December 5, 2008 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Wages in architecture and engineering occupations by sector

State and local governments employ workers in architecture and engineering occupations in their environmental protection and health and safety agencies. Private sector businesses, such as architecture design firms, employ such workers as well. In the nonprofit sector, these occupations are often found at academic institutions and research organizations.

[Chart data—TXT]

In 2007, the average hourly wages of architecture and engineering occupations at nonprofit establishments ($36.37) were higher than the wages of workers in these occupations at State governments ($29.30) and at local governments ($29.64). Wages of nonprofit workers in these occupations did not differ significantly from those of workers in all private industry establishments ($33.36).

For engineers specifically, the average hourly wages at nonprofits ($44.72) were higher, compared with those of all private industry ($39.09) and State and local governments ($33.97)

These data are from the BLS National Compensation Survey program. To learn more, see Wages in the Nonprofit Sector: Occupations Typically Found in Educational and Research Institutions, by Amy Butler, Compensation and Working Conditions Online, November 2008.   (Note: This Editor’s Desk article was revised April 21, 2009 after the CWC Online article it is based on was updated to correct private industry data.)