# PayScale API

> PayScale returns job and company salary data as a workflow and API.

Get salary returns typical pay, salary ranges, bonuses, skills, and experience breakdowns for a job title, optionally by country and city. Get company pay returns average annual base salary and common jobs for an employer, optionally by country and result count.

- Page: https://fous.com/tools/payscale
- Handle: `@payscale`
- Category: [Jobs](https://fous.com/tools/category/jobs)
- Source website: https://payscale.com
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026

## Methods

### Get company pay

Operation `get_company_pay`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.

See average annual base salary and common jobs at a named employer on PayScale public research pages. Jobs are listed in the order shown, with salary ranges where available; some employers have no salary data in a given country.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `company` | string | yes | `"Shopify"` | Employer name or PayScale company page link, for example Target. |
| `country` | string | no | `"Canada"` | Country name or two-letter country code, for example Canada. |
| `max_results` | integer | no | `9` | Maximum number of jobs to return, for example 20. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "company"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "company": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "Employer name or PayScale company page link, for example Target.",
      "examples": [
        "Shopify",
        "Target"
      ]
    },
    "country": {
      "type": "string",
      "default": "United States",
      "description": "Country name or two-letter country code, for example Canada.",
      "examples": [
        "Canada"
      ]
    },
    "max_results": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 20,
      "maximum": 50,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Maximum number of jobs to return, for example 20.",
      "x-fous-developer": true,
      "examples": [
        9,
        50
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "company": "Shopify",
      "country": "Canada",
      "max_results": 9
    },
    {
      "company": "Target"
    },
    {
      "company": "Target",
      "max_results": 50
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `jobs` | array |  | Common jobs in the order shown on PayScale. |
| `jobs[].page_url` | string or null | `"https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Customer_Service_Advisor/Salary/6c680dde/Shopify"` | PayScale job salary page. |
| `jobs[].job_title` | string | `"Customer Service Advisor"` |  |
| `jobs[].average_salary` | number or null | `45096.51` | Average annual salary in the company currency. |
| `jobs[].salary_range_low` | number or null | `36020.91` | Low end of the displayed annual salary range. |
| `jobs[].salary_range_high` | number or null | `56482.18` | High end of the displayed annual salary range. |
| `company` | string | `"Shopify"` | Employer name on PayScale. |
| `currency` | string or null | `"CAD"` | Currency code for all salary figures. |
| `page_url` | string | `"https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Employer=Shopify/Salary"` | PayScale company salary page. |
| `average_base_salary_per_year` | number or null | `81083.27` | Average yearly base salary in the given currency. |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "company": "Shopify",
  "country": "Canada",
  "max_results": 9
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "jobs": [
    {
      "page_url": "https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Customer_Service_Advisor/Salary/6c680dde/Shopify",
      "job_title": "Customer Service Advisor",
      "average_salary": 45096.51,
      "salary_range_low": 36020.91,
      "salary_range_high": 56482.18
    },
    {
      "page_url": "https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Data_Scientist/Salary/79d54b3a/Shopify",
      "job_title": "Data Scientist",
      "average_salary": 86141.38,
      "salary_range_low": 66224.74,
      "salary_range_high": 107836.15
    },
    {
      "page_url": "https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Technical_Support_Specialist/Salary/94b6c18a/Shopify",
      "job_title": "Technical Support Specialist",
      "average_salary": 51927.5,
      "salary_range_low": 40341.63,
      "salary_range_high": 66870.23
    }
  ],
  "company": "Shopify",
  "currency": "CAD",
  "page_url": "https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Employer=Shopify/Salary",
  "average_base_salary_per_year": 81083.27
}
```

### Get salary

Operation `get_salary`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.

Get typical pay for a job title on public PayScale research pages, optionally in a country and city. Skill pay effects are null when not published.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `city` | string | no | `"Chicago"` | City, for example Chicago. |
| `country` | string | no | `"Canada"` | Country, for example United States or Canada. |
| `job_title` | string | yes | `"Software Engineer"` | Job title to look up, for example Office Manager. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "job_title"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "city": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "City, for example Chicago.",
      "examples": [
        "Chicago"
      ]
    },
    "country": {
      "type": "string",
      "default": "United States",
      "description": "Country, for example United States or Canada.",
      "examples": [
        "Canada"
      ]
    },
    "job_title": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Job title to look up, for example Office Manager.",
      "examples": [
        "Software Engineer",
        "Office Manager"
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "country": "Canada",
      "job_title": "Software Engineer"
    },
    {
      "city": "Chicago",
      "job_title": "Office Manager"
    },
    {
      "job_title": "Office Manager"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `currency` | string or null | `"CAD"` |  |
| `location` | string | `"Canada"` |  |
| `page_url` | string | `"https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Software_Engineer/Salary"` |  |
| `job_title` | string | `"Software Engineer"` |  |
| `top_skills` | array |  |  |
| `top_skills[].name` | string | `"JavaScript"` |  |
| `top_skills[].pay_effect_percent` | number or null |  |  |
| `bonus_range` | object |  |  |
| `bonus_range.low` | number or null | `1979.23` |  |
| `bonus_range.high` | number or null | `13548.92` |  |
| `last_updated` | string or null | `"2026-05-22"` |  |
| `salary_profiles` | integer or null | `1198` |  |
| `total_pay_range` | object |  |  |
| `total_pay_range.low` | number or null | `61072` |  |
| `total_pay_range.high` | number or null | `124079.92` |  |
| `base_salary_range` | object |  |  |
| `base_salary_range.low` | number or null | `62190.94` |  |
| `base_salary_range.high` | number or null | `118956.77` |  |
| `average_hourly_rate` | number or null | `38.4` |  |
| `average_pay_by_experience` | object |  |  |
| `average_pay_by_experience.mid_career` | number or null | `96557.55` |  |
| `average_pay_by_experience.entry_level` | number or null | `68681.18` |  |
| `average_pay_by_experience.experienced` | number or null | `108341.92` |  |
| `average_pay_by_experience.late_career` | number or null | `109941.28` |  |
| `average_pay_by_experience.early_career` | number or null | `82558.38` |  |
| `average_base_salary_per_year` | number or null | `87785.21` |  |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "country": "Canada",
  "job_title": "Software Engineer"
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "currency": "CAD",
  "location": "Canada",
  "page_url": "https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Software_Engineer/Salary",
  "job_title": "Software Engineer",
  "top_skills": [
    {
      "name": "JavaScript",
      "pay_effect_percent": null
    },
    {
      "name": "SQL",
      "pay_effect_percent": null
    },
    {
      "name": "Python",
      "pay_effect_percent": null
    }
  ],
  "bonus_range": {
    "low": 1979.23,
    "high": 13548.92
  },
  "last_updated": "2026-05-22",
  "salary_profiles": 1198,
  "total_pay_range": {
    "low": 61072,
    "high": 124079.92
  },
  "base_salary_range": {
    "low": 62190.94,
    "high": 118956.77
  },
  "average_hourly_rate": 38.4,
  "average_pay_by_experience": {
    "mid_career": 96557.55,
    "entry_level": 68681.18,
    "experienced": 108341.92,
    "late_career": 109941.28,
    "early_career": 82558.38
  },
  "average_base_salary_per_year": 87785.21
}
```

