Is Glassdoor salary accurate?
Updated
Glassdoor is a good guide to pay at a named company when many employees have reported. Its salaries are shared anonymously by employees, and it shows a median only once three or more people have reported. With few reports, check it against the official median for the job and city.
Where Glassdoor's numbers come from
- Salaries shared anonymously by employees.
- A median once a job has three or more reports; with one or two, a range.
- A confidence badge next to the figure, to show how reliable it is.
- Employers cannot change the salary estimates on their company page.
- Full-time annual salaries.
When it's a good guide, and when to double-check
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| A large employer, many reports for your job | A good guide to that company's pay |
| One or two reports, or a range only | Treat it as a rough idea |
| A small employer or a rare job | Compare with the BLS median for the job and city |
| A low confidence badge | Look for a second source |
The people who share their pay choose to. That is true of every site built on what employees report, and it is why a figure with many reports is worth more than one with few.
Compare it with the official median
The BLS median for registered nurses in the New York area is $119,720 (U.S.: $97,550). If Glassdoor shows a nurse salary far from it in New York, look at how many reports it rests on.
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Is Glassdoor salary data reliable?
For large employers with many reports, it is a good guide to that company's pay. With few reports, compare it with the BLS median for the job and city.
Can employers change their Glassdoor salaries?
No. Glassdoor says employers cannot modify the salary estimates on their company page.
How many salaries does Glassdoor need to show a median?
Three or more reports for the job. With one or two, it shows a range.
Sources
- Glassdoor Help Center, What salary information is available on Glassdoor?, read November 9, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS technical notes for May 2025 estimates, May 15, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, published May 15, 2026
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, www.bls.gov/oes. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.