Occupational Pay in the United States, November 1995 __________________________________________________ U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics May 1997 Summary 97-6 The Occupational Compensation Survey: National Summary, 1995 presents estimates of national and regional pay. This release highlights the disparity of occupational pay between private industry and State and local governments and among geographic regions. Average pay for public-sector janitors, general maintenance workers, and most guards was over 16 percent per hour above private levels in 1995. Regional pay differentials for these occupations were large, with the Northeast paying hourly rates of up to 54 percent more than the South (See charts 1 and 2- NOT AVAILABLE IN TEXT FILE). These findings are based on national estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Compensation Survey, which covered about 64.1 million workers in the continental United States. For white-collar jobs, the 1995 national estimates show that private-industry employers usually paid professional and administrative occupations higher salaries than State and local governments. Higher pay, however, for many technical and clerical positions existed in the public sector. Among white-collar occupations, pay differences among regions are frequently greater than the pay disparity between public and private sectors. Some professional and clerical occupations, such as Engineers IV, Systems analysts II, and Secretaries III, however, maintain very uniform levels of pay regardless of region or sector of the economy (see charts 3 and 4-NOT AVAILABLE IN TEXT FILE). Average hourly pay for blue-collar occupations was higher overall in the Northeast, than in the rest of the U.S. The South (with the exceptions of Maintenance Electronics Technician II and Guards II) was consistently below the national averages for all other blue-collar occupations. The following tables provide national estimates (by industry and geographic region) of straight- time weekly or hourly pay for selected white- and blue-collar occupations common to a variety of employers. Table 1. Average weekly pay,(1) white-collar occupations, United States, November 1995 Industry Region(2) Occupation and level State All Private and local Northeast South Midwest West govern- ment Professional occupations Accountants I.................................. $511 $508 $523 $524 $486 $502 $566 II................................. 617 617 614 625 593 612 650 III................................ 797 803 766 795 778 780 837 IV................................. 1,025 1,037 962 1,039 1,019 1,005 1,039 V.................................. 1,352 1,372 1,167 1,380 1,361 1,334 1,330 VI................................. 1,694 1,722 - 1,646 1,729 1,752 1,607 Accountants, public I.................................. 583 583 - 602 569 - - II................................. 626 626 - 654 620 613 - III................................ 728 728 - 752 719 703 - IV................................. 967 967 - 977 961 - - Attorneys I.................................. 695 826 674 710 639 698 766 II................................. 945 1,080 871 957 871 938 1,061 III................................ 1,249 1,393 1,124 1,282 1,171 1,234 1,333 IV................................. 1,632 1,755 1,451 1,697 1,669 1,593 1,583 V.................................. 1,966 2,148 1,635 2,111 2,007 2,085 1,833 VI................................. 2,411 2,687 - - - - 2,126 Engineers I.................................. 664 666 650 659 638 681 694 II................................. 790 793 775 775 779 794 813 III................................ 943 943 946 940 925 934 981 IV................................. 1,149 1,155 1,095 1,134 1,148 1,140 1,169 V.................................. 1,389 1,397 1,264 1,352 1,389 1,387 1,420 VI................................. 1,634 1,650 1,349 1,600 1,668 1,574 1,657 VII................................ 1,935 1,943 - 1,908 1,856 1,917 2,006 VIII............................... 2,323 2,326 - 2,190 - - 2,300 Administrative occupations Budget analysts I.................................. 583 524 - - 514 - - II................................. 659 646 672 669 616 701 677 III................................ 846 824 861 842 788 874 888 IV................................. 951 929 998 970 933 976 956 Buyers/contracting specialists I.................................. 516 520 493 532 493 519 544 II................................. 651 653 637 674 629 641 673 III................................ 875 881 810 874 848 896 884 IV................................. $1,068 $1,072 $1,013 $1,064 $1,055 $1,096 $1,064 Computer programmers I.................................. 534 538 504 540 549 520 517 II................................. 629 634 599 647 617 628 643 III................................ 774 779 750 806 758 760 793 IV................................. 925 925 923 917 917 910 988 V.................................. 1,070 1,068 - - 1,062 - - Computer systems analysts I.................................. $768 $772 $748 $756 $730 $785 $796 II................................. 926 929 914 929 897 931 953 III................................ 1,092 1,100 1,017 1,086 1,063 1,103 1,128 IV................................. 1,296 1,301 - 1,297 1,279 1,303 1,331 V.................................. 1,504 1,504 - - - - - Computer systems analyst supervisors/managers I.................................. 1,177 1,190 1,128 1,203 1,143 1,179 1,187 II................................. 1,385 1,397 1,273 1,409 - 1,377 1,397 III................................ 1,641 1,644 - 1,590 1,652 1,699 1,672 Personnel