CONTACT: Media Interviews (415) 625-2245 (415) 625-2270 Internet address: http://www.bls.gov/ro9/news.htm

BLS 08-42 FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Workers in the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area earned an average of $18.31 per hour in February 2008, 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 Richard J. Holden noted that wage data were reported for workers in a wide range of occupational groups, including average hourly earnings of $32.73 for healthcare practitioner and technical occupations and $14.59 for office and administrative support occupations. Another occupational group, food preparation and serving related, had a mean hourly wage rate of $9.48. The NCS data available for the Reno area include earnings for 18 major occupational groups with additional detail for selected occupations within those groups. (See table 1.)

Registered nurses, part of the healthcare practitioner and technical occupational group, earned $32.78 per hour. Within the office and administrative support occupational group, financial clerks averaged $13.73 per hour and hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks, $10.44. Cooks, an occupation within the food preparation and serving related group, registered an average hourly rate of $11.55 and hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop workers earned $7.91 per hour. (See table 1.)

Broad coverage of selected occupational characteristics is available from NCS for the local area. Full-time workers averaged $18.79 per hour while their part-time counterparts earned $12.90. Union workers earned $24.47 and non-union workers, $17.23. Workers in establishments with 1-99 workers averaged $17.32 per hour, those in establishments with 100-499 workers earned $17.90, and those in establishments with 500 or more employees earned $19.99.

The occupational wage data available from NCS 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. NCS results also include the work level and respective earnings for occupations determined by a point factor leveling process. The four occupational leveling factors are: knowledge, job controls and complexity, contacts, and physical environment. Details on the NCS are available at www.bls.gov/ncs/.

The NCS data reported here covered 311 establishments with one or more workers in private industry and State and local governments. Agricultural establishments, private households, the self-employed, and the Federal Government were excluded from the survey. This sample of establishments represented 217,600 workers in the Reno-Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) which consists of Storey and Washoe Counties in Nevada.

Complete survey results are contained in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA National Compensation Survey April 2007 (Bulletin 3140-24). While supplies last, single copies of the bulletin are available from the Western Information Office by calling (415) 625-2270 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. PT. In addition, data contained in the bulletin are available on the Internet in both text and PDF formats at www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/compub.htm.

For personal assistance or further information on the National Compensation Survey data, as well as other Bureau data, contact the Western Information Office by calling (415) 625-2270 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. PT.

Please click here for a text formatted copy of the table issued with this release.

 

Last Modified Date: June 18, 2008