Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Fax on demand: 816-426-3152 -- Document 9615
OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES
IN TOPEKA, KANSAS, MAY 2005
Workers in the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area1 had an average (mean) wage of $16.36 per hour during May 2005, slightly more than ten percent below the nationwide average of $18.21, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that workers in 17 of the 22 major occupational groups in Topeka had wages that were significantly below their national counterparts; production workers, on the other hand, were one group that was paid appreciably more than the U.S. average. In addition, when compared to the nationwide distribution, local employment was more highly concentrated in 8 of the 22 occupational groups, including two of the better paid-management and legal. (See table A and box note at end of release.)
These estimates for wage and salary workers are from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, a federal-state cooperative program between BLS and State Workforce Agencies, in this case, the Kansas Department of Labor's office of Labor Market Information Services. The OES survey provides estimates of employment and wages for 22 major occupational groups and for up to 801 detailed occupations, as defined by the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system for the nation, the states, 375 metropolitan statistical areas, and 34 metropolitan divisions.
Although not the highest paid occupational group in Topeka, production workers did earn more than their national counterparts. (See chart A.) Local production workers averaged $16.38 an hour, nearly 14 percent more than the $14.37 paid workers nationwide. However, production workers had a lower-than-average presence in Topeka as evidenced by a 6.0-percent employment share versus 7.9 percent nationwide. (See chart B.) Two of the higher-paying jobs in this occupational group were extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders ($22.05) and inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers ($19.30). (See table 1 for detailed occupational data.)
On the other hand, management occupations were among the highest paid in the Topeka area, though hourly earnings for workers in this group were substantially below the national average-$34.84 versus $42.52. (See chart A.) This occupational group, however, did have an above-average presence in Topeka-5.1 percent versus 4.6 percent nationwide. Within management, sales managers ($49.27) and marketing managers ($46.48) were among the better paid in this group. At the lower end of the wage scale were food service managers and social and community service managers, each averaging $20.40 per hour. Among the largest groups was general and operations managers, accounting for more than one-third of those in management and averaging $32.43 per hour.
_________________________
1 The Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is comprised of Jackson, Jefferson, Osage, Shawnee, and Wabaunsee Counties. For convenience, this MSA will be referred to as the Topeka area (or by similarly abbreviated titles) throughout the release.
| Major occupational group | Employment Share (percent of total) | Mean hourly wage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Topeka | Significant difference(1) | United States | Topeka | Significant difference(1) | |
Management |
4.6 | 5.1 | yes | $42.52 | $34.84 | yes |
Business and financial operations |
4.2 | 4.7 | yes | 27.85 | 22.73 | yes |
Computer and mathematical |
2.3 | 2.0 | yes | 32.26 | 25.32 | yes |
Architecture and engineering |
1.8 | 1.4 | yes | 30.73 | 24.11 | yes |
Life, physical, and social science |
0.9 | 1.1 | yes | 27.90 | 22.32 | yes |
Community and social services |
1.3 | 1.7 | yes | 18.04 | 15.58 | yes |
Legal |
0.8 | 1.1 | yes | 38.98 | 28.91 | yes |
Education, training, and library |
6.2 | 6.3 | no | 20.89 | 15.38 | yes |
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media |
1.3 | 1.2 | no | 21.30 | 15.47 | yes |
Healthcare practitioners and technical |
5.0 | 6.4 | no | 28.45 | 25.53 | yes |
Healthcare support |
2.6 | 3.7 | yes | 11.47 | 11.24 | no |
Protective service |
2.3 | 2.9 | yes | 17.19 | 17.02 | no |
Food preparation and serving related |
8.3 | 7.3 | yes | 8.58 | 7.78 | yes |
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance |
3.3 | 2.8 | yes | 10.55 | 9.77 | yes |
Personal care and service |
2.4 | 2.9 | no | 10.67 | 8.89 | yes |
Sales and related |
10.7 | 9.0 | yes | 15.77 | 13.43 | yes |
Office and administrative support |
17.5 | 18.6 | no | 14.28 | 12.97 | yes |
Farming, fishing, and forestry |
0.3 | 0.1 | yes | 10.10 | 14.77 | yes |
Construction and extraction |
4.9 | 5.0 | no | 18.39 | 16.74 | yes |
Installation, maintenance, and repair |
4.1 | 4.6 | yes | 18.30 | 18.23 | no |
Production |
7.9 | 6.0 | yes | 14.37 | 16.38 | yes |
Transportation and material moving |
7.4 | 6.2 | yes | 13.85 | 12.57 | yes |
(1) Statistical significance testing at the 90 percent confidence interval
Legal workers, averaging $28.91 an hour, were another of the better-paid occupational groups in Topeka. Even so, hourly earnings were more than 25 percent below (or just over $10.00 less than) the nationwide average of $38.98. Locally, lawyers and administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers were among the highest paid averaging $39.42 and $32.83, respectively. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers ($13.40) and law clerks ($12.56) were among the lowest paid in the legal fields.
