Internet: www.bls.gov/ro3/ PLS - 4344
FOR RELEASE:
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2007
INFORMATION: Gerald Perrins
(215) 597-3282
MEDIA CONTACT: Sheila Watkins
(215) 861-5600

Highlights of Reading, Pa.
National Compensation Survey January 2007 (PDF)

Workers in the Reading metropolitan area averaged $18.05 per hour during January 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 Sheila Watkins reported average hourly earnings of $30.44 for management, professional, and related workers and $18.27 for natural resources, construction, and maintenance workers.  Sales and office workers earned $14.54 an hour; production, transportation, and material moving workers $14.49; and service workers, $11.17.  [See table 1.  Note:  Occupational aggregations are now based on the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.]

In the Reading metropolitan area, sales and office workers made up the largest occupational group, accounting for 27 percent of the workforce, followed by management, professional, and related workers (24 percent).  Service workers and production, transportation, and material moving workers each made up 20 percent of the workforce.  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance represented the smallest group in the survey at 9 percent. 

The NCS provides straight-time earnings for occupations in establishments with one or more workers in private industry and State and local governments.  This NCS survey covered 235 establishments representing 168,500 workers in the Reading, Pa. Metropolitan Statistical Area which consists of Berks County in Pennsylvania.  Agricultural establishments, private households, the self-employed, and the Federal Government were excluded from the survey.

In the Reading area, average hourly wages were published for full-time workers in a number of detailed occupations.  Within the sales and office occupations, secretaries and administrative assistants averaged $16.53, while retail sales workers earned $14.77 per hour.  In the management, professional, and related occupations, industrial production managers averaged $37.72, and registered nurses averaged $30.68.  Building cleaning workers, part of the service occupational group, earned $12.49.  (See table 2.)

The NCS also provides broad coverage of selected occupational characteristics.  Establishments in the Reading area with 1-99 workers averaged $16.61 and those in establishments with 100-499 workers earned $18.48; workers in establishments with 500 or more employees earned $20.70.  Full-time workers averaged $19.29 per hour, while their part-time counterparts earned $9.62.  (See tables 1 and 2.)  

The NCS is a comprehensive survey that measures occupational earnings, occupational levels based on duties and responsibilities, compensation cost trends, and benefit incidences.  The Employment Cost Index (ECI) component measures changes in labor costs.  Average employer costs for employee compensation are available from the Employer Cost for Employee Compensation (ECEC) series.  Details on benefits incidences and provisions are available from the Employee Benefits Survey (EBS).  The occupational wage data 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.  Details on the NCS are available at www.bls.gov/ncs/.

Survey Availability

Complete survey results are contained in the Reading, PA National Compensation Survey 2007 (Bulletin 3140-11).  While supplies last, single copies of the bulletin are available from the Mid-Atlantic Information Office by calling 215-597-3282.  In addition, data contained in the bulletin are available on the Internet in both text and PDF formats at www.bls.gov/ncs/.

For personal assistance or further information on the National Compensation Survey, as well as other Bureau programs, contact the Mid-Atlantic Information Office at 215-597-3282 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET.
Table 1. Summary: Mean hourly earnings(1) and weekly hours for selected worker and establishment characteristics, Reading, PA, January 2007
Worker and establishment characteristics Civilian workers Private industry workers State and local government workers
Hourly earnings Mean weekly hours(3) Hourly earnings Mean weekly hours (3) Hourly earnings Mean weekly hours (3)
Mean Relative error(2) (percent) Mean Relative error(2) (percent) Mean Relative error (2) (percent)

All workers

 $18.05 3.2 35.4 $17.25 3.7 35.6 $24.93 1.3 33.5
Worker characteristics(4)(5)

