Same questions, asked of AI search tools, compared against Groundwork’s own numbers — built from real Department of Labor wage filings and Bureau of Labor Statistics survey data, with the sample size shown every time. Some AI answers were close. Some weren’t. See both, with sources.
Groundwork’s suggested range reconciles two independent public sources, shown below each comparison.
“What’s a typical Registered Nurse salary range in Denver, CO?”
Asked twice, same day, fresh chats: $65,500–$114,400 the first time, $70,000–$132,000 the second — only the second run cited a source at all.
BLS survey median $101,130 (n=30,380)
DOL filings — market median $93,600 (n=5)
The clearest reproducibility problem in this set: identical question, same day, two different answers.
“What’s a typical Software Engineer salary range in Austin, TX?”
Cited four different numbers in one answer — Indeed ($128K avg), Glassdoor ($96K–$137K base), Levels.fyi ($190K median total) — none agreeing with each other or its own headline.
BLS survey median $134,120 (n=31,960)
DOL filings — market median $139,152 (n=7,626)
Four citations, four numbers, no reconciliation. Groundwork gives one range from two sources, both shown.
“What’s a typical Financial Analyst salary range in Charlotte, NC?”
Cited a BLS figure of its own ($117,200) then discounted it as “broader” and landed on $80K–$90K anyway — below Groundwork's own BLS median and little more than half its DOL-filing median.
BLS survey median $106,510 (n=6,790)
DOL filings — market median $140,000 (n=43)
The widest gap in this whole set: AI's own headline sits roughly $50,000 under Groundwork's suggested target.
“What’s a typical Physical Therapist salary range in Tampa, FL?”
Landed close to Groundwork's own BLS figure but well above its DOL-filing figure, with no indication the two sources might disagree.
BLS survey median $102,430 (n=2,350)
DOL filings — market median $78,083 (n=19, tightly clustered)
Groundwork's own two sources are $24,000 apart here. We show both, with sample sizes, so you can judge which to weight.
“What’s a typical Software Engineer salary range in Seattle, WA at Microsoft?”
Led with Microsoft's own posted band ($102K–$202K), then narrowed to a $140K–$175K base “rule of thumb” — below Groundwork's own company-specific filing median.
BLS survey median $167,280 (n=92,770)
DOL filings — market median $172,515 (n=21,093)
DOL filings — Microsoft median $172,413 (n=6,330)
Real DOL filings put Microsoft's own median above AI's “rule of thumb” base range entirely.
“What’s a typical Software Engineer salary range in Seattle, WA at Amazon?”
Gave a detailed level-by-level table (L4–L6: base, stock+bonus, total comp; median total comp ≈$263K) and settled on a “rule of thumb” of $170K–$180K base, also citing Amazon's own posted Seattle SDE listings ($143.7K–$227.4K base).
BLS survey median $167,280 (n=92,770)
DOL filings — market median $172,515 (n=21,093)
DOL filings — Amazon median $166,000 (n=14,236)
This time AI's range lands inside Groundwork's own target ($169,898–$203,130) — a genuinely good answer. What it still doesn't show: the 14,236 real DOL filings behind that number, or that a shallower version of the same question earlier gave no clean number at all.
“What’s a typical Data Scientist salary range in San Jose, CA?”
Gave an experience-tiered table (entry $110–145K to senior $180–230K+) with no way to narrow to a specific employer.
BLS survey median $185,080 (n=6,060)
DOL filings — market median $177,400 (n=2,902)
DOL filings — Google median $193,000 (n=597)
Ask Groundwork the same question and name your employer, and the range narrows to that company's own filings — 597 of them for Google alone.
“What’s a typical Graphic Designer salary range in Portland, OR?”
Landed under Groundwork's own DOL-filing range, closer to — but still under — its broader BLS range.
BLS survey median $75,650 (n=3,090)
DOL filings — market median $119,000 (n=14)
Groundwork's two sources disagree here too — BLS likely blends freelance and in-house work. Worth seeing both before anchoring on one.
“What’s a typical Accountant salary range in Chicago, IL?”
Cited a “BLS-based” $82,360 median ($72,280–$103,120 middle 50%) — nearly an exact match to Groundwork's own BLS pull.
BLS survey median $82,360 (n=41,360)
DOL filings — market median $97,400 (n=542)
AI's BLS number matched almost exactly. What it didn't have: 542 real DOL wage filings that sit meaningfully higher.
“What’s a typical Civil Engineer salary range in Houston, TX?”
Cited an average “$98,000–$100,000/year” from BLS data explicitly dated May 2023 — about three years stale.
BLS survey median $100,950 (n=12,140)
DOL filings — market median $100,080 (n=357)
AI's number was actually close. The real gap was freshness: it was citing three-year-old BLS data.
“What’s a typical Mechanical Engineer salary range in Detroit, MI?”
One of the closer AI answers in this set — within range of Groundwork's own BLS and DOL-filing figures.
BLS survey median $109,470 (n=22,500)
DOL filings — market median $110,000 (n=1,902)
Not every AI answer is off. This is one of the honest counterexamples.
“What’s a typical Electrician salary range in Phoenix, AZ?”
Landed almost exactly on Groundwork's own BLS pull — median $61,210.
BLS survey median $61,210 (n=17,240)
A genuine close match — and an honest one on Groundwork's side too: trades aren't typically visa-sponsored, so there's no second source here, and we say so instead of faking one.
Some job titles span wildly different pay depending on what they actually mean. AI search picks one and answers anyway. Groundwork shows the real spread across actual filed job titles instead of guessing which one you meant.
“What’s a typical Consultant salary range in Boston, MA?”
Answered with one number, then noted in passing that Bain/BCG/L.E.K.-level consulting pays 50%+ more.
Across 8 real filed job titles for “Consultant” — not a guess.
8 real job titles containing “consultant” in Boston resolve to 8 different occupations, spanning $99,708 to $180,400 — an $80,000+ real range. AI's single number matches none of them exactly.
“What’s a typical Project Manager salary range in Denver, CO?”
Answered confidently despite “Project Manager” spanning architecture, civil engineering, construction, and IT.
Across 8 real filed job titles for “Project Manager” — not a guess.
8 real “Project Manager” titles in Denver span $94,045 to $153,258. AI's own $80K floor undershoots every single one.
“What’s a typical Restaurant Manager salary range in Las Vegas, NV?”
Answered directly from a blend of Indeed, Salary.com, and a broader BLS food-service-management category.
Across 4 real filed job titles for “Restaurant Manager” — not a guess.
All 4 real readings of “Restaurant Manager” in Las Vegas: $44,710 to $160,320 — more than 3.5x apart. AI's $55K–$70K only fits the bottom two.
“What’s a typical Truck Driver salary range in Dallas, TX?”
Answered directly, citing BLS heavy/tractor-trailer data alongside a broader, less-representative Indeed average.
Across 7 real filed job titles for “Truck Driver” — not a guess.
7 real “truck driver” titles in Dallas span $38,510 to $90,650 — and the highest-paid one isn't a driving job at all, it's a truck driving instructor.
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Get my benchmarkWage data: U.S. Department of Labor OFLC LCA Disclosure Data and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS. LCA filings reflect sponsored-worker wage offers, which skew toward mid-large employers and specific occupations — treat any estimate built from a small sample cautiously. Informational only; not legal, immigration, or financial advice.