In the healthcare practitioners and technical occupational group, workers averaged $25.53 per hour in the Topeka area, among the better paid, even though wages were appreciably below the $28.45 nationwide average. However, this group did have an above-average presence in the area (6.4 percent) when compared to its representation nationally (5.0 percent). Registered nurses, the largest group in this category with 2,930 workers, earned $23.57 per hour. Family and general practitioners ($86.69) and pharmacists ($39.38) were among the better paid. Veterinary technologists and technicians and dietetic technicians averaging $11.70 and $7.52, respectively, were at the lower end of the wage scale.
Also among the well paid in Topeka were those in the computer and mathematical occupational group averaging $25.32 per hour; nationally these workers earned $32.26. Locally, systems software engineers ($28.84) and database administrators ($28.21) were among the better paid in this group and computer support specialists ($18.95) were among the lowest paid.
Three other major occupational groups in the Topeka area averaged more than $20.00 per hour-architecture and engineering; business and financial operations; and life, physical, and social science.
Chart A. Wage distribution in the United States and the Topeka metropolitan area by major occupational group
The largest occupational group in the Topeka area was office and administrative support with 20,020 workers, representing 18.6 percent of all employment in the metropolitan area. (See chart B.) Workers in this occupational group averaged $12.97 compared to $14.28 nationally. Locally, executive secretaries and administrative assistants (2,520) and general office clerks (1,940) accounted for over 20 percent of the workers in this group and averaged $13.63 and $10.61 an hour, respectively. Those working for the postal service were among the better paid, including postal service clerks averaging $23.24 and postal service mail carriers earning $20.79. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks were at the other end of the wage scale averaging $7.46 an hour.
Other occupational groups with above-average concentrations in Topeka included protective service workers accounting for 2.9 percent of the workforce compared to 2.3 percent nationwide and installation, maintenance, and repair occupations representing 4.6 percent of the local workforce but 4.1 percent nationally. (See table A.) Neither of these two occupational groups had wages that varied significantly from their U.S. averages.
Topeka had a lower-than-average presence in eight major occupational groups, including six that had lower than average wages: computer and mathematical; architecture and engineering; food preparation and serving related; building and grounds cleaning and maintenance; sales and related; and transportation and material moving.
Chart B. Employment distribution in the United States and the Topeka metropolitan area by major occupational group
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | The OES wage and employment data for the 22 major occupational groups in the Topeka | | metropolitan area were compared to their respective national averages based on statistical | | significance testing. Only those occupations with wages or employment shares above or below | | the national wage or share after testing for significance at the 90 percent confidence | | interval meet the criteria. NOTE: A value that is statistically different from another does | | not necessarily mean that the difference has economic or practical significance. Statistical | | significance is concerned with our ability to make confident statements about a universe | | based on a sample. It is entirely possible that a large difference between two values is not | | significantly different statistically, while a small difference is, since both the size and | | heterogeneity of the sample effect the relative error of the data being tested. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technical Note
The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is a semiannual mail survey measuring occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in the United States. Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands also are surveyed, but their data are not included in this release. OES estimates are constructed from a sample of about 1.2 million establishments. Forms are mailed to approximately 200,000 establishments in May and November of each year for a 3-year period. The nationwide response rate for the May 2005 survey was 78.4 percent based on establishments and 73.2 percent based on employment. The survey included establishments sampled in the May 2005, November 2004, May 2004, November 2003, May 2003, and November 2002 semiannual panels. The sample in the Topeka metropolitan area included 1,416 establishments with a response rate of 81 percent.
The occupational coding system
The OES survey uses the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) occupational classification system, the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. The SOC system is the first OMB-required occupational classification system for federal agencies. The OES survey categorizes workers in 1 of 801 detailed occupations. Together, these detailed occupations comprise 23 major occupational groups, 22 of which are covered in this release. The one exception is military specific occupations which are not included in the OES survey.
For more information about the SOC system, please see the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Web site at http://www.bls.gov/soc/.
The industry coding system
The OES survey uses the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For more information about NAICS, see the BLS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm.
Survey sample
BLS funds the survey and provides the procedures and technical support, while the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) collect most of the data. BLS produces cross-industry and industry-specific estimates for the nation, states, and metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Industry-specific estimates are produced at the NAICS sector, 3-digit, 4-digit, and selected 5-digit industry levels. BLS releases all cross-industry and national estimates; the SWAs release industry-specific estimates at the state and MSA levels.
State Unemployment Insurance (UI) files provide the universe from which the OES survey draws its sample. Employment benchmarks are obtained from reports submitted by employers to the UI program. The OES survey sample is stratified by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas and industry. Samples selected in panels prior to May 2005 were stratified using MSA definitions based on the 1990 Metropolitan Statistical Area standards. Beginning with the May 2005 panel, the sample was stratified using new MSA definitions based on the 2000 Metropolitan Statistical Area standards.
Concepts
Occupational employment is the estimate of total wage and salary employment in an occupation across the industries surveyed. The OES survey defines employment as the number of workers who can be classified as full- or part-time employees, including workers on paid vacations or other types of paid leave; workers on unpaid short-term absences; salaried officers, executives, and staff members of incorporated firms; employees temporarily assigned to other units; and employees for whom the reporting unit is their permanent duty station regardless of whether that unit prepares their paycheck.
