Media Contact:
Walter
Marshall For
release: Wednesday, July 9,
2008 (617)
565-2324
HIGHLIGHTS OF BOSTON-WORCESTER-MANCHESTER NATIONAL
COMPENSATION SURVEY OCTOBER 2007
Workers in the Boston-Worcester-Manchester metropolitan area earned an average of $25.43 per hour in October 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. Regional Commissioner Denis M. McSweeney noted that wage data were reported for workers in a wide range of occupational groups, including average hourly earnings of $33.22 for business and financial operations occupations and $28.46 for healthcare practitioner and technical occupations. Another occupational group, construction and extraction, had a mean hourly wage rate of $26.86. The NCS data available for the Boston area include earnings for 21 major occupational groups with additional detail for selected occupations within those groups. (See table 1.)
Financial analysts, part of the business and financial operations occupational group, earned $47.60 per hour, while accountants and auditors earned $26.29. Within the healthcare practitioner and technical occupational group, pharmacists averaged $48.92 per hour and registered nurses, $36.78. Electricians, an occupation within the construction and extraction group, registered an average hourly rate of $24.67.
Broad coverage of selected occupational characteristics is available from NCS for the local area. Full-time workers averaged $27.45 per hour while their part-time counterparts earned $13.87. Union workers earned $26.99 and non-union workers, $25.12. Workers in establishments with 1-99 workers averaged $21.05 per hour, those in establishments with 100-499 workers earned $25.13, and those in establishments with 500 or more employees earned $32.30.
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/home.htm.
The NCS data reported here covered 892 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 2,955,100 workers in the Boston-Worcester-Manchester Combined Statistical Area (CSA) which is comprised of Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester Counties in Massachusetts and Belknap, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, and Strafford Counties in New Hampshire.
Survey Availability
Complete survey results are obtained in the Boston-Worcester-Lawrence MA-NH National Compensation Survey October 2007 which is available on the Internet in both text and PDF formats at www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/compub.htm.
For personal assistance or further information on the National Compensation Survey data, as well as other Bureau data, contact the New England Information Office by calling (617) 565-2327 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.
Table 1. Civilian workers: Mean hourly earnings for full-time and part-time workers, Boston-Worcester-Manchester, MA-NH CSA, October 2007
Occupation3
Total
Full-time workers
Part-time workers
Mean
Relative error4 (percent)
Mean
Relative error4 (percent)
Mean
Relative error4 (percent)
All workers
25.43
2.7
27.45
2.8
13.87
2.5
Management occupations
48.50
3.8
48.58
3.9
–
–
General and operations managers
53.26
12.4
54.08
12.7
–
–
Marketing and sales managers
57.31
7.7
57.31
7.7
–
–
Marketing managers
58.19
13.0
58.19
13.0
–
–
Sales managers
55.85
11.5
55.85
11.5
–
–
Administrative services managers
46.07
9.0
46.07
9.0
–
–
Computer and information systems managers
53.59
8.1
53.59
8.1
–
–
Financial managers
52.66
6.0
52.66
6.0
–
–
Human resources managers
45.12
17.6
45.12
17.6
–
–
Industrial production managers
42.02
1.8
42.02
1.8
–
–
Education administrators
42.92
7.1
43.17
7.5
–
–
Education administrators, elementary and secondary school
53.24
11.7
53.24
11.7
–
–
Education administrators, postsecondary
42.34
6.0
42.72
7.1
–
–
Engineering managers
54.19
14.2
54.19
14.2
–
–
Medical and health services managers
45.86
15.5
45.86
15.5
–
–
Property, real estate, and community association managers
27.94
5.6
27.94
5.6
–
–
Business and financial operations occupations
33.22
3.6
33.27
3.7
–
–
Buyers and purchasing agents
31.68
11.3
31.68
11.3
–
–
Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products
28.37
4.5
28.37
4.5
–
–
Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products
33.59
14.9
33.59
14.9
–
–
Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators
26.71
7.5
26.58
8.2
–
–
Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
27.45
14.3
27.31
15.3
–
–
Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists
25.84
12.6
25.86
13.0
–
–
Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
29.79
6.8
30.30
6.9
–
–
Management analysts
42.73
11.9
42.73
11.9
–
–
Accountants and auditors
26.29
6.6
26.29
6.6
–
–
Budget analysts
38.41
14.0
–
–
–
–
Financial analysts and advisors
46.66
7.3
46.66
7.3
–
–
Financial analysts
47.60
7.9
47.60
7.9
–
–
Computer and mathematical science occupations
40.25
2.0
40.20
2.0
–
–
Computer programmers
29.08
7.7
29.08
7.7
–
–
Computer software engineers
45.16
4.3
45.20
4.2
–
–
Computer software engineers, applications
44.21
4.7
44.21
4.7
–
–
Computer software engineers, systems software
46.00
4.9
46.07
4.8
–
–
Computer support specialists
35.96
8.4
35.96
8.4
–
–
Computer systems analysts
39.66
3.7
39.44
3.6
–
–
Network and computer systems administrators
37.90
9.3
37.90
9.3
–
–
Network systems and data communications analysts
33.70
3.4
33.70
3.4
–
–
Architecture and engineering occupations
36.15
3.3
35.92
2.8
–
–
Engineers
40.77
1.9
40.55
1.4
–
–
Civil engineers
29.47
8.5
29.47
8.5
–
–
Computer hardware engineers
41.98
8.8
41.98
8.8
–
–
Electrical and electronics engineers
42.24
3.6
42.24
3.6
–
–
Electrical engineers
41.32
4.6
41.32
4.6
–
–
Electronics engineers, except computer
42.64
4.2
42.64
4.2
–
–
Industrial engineers, including health and safety
36.96
.9
36.96
.9
–
–
Industrial engineers
36.96
.9
36.96
.9
–
–
Drafters
30.55
9.8
30.65
9.9
–
–
Engineering technicians, except drafters
23.12
3.2
23.14
3.3
–
–
Electrical and electronic engineering technicians
22.38
4.5
22.38
4.5
–
–
Life, physical, and social science occupations
31.60
8.5
31.63
8.7
–
–
Biological scientists
40.62
12.7
40.62
12.7
–
–
Biochemists and biophysicists
40.62
12.7
40.62
12.7
–
–
Physical scientists
28.54
14.3
28.54
14.3
–
–
Market and survey researchers
45.91
20.1
46.26
20.5
–
–
Market research analysts
45.91
20.1
46.26
20.5
–
–
Psychologists
29.73
32.2
–
–
–
–
Community and social services occupations
23.71
10.0
23.89
10.3
21.89
16.3
Counselors
24.88
11.9
25.19
11.9
–
–
Educational, vocational, and school counselors
30.04
16.0
30.56
16.8
–
–
Social workers
25.26
12.4
25.11
13.3
–
–
Child, family, and school social workers
24.89
19.2
24.89
19.2
–
–
Miscellaneous community and social service specialists
15.77
16.0
–
–
–
–
Social and human service assistants
14.41
12.0
–
–
–
–
Legal occupations
49.45
15.0
51.29
16.7
–
–
Lawyers
70.31
15.0
70.31
15.0
–
–
Education, training, and library occupations
32.92
11.6
35.81
7.6
17.72
15.0
Postsecondary teachers
50.43
6.4
51.56
6.3
30.98
18.1
Physical sciences teachers, postsecondary
57.22
4.3
57.22
4.3
–
–
Social sciences teachers, postsecondary
42.92
5.0
–
–
–
–
Arts, communications, and humanities teachers, postsecondary
49.37
7.8
53.53
8.0
–
–
English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
49.85
20.2
–
–
–
–
Miscellaneous postsecondary teachers
45.18
9.1
46.93
9.4
26.95
11.9
Primary, secondary, and special education school teachers
30.84
16.6
34.51
10.1
–
–
Preschool and kindergarten teachers
–
–
16.02
12.2
–
–
Preschool teachers, except special education
–
–
14.94
10.4
–
–
Elementary and middle school teachers
42.18
1.5
42.89
1.5
24.64
25.8
Elementary school teachers, except special education
42.22
2.2
43.16
2.2
24.64
25.8
Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education
42.03
3.9
42.03
3.9
–
–
Secondary school teachers
38.56
1.1
40.77
1.6
–
–
Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education
38.56
1.1
40.77
1.6
–
–
Special education teachers
36.29
13.6
35.86
14.1
–
–
Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school
39.32
10.4
38.88
11.0
–
–
Other teachers and instructors
25.37
10.9
24.05
21.7
28.28
16.4
Librarians
28.06
18.1
27.93
18.4
–
–
Teacher assistants
14.62
9.7
14.82
10.8
13.57
8.0
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
28.44
5.1
28.98
5.1
15.23
19.6
Designers
27.20
13.8
–
–
–
–
Athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers
25.53
8.6
–
–
–
–
Coaches and scouts
24.89
14.3
–
–
–
–
Public relations specialists
30.92
12.8
30.92
12.8
–
–
Writers and editors
38.19
6.8
39.03
8.6
–
–
Editors
35.16
7.3
–
–
–
–
Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations
28.46
3.5
27.12
4.4
33.76
5.3
Pharmacists
48.92
3.3
–
–
–
–
Physicians and surgeons
38.77
16.0
35.23
15.5
–
–
Registered nurses
36.78
2.4
35.98
3.9
39.16
2.1
Therapists
29.00
20.1
32.27
7.8
24.74
34.5
Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
19.85
9.2
18.99
9.8
25.83
1.6
Medical and clinical laboratory technologists
