U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Occupational Employment Statistics

About May 2010 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

The May 2010 OES National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates are calculated from data collected in a national survey of employers. Data on occupational employment and wages are collected from employers of every size, in every State, in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, in all industry sectors. These data are used to calculate industry-specific occupational employment and wage estimates for most sector, 3, 4, and 5-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industry groups. In 2008, the OES survey switched to the 2007 NAICS classification system from the 2002 NAICS. The most significant revisions were in the Information Sector, particularly within the Telecommunications area. For more information about NAICS, see the NAICS Structure. The industry-specific occupational employment and wage estimates for a particular industry are calculated with data collected from establishments in that industry. Self-employed persons are not included in the survey or estimates. Since 1999, the OES program has used the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.

The National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates consist of the following:

SOC Code Number: the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system's unique, six-digit (plus hyphen) numerical identifier for each occupation. When the SOC code is a link, clicking on it leads to a page that contains the occupational definition and national cross-industry estimates.
Occupation Title: a descriptive title that corresponds to the SOC code.
Employment: the estimated occupational employment (not including self-employed) for that industry.
Percent of Total: a percentage expressing the estimated occupational employment divided by the estimated total industry employment, for that industry.
Median Hourly Wage: the estimated 50th percentile of the distribution of wages based on data collected from employers that industry; 50 percent of workers in an occupation earn less than the median wage, and 50 percent earn more than the median wage.
Mean Hourly Wage: the estimated total hourly wages of an occupation divided by its estimated employment, i.e., the average hourly wage, for that industry.
Mean Annual Wage: the estimated total annual wages of an occupation divided by its estimated employment, i.e., the average annual wage, for that industry.
Mean RSE : the Relative Standard Error of the mean wage estimates, a measure of the reliability or precision of the mean wage estimates. The relative standard error is defined as the ratio of the standard error to the survey estimate. For example, a relative standard error of 10 percent implies that the standard error is one-tenth as large as the survey estimate.

For more information about the OES program and estimates, see the Frequently Asked Questions

May 2010 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2010 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2010 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2010 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2010 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical Notes

Last Modified Date: December 16, 2011