Wages for the OES survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate, cost-of-living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses, tips, and on-call pay are included. Excluded are: back pay, jury duty pay, overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, non-production bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Mean hourly wage. The mean hourly wage rate for an occupation is the total wages that all workers in the occupation earn in an hour divided by the total employment of the occupation. To calculate the mean hourly wage of each occupation, total weighted hourly wages are summed across all intervals and divided by the occupation's weighted survey employment. The mean wage for each interval is based on occupational wage data collected by the BLS Office of Compensation and Working Conditions for the National Compensation Survey (NCS).
Annual wage. Many employees are paid at an hourly rate by their employers and may work more than or less than 40 hours per week. Annual wage estimates for most occupations in this release are calculated by multiplying the mean hourly wage by a "year-round, full-time" figure of 2,080 hours (52 weeks by 40 hours). Thus, annual wage estimates may not represent the actual annual pay received by the employee if they work more or less than 2,080 hours per year. Some workers typically work less than full time, year round. For these occupations, the OES survey collects and reports either the annual salary or the hourly wage rate, depending on how the occupation is typically paid, but not both. For example, teachers, flight attendants, and pilots may be paid an annual salary, but do not work the usual 2,080 hours per year. In this case, an annual salary is reported. Other workers, such as entertainment workers are paid hourly rates, but generally do not work full time, year round. For these workers, only an hourly wage is reported.
Hourly versus annual wage reporting. For each occupation, respondents are asked to report the number of employees paid within specific wage intervals. The intervals are defined both as hourly rates and the corresponding annual rates, where the annual rate for an occupation is calculated by multiplying the hourly wage rate by a typical work year of 2,080 hours. The responding establishment can reference either the hourly or the annual rate for full-time workers, but they are instructed to report the hourly rate for part-time workers.
Estimation methodology
Each OES panel includes approximately 200,000 establishments. The OES survey is designed to produce estimates using six panels (3 years) of data. The full six-panel sample of 1.2 million establishments allows the production of estimates at detailed levels of geography, industry, and occupation.
Wage updating. Significant reductions in sampling errors are obtained by combining six panels of data, particularly for small geographic areas and occupations. Wages for the current panel need no adjustment. However, wages in the five previous panels need to be updated to the current panel's reference period.
The OES program uses the BLS Employment Cost Index (ECI) to adjust survey data from prior panels before combining them with the current panel's data. The wage updating procedure adjusts each detailed occupation's wage rate, as measured in the earlier panel, according to the average movement of its broader occupational division. The procedure assumes that there are no major differences by geography, industry, or detailed occupation within the occupational division.
May 2005 OES survey estimates. The May 2005 OES survey estimates are based on all data collected from establishments in the May 2005, November 2004, May 2004, November 2003, May 2003, and November 2002 semiannual samples.
Reliability of the estimates. Estimates calculated from a sample survey are subject to two types of error: sampling and nonsampling. Sampling error occurs when estimates are calculated from a subset (that is, a sample) of the population instead of the full population. When a sample of the population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimate of the characteristic of interest may differ from the population value of that characteristic. Differences between the sample estimate and the population value will vary depending on the sample selected. This variability can be estimated by calculating the standard error (SE) of the sample estimate. If we were to repeat the sampling and estimation process countless times using the same survey design, approximately 90 percent of the intervals created by adding and subtracting 1.645 SEs from the sample estimate would include the population value. These intervals are called 90-percent confidence intervals. The OES survey, however, usually uses the relative standard error (RSE) of a sample estimate instead of its SE to measure sampling error. RSE is defined as the SE of a sample estimate divided by the sample estimate itself. This statistic provides the user with a measure of the relative precision of the sample estimate. RSEs are calculated for both occupational employment and mean wage rate estimates. Occupational employment RSEs are calculated using a subsample, random group replication technique called the jackknife. Mean wage rate RSEs are calculated using a variance components model that accounts for both the observed and unobserved components of the wage data. The variances of the unobserved components are estimated using wage data from the BLS National Compensation Survey. In general, estimates based on many establishments have lower RSEs than estimates based on few establishments. If the distributional assumptions of the models are violated, the resulting confidence intervals may not reflect the prescribed level of confidence.
Nonsampling error occurs for a variety of reasons, none of which are directly connected to sampling. Examples of nonsampling error include: nonresponse, data incorrectly reported by the respondent, mistakes made in entering collected data into the database, and mistakes made in editing and processing the collected data.
Additional information
The May 2005 OES national data by occupation, comparable to data in table 1, are available on the BLS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/oes. Users also may access each occupation's definition and percentile wages. The May 2005 cross-industry data for states and metropolitan areas are available on the BLS Web site. Industry staffing patterns at the sector, 3-, 4-, and selected 5-digit NAICS levels are also available from the Internet. These data include industry-specific occupational employment and wage data. A more detailed technical note for OES is available at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.
