Is My Hourly Wage Good? How to Compare Your Pay
"Good" depends on what you compare against. Three comparisons answer most of the question: the national middle, your occupation, and your area.
1. The national middle
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, released in May 2026, puts the U.S. median hourly wage across all occupations at $24.51. Half of workers earn more, half earn less. Full time, that is about $50,980 a year.
The mean (average) hourly wage in the same survey is $33.54, or $69,770 a year. The mean is higher than the median because a smaller number of very high earners pull it up. For "what does a typical worker make," the median is the better yardstick.
For reference, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and has not changed since July 2009. Most of the country's workers are in states or cities with a higher minimum.
2. Your occupation
A wage that is low for a software developer can be high for a retail cashier. BLS publishes median and percentile wages for about 830 occupations. Search for your job title on bls.gov under "Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics" and look at:
- Median wage: the middle of your occupation.
- 25th and 75th percentiles: the range where half of workers in your occupation fall.
- 10th and 90th percentiles: the low and high ends.
If you are newer to the field, landing between the 25th percentile and the median is typical. With several years of experience, the median to 75th percentile is a fair target.
3. Your area
The same survey reports wages by state and by metropolitan area. Pay for the same job can differ by 30% or more between a high-cost city and a rural area. Compare your wage with your occupation's figures for your own metro area, not only the national number.
Cost of living matters too. A higher wage in an expensive city may buy less than a lower wage elsewhere. Rent is usually the largest difference.
Look at total compensation
Two jobs with the same wage can differ by thousands of dollars a year in value:
- Health insurance: how much of the premium the employer pays
- Retirement: a 401(k) match is part of your pay
- Paid time off: two extra paid weeks are worth 4% of yearly pay
- Overtime eligibility, shift differentials and bonuses
- Expected hours, if you are salaried: see your real hourly rate
Check the trend
A wage that was fair three years ago may have fallen behind if it did not keep pace with prices. Compare your raises over the last few years with the change in the Consumer Price Index; the raise guide shows how.
Where to find your rate
Every hourly rate page on this site compares that rate with the federal minimum and the BLS median, and shows the yearly, monthly and paycheck amounts. For occupation and local data, BLS is the primary source, free and updated every year.
Last reviewed October 2, 2026. General information, not financial, tax or legal advice.