Bragswap

Levels.fyi vs Glassdoor

Updated

Use Levels.fyi for total pay by company and level: base, bonus and stock, with many entries checked against offer letters, W-2s or pay stubs. Use Glassdoor for salaries at a named company, next to its reviews. For the typical pay of a job across a city, neither: use the BLS median.

Side by side

Levels.fyi and Glassdoor, from their own pages
Levels.fyiGlassdoor
Data fromEmployees; no data from employersEmployees, anonymously
ChecksOffer letters, W-2s and pay stubs compared field by field; verified work emails; checks on anonymous entriesA median once three or more people report; a confidence badge
Pay shownBase, bonus, stock, sign-onFull-time annual salary
Coverage100+ roles in 18 industries; started in techEmployers with reports from their staff

Which one for you

  • An offer from a big tech or finance company: Levels.fyi, by level, with stock.
  • A job at a company outside tech: Glassdoor.
  • Your pay against your job in your city: the BLS median. Salaries by job and city.

The BLS median for software developers in the Seattle area is $167,280 (U.S.: $135,980). That is pay across all employers there, without stock or year-end bonuses; an offer on Levels.fyi adds them.

See where your pay stands for your job and city. Takes 30 seconds. Free, no sign-up.

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Questions

Is Levels.fyi more accurate than Glassdoor?

For total pay by level at large companies, Levels.fyi checks many entries against offer letters, W-2s or pay stubs. Glassdoor shows what employees at a named company report. They answer different questions.

Why do Levels.fyi and Glassdoor show different pay?

They count different people, and Levels.fyi shows total pay: base, bonus and stock. A base salary alone is lower. Compare base with base.

Sources

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.