OES information is also available through our regional web page at http://www.bls.gov/ro7/ and on our fax-on-demand system. For a catalog of items available to be faxed to you, call our fax-on-demand number at 816-426-3152. If you have additional questions, you can contact an economist in the Kansas City information office at 816-426-2481. Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.
| Occupation | Employment | Mean wages | Median hourly wages | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | Annual (1) | |||
| Management occupations | ||||
Chief executives |
440 | 60.47 | 125,780 | 52.02 |
General and operations managers |
1,950 | 32.43 | 67,450 | 29.15 |
Legislators |
290 | (3) | (5) | (3) |
Marketing managers |
110 | 46.48 | 96,670 | 42.69 |
Sales managers |
140 | 49.27 | 102,480 | 41.67 |
Public relations managers |
40 | 37.11 | 77,200 | 34.93 |
Administrative services managers |
140 | 24.90 | 51,780 | 23.10 |
Computer and information systems managers |
190 | 36.29 | 75,490 | 35.03 |
Financial managers |
270 | 38.03 | 79,110 | 34.37 |
Compensation and benefits managers |
40 | 36.27 | 75,440 | 36.73 |
Human resources managers, all other |
30 | 35.14 | 73,080 | 35.23 |
Industrial production managers |
70 | 32.01 | 66,580 | 25.85 |
Purchasing managers |
30 | 35.40 | 73,630 | 36.80 |
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
80 | 31.40 | 65,310 | 31.69 |
Construction managers |
170 | 31.72 | 65,980 | 29.44 |
Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
190 | (3) | 61,570 | (3) |
Engineering managers |
120 | 42.22 | 87,820 | 40.34 |
Food service managers |
180 | 20.40 | 42,430 | 18.44 |
Medical and health services managers |
270 | 30.87 | 64,200 | 27.26 |
Postmasters and mail superintendents |
40 | 23.45 | 48,780 | 24.10 |
Property, real estate, and community association managers |
50 | 33.71 | 70,110 | 32.92 |
Social and community service managers |
110 | 20.40 | 42,430 | 17.92 |
Managers, all other |
280 | 36.55 | 76,020 | 33.19 |
| Business and financial operations occupations | ||||
Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
60 | 21.16 | 44,010 | 22.67 |
Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
260 | 26.11 | 54,310 | 24.51 |
Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
360 | 22.66 | 47,130 | 21.57 |
Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
170 | 23.00 | 47,850 | 20.88 |
Cost estimators |
220 | 27.66 | 57,530 | 22.04 |
Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
70 | 22.54 | 46,880 | 20.42 |
Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
100 | 24.72 | 51,420 | 23.88 |
Training and development specialists |
190 | 23.18 | 48,210 | 22.90 |
Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
130 | 20.91 | 43,480 | 20.23 |
Management analysts |
410 | 24.41 | 50,770 | 21.95 |
Meeting and convention planners |
40 | 21.34 | 44,390 | 20.21 |
Business operations specialists, all other |
910 | 20.11 | 41,820 | 19.08 |
Accountants and auditors |
1,060 | 23.07 | 47,990 | 21.63 |
Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
60 | 23.85 | 49,610 | 21.48 |
Budget analysts |
30 | 32.99 | 68,610 | 33.94 |
Credit analysts |
(4) | 19.78 | 41,130 | 19.06 |
Financial analysts |
80 | 24.29 | 50,530 | 23.32 |
Personal financial advisors |
80 | 46.63 | 96,990 | 57.66 |
Insurance underwriters |
80 | 21.08 | 43,840 | 17.56 |
Loan officers |
270 | 19.64 | 40,840 | 18.69 |
Financial specialists, all other |
30 | 26.56 | 55,250 | 26.25 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations | ||||
Computer programmers |
240 | 22.52 | 46,830 | 21.99 |
Computer software engineers, applications |
400 | 24.19 | 50,310 | 23.71 |
Computer software engineers, systems software |
60 | 28.84 | 59,980 | 28.20 |
Computer support specialists |
300 | 18.95 | 39,420 | 18.13 |
Computer systems analysts |
490 | 28.09 | 58,420 | 28.66 |
Database administrators |
50 | 28.21 | 58,670 | 26.56 |
Network and computer systems administrators |
260 | 20.94 | 43,550 | 19.09 |
Network systems and data communications analysts |
180 | 24.70 | 51,380 | 24.32 |
Actuaries |
70 | (5) | (5) | (5) |
| Architecture and engineering occupations | ||||
Architects, except landscape and naval |
60 | 26.08 | 54,250 | 25.37 |
Surveyors |
50 | 19.97 | 41,540 | 19.57 |
Civil engineers |
430 | 28.02 | 58,270 | 26.94 |
Electrical engineers |
(4) | 34.88 | 72,560 | 33.38 |
Environmental engineers |
60 | 30.51 | 63,470 | 29.58 |
Mechanical engineers |
50 | 26.24 | 54,580 | 26.21 |
Architectural and civil drafters |
70 | 18.03 | 37,500 | 17.56 |
Mechanical drafters |
30 | 18.65 | 38,790 | 17.68 |
Drafters, all other |
30 | 20.23 | 42,070 | 20.37 |
Civil engineering technicians |
340 | 17.54 | 36,480 | 17.31 |
Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
70 | 21.88 | 45,510 | 22.29 |
Surveying and mapping technicians |
50 | 11.87 | 24,680 | 10.52 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations | ||||
Chemists |
40 | 19.82 | 41,220 | 18.96 |
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
220 | 23.41 | 48,680 | 23.03 |
