Median vs Mean Wage: Which BLS Number to Use in a Salary Negotiation
I once watched a friend walk into a salary negotiation armed with "the average salary" for his role and walk out with an offer well below what the data actually supported. He had used the wrong average. It was a mean when he needed a median, and the difference was worth real money.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes both numbers for every occupation in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, along with percentiles most people never look at. Here is which one to use, and why the percentiles matter more than either average.
Median vs mean wage: why the numbers disagree
The median is the worker in the middle: half earn more, half earn less. The mean is the arithmetic average: add every wage up, divide by the number of workers. In wages, the mean is almost always higher than the median, because wage distributions skew right. A small number of very high earners pull the mean up, while the median does not care about them at all.
Take computer systems analysts in computer systems design and related services, from the BLS May 2025 release. Mean: $119,460. Median: $108,270. That is an $11,190 gap between the two "averages" for the exact same group of workers. In insurance carriers the same occupation shows a mean of $111,090 against a median of $104,640. Same story everywhere you look.
The mean is the number an employer uses to budget a department. The median is the number that describes what a typical person in the role actually earns. For a negotiation, you want the typical person.
The percentile ladder is the real tool
BLS publishes wage percentiles: the 10th, 25th, 50th (the median), 75th, and 90th. This is where negotiations are actually won, because it lets you position yourself instead of arguing over a single number. The BLS guidance is straightforward: someone entering a field with little experience can reasonably expect wages near the 10th or 25th percentile, while experienced workers can aim for the 75th or 90th.
Back to those computer systems analysts: 25th percentile $82,710, median $108,270, 75th percentile $149,760, 90th percentile $176,160. That is your negotiation band. There is a world of difference between walking in and saying "I want more than average" versus saying "the BLS 75th percentile for this occupation is $149,760, and here is why my experience puts me there." Specific numbers beat vibes every time.
One caution: the 90th percentile is capped in high-wage occupations and metros, so treat a published P90 as a floor for top-end roles rather than a ceiling.
Use your metro, not the nation
National BLS numbers are a starting point, but they describe a country, not your market. The same occupation can have wildly different medians across metros, and a national mean that looks generous can be below the median in an expensive city. This is the entire reason metro-level wage data exists: the number you negotiate with should be the number for the labor market you are actually in.
My rule, stated plainly
Never open with the mean. The mean feels good because it is higher, and it negotiates worse because it is the wrong reference point. Anchor on the median for your metro and your occupation, then argue up the percentile ladder with your experience. If you are experienced and the offer sits at the median, the data is telling you the offer is for a typical worker, and you are not one. Say so, with the 75th percentile number in hand.
Look up the median, 25th, and 75th percentile for your occupation in your metro before the conversation. No signup.
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FAQs
Why is the mean wage usually higher than the median?
Wage distributions skew right: a small number of very high earners pull the arithmetic mean up, while the median, the worker in the middle, is unaffected by the extremes.
Which percentile should I target in a salary negotiation?
Entry-level workers can reasonably aim near the 10th to 25th percentile, mid-career workers around the median, experienced workers at the 75th, and exceptional candidates at the 90th. Position yourself honestly on that ladder and cite the number.
Can I use national BLS data for a local negotiation?
Only as a starting point. Metro-level medians differ enormously from national figures, so use wage data for your specific metro area when negotiating locally.
Why is the 90th percentile missing for some occupations?
BLS caps reporting in high-wage occupations and metros. Treat a published 90th percentile as a floor for top-end pay rather than a ceiling.
Does BLS wage data include bonuses and overtime?
No. OEWS covers straight-time wages only. Bonuses, overtime, and benefits are excluded, so price those separately in your negotiation.
Related: Compare Job Offers Across Cities The equivalent-salary formula, 3 worked examples, and the 3 things the formula misses. What "Real Pay" Means: Cost-of-Living-Adjusted Wages Explained How BLS wages and price parities combine to rank metros by true purchasing power.