specialists I.................................. 508 504 523 523 491 503 586 II................................. 602 599 622 616 585 603 623 III................................ 791 786 811 797 763 779 834 IV................................. 1,027 1,033 990 1,048 1,000 1,019 1,054 V.................................. 1,341 1,357 1,170 1,348 1,284 1,356 1,378 VI................................. 1,775 1,777 - - - 1,815 - Personnel supervisors/managers I.................................. 1,144 1,164 1,045 1,160 1,115 1,183 1,145 II................................. 1,436 1,466 1,225 1,456 1,413 1,454 1,441 III................................ 1,732 1,783 1,319 1,835 1,691 1,751 1,704 IV................................. 2,212 2,212 - - - - - Tax collectors I.................................. 520 - 520 - - - - II................................. 577 - 577 - 501 - - III................................ 767 - 767 - - - - Technical occupations Computer operators I.................................. 352 347 376 357 338 365 359 II................................. 440 437 454 463 421 433 466 III................................ 566 565 568 587 541 557 585 IV................................. 679 679 676 711 639 680 680 V.................................. 804 787 - - - - - Drafters I.................................. 399 401 375 393 402 395 415 II................................. 494 490 528 546 471 482 531 III................................ 622 617 683 617 611 606 679 IV................................. 802 799 874 809 802 802 794 Engineering technicians I.................................. $385 $393 - - $338 $398 $436 II................................. 511 512 - $517 496 513 525 III................................ 637 637 $664 656 621 639 633 IV................................. 767 766 831 746 764 780 772 V.................................. 888 884 - 856 899 869 926 VI................................. 1,058 1,058 - - - - 1,064 Engineering technicians, civil I.................................. $355 - $378 - $328 $379 $449 II................................. 482 $444 492 $500 424 494 563 III................................ 582 586 581 569 514 610 676 IV................................. 719 745 712 716 624 727 819 V.................................. 854 927 826 949 693 853 942 VI................................. 1,047 - - - - - - Protective service occupations Corrections officers.................... 517 - 535 669 391 520 690 Firefighters............................ 677 - 678 753 547 669 836 Police officers I.................................. 688 561 688 775 556 668 814 II................................. 916 - 916 - - - - Clerical occupations Clerks, accounting I.................................. 313 312 318 309 318 310 312 II................................. 372 366 399 395 354 357 400 III................................ 457 451 474 475 430 443 484 IV................................. 538 542 532 560 513 532 549 Clerks, general I.................................. 284 268 307 314 261 307 282 II................................. 336 320 359 355 311 333 364 III................................ 422 417 425 431 379 416 451 IV................................. 485 502 475 484 413 486 521 Clerks, order I.................................. 334 334 - 395 328 302 330 II................................. 465 465 - 472 430 459 495 Key entry operators I.................................. 349 328 - 363 310 322 410 II................................. 409 405 423 435 381 409 422 Personnel assistants I.................................. 327 313 380 - 300 333 416 II................................. 403 391 456 426 378 392 455 III................................ 502 483 551 517 456 484 565 IV................................. 589 565 626 551 555 587 614 Secretaries I.................................. $379 $391 $365 $405 $368 $394 $380 II................................. 470 480 454 489 436 465 523 III................................ 547 552 530 570 511 546 574 IV................................. 651 661 617 673 606 633 671 V.................................. 793 799 736 805 740 809 800 Switchboard operator-receptionists...... $348 $348 $357 $381 $326 $336 $363 Word processors I.................................. 385 381 390 405 347 380 420 II................................. 489 485 492 512 424 496 505 III................................ 597 630 517 584 543 622 634 1 Excludes premium pay for overtime and for work on weekends, holidays, and late shifts. Also excluded are performance bonuses and lump-sum payments of the type negotiated in the auto and aerospace industries, as well as profit-sharing payments, attendance bonuses, Christmas or yearend bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. Pay increases, but not bonuses, under cost-of-living clauses, and incentive payments, however, are included. 2 The regions are defined as follows: Northeast±Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South±Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia; Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest±Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; and West±Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Table 2. Average hourly pay,(1) blue-collar occupations, United States, November 1995 Industry Region(2) Occupation and level State All Private and local Northeast South Midwest West govern- ment General maintenance workers............. $10.31 $9.89 $11.49 $12.43 $8.82 $10.16 $10.59 Maintenance electricians................ 