What is the difference between “Occupational Employment and Wage estimates” and “Industry Staffing Pattern estimates”?

The Occupational Employment Statistics program produces “Occupational Employment and Wage estimates” and “Industry Staffing Pattern estimates,” both of which consist of employment and wage estimates by occupation. The “Occupational Employment and Wage estimates” consist of national, State, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area estimates. The “Industry Staffing Pattern estimates” contain only national estimates.

The main difference is that the “Occupational Employment and Wage estimates” are cross-industry estimates, and the “Industry Staffing Pattern estimates” are industry-specific estimates.

• Cross-industry estimates are calculated with data collected from establishments in all the industries in which a particular occupation is reported. (Not every occupation is reported in every industry.) For example, the cross-industry occupational employment estimate for mechanical engineers is the sum of all the industry-specific estimates for mechanical engineers. Likewise, cross-industry occupational wage estimates for mechanical engineers are calculated from data collected from establishments in all the industries where mechanical engineers are reported.
• Industry-specific estimates are calculated with data collected from establishments in a particular industry. Industry-specific occupational employment estimates estimate the number of people employed in that occupation in a particular industry. Similarly, the industry-specific occupational wage estimates are calculated with data from establishments in one particular industry. Since different industries employ people in different occupations, the occupations in the staffing pattern for one industry will not be the same as the occupations in the staffing pattern for another industry.

Prior to 1997, national industry-specific estimates of occupational employment were the only OES estimates produced by the BLS; wage estimates were not produced.

Why does the OES program produce estimates from more than one year's data?

Significant reductions in sampling error can be achieved by taking advantage of a full three years of data, covering 1.2 million establishments and about 61 percent of the employment in the United States. This feature is particularly important in improving the reliability of estimates for detailed occupations in small geographical areas. Combining multiple years of data is also necessary to obtain full coverage of the largest establishments. In order to reduce respondent burden, the OES survey samples these establishments with virtual certainty only once every three years. While there are significant advantages, there are also limitations associated with this estimation procedure in that it requires “updating” for the earlier years of data and limits the usefulness of OES data for time series analysis. (See “Can OES data be used to compare changes in employment and wages over time?” for more information.)

The May 2008 employment and wage estimates were calculated using data collected in the May 2008, November 2007, May 2007, November 2006, May 2006, and November 2005 semi-annual panels. The November 2007, May 2007, November 2006, May 2006, and November 2005 wage data have been adjusted to the May 2008 reference period using the over-the-year wage change in the most applicable Employment Cost Index series.

Does the OES survey produce estimates by age, race, sex, or educational attainment?

No. The OES survey program does not gather demographic information. However, the BLS Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey program provides information on employment, unemployment, and weekly earnings, by a variety of demographic characteristics.

Does the OES survey produce estimates by size of establishment?

No. The OES survey does not produce estimates based on total establishment employment. Information pertaining to the number of establishments in various employment size classes and their aggregate employment (economy wide and by industry) can be obtained by contacting the staff at the Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages program.

Does the OES program have any data on unemployment for specific occupations?

No. The OES survey produces estimates of the numbers of employees and their wages collected from the establishments where they work. However, there is some information on selected unemployment indicators (including broad occupational groups) in “The Employment Situation” news release, which is part of Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey. More detailed information on characteristics of the unemployed can be obtained by contacting the Current Population Survey staff.

Does the OES program have any information on job vacancies?

No. The OES survey does not ask establishments for vacancy information. Another BLS program, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), asks establishments for the number of job openings on the last business day of each month. However, the data are not available by occupation. Job seekers can find links to State job banks and to private-sector job banks at www.jobbankinfo.org.

Does the BLS have occupational employment projections or information on occupational outlook?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Office of Employment Projections provides 10-year employment projections by occupation. For more than 50 years, the Bureau's Occupational Outlook Handbook has been a nationally recognized source of career information. It describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects for a variety of occupations.

How are “employees” defined by the OES survey?

“Employees” are all part-time and full-time workers who are paid a wage or salary. The survey does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers, or unpaid family workers.

