What Is Salary Percentile?
A salary percentile indicates where a specific wage falls in the distribution of all wages for an occupation. The 50th percentile (median) means half of workers earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile is near the bottom of the range; the 90th percentile is near the top.
BLS publishes five percentile points for each occupation: 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th. These are more informative than a single average because they show the full range of what workers actually earn.
As a rough guide: the 10th percentile represents entry-level or low-experience workers. The 25th represents early-career workers. The 50th (median) represents mid-career. The 75th represents experienced or specialized workers. The 90th represents top earners, those with extensive experience, in-demand specializations, or positions in high-paying markets.
The percentile range width varies dramatically by occupation. Electricians have a 10th-to-90th range of about $37K to $99K (2.7x spread). Software developers range from $74K to $208K (2.8x). CEOs range from $67K to $239K+ (3.5x+, BLS caps the 90th at the maximum reportable wage). Narrower ranges indicate more standardized pay; wider ranges indicate that experience, specialization, and geography create large pay differences within the same occupation.
Percentiles are calculated from employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys. This makes them more reliable than averages from platforms that rely on voluntary user submissions.
Example
A registered nurse at the 25th percentile in the Dallas-Fort Worth area earns $81,640. At the 75th percentile, $110,630. The median is $101,420. If you earn $91,530 as a nurse in Dallas, you fall roughly between the 25th and 50th percentile. Source: BLS OES.
Data source
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. View source data (opens in new tab)
Related terms
See salary percentile applied to real salary data
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