Each year the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) conducts a national compensation survey. The data shown here is from the BLS 2022 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey published by BLS in April 2023 [1]. Table 1 shows the average annual salaries of all occupations across all industries in the United States. Table 2 compares the annual salaries of major occupation groups.
| Percentile bracket | Average annual salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $27,340 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $33,330 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $46,310 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $73,460 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $110,290 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for all occupations across all industries. The salary is shown in 5 percentile brackets. The median annual salary is $46,310. The average annual salary for the bottom 10% of earners is $27,340. Note that workers in the top 10% are paid nearly five times more than workers in the bottom 10% in the United States.
The table and chart below show the trend of the 10th Percentile salary of all occupations across all industries from 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 10-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $27,340 | 12.29% | 33.83% |
| 2021 | $23,980 | 4.88% | - |
| 2020 | $22,810 | 5.61% | - |
| 2019 | $21,530 | 3.90% | - |
| 2018 | $20,690 | 3.48% | - |
| 2017 | $19,970 | 3.41% | - |
| 2016 | $19,290 | 2.18% | - |
| 2015 | $18,870 | 2.76% | - |
| 2014 | $18,350 | 0.87% | - |
| 2013 | $18,190 | 0.55% | - |
| 2012 | $18,090 | - | - |
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of all occupations across all industries from 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 10-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $46,310 | 1.19% | 24.96% |
| 2021 | $45,760 | 8.33% | - |
| 2020 | $41,950 | 5.10% | - |
| 2019 | $39,810 | 2.94% | - |
| 2018 | $38,640 | 2.46% | - |
| 2017 | $37,690 | 1.72% | - |
| 2016 | $37,040 | 2.27% | - |
| 2015 | $36,200 | 1.82% | - |
| 2014 | $35,540 | 1.29% | - |
| 2013 | $35,080 | 0.94% | - |
| 2012 | $34,750 | - | - |
The table and chart below show the trend of the 90th Percentile salary of all occupations across all industries from 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 10-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $110,290 | 6.78% | 21.29% |
| 2021 | $102,810 | -3.15% | - |
| 2020 | $106,050 | 4.74% | - |
| 2019 | $101,020 | 2.58% | - |
| 2018 | $98,410 | 2.30% | - |
| 2017 | $96,150 | 1.67% | - |
| 2016 | $94,540 | 2.57% | - |
| 2015 | $92,110 | 2.23% | - |
| 2014 | $90,060 | 1.92% | - |
| 2013 | $88,330 | 1.72% | - |
| 2012 | $86,810 | - | - |
Table 2 shows the median annual salary of the major occupational groups in the United States. Note that the median annual salary ranges from $29,640 to $107,360. The highest paying occupational group is "management occupations" with a median annual salary of $107,360. The lowest paying occupation group in the United States is "food preparation and serving related occupations" with a median annual salary of $29,640. Click on the occupational group name to view salary information for all professions within that group.
Also see The fastest growing jobs in U.S.