|
CONTACT: Media Interviews (415) 625-2270 (415) 625-2284 Internet address: http://www.bls.gov/ro9/news.htm |
BLS 08-51 |
NATIONAL COMPENSATION SURVEY SEPTEMBER 2007
Workers in the Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton metropolitan area earned an average of $20.49 per hour in September 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 Richard J. Holden noted that wage data were reported for workers in a wide range of occupational groups, including average hourly earnings of $29.17 for healthcare practitioner and technical occupations and $28.92 for computer and mathematical science occupations. Another occupational group, food preparation and serving related, had a mean hourly wage rate of $10.21. The NCS data available for the Portland area include earnings for 20 major occupational groups with additional detail for selected occupations within those groups. (See table 1.)
Pharmacists, part of the healthcare practitioner and technical occupational group, earned $48.24 per hour. Within the computer and mathematical science occupational group, computer software engineers averaged $38.67 per hour and computer systems analysts earned $33.77. Cooks, an occupation within the food preparation and serving related group, registered an average hourly rate of $12.86; waiters and waitresses earned $7.94 per hour. (See table 1.)
Broad coverage of selected occupational characteristics is available from NCS for the local area. Full-time workers averaged $21.36 per hour while their part-time counterparts earned $12.99. Union workers earned $24.24 and non-union workers, $19.25. Workers in establishments with 1-99 workers averaged $17.50 per hour, those in establishments with 100-499 workers earned $21.35, and those in establishments with 500 or more employees earned $25.39.
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 436 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 1,090,200 workers in the Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) which consists of Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill Counties in Oregon, as well as Clark, and Skamania Counties in Washington.
Complete survey results are contained in the Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA National Compensation Survey September 2007 which is 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 25, 2008
