the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop License Finder. Registered nurse licenses in most states can also be verified nationally through Nursys.

Finding training near you

• CareerOneStop Training Finder: certificate and degree programs by location.
• Apprenticeship.gov: registered apprenticeships, where you are paid while you train.
• American Job Centers: free local career and training help.