Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

43-9011 Computer Operators

Monitor and control electronic computer and peripheral electronic data processing equipment to process business, scientific, engineering, and other data according to operating instructions. Monitor and respond to operating and error messages. May enter commands at a computer terminal and set controls on computer and peripheral devices. Excludes "Computer Occupations" (15-1100) and "Data Entry Keyers" (43-9021).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
77,280 1.8 % $18.89 $39,280 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.93 $13.93 $18.26 $23.13 $27.85
Annual Wage (2) $22,730 $28,970 $37,970 $48,110 $57,920


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 6,440 2.70 $18.18 $37,810
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 5,740 0.38 $17.77 $36,970
Management of Companies and Enterprises 5,330 0.28 $19.74 $41,050
Depository Credit Intermediation 4,010 0.23 $16.76 $34,870
Local Government (OES Designation) 3,180 0.06 $19.67 $40,920

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 6,440 2.70 $18.18 $37,810
Securities and Commodity Exchanges 160 2.21 $19.33 $40,210
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 110 0.55 $21.44 $44,600
Activities Related to Credit Intermediation 1,390 0.53 $17.62 $36,650
Other Information Services 710 0.48 $16.88 $35,110

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Postal Service 1,500 0.23 $26.30 $54,710
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 540 0.03 $24.04 $50,010
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 120 0.03 $23.71 $49,320
Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage 490 0.11 $23.52 $48,920
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 60 0.01 $23.47 $48,820


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 7,790 0.55 0.92 $21.01 $43,710
New York 6,690 0.79 1.32 $19.08 $39,680
Texas 5,540 0.54 0.89 $18.69 $38,870
Illinois 4,200 0.75 1.25 $20.61 $42,860
Georgia 3,560 0.94 1.56 $17.17 $35,710




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nebraska 1,620 1.79 2.97 $14.76 $30,700
Delaware 500 1.24 2.06 $18.30 $38,050
Rhode Island 500 1.11 1.84 $20.63 $42,900
Tennessee 2,450 0.94 1.56 $18.82 $39,150
Georgia 3,560 0.94 1.56 $17.17 $35,710




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 250 0.39 0.65 $26.92 $55,990
Alaska 240 0.76 1.26 $22.57 $46,950
Connecticut 880 0.55 0.91 $22.04 $45,840
Washington 1,080 0.40 0.66 $21.32 $44,350
New Jersey 2,690 0.71 1.18 $21.01 $43,710





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,760 0.74 1.23 $20.25 $42,110
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 3,450 0.96 1.60 $21.17 $44,040
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 2,640 1.18 1.97 $17.64 $36,690
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,910 0.50 0.83 $19.72 $41,020
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 1,770 0.86 1.43 $20.98 $43,640
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 1,750 1.03 1.71 $18.29 $38,050
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 1,370 0.59 0.98 $21.69 $45,120
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 1,360 0.81 1.34 $20.66 $42,970
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 1,260 0.49 0.82 $19.76 $41,100
St. Louis, MO-IL 1,260 0.99 1.65 $21.01 $43,700




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO 640 3.22 5.35 $15.81 $32,880
Janesville, WI 180 3.11 5.16 (8) (8)
Dalton, GA 190 2.98 4.94 $20.20 $42,020
Fairbanks, AK 80 2.36 3.92 $21.52 $44,760
Lincoln, NE 370 2.29 3.80 $15.29 $31,800
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 980 2.21 3.67 $14.92 $31,020
Johnson City, TN 130 1.71 2.84 $16.33 $33,970
El Paso, TX 410 1.51 2.51 $16.53 $34,380
Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division 480 1.50 2.49 $18.50 $38,490
Kingston, NY 80 1.49 2.47 $13.49 $28,060




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Salinas, CA 50 0.32 0.53 $25.64 $53,340
Fresno, CA 200 0.66 1.09 $24.80 $51,570
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 30 0.14 0.23 $23.96 $49,850
Anchorage, AK 110 0.64 1.07 $23.95 $49,820
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 70 0.60 1.00 $23.72 $49,340
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 740 0.77 1.28 $23.62 $49,140
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 480 0.85 1.42 $23.57 $49,020
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 560 0.58 0.96 $23.56 $49,000
New Haven, CT 140 0.53 0.88 $23.48 $48,840
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 240 0.58 0.96 $22.94 $47,710

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 230 0.60 1.00 $13.06 $27,170
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 110 0.50 0.84 $15.37 $31,960
Central Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 110 1.05 1.74 $11.86 $24,680
East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 100 0.42 0.70 $15.30 $31,810
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 100 0.44 0.73 $14.42 $29,990

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hammond nonmetropolitan area 70 1.33 2.21 $16.98 $35,320
Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area 100 1.32 2.19 $10.28 $21,390
Central Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 110 1.05 1.74 $11.86 $24,680
Western Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 80 0.99 1.64 $15.00 $31,210
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 30 0.97 1.60 $20.26 $42,140

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 40 0.24 0.39 $23.80 $49,500
Eastern Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 70 0.54 0.90 $22.14 $46,040
Far Western North Dakota nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $21.70 $45,130
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 70 0.53 0.88 $21.51 $44,740
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 30 0.97 1.60 $20.26 $42,140


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012