Management, professional, and related

 30.44 3.8 36.3 29.75 4.8 36.8 32.64 2.4 34.7

Management, business, and financial

 33.98 6.7 39.6 34.16 7.2 40.5 31.90 16.5 31.4

Professional and related

 28.30 5.3 34.5 26.03 8.8 34.1 32.74 1.3 35.2

Service

 11.17 6.8 30.6 10.32 7.2 29.8 15.15 12.1 35.0

Sales and office

 14.54 3.7 33.8 14.45 3.9 34.2 16.74 2.5 26.7

Sales and related

 13.98 12.4 31.5 13.98 12.4 31.5 – – –

Office and administrative support

 14.85 2.4 35.3 14.73 2.5 36.0 16.74 2.5 26.7

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

 18.27 8.1 38.9 18.31 8.6 39.6 17.57 5.4 30.6

Construction and extraction

 17.50 2.7 36.6 17.38 2.8 38.3 – – –

Installation, maintenance, and repair

 19.10 12.3 40.3 19.26 12.8 40.4 – – –

Production, transportation, and material moving

 14.49 3.4 39.7 14.49 3.5 39.8 – – –

Production

 15.39 1.4 38.2 15.39 1.4 38.2 – – –

Transportation and material moving

 13.48 6.0 41.5 13.48 6.1 41.7 – – –

Full time

 19.29 3.2 39.8 18.46 3.7 40.2 25.93 1.7 37.1

Part time

 9.62 13.3 20.1 9.51 14.4 20.6 11.58 16.4 14.6

Union

 21.87 3.1 37.4 16.00 4.3 39.1 25.80 1.4 36.4

Nonunion

 17.39 3.9 35.1 17.34 4.0 35.4 20.04 5.6 23.1

Time

 17.78 3.1 34.8 16.87 3.7 35.0 24.93 1.3 34.0

Incentive

 21.10 16.5 43.1 21.10 16.6 44.2 – – –
Establishment characteristics

Goods producing

 (6) (6) (6) 18.20 2.5 39.5 (6) (6) (6)

Service providing

 (6) (6) (6) - - - (6) (6) (6)

1-99 workers

 16.61 5.9 34.4 16.61 5.9 34.8 – – –

100-499 workers

 18.48 4.8 35.5 17.44 5.7 35.6 25.72 4.0 35.2

500 workers or more

 20.70 3.7 37.7 18.98 4.3 38.7 24.63 1.2 35.7

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 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.
3 Mean weekly hours are the hours an employee is scheduled to work in a week, exclusive of overtime.
4 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time schedule based on the definition used by each establishment. Union workers are those whose wages are determined through collective bargaining. Wages of time workers are based solely on hourly rate or salary; incentive workers are those whose wages are at least partially based on productivity payments such as piece rates, commissions, and production bonuses.
5 Workers are classified by occupation using the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.
6 Classification of establishments into goods-producing and service-providing industries applies to private industry only. Industries are determined by the2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet publication criteria.
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey.

Table 2. Full-time(1) civilian workers: Mean and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours, Reading, PA, January 2007
Occupation(2) Hourly earnings(3) Weekly earnings(4) Annual earnings (5)
Mean Median Mean Median Mean weekly hours Mean Median Mean annual hours