Does the BLS have occupational employment estimates that include the self-employed?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Office of Employment Projections provides current and projected national economy-wide occupational employment estimates that include the self-employed.

How are “wages” defined by the OES survey?

Wages for the OES survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay.

Included in the collection of wage data are:

• base rate,
• cost-of-living allowances,
• guaranteed pay,
• hazardous-duty pay,
• incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses,
• on-call pay, and
• tips.

Excluded from the wage data are:

• back pay,
• jury duty pay,
• overtime pay,
• severance pay,
• shift differentials,
• nonproduction bonuses, and
• tuition reimbursements.

How long has the OES survey produced wage data?

The OES survey produced both occupational employment and occupational wage data nationwide for the first time in 1997. Prior to 1997, occupational employment estimates by industry were the only OES estimates produced by the BLS.

What are mean wages? What are median wages?

The OES program produces estimates of wages by occupation, i.e., the wages paid to wage or salary employees in a given occupation in the U.S., in a particular State, or in a particular industry. These occupational wage estimates are either estimates of mean wages or percentiles, such as the median wage.

• A mean wage is an average wage. An occupational mean wage estimate is calculated by summing the wages of all the employees in a given occupation and then dividing the total wages by the number of employees.
• A percentile wage is a boundary. For example, an occupational median wage (50th percentile) estimate is the boundary between the highest paid 50 percent and the lowest paid 50 percent of workers in that occupation. Half of the workers in a given occupation earn more than the median wage, and half the workers earn less than the median wage. For more information, see the page on percentiles.

How is the OES survey conducted?

The OES survey is a semiannual mail survey of nonfarm establishments. The BLS produces the survey materials and selects the establishments to be surveyed. The sampling frame (the list from which establishments to be surveyed are selected) is derived from the list of establishments maintained by State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) for unemployment insurance purposes. Establishments to be surveyed are selected in order to obtain data from every metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area in every State, across all surveyed industries, and from establishments of varying sizes. The SWAs mail the survey materials to the selected establishments and make follow-up calls to request data from nonrespondents or to clarify data. The collected data are used to produce occupational estimates at the National, State, and sub-State levels.

When will this year's OES estimates be available?

The OES program releases estimates every year in the second quarter.

How does the OES program classify occupations?

The OES Estimates are produced using the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. The SOC system, which is being adopted by all Federal statistical agencies for reporting occupational data, consists of 821 detailed occupations, grouped into 449 broad occupations, 96 minor groups, and 23 major groups. The OES program provides occupational employment and wage estimates at the major group and detailed occupation level. Due to the OES survey's transition to the SOC system, estimates from 1999 and subsequent years are not directly comparable with previous years' OES estimates, which were based on a classification system having 7 major occupational groups and 770 detailed occupations. The detailed SOC occupations are allocated among these twenty-three major groups:

• 11-0000 Management Occupations
• 13-0000 Business and Financial Operations Occupations
• 15-0000 Computer and Mathematical Science Occupations
• 17-0000 Architecture and Engineering Occupations
• 19-0000 Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
• 21-0000 Community and Social Services Occupations
• 23-0000 Legal Occupations
• 25-0000 Education, Training and Library Occupations
• 27-0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
• 29-0000 Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations
• 31-0000 Healthcare Support Occupations
• 33-0000 Protective Service Occupations
• 35-0000 Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
• 37-0000 Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations
• 39-0000 Personal Care and Service Occupations
• 41-0000 Sales and Related Occupations
• 43-0000 Office and Administrative Support Occupations
• 45-0000 Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
• 47-0000 Construction and Extraction Occupations
• 49-0000 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
• 51-0000 Production Occupations
• 53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
• 55-0000 Military Specific Occupations (not surveyed in OES)

More information about the Standard Occupational Classification system, including the full SOC structure, is available from our SOC page. Detailed information on using the SOC to classify occupations can be found in the SOC User Guide.

Is the OES classification system compatible with other occupational classification systems?

Occupational Employment Statistics uses the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification system, which was designed to be used by all Federal statistical agencies reporting occupational data. The 2000 SOC is fully compatible with the occupational classifications used by the U.S. Bureau of the Census and O*NET. A crosswalk between the SOC and the Census 2000 Occupational Classification System is available from the Census Bureau. The National Crosswalk Service Center provides crosswalks between the SOC and other systems, including O*NET, Military Occupational Classification (MOC), and the OES classification system used before 1999.