Market research analysts |
140 | 21.06 | 43,800 | 20.18 |
Survey researchers |
120 | 17.66 | 36,730 | 16.85 |
Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
100 | 30.69 | 63,830 | 25.63 |
Forest and conservation technicians |
(4) | 17.83 | 37,080 | 18.65 |
| Community and social services occupations | ||||
Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
70 | 16.56 | 34,440 | 16.14 |
Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
140 | 20.09 | 41,790 | 20.35 |
Mental health counselors |
(4) | 13.27 | 27,600 | 14.10 |
Rehabilitation counselors |
50 | 15.22 | 31,660 | 15.60 |
Child, family, and school social workers |
390 | 15.24 | 31,710 | 14.96 |
Medical and public health social workers |
110 | 20.87 | 43,400 | 20.61 |
Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
230 | 17.10 | 35,560 | 16.46 |
Health educators |
50 | 16.16 | 33,620 | 14.04 |
Social and human service assistants |
420 | 11.27 | 23,450 | 10.75 |
Community and social service specialists, all other |
60 | 13.08 | 27,200 | 13.05 |
Clergy |
30 | 19.69 | 40,950 | 18.67 |
| Legal occupations | ||||
Lawyers |
600 | 39.42 | 82,000 | 30.22 |
Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers |
40 | 32.83 | 68,280 | 28.96 |
Paralegals and legal assistants |
150 | 16.73 | 34,800 | 15.47 |
Law clerks |
80 | 12.56 | 26,120 | 11.61 |
Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers |
40 | 13.40 | 27,880 | 12.25 |
Legal support workers, all other |
260 | 16.77 | 34,880 | 16.46 |
| Education, training, and library occupations | ||||
Preschool teachers, except special education |
100 | 10.94 | 22,760 | 10.13 |
Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
100 | (3) | 35,910 | (3) |
Elementary school teachers, except special education |
1,730 | (3) | 33,040 | (3) |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational | ||||
education |
920 | (3) | 31,850 | (3) |
Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
1,080 | (3) | 35,020 | (3) |
Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
110 | (3) | 40,400 | (3) |
Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
110 | (3) | 38,120 | (3) |
Special education teachers, middle school |
40 | (3) | 37,420 | (3) |
Special education teachers, secondary school |
50 | (3) | 40,720 | (3) |
Self-enrichment education teachers |
110 | 15.82 | 32,900 | 12.87 |
Librarians |
180 | 20.91 | 43,490 | 20.58 |
Instructional coordinators |
130 | 24.31 | 50,560 | 24.40 |
Teacher assistants |
1,160 | (3) | 17,620 | (3) |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations | ||||
Floral designers |
50 | 10.55 | 21,940 | 10.13 |
Graphic designers |
240 | 15.19 | 31,590 | 15.42 |
Interior designers |
30 | 17.77 | 36,960 | 15.89 |
Producers and directors |
30 | 16.98 | 35,320 | 13.47 |
Coaches and scouts |
170 | (3) | 23,220 | (3) |
Choreographers |
30 | (5) | (5) | (5) |
Radio and television announcers |
30 | 25.19 | 52,400 | 16.22 |
Reporters and correspondents |
(4) | 10.95 | 22,780 | 10.18 |
Public relations specialists |
310 | 22.33 | 46,450 | 19.87 |
Editors |
30 | 18.16 | 37,760 | 18.68 |
Writers and authors |
30 | 16.16 | 33,610 | 16.45 |
Broadcast technicians |
50 | 10.66 | 22,180 | 10.32 |
Photographers |
60 | 10.37 | 21,580 | 9.84 |
Camera operators, television, video, and motion picture |
30 | 7.45 | 15,500 | 6.57 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations | ||||
Dietitians and nutritionists |
40 | 22.26 | 46,310 | 21.28 |
Pharmacists |
200 | 39.38 | 81,920 | 39.87 |
Family and general practitioners |
(4) | 86.69 | 180,310 | (2) |
Physicians and surgeons, all other |
40 | 64.69 | 134,540 | 63.00 |
Physician assistants |
60 | 33.10 | 68,840 | 33.22 |
Registered nurses |
2,930 | 23.57 | 49,020 | 22.68 |
Occupational therapists |
130 | 27.18 | 56,540 | 26.20 |
Physical therapists |
200 | 29.41 | 61,170 | 29.05 |
Recreational therapists |
40 | 18.17 | 37,790 | 16.14 |
Respiratory therapists |
(4) | 20.32 | 42,270 | 20.18 |
Speech-language pathologists |
80 | 26.61 | 55,360 | 24.55 |
Veterinarians |
50 | 26.73 | 55,600 | 25.27 |
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners, all other |
80 | 80.19 | 166,790 | (2) |
Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
(4) | 22.15 | 46,060 | 21.33 |
Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
120 | 13.27 | 27,610 | 12.59 |
Dental hygienists |
(4) | 32.04 | 66,640 | 31.91 |
Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
60 | 18.43 | 38,330 | 18.49 |
Diagnostic medical sonographers |
60 | 23.83 | 49,560 | 24.65 |
Radiologic technologists and technicians |
150 | 20.87 | 43,410 | 20.58 |
Dietetic technicians |
(4) | 7.52 | 15,630 | 7.66 |
Pharmacy technicians |
230 | 11.78 | 24,510 | 10.88 |
Surgical technologists |
(4) | 13.85 | 28,820 | 13.44 |
Veterinary technologists and technicians |
60 | 11.70 | 24,330 | 10.71 |
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
730 | 16.20 | 33,690 | 16.16 |
Medical records and health information technicians |
170 | 14.10 | 29,330 | 14.54 |
Opticians, dispensing |
(4) | 10.37 | 21,560 | 10.45 |
