Where our numbers come from

Deciding what to do after graduation is too important to base on made-up figures. Every number Cap2Map shows you is one of three things, and we label which one on the screen where you see it.

Verified
Comes from a named dataset or a real job posting. We show the publisher, how current it is, and a link so you can check it yourself.
From you
Something you told us. Change your answers and it changes with them.
AI estimate
A starting point, not a fact or a prediction. Always check it against the verified data before you decide anything.

Our sources

BLS wage data + O*NET

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS) and O*NET

Real data

data as of May 2024

What it powers: Occupation titles, typical education, common skills and tasks, and the starting / median / experienced pay you see on role and occupation cards.
How often it updates: Reloaded when the federal wage release updates, roughly once a year.
What it can't tell you: National figures. Real pay varies by state, city, employer, and experience. Some newer job titles are not tracked separately.

Open the source

BLS job growth projections

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections

Real data

data as of 2025–2035 projections

What it powers: Projected job growth and the number of openings expected each year for an occupation, shown on role cards and road pages.
How often it updates: Reloaded with each federal projections release, roughly once a year.
What it can't tell you: A ten-year national projection, not a promise about your city or your year. Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only new positions.

Open the source

State cost of living

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities

Real data

data as of 2024

What it powers: How far pay goes in your state compared with the national average.
How often it updates: Reloaded with each annual BEA release.
What it can't tell you: A statewide average. Costs inside a state vary a lot between a big city and a rural county.

Open the source

College Scorecard

U.S. Department of Education

Real data

data as of 2026-06

What it powers: School names, net price, tuition, admission and completion rates, typical debt, and earnings ten years after entry.
How often it updates: Reloaded with each federal Scorecard data release.
What it can't tell you: Earnings and debt cover students who received federal aid, so they do not describe every graduate. Some small programs are suppressed.

Open the source

Live job postings

Job boards we ingest (Adzuna, Himalayas, Remotive)

Real data

What it powers: Open roles in Find My Fit and Build My Proof, employer names, posted dates, listed pay, and the apply link that goes to the real posting.
How often it updates: Ingested continuously; listings are expired after they stop appearing at the source.
What it can't tell you: Only listings from the boards we ingest. Pay is shown only when the employer published it. A posting can close before we notice.

Military occupation codes

Published U.S. service occupational classification listings

Real data

What it powers: MOS / AFSC / rating lookups and the civilian titles they translate to.
How often it updates: Updated when service listings change.
What it can't tell you: A crosswalk, not a hiring guarantee. Civilian titles are the closest match, not an equivalence.

Open the source

Your answers

You

Your input

What it powers: Your pathway, pressures, experiences, proof audit entries, saved roles, and plan progress.
How often it updates: Whenever you change it.
What it can't tell you: Only as accurate as what you entered. You can edit it any time.

AI estimate

Cap2Map AI, generated from your answers and the data above

Estimate

What it powers: Fit signals, role suggestions, reframes, bullet drafts, interview points, and smart moves.
How often it updates: Generated fresh each time you run it.
What it can't tell you: Directional only. Not a verified score or a prediction. Never treat an AI number as a fact — check it against the cited data before deciding.

Our rules

If we can't name where a figure came from, we don't show it as fact.
Pay is shown only when the employer or the federal data actually published it.
Job listings that have closed are marked and dropped from "open roles."
Example content used to teach a format is labelled as an example, never as real data.
The AI guide can only quote figures from the data above, and it names them when it does.