Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2008

43-9011 Computer Operators

Monitor and control electronic computer and peripheral electronic data processing equipment to process business, scientific, engineering, and other data according to operating instructions. May enter commands at a computer terminal and set controls on computer and peripheral devices. Monitor and respond to operating and error messages. Exclude "Data Entry Keyers" (43-9021).

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation


National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
107,450 1.5 % $17.82 $37,070 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.70 $13.38 $17.11 $21.87 $26.18
Annual Wage (2) $22,260 $27,830 $35,600 $45,490 $54,450


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 8,830 $18.22 $37,900
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 7,130 $17.02 $35,410
Management of Companies and Enterprises 6,710 $18.16 $37,770
Depository Credit Intermediation 6,520 $15.90 $33,080
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 5,290 $17.73 $36,870

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Postal Service 1,600 $27.08 $56,330
Natural Gas Distribution 70 $25.41 $52,850
Federal Executive Branch (OES designation) (8) $23.17 $48,200
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 190 $22.98 $47,800
Furniture and Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers 110 $22.49 $46,780


State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest published employment concentrations and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all States with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
Nebraska 1,340 $14.70 $30,570 0.144%
New Jersey 5,540 $19.81 $41,210 0.139%
Maryland 3,390 $19.35 $40,250 0.132%
Delaware 540 $19.67 $40,920 0.127%
New York 9,570 $17.49 $36,390 0.111%

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
District of Columbia 640 $25.29 $52,600 0.101%
Connecticut 1,540 $20.54 $42,720 0.091%
Alaska 220 $20.48 $42,590 0.071%
Illinois 4,660 $20.21 $42,040 0.079%
New Jersey 5,540 $19.81 $41,210 0.139%


Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest published employment concentrations and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all Metropolitan areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Morgantown, WV 120 $12.22 $25,410 0.212%
Durham, NC 590 $18.00 $37,440 0.211%
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 940 $15.26 $31,740 0.205%
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 870 $16.81 $34,970 0.198%
Chattanooga, TN-GA 460 $15.11 $31,420 0.196%

Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Danbury, CT 40 $23.79 $49,480 0.056%
Peabody, MA NECTA Division 50 $22.47 $46,740 0.049%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (8) $22.08 $45,930 (8)
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 500 $21.92 $45,590 0.115%
Fairbanks, AK 40 $21.77 $45,270 0.110%


About May 2008 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files (XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) 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.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2008 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2008 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2008 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2008 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2008 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: May 04, 2009