Occupational health and safety specialists |
60 | 21.36 | 44,420 | 20.14 |
| Healthcare support occupations | ||||
Home health aides |
1,030 | 10.43 | 21,690 | 10.11 |
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
1,620 | 10.76 | 22,380 | 10.37 |
Psychiatric aides |
350 | 9.67 | 20,120 | 9.56 |
Occupational therapist assistants |
40 | 20.47 | 42,570 | 21.52 |
Physical therapist assistants |
160 | 19.79 | 41,150 | 19.34 |
Physical therapist aides |
30 | 11.28 | 23,470 | 11.37 |
Massage therapists |
(4) | 9.49 | 19,730 | 8.41 |
Dental assistants |
200 | 12.94 | 26,920 | 12.90 |
Medical assistants |
210 | 10.47 | 21,780 | 10.31 |
Medical transcriptionists |
130 | 13.54 | 28,170 | 13.23 |
Pharmacy aides |
(4) | 8.05 | 16,750 | 8.06 |
Healthcare support workers, all other |
90 | 12.32 | 25,630 | 11.08 |
| Protective service occupations | ||||
Fire fighters |
960 | 20.50 | 42,640 | 23.11 |
Detectives and criminal investigators |
180 | 22.43 | 46,660 | 23.03 |
Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
720 | 17.35 | 36,090 | 17.63 |
Security guards |
550 | 9.69 | 20,140 | 8.46 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations | ||||
Chefs and head cooks |
100 | 11.11 | 23,110 | 10.06 |
First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
650 | 11.67 | 24,270 | 10.96 |
Cooks, fast food |
380 | 6.66 | 13,840 | 6.50 |
Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
580 | 10.15 | 21,120 | 9.52 |
Cooks, restaurant |
380 | 8.78 | 18,260 | 8.54 |
Cooks, short order |
280 | 6.91 | 14,370 | 6.54 |
Food preparation workers |
610 | 7.28 | 15,140 | 7.27 |
Bartenders |
400 | 6.81 | 14,160 | 6.60 |
Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,580 | 7.37 | 15,330 | 7.28 |
Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
300 | 6.19 | 12,870 | 6.21 |
Waiters and waitresses |
1,740 | 6.94 | 14,440 | 6.53 |
Food servers, nonrestaurant |
(4) | 6.58 | 13,690 | 6.40 |
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
120 | 6.99 | 14,550 | 6.81 |
Dishwashers |
380 | 6.92 | 14,390 | 7.01 |
Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
240 | 7.53 | 15,650 | 7.50 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations | ||||
First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
160 | 13.69 | 28,470 | 14.02 |
First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
80 | 17.41 | 36,210 | 16.30 |
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,750 | 9.63 | 20,030 | 9.19 |
Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
560 | 7.85 | 16,320 | 7.79 |
Pest control workers |
40 | 13.15 | 27,350 | 12.92 |
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
440 | 9.52 | 19,790 | 9.30 |
| Personal care and service occupations | ||||
First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
80 | 13.23 | 27,510 | 12.29 |
Nonfarm animal caretakers |
160 | 7.59 | 15,790 | 6.86 |
Amusement and recreation attendants |
200 | 6.78 | 14,110 | 6.49 |
Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
200 | 11.86 | 24,670 | 10.02 |
Child care workers |
510 | 7.95 | 16,540 | 7.84 |
Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
130 | 9.38 | 19,510 | 9.43 |
Recreation workers |
220 | 9.01 | 18,740 | 8.24 |
| Sales and related occupations | ||||
First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
870 | 15.71 | 32,680 | 13.57 |
First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
180 | 31.65 | 65,830 | 26.72 |
Cashiers |
2,700 | 8.02 | 16,680 | 7.61 |
Counter and rental clerks |
340 | 9.01 | 18,730 | 8.71 |
Parts salespersons |
190 | 12.15 | 25,280 | 10.57 |
Retail salespersons |
3,380 | 10.22 | 21,260 | 8.72 |
Advertising sales agents |
120 | 17.25 | 35,880 | 11.98 |
Insurance sales agents |
250 | 22.23 | 46,250 | 16.65 |
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
180 | 28.18 | 58,620 | 26.13 |
Sales representatives, services, all other |
220 | 27.30 | 56,790 | 24.60 |
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
190 | 27.13 | 56,430 | 25.84 |
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
700 | 26.91 | 55,970 | 23.84 |
Real estate sales agents |
60 | 19.68 | 40,930 | 19.31 |
Sales and related workers, all other |
90 | 19.34 | 40,230 | 16.02 |
| Office and administrative support occupations | ||||
First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
1,480 | 18.99 | 39,510 | 17.82 |
Switchboard operators, including answering service |
150 | 10.25 | 21,330 | 10.04 |
Bill and account collectors |
380 | 11.77 | 24,480 | 11.69 |
Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
320 | 12.18 | 25,340 | 11.92 |
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
1,630 | 13.35 | 27,770 | 13.01 |
Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
210 | 15.43 | 32,090 | 15.49 |
Procurement clerks |
50 | 14.40 | 29,950 | 14.89 |
Tellers |
620 | 9.76 | 20,300 | 9.66 |
Court, municipal, and license clerks |
160 | 14.81 | 30,800 | 14.91 |
Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks |
40 | 10.34 | 21,500 | 8.54 |
Customer service representatives |
(4) | 13.11 | 27,270 | 12.16 |
File clerks |