18.41 18.44 18.20 18.58 16.26 19.46 19.16 Maintenance electronics technicians I.................................. 11.82 11.80 11.95 12.04 11.19 12.49 12.68 II................................. 17.84 17.92 16.77 18.31 17.88 17.20 18.25 III................................ 20.30 20.34 20.03 21.56 19.29 19.44 21.00 Maintenance machinists.................. 16.82 16.64 20.80 16.96 15.26 17.97 18.18 Maintenance mechanics, machinery........ 16.43 16.44 16.07 16.27 14.65 17.74 17.88 Maintenance mechanics, motor vehicle................................ 15.69 15.86 15.37 16.26 13.92 15.99 17.50 Maintenance pipefitters................. 20.01 20.08 19.01 19.61 19.01 20.74 19.21 Tool and die makers..................... 18.75 18.74 - 18.77 17.08 19.53 18.66 Forklift operators...................... 11.28 11.28 - 12.29 10.20 11.89 10.96 Guards I.................................. 7.01 6.89 9.89 7.67 6.69 6.89 6.89 II................................. 11.86 11.74 12.49 13.35 11.41 11.34 12.17 Janitors................................ 7.83 7.18 9.50 9.69 6.31 8.10 7.91 Material handling laborers.............. 8.84 8.85 8.62 10.05 7.57 10.71 7.58 Order fillers........................... 9.79 9.79 - 10.82 9.33 9.46 9.54 Shipping/receiving clerks............... 10.24 10.24 10.61 10.62 9.51 10.73 10.55 Truckdrivers Light truck........................ 8.56 8.47 9.81 11.25 7.90 8.67 8.03 Medium truck....................... 14.64 14.76 11.92 15.60 13.06 15.53 14.56 Heavy truck........................ 13.17 13.08 13.50 14.93 10.49 13.22 14.39 Tractor trailer.................... 14.07 14.05 16.92 15.68 11.95 14.92 15.09 Warehouse specialists................... 11.51 11.48 12.67 12.47 10.02 12.62 12.07 1 Excludes premium pay for overtime and for work on weekends, holidays, and late shifts. Also excluded are performance bonuses and lump-sum payments of the type negotiated in the auto and aerospace industries, as well as profit-sharing payments, attendance bonuses, Christmas or yearend bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. Pay increases, but not bonuses, under cost-of-living clauses, and incentive payments, however, are included. 3 2 The regions are defined as follows: Northeast±Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South±Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia; Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest±Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; and West±Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Additional occupational pay data will be available in Occupational Compensation Survey: National Summary, 1995. This publication, to be published this spring, will present national and regional pay data with additional industry detail along with occupational averages in 131 localities. Technical Note The data in this report are based on surveys conducted by the Bureau's program of Occupational Compensation Survey's (OCS). OCS locality surveys cover establishments employing 50 workers or more in all industries, as classified by The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Manual excluding agriculture, the Federal government, private households, and the self-employed. Chart 5 shows the distribution by industry and region of the estimated 64.1 million workers in the continental United States within the scope of the survey. The Bureau conducts these surveys throughout the year. Individual survey area bulletins and summaries provide detailed survey information for most of the areas studied, including industrial coverage and sample size. Another use of Bureau locality pay data is for the estimation of national and regional pay levels. A sample consisting of 90 metropolitan areas and 70 nonmetropolitan counties represents the Nation's 326 metropolitan statistical areas (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget) and the remaining portions of the 48 contiguous States. The national and regional estimates in this summary are based on occupational compensation surveys conducted in 1994-1996 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The combined average payroll reference month for all surveys (including those updated) which contributed to the 1995 national estimates is November. Additional information about the area sample and method of estimation is available in either the 1993, 1994 or 1995 Occupational Compensation Survey: National Summary. The average pay data presented in this report reflect nationwide and regional estimates. Industries and establishments differ in pay levels and job staffing, and thus contribute differently to the estimates for each job. Therefore, average pay does not necessarily reflect the pay differential among jobs within individual establishments. Chart 6 shows the relative importance of selected OCS occupations. In addition to providing occupational level descriptions, the Occupational Compensation Survey: National Summary presents employment estimates by industry for the surveyed occupations. Field economists from the Bureau's eight regional offices, under the direction of the Assistant Regional Commissioners for Operations, collected the survey data which provides the basis for these pay comparisons. Without the cooperation of the many private firms and government jurisdictions that provided pay data, this report would not have been possible. The Bureau thanks all survey respondents for their cooperation. For further information on this program, please call (202) 606-6220. Material in this summary is in the public domain and, with appropriate credit, may be reproduced without permission. This information will be made available to sensory- impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 606-7828; TDD phone: (202) 606-5897; TDD message referral phone: (800) 326-2577. 2 2 2 A-2