Disclosures
What readers should know about who is behind the figures, how the site is funded and what the data cannot tell you.
Independence
Not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Labor, the Department of Education and the Bureau of Economic Analysis publish the data we use; they have not reviewed or endorsed this site. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA, which has not approved, endorsed or tested our use of its data.
Advertising and payments
The site currently shows no advertising. We receive no payment from schools, training programs, certification bodies, employers or recruiters, and pages contain no affiliate links, sponsored placements or lead forms. Organizations cited in a guide are cited because they set the requirements, not because of any relationship with us. If advertising is added in the future, it will be clearly labeled and kept separate from editorial content, and it will not influence which careers, programs or figures we show.
Use of AI
Written sections are drafted and fact-checked with the help of AI tools under the process in our editorial policy. Data tables, rankings and calculations come directly from the official files.
Limits of the data
- BLS pay figures (May 2025) describe wage and salary workers; the self-employed are not included.
- They include base pay, tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, other bonuses or benefits.
- They do not split pay by years of experience, license level or specialty.
- Cost-of-living adjustments use state and metro averages; costs within a state vary.
- Tax figures are estimates for a simple case, not tax advice.
- Licensing requirements change and vary by state; check your state's official sources before you enroll.
How to check any figure yourself
Every pay figure names its release (May 2025) and the official occupation and code it describes, so you can find the same number in the BLS tables: search the occupation code on the OEWS tables page and choose the national, state or metro file. Guides list the exam bodies, accreditors and licensing boards behind each requirement, with the date we checked them. If you find a difference, please tell us.