180 | 10.54 | 21,930 | 9.48 |
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
160 | 7.46 | 15,510 | 7.23 |
Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
140 | 11.35 | 23,610 | 10.61 |
Library assistants, clerical |
150 | 9.67 | 20,120 | 9.80 |
Loan interviewers and clerks |
80 | 12.95 | 26,940 | 12.04 |
Order clerks |
150 | 12.93 | 26,900 | 12.41 |
Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
120 | 16.27 | 33,840 | 16.25 |
Receptionists and information clerks |
890 | 9.56 | 19,880 | 9.41 |
All other information and record clerks |
210 | 18.27 | 37,990 | 16.65 |
Couriers and messengers |
230 | 7.56 | 15,720 | 6.99 |
Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
(4) | 10.90 | 22,660 | 10.55 |
Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
120 | 12.76 | 26,530 | 10.68 |
Meter readers, utilities |
130 | 12.97 | 26,980 | 14.20 |
Postal service clerks |
60 | 23.24 | 48,340 | 23.84 |
Postal service mail carriers |
330 | 20.79 | 43,230 | 21.93 |
Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
190 | 20.00 | 41,590 | 21.21 |
Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
140 | 19.22 | 39,970 | 19.46 |
Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
830 | 13.77 | 28,630 | 11.43 |
Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,490 | 11.25 | 23,410 | 10.51 |
Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
(4) | 11.93 | 24,810 | 10.88 |
Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
2,520 | 13.63 | 28,350 | 12.89 |
Legal secretaries |
280 | 12.18 | 25,330 | 11.80 |
Medical secretaries |
340 | 13.84 | 28,790 | 12.94 |
Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,210 | 10.91 | 22,680 | 10.51 |
Computer operators |
120 | 14.96 | 31,120 | 13.86 |
Data entry keyers |
150 | 10.58 | 22,000 | 10.26 |
Word processors and typists |
30 | 13.66 | 28,410 | 12.80 |
Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
80 | 13.44 | 27,960 | 12.98 |
Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
320 | 10.41 | 21,650 | 10.32 |
Office clerks, general |
1,940 | 10.61 | 22,070 | 10.20 |
Office and administrative support workers, all other |
70 | 14.10 | 29,330 | 14.44 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations | ||||
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
30 | 11.34 | 23,590 | 11.37 |
| Construction and extraction occupations | ||||
First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
540 | 22.91 | 47,650 | 22.51 |
Brickmasons and blockmasons |
70 | 19.15 | 39,830 | 20.27 |
Carpenters |
660 | 16.15 | 33,580 | 15.77 |
Carpet installers |
(4) | 17.51 | 36,410 | 16.96 |
Tile and marble setters |
(4) | 24.05 | 50,020 | 24.27 |
Cement masons and concrete finishers |
190 | 16.12 | 33,530 | 15.87 |
Construction laborers |
960 | 12.76 | 26,540 | 12.21 |
Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
90 | 14.42 | 30,000 | 14.59 |
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
490 | 17.60 | 36,610 | 18.52 |
Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
80 | 14.65 | 30,460 | 14.27 |
Tapers |
40 | 16.36 | 34,020 | 16.72 |
Electricians |
370 | 20.53 | 42,710 | 22.38 |
Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall |
(4) | 13.12 | 27,300 | 12.40 |
Painters, construction and maintenance |
160 | 14.48 | 30,120 | 13.28 |
Pipelayers |
(4) | 13.56 | 28,200 | 12.73 |
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
530 | 19.29 | 40,120 | 19.37 |
Sheet metal workers |
160 | 18.63 | 38,750 | 19.97 |
Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
110 | 12.54 | 26,090 | 10.97 |
Helpers--carpenters |
100 | 11.23 | 23,360 | 10.35 |
Helpers--electricians |
50 | 11.23 | 23,360 | 11.36 |
Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
40 | 11.06 | 23,000 | 9.90 |
Construction and building inspectors |
50 | 21.36 | 44,430 | 20.08 |
Highway maintenance workers |
150 | 13.34 | 27,750 | 13.05 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations | ||||
First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
590 | 23.48 | 48,840 | 22.71 |
Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
210 | 15.87 | 33,020 | 15.77 |
Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers |
(4) | 15.73 | 32,720 | 15.44 |
Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
40 | 22.16 | 46,100 | 23.19 |
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay |
60 | 24.95 | 51,890 | 26.33 |
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
200 | 19.62 | 40,810 | 21.15 |
Automotive body and related repairers |
80 | 17.89 | 37,220 | 17.01 |
Automotive glass installers and repairers |
(4) | 19.79 | 41,170 | 20.01 |
Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
640 | 15.07 | 31,340 | 14.25 |
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
180 | 15.82 | 32,900 | 15.41 |
Farm equipment mechanics |
70 | 13.02 | 27,080 | 12.75 |
Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
180 | 18.12 | 37,700 | 18.06 |
Tire repairers and changers |
150 | 8.34 | 17,350 | 7.92 |
Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door |
40 | 21.83 | 45,410 | 21.32 |
