Is the median the same as the average salary?

No. The median (p50) is the midpoint of the distribution: half of reported pay is below it. An average (mean) can be pulled up by a small number of very high salaries. For judging a typical offer, the median and the 25th–75th band are usually more honest than a single mean.

What does p10 mean on a salary page?

p10 is the 10th percentile of the published wage distribution for that occupation and geography — a typical lower or early-career end of the market, not a legal minimum. Some people will earn less; some employers pay above it even for junior roles. Use it as context, not as a floor you can demand.

Should I expect to reach the 90th percentile?

Not automatically. p90 is the high end of the same occupation code. It often reflects scarce skills, management scope, overtime-heavy roles, or high-paying employers — not tenure alone. Aim using the level you can defensibly claim, then look at p75 as a stretch, not p90 as a default.

How do I compare a salary range across two cities?

Keep the job title and seniority constant. Convert both packages to one display currency, then compare medians, COL-adjusted pay, and take-home. Do not mix a national figure in one place with an observed city figure in the other unless you know why. The cost-of-living calculator is built for that workflow.

Should I compare my offer to base or to total compensation?

Compare base to market base first. Then add target bonus using a realistic attainment assumption, and treat equity as uncertain. Mixing an OTE or “total rewards” slide with a wage-survey base is the most common way to think you are under market when the cash is actually fine — or the reverse.

Why is the range so wide on some jobs?

Wide p10–p90 spreads often mix seniority, employer types, overtime, or commission into one occupation code. Look at p25–p75. If that band is still huge, the title is doing too much work — ask the employer which level and geo the requisition maps to before you treat the posting as a single market.

Pay by Role editorial · Updated August 25, 2026 · 11 min read

How to read a salary range (p10, median, and p90)

Job posts and recruiter screenshots often quote one number: “the average is $X.” That single average hides almost everything that matters. Two cities can share a similar median while one has a much wider senior band.

This guide is how to read a salary range on Pay by Role — percentiles, common misreads, and a practical way to place an offer before you negotiate.

What do p10, median, and p90 mean?

Percentiles beat a single average. We publish p10 through p90 wherever the source provides them.

A practical reading of wage percentiles

Percentile	Plain-language meaning	Do not treat it as
p10	Typical lower or early-career end of the published distribution	A wage floor every employer must meet
Median (p50)	Half of reported pay sits below this; half sits above	What you “should” earn at mid-career automatically
p90	Strong senior or high-paying end of the same occupation code	A three-year target for everyone in the title

The gap between p25 and p75 is often more useful than the extremes. A narrow interquartile range usually means a compressed market (common in regulated public-sector titles). A wide one often signals mixed seniority, employer types, or overtime-heavy roles sitting in the same occupation code.

How should you place an offer on the range?

Compare base to the local median first, then to the 25th–75th band.
Separate target bonus from base. A “$120k package” that is $95k base plus $25k at-target bonus should be compared to market base at $95k.
Convert hourly or contractor quotes to a comparable annual (or hourly) basis. We use 2,080 hours for full-time salaried conversions on the salary calculator.
Only then fold in equity, remote days, and benefits you would actually use.

Landing near the median with weak benefits may be worse than landing slightly below it with strong equity, bonus, or remote flexibility. For net cash, use take-home pay explained rather than assuming gross is what you bank.

What are the most common salary-range mistakes?

Treating p90 as “what I should earn after three years.” Senior bands often need scarce skills, management scope, or specific employers.
Ignoring cost of living. A higher nominal salary in an expensive metro can leave less discretionary income — use salary vs cost of living as a second lens.
Using a national median when your job is tied to one city. A national figure blends metros and rural areas; an observed city page is the better anchor.
Mixing observed and modeled pages as if they were equally precise. Check the label first (how we source salary data).

National range vs city range — which should you use?

Use the city page when pay is set for a metro or when you will live and be taxed there. Use the national page to understand the occupation’s overall pay shape, or when the employer truly uses one country-wide band.

If you are comparing two cities, lock the same job slug and seniority framing, switch display currency once, and only then look at COL-adjusted pay. Changing three variables at once is how people convince themselves a lateral move is a raise.

Key takeaways

Percentiles describe a distribution; they are not a personal guarantee.
Place base against the local median and 25th–75th band before you argue from p90.
Split bonus from base; convert hours so contractor and salaried quotes are comparable.
City pages beat national medians when the job is local; observed beats modeled.
Cost of living and tax change whether a “higher” range actually spends higher.

Frequently asked questions

Is the median the same as the average salary?: No. The median (p50) is the midpoint of the distribution: half of reported pay is below it. An average (mean) can be pulled up by a small number of very high salaries. For judging a typical offer, the median and the 25th–75th band are usually more honest than a single mean.
What does p10 mean on a salary page?: p10 is the 10th percentile of the published wage distribution for that occupation and geography — a typical lower or early-career end of the market, not a legal minimum. Some people will earn less; some employers pay above it even for junior roles. Use it as context, not as a floor you can demand.
Should I expect to reach the 90th percentile?: Not automatically. p90 is the high end of the same occupation code. It often reflects scarce skills, management scope, overtime-heavy roles, or high-paying employers — not tenure alone. Aim using the level you can defensibly claim, then look at p75 as a stretch, not p90 as a default.
How do I compare a salary range across two cities?: Keep the job title and seniority constant. Convert both packages to one display currency, then compare medians, COL-adjusted pay, and take-home. Do not mix a national figure in one place with an observed city figure in the other unless you know why. The cost-of-living calculator is built for that workflow.
Should I compare my offer to base or to total compensation?: Compare base to market base first. Then add target bonus using a realistic attainment assumption, and treat equity as uncertain. Mixing an OTE or “total rewards” slide with a wage-survey base is the most common way to think you are under market when the cash is actually fine — or the reverse.
Why is the range so wide on some jobs?: Wide p10–p90 spreads often mix seniority, employer types, overtime, or commission into one occupation code. Look at p25–p75. If that band is still huge, the title is doing too much work — ask the employer which level and geo the requisition maps to before you treat the posting as a single market.

Next step

A range is a map of the market, not a verdict on your worth. Open the city page for your role, check whether the data is observed or modeled, place the offer, then run tax and cost-of-living checks before you reply.

Browse roles and open a city salary range →

Prefer observed city pages, then use the salary calculator on the same gross figure.