Western Information Office

CONTACT: Media Interviews (415) 625-2245 (415) 625-2270 Internet address: www.bls.gov/ro9/ro9news.htm

BLS 07-78 FOR RELEASE: Monday, December 31, 2007

Workers in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan area earned an average of $26.94 per hour in April 2007, according to new survey results from the National Compensation Survey (NCS) released by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Regional Commissioner Richard J. Holden reported wage data for workers in a wide range of occupational groups, including average hourly earnings of $38.96 for healthcare practitioner and technical occupations and $38.29 for business and financial operations. Another occupational group, office and administrative support, had a mean hourly wage rate of $19.92. The NCS data available for the San Jose area include earnings for 21 major occupational groups with additional detail for selected occupations within those groups. (See table 1.)

Registered nurses, part of the healthcare practitioner and technical occupational group, earned $49.50 per hour. Within the business and financial operations occupational group, financial analysts and advisors averaged $39.96. Secretaries and administrative assistants, an occupation within the office and administrative support group, registered an average hourly rate of $26.29, and financial clerks earned $18.28 per hour.

Broad coverage of selected occupational characteristics is available from NCS for the local area. Full-time workers averaged $28.18 per hour while their part-time counterparts earned $17.92. Union workers earned $27.65 and non-union workers, $26.73. Workers in establishments with 1-99 workers averaged $21.82 per hour, those in establishments with 100-499 workers earned $26.64, and those in establishments with 500 or more employees earned $34.95.

The occupational wage data available from NCS may be used by businesses for establishing pay plans, making decisions concerning plant relocation, and in collective bargaining negotiations. Individuals may use such data to help choose potential careers. NCS results also include the work level and respective earnings for occupations determined by a point factor leveling process. The four occupational leveling factors are: knowledge, job controls and complexity, contacts, and physical environment. Details on the NCS are available at www.bls.gov/ncs/.

The NCS data provided in the detailed bulletin covered 912 establishments with one or more workers in private industry and State and local governments. Agricultural establishments, private households, the self-employed, and the Federal Government were excluded from the survey. This sample of establishments represented 3,222,900 workers in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland Combined Statistical Area (CSA) which is comprised of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma Counties in California.

Complete survey results are contained in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA National Compensation Survey April 2007 (Bulletin 3140-24). While supplies last, single copies of the bulletin are available from the Western Information Office by calling (415) 625-2270 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. PT. In addition, data contained in the bulletin are available on the Internet in both text and PDF formats at www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/compub.htm.

Please click here for a text formatted copy of the table issued with this release.

 

Last Modified Date: January 18, 2008