How does the OES program define industry classifications? What is the NAICS?

The OES program uses definitions of industries found in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The NAICS is used throughout the Federal Government to group establishments into industries. The NAICS structure makes it possible to collect and calculate establishment data by broad industrial sectors (labeled 11 through 92), subsectors (the 3-digit NAICS levels), industry groups (the 4-digit NAICS levels), and NAICS industries (the 5-digit level). See the North American Industry Classification System, 2002 (Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget), available in many libraries. The OES survey produces occupational employment and wage estimates for sector, 3-, 4-, and selected 5-digit NAICS levels. (Note: OES definitions of government do not correspond to those in the NAICS. In the case of government, the OES survey produces occupational employment and wage estimates for local government, State government, and Federal Government.)

What industries are surveyed? What industries are not surveyed?

The OES survey collects occupational employment and wage data from establishments in nonfarm industries. The OES survey produces estimates of occupational employment and wages for sector, 3-, 4-, and selected 5-digit NAICS levels. The sectors are: Forestry and Logging; Mining; Utilities; Construction; Manufacturing; Wholesale Trade; Retail Trade; Transportation and Warehousing; Information; Finance and Insurance; Real Estate and Rental and Leasing; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services; Management of Companies and Enterprises; Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services; Educational Services; Health Care and Social Assistance; Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation; Accommodation and Food Services; Other Services (except Public Administration); and Government.

The OES program does not survey establishments in NAICS 111 (Crop Production); NAICS 112 (Animal Production); NAICS 114 (Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping); and NAICS 814 (Private Households).

Does the BLS make OES estimates available in print or electronic form?

The BLS makes OES estimates available via this Internet site, as online publications, and in electronic format.

• This Internet site contains cross-industry occupational employment and wage estimates for the U.S., for individual States, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. It also contains industry-specific estimates for sector, 3-, 4-, and 5-digit NAICS levels. Please refer to the table above to determine where to obtain particular OES estimates.
• OES estimates are available in electronic format. Current estimates for 1997 onward are available at no cost via a download from this website. Please see “Are OES data available for previous years?” for information on requesting OES data for earlier years.
• OES estimates are not available in hardcopy format. However, a variety of publications using OES data are available online in HTML or pdf format, including OES news releases, the OES chart book, and other publications and articles using OES data.

Can OES data be used to compare changes in employment or wages over time?

Although the OES survey methodology is designed to create detailed cross-sectional employment and wage estimates for the U.S., States, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, across industry and by industry, it is less useful for comparisons of two or more points in time. Challenges in using OES data as a time series include changes in the occupational, industrial, and geographical classification systems, changes in the way data are collected, changes in the survey reference period, and changes in mean wage estimation methodology, as well as permanent features of the methodology.

Changes in occupational classification The OES survey used its own occupational classification system through 1998. The 1999 OES survey data provide estimates for most of the nonresidual occupations in the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. The 2004 OES data provides estimates for all occupations in the 2000 SOC. Because of these changes, it may be difficult to compare some occupations even if they are found in both classification systems. For example, both the old OES system and the 2000 SOC include the occupation “computer programmers.” However, estimates for this occupation may not be comparable over time because the 2000 SOC has several computer-related occupations that were not included in the older classification system. Workers in newly classified occupations, such as systems software engineers and applications software engineers, may have been reported as computer programmers in the past. Therefore, even occupations that appear the same in the two systems may show employment shifts due to the addition or deletion of related occupations.

Changes in industrial classification In 2002, the OES survey switched from the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). As a result, there were changes in many industry definitions. Even definitions that appear similar between the two industry classifications may have differences because of the way auxiliary establishments are treated. For example, under SIC the industry “grocery stores” included their retail establishments, warehouses, transportation facilities, and administrative headquarters. Under NAICS, the four establishment types would be reported in separate industries. Only the retail establishments would be included in the NAICS industry for “grocery stores.” The change in industrial classification also resulted in changes to the occupations listed on the survey form for a given industry. In 2008, the OES survey switched to the 2007 NAICS classification system from the 2002 NAICS. The most significant revisions are in the Information Sector, particularly within the Telecommunications area.