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
160 | 18.35 | 38,160 | 17.98 |
Home appliance repairers |
(4) | 16.11 | 33,510 | 16.42 |
Industrial machinery mechanics |
220 | 22.64 | 47,090 | 22.52 |
Maintenance and repair workers, general |
1,010 | 17.49 | 36,370 | 17.50 |
Maintenance workers, machinery |
80 | 18.01 | 37,470 | 16.43 |
Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
140 | 24.97 | 51,940 | 25.20 |
Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
120 | 20.18 | 41,980 | 21.21 |
Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other |
(4) | 14.98 | 31,160 | 13.29 |
Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
50 | 13.72 | 28,550 | 13.70 |
Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
100 | 9.47 | 19,690 | 9.60 |
Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
60 | 15.56 | 32,370 | 13.63 |
| Production occupations | ||||
First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
420 | 24.72 | 51,410 | 24.24 |
Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
30 | 14.99 | 31,170 | 15.82 |
Team assemblers |
350 | 12.61 | 26,230 | 10.41 |
Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
50 | 12.93 | 26,900 | 12.45 |
Bakers |
80 | 11.34 | 23,590 | 10.51 |
Butchers and meat cutters |
100 | 13.32 | 27,710 | 12.72 |
Food cooking machine operators and tenders |
80 | 16.75 | 34,830 | 16.68 |
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
140 | 14.54 | 30,230 | 15.00 |
Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
(4) | 12.46 | 25,910 | 11.62 |
Machinists |
(4) | 18.09 | 37,630 | 18.24 |
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
80 | 13.76 | 28,630 | 12.64 |
Bindery workers |
240 | 9.18 | 19,100 | 8.21 |
Prepress technicians and workers |
70 | 14.10 | 29,330 | 15.04 |
Printing machine operators |
370 | 16.26 | 33,830 | 16.58 |
Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
110 | 8.00 | 16,650 | 7.97 |
Sewing machine operators |
(4) | 7.99 | 16,620 | 7.75 |
Upholsterers |
(4) | 11.67 | 24,260 | 12.25 |
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
40 | 13.71 | 28,510 | 13.28 |
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
(4) | 8.24 | 17,140 | 8.16 |
Power distributors and dispatchers |
(4) | 24.27 | 50,480 | 23.18 |
Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 | 18.09 | 37,620 | 19.34 |
Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
190 | 15.21 | 31,630 | 15.55 |
Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
290 | 22.05 | 45,870 | 21.98 |
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
340 | 19.30 | 40,150 | 20.15 |
Dental laboratory technicians |
(4) | 14.13 | 29,390 | 12.97 |
Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
840 | 15.72 | 32,690 | 16.30 |
Painters, transportation equipment |
(4) | 15.80 | 32,870 | 15.41 |
Photographic process workers |
30 | 15.43 | 32,090 | 16.56 |
Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic |
30 | 10.72 | 22,300 | 10.21 |
Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
(4) | 13.12 | 27,290 | 13.36 |
Helpers--production workers |
290 | 13.51 | 28,110 | 11.76 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations | ||||
First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
100 | 18.38 | 38,240 | 16.88 |
First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
250 | 23.86 | 49,630 | 23.71 |
Bus drivers, transit and intercity |
90 | 12.08 | 25,120 | 13.48 |
Bus drivers, school |
630 | 11.50 | 23,920 | 10.70 |
Driver/sales workers |
290 | 14.08 | 29,280 | 14.44 |
Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,060 | 15.39 | 32,020 | 14.72 |
Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
560 | 12.76 | 26,550 | 11.54 |
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
70 | 8.25 | 17,150 | 8.34 |
Service station attendants |
310 | 7.88 | 16,390 | 7.35 |
Crane and tower operators |
(4) | 14.66 | 30,500 | 13.97 |
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
(4) | 15.39 | 32,000 | 15.62 |
Industrial truck and tractor operators |
420 | 15.02 | 31,230 | 14.53 |
Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
310 | 8.46 | 17,590 | 7.91 |
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,220 | 10.09 | 21,000 | 9.22 |
Packers and packagers, hand |
1,010 | 10.77 | 22,410 | 8.82 |
1 Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a 'year-round, full-time' hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data. 2 Represents a wage above $70.00 per hour. 3 Hourly wage rates for occupations where workers typically work fewer than 2,080 hours per year are not available. 4 Indicates that an employment estimate is not available. 5 Indicates that a wage estimate is not available. 6 There is a wide variation in the number of hours worked by those employed as actors, dancers, singers, and musicians. Many jobs are for the duration of 1 day or 1 week, and it is extremely rare for a performer to have guaranteed employment for a period that exceeds 3 to 6 months. Therefore only hourly wages are available for these occupations.
Last Modified Date: November 15, 2006
