By Which vintage is live
The salary surfaces on PaycheckForge read the OEWS state file for the May 2025 vintage, retrieved September 2, 2026. The vintage label is shown on the pages that use it rather than being implied, because an occupational wage estimate is only meaningful next to the period it describes.
OEWS reports employment and wage estimates by occupation and area, including the percentile wages used for our wage bands.
What it means for your paycheck
A percentile places a salary against other people doing similar work in the same state. It is evidence for a negotiation, not a payroll rule: no OEWS release changes a bracket, a FICA rate or a state tax table.
Because the figures describe a survey reference period, they lag the current market. Treat a percentile as a position, and treat the take-home estimate as the separate question of what reaches your bank account.
How PaycheckForge uses it
The Salary Percentile Calculator compares a salary with the P10 to P90 band for a state, and the Salary Explorer puts that band beside a take-home estimate. When a newer vintage is published, we replace the file, revalidate it and update the displayed vintage together.
Source and scope
Primary source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Source checked September 2, 2026. Wage bands are survey estimates for the stated reference period, not an offer or a guarantee, and this update is not financial advice.
Put the update into context
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