Changes in geographical classification In May 2005, the OES survey began using metropolitan area definitions based on new standards and the results of the Census 2000. Prior to 2005, OES had data for 334 metropolitan areas. As of 2008, OES has data for 585 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, including 377 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and 34 metropolitan divisions which make up 11 of the MSAs.

Changes in the way the data are collected In the past, employment in some occupations in an industry may have been reported in a residual category rather than in the specific occupation. In order to limit the length of most survey forms to 24 pages, the forms list only the occupations that are likely to be found in the employer's industry. Prior to 2001, if an employer had an occupation that was not included on the form, the respondent may have reported the worker in an “all other” or residual category or in a related occupation. Currently, the employer is asked to report detailed occupational information for workers that cannot be placed in one of the occupations listed on the form on a separate page. This change may have the effect of showing increased employment in occupations not on the form for a particular industry. In addition, changes to the occupations listed on forms may cause employers to classify workers differently.

Changes in the survey reference period In 2002, the reference months for the OES survey were changed from October, November, and December to May and November in order to reduce seasonal influences. Industries or occupations that have seasonal employment variations between the two sets of reference months will show employment shifts due to the change in the time of year the data were collected.

Changes in mean wage estimation methodology In 2002, the method of calculating mean wages was changed for occupations with any workers earning above $70 per hour in order to remove a downward bias in mean wage estimates. The result of this change may be seen as higher mean wage estimates for some occupations. However, the median and percentile wage estimates would not be affected by this change.

Permanent features of OES methodology The OES methodology that allows such detailed area and industry estimates also makes it difficult to use OES data for comparisons across short time periods. In order to produce estimates for a given reference period, employment and wages are collected from establishments in six semiannual panels for three consecutive years. Every six months, a new panel of data is added, and the oldest panel is dropped, resulting in a moving average staffing pattern. The three years of employment data are benchmarked to represent the total employment for the reference period. The wages of the older data are adjusted by the Employment Cost Index. This methodology assumes that industry staffing patterns change slowly and that detailed occupational wage rates in an area change at the same rate as the national change in the ECI wage component for the occupational group.

The use of 6 data panels to create a set of estimates means that sudden changes in occupational employment or wages in the population or changes in methodology show up in the OES estimates gradually.

Given the above changes, it is difficult to make conclusive comparisons of OES data over time. However, comparisons of occupations that are not affected by classification changes may be possible if the methodological assumptions hold.

The OES program is considering changes in methodology that would make data useful for time-series comparisons, at least at more aggregated levels, but these are only in early stages of discussion. The Bureau of Labor Statistics at present does not use or encourage the use of OES data for time-series analysis. Where users choose to make such comparisons, we would caution them to note the changes in survey procedures and the limits of the methods used with a pooled sample.

Are OES data available for previous years?

If you are using OES data from previous years, please be sure to read "Can OES data be used to compare changes in employment or wages over time?"

OES data for 1997 onward are available online in several formats, although not all formats are available for each year. The OES multi-screen data search can be used to create customized Excel or HTML tables using the most recent OES data. Data for 1997 onward are available as downloadable zipped Excel files. These files are arranged with the most recent data at the top of the page and the earlier data further down. OES data for the most recent years are also available in table format, with the most recent data in the "Current" section and data for earlier years in the "Archived" section.

Occupational employment data by industry are available for 1988-1995 upon request, with data for each industry available once every three years. These data do not include wage estimates; State, metropolitan, or nonmetropolitan area data; or total national employment by occupation. Please see the "Industry data" section below for more information about these data.

No OES data are available for 1996 or before 1988.

For more information about the years for which specific types of data are available, please see below.

Occupational classification
Data are available for Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) occupations from 1999 onward. Prior to 1999, OES used its own occupational classification system.

Wage data
Wage data by area and industry are available beginning in 1997. No OES wage data are available from BLS prior to that year.

