Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code

How It Works

The SOC system organizes the workforce into a hierarchical structure: 23 major groups (e.g., "15-0000 Computer and Mathematical Occupations"), 98 minor groups ("15-1200 Computer Occupations"), 459 broad occupations ("15-1250 Software and Web Developers"), and 867 detailed occupations ("15-1252 Software Developers"). Each occupation has a 6-digit code. SOC codes are essential for salary comparison because they ensure you're comparing equivalent jobs across different employers and locations. A "Software Engineer" at one company might be classified as SOC 15-1252, while a "Developer" at another is the same SOC code — making cross-company comparison possible. BLS wage data, H-1B prevailing wage determinations, and occupational projections all use SOC codes. The system was last updated in 2018 and is revised approximately every 10 years to reflect changes in the labor market. SalaryTruth maps each role to its SOC code so you can verify you're looking at the correct occupational classification.

Related Terms

• BLS OEWS (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics) — The Bureau of Labor Statistics survey that produces the salary data used by SalaryTruth — covering 800+ occupations across all U.S. metro areas, with data from 1.1 million business establishments.
• Median Salary — The middle point of all salaries for a given role — half of workers earn more, half earn less. More useful than average salary because it isn't skewed by extremely high or low earners.