Table 2. Mean hourly earnings(1) by blue-collar occupational group and collective bargaining status, 1997
Occupation All
industries		 Private
industry		 State
and
local
government
Union Non-
union		 Diff-
eren-
tial(2)		 Union Non-
union		 Diff-
eren-
tial(2)		 Union Non-
union		 Diff-
eren-
tial(2)

All blue-collar occupations

 $15.07 $10.95 $4.12 $15.00 $10.89 $4.11 $15.63 $11.83 $3.80

  Precision production,
  craft, and repair
  occupations

 18.01 14.53 3.48 18.10 14.59 3.51 17.49 13.90 3.59

    Industrial machinery
    repairers

 17.75 15.00 2.75 17.73 15.01 2.72 18.87 14.19 4.68

    Mechanics and
    repairers, n.e.c. (3)

 17.49 13.87 3.62 18.18 14.32 3.86 15.68 11.87 3.81

    Electricians

 20.55 14.85 5.70 21.05 15.11 5.94 18.07 13.51 4.56

    Supervisors, production

 17.17 18.52 -1.35 17.64 18.52 -0.88 15.07 18.19 -3.02

  Machine operators,
  assemblers, and
  inspectors

 13.83 9.75 4.08 13.82 9.75 4.07 14.42 9.81 4.61

    Fabricating machine
    operators, n.e.c.(3)

 15.14 10.64 4.50 15.14 10.64 4.50 -- -- --

    Textile sewing machine
    operators

 8.30 7.04 1.26 8.29 7.04 1.25 -- -- --

    Miscellaneous machine
    operators, n.e.c.(3)

 14.40 10.08 4.32 14.37 10.08 4.29 -- -- --

    Assemblers

 14.46 9.26 5.20 14.46 9.26 5.20 -- -- --

    Production inspectors,
    checkers, and
    examiners

 14.16 9.72 4.44 14.16 9.72 4.44 -- -- --

  Transportation and
  material moving
  occupations

 15.62 11.65 3.97 15.81 11.81 4.00 14.94 10.57 4.37

    Truck drivers

 16.47 12.60 3.87 16.70 12.71 3.99 14.58 10.07 4.51

    Driver-sales workers

 15.29 11.19 4.10 15.29 11.19 4.10 -- -- --

    Bus drivers

 13.68 9.80 3.88 11.93 9.27 2.66 14.61 10.26 4.35

    Industrial truck and
    tractor equipment
    operators

 13.25 10.48 2.77 13.27 10.47 2.80 11.61 11.11 0.50

    Miscellaneous material
    moving equipment
    operators, n.e.c.(3)

 15.98 11.19 4.79 16.09 11.22 4.87 15.32 11.08 4.24

  Handlers, equipment
  cleaners, helpers,
  and laborers

 11.76 8.33 3.43 11.56 8.25 3.31 13.16 9.73 3.43

    Groundskeepers and
    gardeners, except farm

 12.58 8.40 4.18 11.72 8.09 3.63 12.75 9.09 3.66

    Stock handlers and
    baggers

 9.85 7.57 2.28 9.82 7.56 2.26 12.08 9.30 2.78

    Freight, stock, and
    material handlers,
    n.e.c.(3)

 13.22 9.19 4.03 13.22 9.19 4.03 -- 8.83 --

    Hand packers and
    packagers

 9.77 7.64 2.13 9.77 7.64 2.13 -- -- --

    Laborers, except
    construction, n.e.c.(3)

 11.33 7.96 3.37 11.07 7.92 3.15 12.65 8.44 4.21

Footnotes:
(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) Differentials are obtained by subtracting nonunion earnings from union earnings.
(3) n.e.c. = not elsewhere classified.

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.