How We Estimate Salaries
Transparency is core to our mission. Here's exactly how salary estimates and confidence scores work on Catalitium.
Data Sources
Our salary estimates draw from three independent sources, ranked by reliability:
Employer-provided salary
When a company includes salary information in their job posting, we display it directly. This is the most reliable source.
Market reference data
We maintain a curated reference table of median salaries by city, region, and country. When no employer salary exists, we estimate a range using the best-matching geographic reference, adjusted by role seniority.
Community salary submissions
Professionals anonymously contribute their compensation data through our salary contribution form. These submissions strengthen confidence when they match a job's title and location.
Confidence Scores
Each salary estimate has a confidence score from 0 to 100, reflecting how much data supports it. Higher scores mean more reliable estimates.
High confidence
Employer-provided salary and/or strong city-level reference data, often with community validation.
Moderate confidence
Estimated from country or region-level reference data. Useful as a general guide but may not reflect local variations.
Low confidence
Limited data available. Based on broad fallback references or partial matches. Treat as a rough indicator only.
Score breakdown
| Signal | Points |
|---|---|
| Employer salary text present | +40 |
| City-level salary reference match | +30 |
| Region-level salary reference match | +20 |
| Country-level salary reference match | +15 |
| Global fallback reference | +5 |
| Community salary data match | +15 |
| City-level location specificity | +10 |
| Region-level location specificity | +5 |
Currency & Normalization
- · Salaries are displayed in the currency of the reference market (CHF, EUR, USD, GBP).
- · We do not perform cross-currency conversion. Each estimate reflects local purchasing power in the job's market.
- · All figures represent gross annual compensation unless stated otherwise.
- · Ranges are calculated as ±20% around the median, with seniority adjustments for certain roles (e.g., +5–10% for senior/lead/director titles).
Data Freshness
- · Reference salary data is updated periodically from curated market sources.
- · Community submissions are incorporated as they arrive.
- · Job postings older than 60 days may reflect outdated compensation trends for rapidly shifting markets.
Important Disclaimer
Salary estimates on Catalitium are indicative, not guaranteed. Actual compensation depends on negotiation, experience, equity, benefits, and other factors not captured in our data. Always verify salary expectations directly with the employer before making career decisions.
Help improve our estimates for everyone.
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