Disclaimer

SalaryMBA is designed to be one of the most transparent salary references you can find. Part of that transparency is being explicit about the limits of the data. Please read the figures on this site in the following context.

Benchmarks are occupational wages, not MBA outcomes

Unless a figure is explicitly labeled a verified MBA-specific outcome, our salary numbers are occupational wage benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They describe what a role pays across all workers in it — every experience level, industry, and level of education — not what an MBA graduate specifically earns, and not a starting salary. They are honest context for the paths MBAs pursue, nothing more. We explain this distinction in detail in our methodology.

Calculator results are estimates

Our ROI and debt-payback calculators produce estimates based entirely on the assumptions you enter — salary, tuition, interest rate, and so on. Small changes in those inputs can move the results substantially. Treat every output as a “what if,” not a forecast, and never as a promise of future earnings or payback.

Cost-of-living adjustments are our calculation

Where we show a cost-of-living-adjusted wage, that figure is a SalaryMBA estimate: we deflate a published nominal wage by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for that area. It is a purchasing-power comparison, not a wage anyone is actually paid.

Data is sourced but can change

We source figures from primary government datasets and attribute each one, but those datasets are periodically revised, and no dataset is perfectly current. Some figures are suppressed or capped by the original source; where that happens, we say so rather than guess.

Not professional advice

Nothing on SalaryMBA is financial, investment, tax, career, or admissions advice, and using the site does not create any professional relationship. Deciding whether to pursue an MBA — and how to finance it — is a significant personal decision. Use our data as one input, do your own research, and consult qualified professionals for advice specific to your situation.

Questions

If any figure is unclear or looks wrong, please tell us. Getting the numbers right, and clearly labeled, is the entire point of this site.