Salary Guides
Long-form, evidence-based guides on US salaries. Why $100K in NYC isn't $100K in Texas, how to read mean versus median honestly, the real purchasing-power ranking by metro, how salaries should grow over a career, and how to use market data in negotiation without it backfiring.
Gross vs Net Salary: Why $100K in NYC Isn't $100K in Texas
Federal, state, and local tax differences mean the same gross salary produces dramatically different take-home pay across states. A practical breakdown with real numbers for $50K, $100K, and $200K earners.
Median vs Mean Salary: Why "Average" in San Francisco Is a Lie
Why median salary is the only honest measure for typical pay, how mean salary gets distorted by top earners, and which metric to use for negotiation, comparison, and policy.
Cost-Adjusted Salary: The Real Purchasing Power Ranking
Why $85K in Denver beats $120K in San Francisco — how to use BLS Regional Price Parity to convert nominal salary into real purchasing power, with city rankings.
Salary Bands by Experience: The 7-Year Doubling Rule
How salaries should grow across career stages, the 7-year doubling rule, when to job-hop versus stay, and what typical growth curves look like for major professions.
Salary Negotiation: When Market Data Actually Wins (and When It Backfires)
How to use BLS wage data, percentile benchmarks, and competing offers to negotiate effectively — and the situations where data-anchored negotiation fails.
Look up real numbers
- Browse occupations → BLS percentile data by job
- Salary by location → median pay across US metros
- Compare two roles → side-by-side comp analysis