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HIGHLIGHTS OF ST. LOUIS
NATIONAL COMPENSATION SURVEY, JULY 2007 (PDF)
Workers in the St. Louis metropolitan area earned an average of $20.28 per hour in July 2007, 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 Stanley W. Suchman noted that wage data were reported for workers in a wide range of occupational groups, including average hourly earnings of $29.43 for construction and extraction occupations and $25.50 for healthcare practitioner and technical. Two other occupational groups, office and administrative support and building and grounds cleaning and maintenance, had mean hourly wage rates of $15.59 and $10.57, respectively. The NCS data available for the St. Louis area include earnings for 19 major occupational groups with additional detail for selected occupations within those groups. (See table 1.)
Occupational therapists, part of the healthcare practitioner and technical occupational group, earned $26.43 per hour, and licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earned $17.41. Electricians, an occupation within the construction and extraction group, recorded an average hourly wage of $30.25. Within the office and administrative support occupational group, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks averaged $15.07 per hour and medical secretaries, $14.03. Maids and housekeeping cleaners, an occupation in the building and grounds cleaning and maintenance group, registered an average hourly rate of $8.11. (See table 1.)
Broad coverage of selected occupational characteristics is available from NCS for the local area. Full-time workers averaged $21.46 per hour while their part-time counterparts earned $11.34. Union workers earned $24.39 and non-union workers, $19.02. Workers in establishments with 1-99 workers averaged $18.66 per hour, those in establishments with 100-499 workers earned $20.30, and those in establishments with 500 or more employees earned $23.28.
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 http://www.bls.gov/ncs/.
The NCS data reported here covered 377 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 1,266,900 workers in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) which is comprised of the city of St. Louis; the portion of the city of Sullivan in Crawford County; Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis, Warren, and Washington Counties in Missouri; and Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair Counties in Illinois.
Survey Availability
Complete survey results are contained in the St. Louis, MO-IL National Compensation Survey July 2007 which is available on the Internet in both text and PDF formats at http://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 Kansas City Information Office by calling (816) 285-7000 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT.
Table 1. Civilian workers: Mean hourly earnings(1) for full-time and part-time workers(2), St. Louis, MO-IL, July 2007 Total Full-time workers Part-time workers Occupation(3) Relative Relative Relative Mean error(4) Mean error(4) Mean error(4) (percent) (percent) (percent) All workers........................................................... $20.28 3.3 $21.46 3.4 $11.34 8.7 Management occupations.............................................. 36.29 14.8 36.79 15.2 Computer and information systems managers......................... 46.66 5.5 46.66 5.5 Financial managers................................................ 42.86 13.6 42.86 13.6 Education administrators.......................................... 23.11 19.9 23.11 19.9 Engineering managers.............................................. 56.73 3.6 56.73 3.6 Medical and health services managers.............................. 41.38 13.1 41.38 13.1 Business and financial operations occupations....................... 27.55 6.4 27.68 6.4 Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists........ 25.13 6.8 25.13 6.8 Computer and mathematical science occupations....................... 37.31 7.1 37.31 7.1 Computer software engineers....................................... 47.18 6.6 47.18 6.6 Computer systems analysts......................................... 34.92 10.8 34.92 10.8 Architecture and engineering occupations............................ 32.72 6.4 32.28 6.8 Engineers......................................................... 34.87 8.4 34.38 8.8 Engineering technicians, except drafters.......................... 27.48 7.1 27.48 7.1 Community and social services occupations........................... 16.04 5.5 16.04 5.5 Education, training, and library occupations........................ 28.25 10.2 29.37 8.4 14.39 32.7 Postsecondary teachers............................................ 44.14 10.5 45.42 10.8 Primary, secondary, and special education school teachers......... 31.74 2.2 32.45 .8 Elementary and middle school teachers........................... 30.79 5.3 31.44 8.4 Elementary school teachers, except special education.......... 35.07 3.6 36.97 1.7 Secondary school teachers....................................... 35.44 6.2 35.44 6.2 Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education.................................................. 35.44 6.2 35.44 6.2 Teacher assistants................................................ 10.50 9.5 10.85 8.3 Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations.......... 25.92 21.7 26.32 21.3 Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations................... 25.50 4.7 25.21 4.5 27.29 22.8 Physicians and surgeons........................................... 66.66 6.8 49.72 17.2 Registered nurses................................................. 24.47 6.0 25.07 4.5 21.72 11.3 Therapists........................................................ 29.11 7.2 29.54 7.5 Occupational therapists......................................... 26.43 2.2 Diagnostic related technologists and technicians.................. 25.37 7.0 25.41 8.1 Radiologic technologists and technicians........................ 25.34 7.1 25.41 8.1 Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses................. 17.41 2.9 17.40 2.9 Healthcare support occupations...................................... 14.38 18.1 14.64 18.1 10.55 8.8 Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides....................... 10.50 4.3 10.50 5.1 10.45 12.9 Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants........................ 9.98 1.3 9.90 .6 10.79 12.9 Protective service occupations...................................... 14.85 19.6 15.20 21.4 Police officers................................................... 