For release: Wednesday, December 1, 2010 PLS - 4735
Technical Information: (215) 597-3282 • BLSInfoPhiladelphia@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/ro3
Media Contact: (215) 861-5600 • BLSMediaPhiladelphia@bls.gov

Highlights of Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia
National Compensation Survey – April 2010 (PDF)

Workers in the Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia metropolitan area earned an average of $26.42 per hour in April 2010, according to new survey results from the National Compensation Survey (NCS) released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that wage data were reported for workers in a wide range of occupational groups, including average hourly earnings of $42.62 for computer and mathematical science occupations and $34.04 for healthcare practitioner and technical occupations. Another occupational group, construction and extraction occupations, had a mean hourly wage rate of $21.28. The NCS data available for the Washington area include earnings for 21 major occupational groups with additional detail for selected occupations within those groups. (See table 1.)

Computer systems analysts, part of the computer and mathematical science occupational group, earned $46.49 per hour, and network and computer systems administrators averaged $42.71. Within the healthcare practitioner and technical group, pharmacists recorded an average hourly wage of $57.52 per hour and medical and clinical laboratory technicians, $17.89. Carpenters, an occupation within the construction and extraction group, earned $22.24 per hour and painters, construction and maintenance, $16.67 per hour.

Broad coverage of selected occupational characteristics is available from NCS for the local area. Full-time workers averaged $28.49 per hour while their part-time counterparts earned $13.38.  Union workers earned $26.84 and non-union workers, $26.36. Workers in establishments with 1-99 workers averaged $23.30 per hour, those in establishments with 100-499 workers earned $26.46, and those in establishments with 500 or more employees earned $31.78.

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 1,030 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 3,645,500 workers in the Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia Combined Statistical Area (CSA) which is comprised of:

  • Baltimore-Towson, Md., Metropolitan Statistical Area: the city of Baltimore and the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard, and Queen Anne’s in Maryland.
  • Lexington Park, Md., Micropolitan Statistical Area: St. Mary’s County in Maryland.
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va., Metropolitan Statistical Area: the District of Columbia; the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park and the counties of Arlington, Clarke, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren in Virginia; the counties of Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s in Maryland; and Jefferson County in West Virginia.
  • Winchester, Va.-W.Va., Metropolitan Statistical Area: the city of Winchester and the county of Frederick in Virginia and the county of Hampshire in West Virginia.

Survey Availability
Complete survey results are contained in the Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, PA-NJ-DE-MD National Compensation Survey April 2010 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 Mid-Atlantic Information Office by calling (215) 597-3282 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. 

Table 1. Civilian workers: Mean hourly earnings(1) for full-time and part-time workers(2), Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV CSA, April 2010
Occupation(3) Total Full-time workers Part-time workers
Mean Relative error(4) (percent) Mean Relative error(4) (percent) Mean Relative error(4) (percent)

