Am I
underpaid?
Compare your base pay with what people in your job and metro earn, using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data (May 2025). If your employer sponsors visas, see the base wages it filed with the Department of Labor too. You get your percentile, the gap to the median, and honest next steps.
- ✓Current government data: BLS May 2025 for 850+ jobs in every U.S. metro
- ✓Your employer’s own filed wages, when it sponsors visas
- ✓Your salary never leaves this browser
What “underpaid” means here
Your result is a percentile: the share of comparable workers paid less than you. Below the median, more than half earn more; below the 25th percentile, the gap is usually worth raising. BLS covers all employers and all experience levels in your metro, so an early-career salary can read low against a mixed-level median. Employer filings cover visa-sponsored positions at that company. Both are base pay only. Have a job offer instead? Use the offer checker.
After you check
- How to negotiate salary with data: what to say and when.
- Raise calculator: what the difference is worth per month and over 5 years.
- Salaries by job and city and employer filings to research further.
FAQ
How do I know if I’m underpaid?
Compare your base pay with what others in the same job and metro earn. Outpaid uses the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, May 2025) for every employer in your metro and, when your employer sponsors visas, the base wages it filed with the Department of Labor. If more than half of comparable workers earn more, you are below the median. Experience level, specialty and total compensation also matter.
What percentile is considered underpaid?
There is no official line. Below the 25th percentile usually means a meaningful gap; between the 25th and the median is common for earlier-career workers; above the median is above typical pay. Use it as evidence for a conversation, not a final verdict.
Is my salary sent anywhere?
No. The comparison runs in your browser against public data files. The number you type is never uploaded.
Which data is used, and how current is it?
U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state); and U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Data last rebuilt 2026-10-11. Many free tools still use older BLS releases or projections; we show the release date on every result.
Does this include bonus or equity?
No. Both sources are base pay. Bonus, equity and benefits are separate.
I think I’m underpaid. What now?
Pick a target (the 75th percentile of your group is a common, defensible ask), gather the public numbers, and ask for a dedicated pay conversation. Our free negotiation guide walks through it; the optional $14 Dossier fills in your target, the evidence and a script with your numbers.
Not legal, financial or career advice. Data: U.S. BLS OEWS May 2025; U.S. DOL LCA disclosures FY2026 Q3 (built 2026-10-11).