23.66 2.6 23.66 2.6 Police and sheriff's patrol officers............................ 23.66 2.6 23.66 2.6 Food preparation and serving related occupations.................... 8.57 6.6 10.13 4.9 6.59 4.0 First-line supervisors/managers, food preparation and serving workers........................................................ 13.43 15.0 13.43 15.0 First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers...................................................... 13.43 15.0 13.43 15.0 Cooks............................................................. 10.36 8.3 10.23 10.3 11.60 3.5 Cooks, institution and cafeteria................................ 10.07 8.8 9.64 10.3 Cooks, restaurant............................................... 11.43 .1 Food preparation workers.......................................... 10.04 5.3 10.60 2.7 Food service, tipped.............................................. 5.55 29.5 5.01 22.8 Waiters and waitresses.......................................... 5.23 36.6 4.54 28.9 Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers...... 7.43 10.8 6.93 6.2 Fast food and counter workers..................................... 7.40 2.4 7.28 3.1 Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations........... 10.57 5.7 10.94 5.6 8.29 7.4 Building cleaning workers......................................... 10.06 5.7 10.37 5.9 8.14 9.0 Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners... 10.96 6.1 11.05 6.5 Maids and housekeeping cleaners................................. 8.11 2.7 8.44 1.5 Grounds maintenance workers....................................... 10.63 16.8 Landscaping and groundskeeping workers.......................... 10.63 16.8 Personal care and service occupations............................... 15.18 19.0 11.78 14.4 17.93 17.0 Sales and related occupations....................................... 14.17 4.9 16.90 5.3 8.04 3.4 Retail sales workers.............................................. 10.56 10.7 14.31 10.6 8.06 3.3 Cashiers, all workers........................................... 8.56 3.9 8.14 2.3 Cashiers...................................................... 8.56 3.9 8.14 2.3 Counter and rental clerks and parts salespersons................ 14.81 2.3 15.16 5.6 Retail salespersons............................................. 9.97 12.7 14.32 19.4 7.78 1.5 Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing................ 19.39 7.5 19.39 7.5 Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products............................ 19.39 7.5 19.39 7.5 Office and administrative support occupations....................... 15.59 3.3 15.79 3.4 12.12 4.8 First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers................................................ 18.72 6.2 18.72 6.2 Financial clerks.................................................. 13.86 2.9 14.20 3.1 10.77 .5 Billing and posting clerks and machine operators................ 16.89 9.2 16.89 9.2 Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks.................... 15.07 3.6 15.07 3.6 Tellers......................................................... 11.03 1.7 11.11 2.4 10.77 .5 Customer service representatives.................................. 14.49 12.0 14.80 12.1 Receptionists and information clerks.............................. 14.34 8.5 14.34 8.5 Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks........................... 12.50 6.1 12.50 6.1 Stock clerks and order fillers.................................... 18.67 16.3 18.67 16.3 Secretaries and administrative assistants......................... 17.95 6.1 18.11 6.2 Executive secretaries and administrative assistants............. 20.64 7.2 20.98 6.5 Medical secretaries............................................. 14.03 3.5 14.01 3.7 Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive............... 15.96 5.9 15.96 5.9 Data entry and information processing workers..................... 13.20 4.2 12.83 6.1 Word processors and typists..................................... 13.41 3.9 Office clerks, general............................................ 14.77 9.6 14.88 9.9 Construction and extraction occupations............................. 29.43 1.2 29.57 .8 Carpenters........................................................ 24.28 20.2 24.28 20.2 Construction laborers............................................. 19.37 20.3 20.08 21.7 Electricians...................................................... 30.25 5.7 30.25 5.7 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations................... 24.59 4.1 24.59 4.2 First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers...................................................... 34.75 4.4 34.75 4.4 Automotive technicians and repairers.............................. 20.24 3.6 20.24 3.6 Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers 29.02 6.4 29.02 6.4 Miscellaneous installation, maintenance, and repair workers....... 21.05 13.1 21.05 13.1 Production occupations.............................................. 19.10 3.7 19.28 3.9 Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators.......................... 19.49 15.1 19.45 15.1 Painting workers.................................................. 22.52 26.5 22.52 26.5 Miscellaneous production workers.................................. 19.79 21.7 19.79 21.7 Transportation and material moving occupations...................... 18.15 7.9 19.29 7.7 10.10 23.8 Driver/sales workers and truck drivers............................ 15.14 14.1 15.57 11.3 Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer........................ 18.17 2.4 Truck drivers, light or delivery services....................... 13.07 19.0 13.07 19.0 Laborers and material movers, hand................................ 14.92 12.4 16.42 11.2 8.63 9.8 Cleaners of vehicles and equipment.............................. 11.84 5.9 Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand.......... 17.56 12.6 18.06 11.6 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 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time schedule based on the definition used by each establishment. Therefore, a worker with a 35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered a full-time employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in another firm, where a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule. 3 Workers are classified by occupation using the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. 4 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around a sample estimate.
Last Modified Date: July 11, 2008