21.57
20.4
–
–
–
–
Medical and clinical laboratory technicians
17.99
5.8
17.63
7.9
20.48
13.8
Diagnostic related technologists and technicians
29.85
11.7
–
–
–
–
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics
16.90
4.3
16.56
6.0
–
–
Health diagnosing and treating practitioner support technicians
18.73
6.8
18.03
10.0
–
–
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
23.35
1.8
24.09
.8
22.38
5.0
Healthcare support occupations
14.82
1.4
14.69
2.4
$15.14
4.1
Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides
13.24
1.6
13.26
2.4
13.17
3.1
Home health aides
12.31
2.9
–
–
–
–
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
13.37
3.2
13.58
2.7
12.55
1.7
Psychiatric aides
14.58
2.1
–
–
–
–
Miscellaneous healthcare support occupations
17.03
2.5
17.28
2.7
16.49
3.3
Medical equipment preparers
15.91
.6
–
–
–
–
Medical transcriptionists
16.45
13.7
–
–
–
–
Protective service occupations
20.98
10.0
21.46
11.0
14.96
26.7
Fire fighters
23.67
6.5
24.01
4.9
–
–
Police officers
25.94
4.3
25.18
1.1
–
–
Police and sheriff.s patrol officers
25.94
4.3
25.18
1.1
–
–
Security guards and gaming surveillance officers
15.76
8.7
17.25
9.7
11.91
10.2
Security guards
15.76
8.7
17.25
9.7
11.91
10.2
Food preparation and serving related occupations
9.33
2.4
11.60
6.2
7.33
6.0
First-line supervisors/managers, food preparation and serving workers
18.60
4.5
18.60
4.5
–
–
First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation serving workers
18.59
4.5
18.59
4.5
–
–
Cooks
12.78
3.9
13.11
2.5
10.80
13.0
Cooks, institution and cafeteria
12.13
6.4
12.16
6.8
–
–
Cooks, restaurant
12.78
1.9
–
–
–
–
Food preparation workers
12.03
12.3
–
–
10.46
6.0
Food service, tipped
5.38
17.3
6.29
34.3
4.95
9.4
Bartenders
6.94
6.2
–
–
6.92
5.3
Waiters and waitresses
3.82
30.0
–
–
3.10
12.3
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
7.99
7.6
–
–
7.50
3.6
Fast food and counter workers
8.72
3.7
10.16
6.2
8.09
2.3
Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food
8.53
4.1
–
–
7.98
3.0
Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop
8.82
4.4
–
–
8.17
3.2
Dishwashers
9.06
9.9
–
–
–
–
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations
13.87
2.5
14.48
3.3
11.79
5.3
First-line supervisors/managers, building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers
18.46
16.8
19.30
18.2
–
–
First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial work
17.73
20.3
–
–
–
–
Building cleaning workers
13.67
2.8
14.30
3.9
11.73
5.4
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
13.83
2.5
14.89
3.9
11.80
5.9
Maids and housekeeping cleaners
9.92
9.2
9.52
10.0
11.15
3.9
Grounds maintenance workers
13.74
11.8
13.59
12.1
–
–
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
12.44
9.4
12.25
9.3
–
–
Personal care and service occupations
13.15
7.3
15.40
9.2
10.62
4.4
Transportation attendants
32.66
6.4
–
–
–
–
Child care workers
10.18
7.0
–
–
9.09
7.2
Personal and home care aides
10.94
3.0
–
–
–
–
Recreation and fitness workers
13.47
2.5
–
–
13.36
2.3
Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors
13.20
.2
–
–
13.20
.2
Sales and related occupations
22.17
9.3
27.62
8.2
9.96
3.8
First-line supervisors/managers, sales workers
22.91
13.3
23.20
12.7
–
–
First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers
18.18
3.0
18.50
2.3
–
–
Retail sales workers
11.47
8.9
14.01
12.0
9.40
1.1
Cashiers, all workers
9.67
3.9
12.10
9.2
9.23
2.8
Cashiers
9.65
4.0
12.10
9.2
9.20
2.9
Counter and rental clerks and parts salespersons
10.14
7.5
–
–
–
–
Counter and rental clerks
9.50
5.7
–
–
–
–
Retail salespersons
13.34
15.1
15.65
13.4
9.89
4.3
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing
30.29
7.3
30.63
6.8
–
–
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
38.17
14.1
38.17
14.1
–
–
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
24.31
9.9
24.73
7.7
–
–
Miscellaneous sales and related workers
24.56
18.4
–
–
–
–
Office and administrative support occupations
18.79
2.6
19.34
2.6
$14.98
6.2
First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers
31.47
3.5
31.47
3.5
–
–
Switchboard operators, including answering service
13.91
19.6
–
–
–
–
Financial clerks
17.53
6.8
17.78
7.7
15.80
7.8
Billing and posting clerks and machine operators
15.15
7.5
15.24
7.6
–
–
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
19.14
11.1
19.62
12.5
14.84
7.0
Tellers
13.88
5.0
–
–
–
–
Brokerage clerks
18.87
7.0
18.87
7.0
–
–
Customer service representatives
19.64
8.8
20.22
8.9
12.43