All workers

 $26.42 2.9 $28.49 3.0 $13.38 3.4

Management occupations

 52.33 3.5 52.31 3.6 54.94 13.2

General and operations managers

 54.03 11.4 54.03 11.4 – –

Marketing and sales managers

 53.76 18.7 53.76 18.7 – –

Marketing managers

 42.66 10.2 42.66 10.2 – –

Sales managers

 66.67 27.9 66.67 27.9 – –

Computer and information systems managers

 58.58 5.3 58.23 5.4 – –

Financial managers

 51.99 8.7 51.99 8.7 – –

Human resources managers

 37.74 20.0 37.74 20.0 – –

Industrial production managers

 50.48 9.6 50.48 9.6 – –

Construction managers

 48.89 12.4 48.89 12.4 – –

Education administrators

 49.53 8.6 49.53 8.6 – –

Education administrators, elementary and secondary school

 49.38 8.3 49.38 8.3 – –

Education administrators, postsecondary

 56.41 21.3 56.41 21.3 – –

Engineering managers

 66.13 2.8 66.72 3.0 – –

Medical and health services managers

 47.29 2.9 47.29 2.9 – –

Business and financial operations occupations

 35.28 1.6 35.38 1.7 32.50 5.1

Buyers and purchasing agents

 33.53 3.0 33.53 3.0 – –

Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products

 33.06 3.5 33.06 3.5 – –

Cost estimators

 39.18 11.6 39.18 11.6 – –

Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists

 34.10 6.9 34.10 6.9 – –

Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists

 30.06 15.0 30.06 15.0 – –

Training and development specialists

 38.91 4.0 38.91 4.0 – –

Management analysts

 46.49 6.6 46.49 6.6 – –

Accountants and auditors

 31.65 6.3 31.34 7.2 – –

Financial analysts and advisors

 36.20 17.0 36.20 17.0 – –

Financial analysts

 38.51 23.6 38.51 23.6 – –

Insurance underwriters

 34.26 9.8 34.26 9.8 – –

Computer and mathematical science occupations

 42.62 2.8 42.70 2.8 36.16 21.9

Computer programmers

 35.70 7.7 35.70 7.7 – –

Computer software engineers

 44.72 3.3 44.72 3.3 – –

Computer software engineers, applications

 41.80 3.0 41.79 3.0 – –

Computer software engineers, systems software

 50.18 5.1 50.18 5.1 – –

Computer support specialists

 28.25 10.0 28.52 10.3 – –

Computer systems analysts

 46.49 3.7 46.34 3.6 – –

Database administrators

 49.33 7.5 49.33 7.5 – –

Network and computer systems administrators

 42.71 3.8 42.71 3.8 – –

Network systems and data communications analysts

 37.64 12.9 37.64 12.9 – –

Operations research analysts

 42.41 8.5 42.41 8.5 – –

Architecture and engineering occupations

 40.24 5.3 40.47 5.9 – –

Architects, except naval

 40.41 3.7 43.83 2.9 – –

Architects, except landscape and naval

 41.57 7.9 45.52 1.5 – –

Engineers

 48.28 2.3 48.26 2.3 – –

Civil engineers

 56.53 19.6 56.53 19.6 – –

Computer hardware engineers

 54.29 6.2 54.29 6.2 – –

Electrical and electronics engineers

 39.96 4.4 39.78 4.4 – –

Electronics engineers, except computer

 39.37 2.2 39.10 2.7 – –

Drafters

 25.75 7.5 25.75 7.5 – –

Architectural and civil drafters

 29.54 10.0 29.54 10.0 – –

Engineering technicians, except drafters

 27.10 3.6 27.10 3.6 – –

Electrical and electronic engineering technicians

 27.32 3.2 27.32 3.2 – –

Life, physical, and social science occupations

 35.54 13.2 35.74 13.1 – –

Life scientists

 33.09 6.7 33.09 6.7 – –

Medical scientists

 32.66 10.4 32.66 10.4 – –

Physical scientists

 33.52 6.5 33.99 7.2 – –

Environmental scientists and geoscientists

 27.35 10.8 27.73 10.8 – –

Environmental scientists and specialists, including health

 27.35 10.8 27.73 10.8 – –

Market and survey researchers

 52.96 22.2 52.96 22.2 – –

Market research analysts

 35.42 11.3 35.42 11.3 – –

Urban and regional planners

 28.31 9.1 28.31 9.1 – –

Miscellaneous social scientists and related workers

 43.52 4.3 43.52 4.3 – –

Community and social services occupations

 23.70 8.3 23.32 8.0 – –

Counselors

 29.76 13.8 28.83 11.2 – –

Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors

 19.12 5.7 19.12 5.7 – –

Educational, vocational, and school counselors

 35.82 6.5 35.82 6.5 – –

Social workers

 24.72 9.1 24.61 9.0 – –

Child, family, and school social workers

