I publish Salary Data Index to provide research-driven information about salaries, wages, employment, occupations, compensation, and the U.S. workforce.
My goal is to make labor-market statistics understandable without removing the context that gives those statistics meaning.
A percentage or national average may look straightforward, but the methodology behind it can change how it should be interpreted. I therefore treat sourcing, definitions, time periods, and dataset limitations as part of the story rather than details to be ignored.
You can learn more about my background in labor-market research and compensation analysis and the experience I bring to Salary Data Index.
How I research articles
I prefer primary sources whenever they are available.
Depending on the subject, my research may include data and reports from:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- U.S. Census Bureau
- Federal Reserve
- Bureau of Economic Analysis
- State labor and workforce agencies
- Other federal government agencies
- Universities and academic journals
- Original studies and reports from established organizations
I may use secondary reporting to identify developments or provide additional context, but I try to trace important statistics back to the organization that originally collected or published them.
How I handle statistics
A statistic should answer more questions than it creates.
Before I use a figure, I look at what is being measured, the population covered, the geographic area, the time period, and the methodology behind the dataset.
I also pay attention to differences between averages and medians, nominal and inflation-adjusted figures, hourly and weekly earnings, estimates and observed data, and national and local statistics.
Two credible sources can sometimes report different figures for what appears to be the same subject.
Different methodologies, populations, time periods, or definitions may explain the difference.
When those distinctions significantly affect how a number should be understood, I explain them.
Updates and corrections
Labor-market data changes frequently.
Government agencies revise estimates, new monthly or annual releases replace older figures, and historical datasets may be updated after I have already published an article.
I may revise articles when newer data becomes available or when an older statistic is no longer the best representation of the subject.
If I discover a factual error, I aim to correct it rather than leave incorrect information in place.
I may make smaller changes involving grammar, formatting, clarity, or readability without adding a correction notice.
Independence
I am responsible for the analysis and interpretation published on Salary Data Index.
Using data from a government agency or another organization does not mean that organization has reviewed, approved, or endorsed my article.
When necessary, I distinguish between source data and my own explanation, calculations, comparisons, and conclusions.
My editorial goal
I am not interested in making a statistic sound more dramatic than the data supports.
Sometimes the biggest number is the story.
Sometimes the more interesting story is hidden in the differences between occupations, locations, industries, or groups of workers.
My job is to find that distinction and explain it clearly.