7.6
Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
15.07
.4
–
–
–
–
Library assistants, clerical
15.72
15.7
–
–
–
–
Receptionists and information clerks
14.13
4.6
13.91
3.5
15.55
16.9
Dispatchers
19.53
11.1
20.26
12.0
–
–
Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
21.24
15.3
–
–
–
–
Production, planning, and expediting clerks
20.93
11.8
20.93
11.8
–
–
Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks
18.89
12.5
18.97
12.6
–
–
Stock clerks and order fillers
11.55
7.6
13.13
7.0
9.13
1.5
Secretaries and administrative assistants
20.98
2.1
21.12
2.4
19.32
9.2
Executive secretaries and administrative assistants
24.46
2.4
24.46
2.4
–
–
Medical secretaries
17.80
3.8
17.88
4.4
–
–
Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive
19.19
3.9
19.26
4.0
–
–
Data entry and information processing workers
14.60
6.6
14.58
7.3
14.80
8.6
Data entry keyers
14.01
5.2
14.07
5.6
–
–
Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
16.91
2.8
16.91
2.8
–
–
Office clerks, general
19.74
3.8
20.07
3.8
18.53
13.6
Construction and extraction occupations
26.86
2.5
26.93
2.7
–
–
First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers
31.13
10.8
31.13
10.8
–
–
Carpenters
29.39
10.1
29.39
10.1
–
–
Construction laborers
31.45
16.7
31.45
16.7
–
–
Electricians
24.67
4.5
24.67
4.5
–
–
Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
26.27
6.2
26.27
6.2
–
–
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
26.27
6.2
26.27
6.2
–
–
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
23.29
2.9
23.37
2.8
–
–
Radio and telecommunications equipment installers and repairers
27.79
6.6
27.79
6.6
–
–
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
27.79
6.6
27.79
6.6
–
–
Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers
19.95
6.4
19.96
6.4
–
–
Industrial machinery mechanics
21.85
.2
21.85
.2
–
–
Maintenance and repair workers, general
19.15
10.1
19.15
10.1
–
–
Line installers and repairers
25.92
5.5
25.92
5.5
–
–
Production occupations
16.10
5.5
16.28
5.4
11.45
6.9
First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers
27.46
13.0
27.46
13.0
–
–
Electrical, electronics, and electromechanical assemblers
15.46
5.9
15.62
6.4
–
–
Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers
16.44
3.4
16.79
3.3
–
–
Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
15.36
3.3
15.45
3.2
–
–
Machinists
23.30
.4
23.30
.4
–
–
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
15.77
10.9
15.77
10.9
–
–
Miscellaneous production workers
13.74
5.4
13.88
5.2
11.46
17.2
Transportation and material moving occupations
14.40
3.6
15.85
4.9
10.32
6.3
Bus drivers
16.41
8.6
–
–
14.40
2.4
Bus drivers, school
15.69
2.0
–
–
–
–
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
16.29
7.7
18.53
9.1
10.13
13.6
Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer
20.68
7.0
20.57
7.3
–
–
Truck drivers, light or delivery services
14.53
23.2
–
–
9.20
28.0
Industrial truck and tractor operators
17.23
8.8
17.48
8.0
–
–
Laborers and material movers, hand
11.64
5.9
12.77
8.2
9.37
1.3
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
12.32
11.8
13.04
15.2
10.40
6.5
Packers and packagers, hand
9.54
2.5
10.77
7.6
8.49
2.5
1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to
employees. They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments,
and hazard pay. Excluded are premium pay for overtime, vacations,
holidays, nonproduction bonuses, and tips. The mean is computed by
totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the number of
workers, weighted by hours.
2 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a
part-time schedule based on the definition used by each
establishment. Therefore, a worker with a 35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered a fill-time employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in another firm, where a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule.
3 Workers are classified by occupation using the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.
4 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error
expressed as a percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate
a "confidence interval" around a sample estimate.
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey.
NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did
not meet publication criteria. Overall occupational groups may include data for categories not shown separately.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