All workers

 $19.29 $16.11 $769 $646 39.8 $39,016 $33,622 2,023

Management occupations

 40.62 33.97 1,648 1,359 40.6 85,681 70,649 2,109

Industrial production managers

 37.72 34.44 1,509 1,378 40.0 78,465 71,639 2,080

Education administrators

 40.24 36.05 1,580 1,442 39.3 82,184 74,986 2,043

Business and financial operations occupations

 28.82 27.40 1,162 1,067 40.3 60,447 55,494 2,098

Computer and mathematical science occupations

 26.95 23.63 1,069 945 39.6 55,578 49,148 2,062

Computer systems analysts

 29.55 29.73 1,159 1,152 39.2 60,310 59,904 2,041

Industrial engineers, including health and safety

 34.59 36.93 1,383 1,477 40.0 71,942 76,812 2,080

Industrial engineers

 34.59 36.93 1,383 1,477 40.0 71,942 76,812 2,080

Community and social services occupations

 21.53 17.74 848 710 39.4 43,418 36,901 2,017

Education, training, and library occupations

 33.27 33.01 1,208 1,181 36.3 46,237 45,143 1,390

Postsecondary teachers

 41.26 36.27 1,580 1,365 38.3 62,223 55,867 1,508

Primary, secondary, and special education school teachers

 35.16 34.63 1,256 1,238 35.7 47,242 46,043 1,344

Elementary and middle school teachers

 35.81 35.22 1,255 1,207 35.1 47,199 45,619 1,318

Elementary school teachers, except special education

 37.56 35.95 1,317 1,261 35.1 49,276 46,948 1,312

Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations

 24.16 21.63 932 840 38.6 47,710 42,973 1,975

Registered nurses

 30.68 27.90 1,166 1,116 38.0 55,872 57,658 1,821

Healthcare support occupations

 12.37 11.67 474 459 38.3 24,657 23,885 1,993

Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides

 11.78 11.48 464 459 39.4 24,119 23,885 2,047

Protective service occupations

 19.91 20.15 788 788 39.6 40,978 41,001 2,058

Food preparation and serving related occupations

 9.39 9.50 362 380 38.6 18,845 19,760 2,007

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

 13.80 12.25 555 484 40.2 27,823 23,920 2,016

Building cleaning workers

 12.49 11.50 498 460 39.9 25,891 23,920 2,073

Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners

 12.70 11.50 506 460 39.9 26,328 23,920 2,072

Sales and related occupations

 17.57 13.41 689 536 39.2 35,845 27,891 2,040

Retail sales workers

 14.77 9.65 570 361 38.6 29,620 18,772 2,005

Retail salespersons

 17.65 13.41 715 536 40.5 37,188 27,891 2,107

Office and administrative support occupations

 15.19 14.25 600 556 39.5 31,035 28,912 2,044

Financial clerks

 16.22 15.36 647 590 39.9 33,653 30,664 2,075

Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks

 16.58 16.98 661 637 39.8 34,351 33,117 2,071

Customer service representatives

 15.39 14.25 613 567 39.8 31,852 29,483 2,069

Order clerks

 16.09 13.00 668 520 41.5 34,727 27,040 2,158

Production, planning, and expediting clerks

 16.27 16.80 669 672 41.1 34,782 34,944 2,138

Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks

 $13.40 $12.00 $536 $480 40.0 $27,869 $24,960 2,080

Secretaries and administrative assistants

 16.53 15.50 632 620 38.2 32,858 32,240 1,988

Executive secretaries and administrative assistants

 17.64 17.20 685 677 38.9 35,634 35,219 2,020

Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive

 16.04 15.50 607 570 37.9 31,576 29,640 1,969

Office clerks, general

 14.06 14.00 522 528 37.1 27,141 27,437 1,931

Construction and extraction occupations

 17.51 16.38 690 650 39.4 35,898 33,800 2,050

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

 19.10 16.50 770 660 40.3 40,057 34,320 2,097

Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers

 20.05 18.31 802 732 40.0 41,708 38,081 2,080

Production occupations

 15.79 15.72 631 628 40.0 32,838 32,656 2,079

First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers

 23.52 24.00 990 1,080 42.1 51,487 56,167 2,189

Electrical, electronics, and electromechanical assemblers

 14.58 14.41 583 576 40.0 30,331 29,973 2,080

Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers

 14.58 14.41 583 576 40.0 30,331 29,973 2,080

Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators

 13.53 14.00 541 560 40.0 28,139 29,120 2,080

Molders and molding machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

 17.81 15.85 713 634 40.0 37,055 32,968 2,080

Miscellaneous metalworkers and plastic workers

 18.27 19.08 731 763 40.0 38,004 39,682 2,080

Printers

 17.46 17.00 698 680 40.0 36,317 35,360 2,080

Printing machine operators

 $17.54 $17.59 $702 $704 40.0 $36,491 $36,587 2,080

Cutting workers

 13.14 13.25 526 530 40.0 27,337 27,560 2,080

Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders

 13.14 13.25 526 530 40.0 27,337 27,560 2,080

Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders

 14.72 15.25 589 610 40.0 30,627 31,720 2,080

Miscellaneous production workers

 13.53 15.09 541 604 40.0 28,137 31,387 2,080

Helpers--production workers

 13.51 13.42 540 537 40.0 28,104 27,914 2,080

Transportation and material moving occupations

 13.59 14.25 582 570 42.8 30,087 29,640 2,213

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

 14.93 15.66 657 682 44.0 34,149 35,464 2,288

Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer

 16.27 16.00 744 749 45.7 38,688 38,958 2,377

Industrial truck and tractor operators

 14.14 13.45 566 538 40.0 29,409 27,976 2,080

Laborers and material movers, hand

 13.77 14.25 554 570 40.3 28,832 29,640 2,093

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

 15.59 16.25 624 650 40.0 32,424 33,800 2,080

1 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 full-time employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in an other firm, where a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule.
2 Workers are classified by occupation using the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.
3 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.
4 Mean weekly earnings are the straight-time weekly wages or salaries paid to employees. Median weekly earnings designates position-one-half of the hours are paid the same as or more than the rate shown. Mean weekly hours are the hours an employee is scheduled to work in a week, exclusive of overtime.
5 Mean annual earnings are the straight-time annual wages or salaries paid to employees. Median
annual earnings designates position-one-half of the hours are paid the same as or more than the rate shown. Mean annual hours are the hours an employee is scheduled to work in a year, exclusive of overtime.
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
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey.

 

Last Modified Date: July 7, 2008