## Quick start

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with a Fous API key. To create one, open Developers at the bottom of Fous Studio, turn on Developer mode, then go to API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys). Change the values in `input` to run the same tool on new data.

```bash
curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 180 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "api": "@payscale",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "get_company_pay",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "company": "Shopify",
    "country": "Canada",
    "max_results": 9
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'
```

```python
# Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed.
import json
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"

body = json.loads("{\n  \"api\": \"@payscale\",\n  \"visibility\": \"public\",\n  \"operation\": \"get_company_pay\",\n  \"version\": 1,\n  \"input\": {\n    \"company\": \"Shopify\",\n    \"country\": \"Canada\",\n    \"max_results\": 9\n  },\n  \"response\": {\n    \"format\": \"json\"\n  }\n}")
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.fous.com/v1/query",
    data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    method="POST",
)
try:
    with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=180) as response:
        result = json.load(response)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
    raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {error.code}: {error.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace')}") from error
if result.get("success") is False:
    raise RuntimeError(result.get("error", {}).get("message", "Request failed"))
print(json.dumps(result["data"]["output"], indent=2))
```

```typescript
// Save as fous.mts and run with npx tsx fous.mts.
const apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(180_000),
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "api": "@payscale",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "get_company_pay",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "company": "Shopify",
    "country": "Canada",
    "max_results": 9
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}),
});
type ApiResult = { success: boolean; data?: { output: unknown }; error?: { message: string } };
const result: ApiResult = await response.json();
if (!response.ok || result.success === false) {
  throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`);
}
if (!result.data) throw new Error("Missing API response data");
console.log(result.data.output);
```