State data
Cross-industry State data for 1997 onward are available on the OES Web site. Additional State data, including data for earlier years and industry-specific State data, may be available from individual State workforce agencies. Check with the State workforce agencies regarding the availability of these data.

Metropolitan area data
OES cross-industry data are currently available for 377 Metropolitan Statistical Areas and 34 metropolitan divisions making up 11 of the MSAs. These data are based on revised metropolitan area definitions designated by the Office of Management and Budget and adopted by OES in May 2008. Data for 334 metropolitan areas based on the old metropolitan area definitions are available on the OES Web site for the years 1997-2004. Additional metropolitan area data, including industry-specific data, may be available from individual State workforce agencies. Check with the State workforce agencies regarding the availability of these data.

Nonmetropolitan area data
May 2006 was the first year OES released nonmetropolitan area data. These data cover 174 nonmetropolitan areas in 49 States and Puerto Rico. Nonmetropolitan area data for earlier years may be available from individual State workforce agencies. Check with the State workforce agencies regarding the availability of these data.

Industry data
National industry-specific occupational employment and wage data for 1997 onward are available from the OES web site. In 2002, OES adopted the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Data are currently available by sector, 3-, 4-, and selected 5-digit NAICS levels. (Sector and 3-digit NAICS data are not available for 2002.) In 2008, the OES survey switched to the 2007 NAICS classification system from the 2002 NAICS. The most significant revisions are in the Information Sector, particularly within the Telecommunications area. Prior to 2002, OES industry data were produced for 2- and 3-digit industries as defined by the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system.

Industry data for States and local areas are not available from BLS, but may be available from State workforce agencies.

National employment data by industry are available for 1988 through 1995. These data consist of industry-based employment estimates by 2-digit and 3-digit SIC industry, with each industry surveyed once every three years. These data contain no wage estimates or State or metropolitan area employment data. In addition, since not all industries are available in each year, it is not possible to calculate total national employment for a given occupation by summing across industries. As a result, the 1988-1995 estimates are useful mainly to data users interested in occupational staffing patterns for specific industries during this period. The industries available in each year are summarized below:

Industry	1987 SIC Code	Years Available
Agricultural services	07	1992, 1995
Mining	10-14	1990, 1993
Construction	15-17	1990, 1993
Manufacturing	20-39	1989, 1992, 1995
Transportation and public utilities	40-49	1988, 1991, 1994
Wholesale trade	50-51	1988, 1991, 1994
Retail trade	52-59	1988, 1991, 1994
Finance, insurance, and real estate	60-67	1990, 1993
Services (includes health care, except hospitals)	70-87, 89	1990, 1993
Hospitals	806	1989, 1992, 1995
Educational services	82	1988, 1991, 1994
State government	-	1988, 1991, 1994
Local government	-	1988, 1991, 1994

To request OES industry-specific data for 1988-1995 in zipped Excel format, please contact us and specify which year or years of data you require.

How should OES data be cited?

The suggested citation for the Occupational Employment Statistics web site is:

“Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment Statistics, [date accessed] [www.bls.gov/oes/].”

The suggested citation for articles from the Occupational Employment and Wages bulletin is:

“Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wages, [year], Bulletin [number], U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, [year].”

Is the survey mandatory?

Laws on survey participation vary by State. Please contact your State office representative for information on the laws in your area. We appreciate the efforts of our survey respondents and hope that you will choose to participate in the survey. OES estimates are used as a major input into America's Labor Market Information System and the Employment and Training Administration's Foreign Labor Certification, and the estimates are used by business firms and educational institutions nationwide for economic planning and career counseling.

Why does the sum of the areas within a State not equal the statewide employment?

The sum of the areas may differ from statewide employment for several reasons:

• The totals include data items that are not released separately due to confidentiality and quality reasons;
• Rounding;
• Many States include metropolitan areas that cross State lines -- these cross-State metropolitan area estimates include data from each State, which should not be included in a total for a single State; and
• A small number of establishments indicate the State in which their employees are located, but do not indicate the specific metropolitan or nonmetropolitan area in which they are located. Data for these establishments are used in the calculation of the statewide estimates, but are not included in the estimates of any individual area.

Last Modified Date: May 01, 2009