Understanding Median Salary

Here's how.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes a large amount of information on the wages, earnings, and benefits of workers.

The scientist's career salary is the median salary figure for that occupation. In this example, a chemist's median salary is $73,480.
Source: O*NET Online, U.S. Department of Labor, May 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates http://www.onetonline.org/.
U.S. Mean Annual Wage is $49,630.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm
Minimum Wage figure of $15,080 represents the annual wage that would be earned for full time work at the federal minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Minimum wage effective July 24, 2009 http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/minimumwage.htm

Sample Salary Graphics for Science Career Chemist: $73,740
Example bar graph shows the median chemist salary, mean US annual wage and the US minimum wage

Example bar graph shows the median chemist salary, mean US annual wage and the US minimum wage

Sources:
ONet http://online.onetcenter.org
BLS http://www.bls.gov/emp/, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#19-0000
DOL http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/minimumwage.htm