## Use from an AI assistant

Connect this tool to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and any MCP client as its own MCP server. Each method is a typed tool whose arguments are the method’s input.

- Server URL: `https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/payscale`
- Authorization: `Authorization: Bearer <Fous API key>`

**Tools**

- `get_company_pay`: Get company pay. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.
- `get_salary`: Get salary. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.
- `fous_get_run`: the result of a run that was still going, by its `request_id`. Free.

Claude Code:

```bash
claude mcp add --scope user --transport http fous-payscale https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/payscale --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}"
```

To give the assistant every tool, connect `https://api.fous.com/mcp`: it finds one with `fous_search_tools` and runs it with `fous_run_tool`. Setup for other clients: https://fous.com/llms-full.txt.

## Use cases

- Compare typical pay across job titles and locations
- Review salary ranges and bonuses for a role
- Compare average base salaries across employers
- Identify common jobs and their salary ranges at an employer

## FAQ

### Can I run it with my own inputs?

Yes. Change the inputs in Studio and press Run, or send new inputs from your code, or ask a connected AI assistant.

### Can I call this PayScale tool as an API?

Yes. Send a POST request to /v1/query with your Fous API key and the inputs, and get JSON back.

### How much does it cost?

Each completed run costs 1 credit. Failed runs without a completed receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. With pay as you go, a credit costs 1¢. Monthly plans cost less per credit.

### Do I need a PayScale account?

No. You only need a Fous account.

### How current is the data?

Fous gets the data from payscale.com when you run it. Some results are reused for up to 24 hours, and results that use your account or key are never reused. It was last verified on Sep 29, 2026.

### What is typical pay for a job title?

Get salary returns typical pay and salary ranges for a required job title, with optional country and city.

### How does pay vary by experience level?

Get salary returns average pay by experience level for a job title.

### What jobs and salaries does an employer list?

Get company pay returns common jobs in the order shown, with average salaries and salary ranges where available.

## Related

- [Indeed API](https://fous.com/tools/indeed.md): Indeed returns public first-page listings and details for available, unexpired jobs, company employee ratings and CEO approval when available, and typical pay from public salary pages.
- [ZipRecruiter API](https://fous.com/tools/ziprecruiter.md): ZipRecruiter returns up to 100 public job listings per search and U.S. job-title pay ranges and top-paying cities where public salary pages exist.
- [Levels.fyi API](https://fous.com/tools/levels-fyi.md): Levels.fyi returns published per-level median annual pay, rankings of up to 50 companies by role/location median total pay, and cross-company pay comparisons for 2–10 companies.
- [AmbitionBox API](https://fous.com/tools/ambitionbox.md): AmbitionBox covers company reviews, salaries and jobs, including role pay, experience averages and ratings; verification can limit salary results, and review summaries may be unavailable.
- [H1B Salary Database API](https://fous.com/tools/h1b-salary-database.md): Search employer-filed H-1B salary and labor condition records.
- [Glassdoor API](https://fous.com/tools/glassdoor.md): Employee reviews and company ratings.
- [Bureau of Labor Statistics API](https://fous.com/tools/bureau-of-labor-statistics.md): Bureau of Labor Statistics provides latest occupation pay, employment, career outlooks, unemployment, category inflation (up to 24 months’ history), and CPI conversions from January 1913.
- [Remote OK API](https://fous.com/tools/remote-ok.md): Remote job postings from Remote OK.
- [All Jobs tools](https://fous.com/tools/category/jobs)