 30.98 6.6 31.05 6.4 – –

Miscellaneous community and social service specialists

 15.97 5.0 16.03 5.3 – –

Legal occupations

 39.19 23.3 – – – –

Lawyers

 74.05 6.8 75.75 5.8 – –

Education, training, and library occupations

 37.34 2.7 38.30 2.6 25.55 8.5

Postsecondary teachers

 53.94 7.1 55.61 6.6 39.37 11.8

Business teachers, postsecondary

 45.12 15.8 – – – –

Arts, communications, and humanities teachers, postsecondary

 44.61 8.4 45.07 9.6 – –

English language and literature teachers, postsecondary

 38.08 8.6 – – – –

Miscellaneous postsecondary teachers

 45.84 20.2 47.80 17.7 32.25 20.8

Primary, secondary, and special education school teachers

 39.13 2.6 39.43 2.6 26.09 14.4

Preschool and kindergarten teachers

 33.84 15.8 34.50 14.6 – –

Kindergarten teachers, except special education

 40.86 0.6 40.86 0.6 – –

Elementary and middle school teachers

 41.16 1.3 41.50 1.7 – –

Elementary school teachers, except special education

 40.93 0.8 41.38 1.2 – –

Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education

 41.82 4.7 41.82 4.7 – –

Secondary school teachers

 37.08 6.3 37.10 6.3 – –

Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education

 38.17 6.2 38.18 6.2 – –

Special education teachers

 42.06 3.6 43.32 2.4 – –

Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school

 41.18 3.8 42.58 0.6 – –

Other teachers and instructors

 28.07 10.8 – – 22.18 2.7

Librarians

 36.87 11.6 37.81 10.8 – –

Library technicians

 20.24 13.0 – – – –

Teacher assistants

 16.21 2.7 16.28 4.1 15.73 16.8

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations

 35.62 7.4 36.67 8.9 19.99 21.2

Designers

 24.26 6.8 24.26 6.8 – –

Public relations specialists

 35.70 20.8 35.70 20.8 – –

Writers and editors

 33.10 13.8 32.98 14.3 – –

Editors

 33.17 21.8 32.97 23.4 – –

Technical writers

 28.61 2.7 28.61 2.7 – –

Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations

 34.04 6.7 34.36 8.9 32.53 7.3

Pharmacists

 57.52 2.4 – – – –

Registered nurses

 34.25 2.4 33.83 2.9 35.35 3.2

Therapists

 35.24 4.5 33.21 4.7 44.91 0.4

Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians

 22.09 4.5 21.88 4.9 – –

Medical and clinical laboratory technologists

 26.56 3.9 26.47 4.3 – –

Medical and clinical laboratory technicians

 17.89 4.4 17.86 4.3 – –

Diagnostic related technologists and technicians

 32.86 4.2 31.48 4.5 – –

Radiologic technologists and technicians

 32.96 7.5 29.65 5.5 – –

Health diagnosing and treating practitioner support technicians

 18.11 6.8 19.44 8.5 – –

Pharmacy technicians

 16.19 10.4 17.61 10.1 – –

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

 22.93 5.4 23.21 5.9 21.04 4.6

Medical records and health information technicians

 18.00 10.9 – – – –

Healthcare support occupations

 15.26 7.9 15.51 5.4 14.54 15.5

Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides

 13.01 4.3 13.17 3.0 12.66 9.5

Home health aides

 11.35 1.2 11.60 2.7 11.00 0.4

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants

 13.91 3.1 13.79 3.0 14.30 6.1

Miscellaneous healthcare support occupations

 16.25 3.9 16.68 3.7 14.28 8.3

Dental assistants

 19.19 6.7 – – – –

Medical assistants

 15.54 1.9 15.88 1.4 – –

Protective service occupations

 23.63 6.2 24.99 5.2 13.25 10.9

First-line supervisors/managers, law enforcement workers

 42.67 3.2 42.67 3.2 – –

First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives

 43.71 2.4 43.71 2.4 – –

Fire fighters

 22.69 3.7 22.69 3.7 – –

Bailiffs, correctional officers, and jailers

 22.20 6.6 22.20 6.6 – –

Correctional officers and jailers

 22.20 6.6 22.20 6.6 – –

Detectives and criminal investigators

 32.73 4.6 32.73 4.6 – –

Police officers

 28.70 6.2 28.86 6.5 – –

Police and sheriff's patrol officers

 28.70 6.2 28.86 6.5 – –

Security guards and gaming surveillance officers

 14.15 6.5 14.41 9.1 13.45 5.5

Security guards

 14.15 6.5 14.41 9.1 13.45 5.5

Miscellaneous protective service workers

 13.68 24.2 – – – –

Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers

 9.42 8.8 – – – –

Food preparation and serving related occupations

 8.62 2.2 10.33 6.4 6.88 3.3

First-line supervisors/managers, food preparation and serving workers

 16.71 19.6 16.71 19.6 – –

First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers

 15.63 16.8 15.63 16.8 – –

Cooks

 11.28 2.1 11.86 5.7 9.92 4.1

Cooks, institution and cafeteria

 12.94 4.2 – – – –

Cooks, restaurant

 11.24 6.1 11.64 7.1 10.39 3.8

Cooks, short order

 11.59 5.8 11.84 7.9 – –

Food preparation workers

 10.20 7.9 10.85 11.0 9.26 9.5

Food service, tipped

 4.55 11.0 4.66 15.0 4.48 14.6

Bartenders

 7.50 15.9 6.87 6.7 – –

Waiters and waitresses

 3.30 3.4 2.98 3.9 3.49 3.6

Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

 6.70 3.3 7.82 13.5 5.11 10.6

Fast food and counter workers

 9.19 3.3 10.97 10.4 8.14 2.7

Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food

 9.17 3.2 10.98 12.4 8.14 3.0

Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop

 9.33 12.7 – – 8.07 10.1

Food servers, nonrestaurant

 11.75 13.8 – – – –

Dishwashers

 10.81 7.0 – – – –

Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop

 7.75 12.2 – – 6.93 9.3

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

 11.86 4.3 12.31 6.1 9.57 6.0

Building cleaning workers

 11.36 3.2 11.90 5.0 9.45 6.6

Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners

 12.38 3.4 13.11 3.9 9.77 6.3

Maids and housekeeping cleaners

 10.19 5.0 10.43 9.2 – –

Grounds maintenance workers

 12.22 14.5 12.20 14.8 – –

Landscaping and groundskeeping workers

 11.93 14.6 11.91 14.9 – –

Personal care and service occupations

 15.08 12.9 16.21 15.7 12.37 9.6

First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers

 17.12 10.3 – – – –

Child care workers

 11.49 3.6 – – 10.21 10.4

Recreation and fitness workers

 17.84 16.4 – – 14.98 15.7

Recreation workers

 16.60 22.5 – – – –

Sales and related occupations

 18.51 6.4 22.87 7.2 9.54 1.3

First-line supervisors/managers, sales workers

 22.91 19.2 23.36 20.3 – –

First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers

 23.02 20.2 23.27 21.5 – –

Retail sales workers

 11.53 5.5 13.57 6.2 9.28 2.6

Cashiers, all workers

 10.09 4.7 11.30 5.0 8.97 3.0

Cashiers

 10.09 4.7 11.30 5.0 8.97 3.0

Counter and rental clerks and parts salespersons

 11.88 14.3 12.95 17.0 – –

Retail salespersons

 13.43 5.8 16.28 8.0 9.77 1.8

Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents

 38.57 12.4 38.57 12.4 – –

Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing

 34.78 22.4 34.78 22.4 – –

Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

 29.21 2.4 29.21 2.4 – –

Miscellaneous sales and related workers

 20.62 12.0 24.98 11.2 – –

Office and administrative support occupations

 18.40 1.9 19.11 2.0 13.80 3.9

First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers

 25.98 4.6 25.98 4.6 – –

Financial clerks

 17.96 3.3 18.40 3.4 15.24 12.9

Bill and account collectors

 15.24 4.9 15.52 4.0 – –

Billing and posting clerks and machine operators

 19.88 6.1 19.93 6.5 – –

Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks

 19.52 4.8 19.50 5.2 – –

Payroll and timekeeping clerks

 24.46 6.5 24.46 6.5 – –

Tellers

 13.67 2.8 14.15 4.4 12.35 4.3

Court, municipal, and license clerks

 19.10 3.5 19.10 3.6 – –

Customer service representatives

 17.55 5.6 17.99 5.7 – –

Eligibility interviewers, government programs

 18.20 1.6 18.20 1.6 – –

File clerks

 17.08 15.3 – – – –

Interviewers, except eligibility and loan

 – – 15.46 1.6 – –

New accounts clerks

 17.63 5.6 17.67 5.5 – –

Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping

 18.24 13.9 18.24 13.9 – –

Receptionists and information clerks

 13.86 6.5 15.54 4.9 10.42 5.6

Dispatchers

 16.41 11.6 16.44 11.8 – –

Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers

 16.50 13.5 – – – –

Production, planning, and expediting clerks

 22.08 8.5 22.08 8.5 – –

Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks

 15.28 3.8 15.36 3.8 – –

Stock clerks and order fillers

 11.36 3.9 12.50 1.1 10.17 6.4

Secretaries and administrative assistants

 23.60 4.5 24.25 4.4 16.48 8.9

Executive secretaries and administrative assistants

 24.34 3.6 24.66 3.4 – –

Legal secretaries

 29.77 0.5 30.06 0.7 – –

Medical secretaries

 17.15 6.4 17.28 6.7 – –

Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive

 18.62 6.8 19.34 3.6 – –

Computer operators

 21.51 7.2 21.51 7.2 – –

Data entry and information processing workers

 16.65 4.5 16.84 4.7 – –

Data entry keyers

 16.49 5.6 16.65 5.6 – –

Office clerks, general

 16.21 6.3 16.48 6.8 – –

Construction and extraction occupations

 21.28 1.4 21.27 1.4 – –

First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers

 27.90 8.2 27.77 8.0 – –

Carpenters

 22.24 3.7 22.44 2.6 – –

Construction laborers

 15.42 5.4 15.42 5.4 – –

Construction equipment operators

 21.07 14.0 21.07 14.0 – –

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

 21.16 14.8 21.16 14.8 – –

Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers

 17.38 6.2 17.38 6.2 – –

Drywall and ceiling tile installers

 17.48 6.7 17.48 6.7 – –

Electricians

 28.11 7.2 28.11 7.2 – –

Painters and paperhangers

 16.67 1.1 16.67 1.1 – –

Painters, construction and maintenance

 16.67 1.1 16.67 1.1 – –

Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

 24.28 6.1 24.28 6.1 – –

Helpers, construction trades

 14.38 1.2 14.38 1.2 – –

Construction and building inspectors

 28.74 3.9 28.74 3.9 – –

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

 23.59 3.4 23.53 3.5 – –

First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers

 28.45 10.5 28.45 10.5 – –

Radio and telecommunications equipment installers and repairers

 32.45 3.3 32.45 3.3 – –

Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers

 32.45 3.3 32.45 3.3 – –

Miscellaneous electrical and electronic equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers

 23.39 21.3 23.39 21.3 – –

Automotive technicians and repairers

 18.96 26.3 18.96 26.3 – –

Automotive service technicians and mechanics

 20.95 23.8 20.95 23.8 – –

Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

 24.90 6.7 24.90 6.7 – –

Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers

 21.11 7.5 21.09 7.6 – –

Maintenance and repair workers, general

 21.32 7.7 21.31 7.8 – –

Line installers and repairers

 27.03 9.8 27.03 9.8 – –

Telecommunications line installers and repairers

 26.33 12.2 26.33 12.2 – –

Miscellaneous installation, maintenance, and repair workers

 21.03 14.3 21.03 14.3 – –

Production occupations

 16.51 6.3 16.77 6.3 12.57 11.4

First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers

 25.52 16.4 25.52 16.4 – –

Printers

 20.14 11.5 – – – –

Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders

 14.58 14.8 14.58 14.8 – –

Miscellaneous production workers

 – – 15.06 5.9 – –

Transportation and material moving occupations

 18.04 5.9 19.46 7.1 12.01 8.5

Bus drivers

 20.59 8.3 21.07 9.0 – –

Bus drivers, transit and intercity

 22.52 3.1 22.52 3.1 – –

Bus drivers, school

 19.60 14.7 20.09 18.4 – –

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

 19.29 5.4 19.61 5.1 16.41 17.0

Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer

 19.00 5.5 18.88 5.6 – –

Truck drivers, light or delivery services

 19.55 9.2 20.34 9.2 – –

Industrial truck and tractor operators

 17.51 9.2 17.51 9.2 – –

Laborers and material movers, hand

 13.32 3.8 14.69 5.0 11.06 2.9

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

 13.64 4.2 14.61 5.2 11.74 4.6

Packers and packagers, hand

 10.34 2.0 – – 8.81 4.3

Footnotes:
(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.

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey.
NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet publication criteria. Overall occupational groups may include data for categories not shown separately.

 

Last Modified Date: December 1, 2010