Browsing Wages by Location: States, Metros, and Nonmetro Areas

BLS OEWS wage data isn't just a national number — it's published for hundreds of geographic areas across the country. WageDepth organizes this data so you can compare wages by state, metropolitan area, or nonmetropolitan region for any occupation.

Types of Geographic Areas

BLS uses four area types in the OEWS program:

• National — the U.S. aggregate; the default view for each occupation
• State — all 50 states plus D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and Virgin Islands
• Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) — urban cores and their surrounding commuter zones; roughly 400 metros covered
• Nonmetropolitan Area — rural and small-city areas grouped by state; important for healthcare and trades wages in rural markets

States as a Starting Point

Browse the WageDepth locations index to explore any state. Each state page shows top-paying occupations and links to all metropolitan areas within the state.

Metro-Level Precision

For career decisions, metro-level data is often more useful than state data. The Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, and Washington D.C. metros all have distinct wage profiles that differ significantly from statewide averages.

Data Suppression in Small Areas

BLS suppresses wage data for occupation × area combinations where the sample size is too small to produce reliable estimates. In smaller metros and nonmetro areas, you'll see more suppressed values — this is a data quality measure, not an error.