This is the primary tool for querying BLS OEWS wage statistics.

occ_code: 6-digit SOC code without dash (e.g., '151252' for Software
Developers, '131082' for Project Management Specialists). See
list_common_soc_codes() for common mappings.

scope + area_code:
- 'national': no area_code needed (all US)
- 'state': area_code = 2-digit state FIPS (e.g., '51' for VA, '11' for DC)
- 'metro': area_code = 5-digit MSA code (e.g., '47900' for DC metro,
  '42660' for Seattle). See list_common_metros() for codes.

industry: 6-digit industry code for national-only breakdowns.
'000000' = all industries (default). Common:
'541000' (Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services),
'541500' (Computer Systems Design and Related Services),
'999100' (Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)).
Industry breakdowns only work with scope='national'. Federal IT staff mostly fall under 15-1299 (Computer Occupations, All
Other), so 999100 with 15-1252 rests on few employees.

datatypes: list of 2-digit codes. Default uses IGCE set:
- '04' = Annual Mean Wage
- '13' = Annual Median
- '11' = Annual 10th Percentile
- '15' = Annual 90th Percentile
Hourly percentiles: '03' (Mean), '06' (10th), '07' (25th), '08'
(Median), '09' (75th), '10' (90th). Annual percentiles: '11' (10th),
'12' (25th), '13' (Median), '14' (75th), '15' (90th). Other: '01'
(Employment); '16' (Employment per 1,000 Jobs) and '17' (Location
Quotient) exist at state/metro scope only.

'02' (Employment RSE) and '05' (Mean Wage RSE) are relative standard
errors in percent, a measure of each estimate's reliability.

Data year defaults to the OEWS release bundled with this server
(get_data_status reports it). Do NOT pass the current calendar year:
OEWS publishes about a year in arrears. Other years are rejected.

Special values ('-', '*', '#') mean BLS did not publish the cell; the
attached footnote says why (annual-only occupation, sample too small).