U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCollect data on work environments for analysis by occupational health and safety specialists. Implement and conduct evaluation of programs designed to limit chemical, physical, biological, and ergonomic risks to workers.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11,890 | 2.7 % | $24.11 | $50,150 | 0.9 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $13.90 | $17.69 | $22.81 | $29.03 | $36.15 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $28,920 | $36,800 | $47,440 | $60,390 | $75,200 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Government (OES Designation) | 1,810 | 0.03 | $22.90 | $47,640 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 860 | 0.08 | $21.62 | $44,970 |
| Support Activities for Mining | 780 | 0.21 | $28.90 | $60,100 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 730 | 0.01 | $22.75 | $47,330 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 620 | 0.02 | $21.64 | $45,020 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | 300 | 0.24 | $31.16 | $64,810 |
| Support Activities for Mining | 780 | 0.21 | $28.90 | $60,100 |
| Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 70 | 0.20 | $19.72 | $41,020 |
| Metal Ore Mining | 70 | 0.18 | $24.53 | $51,010 |
| Coal Mining | 150 | 0.17 | $29.58 | $61,530 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Building Construction | (8) | (8) | $37.59 | $78,180 |
| Basic Chemical Manufacturing | 80 | 0.06 | $34.31 | $71,370 |
| Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | 300 | 0.24 | $31.16 | $64,810 |
| Insurance Carriers | 250 | 0.02 | $29.78 | $61,940 |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 50 | 0.05 | $29.78 | $61,930 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 2,240 | 0.21 | 2.32 | $24.23 | $50,390 |
| Ohio | 870 | 0.17 | 1.89 | $21.57 | $44,870 |
| California | 780 | 0.05 | 0.59 | $25.83 | $53,720 |
| New York | 740 | 0.09 | 0.95 | $25.39 | $52,800 |
| Pennsylvania | 500 | 0.09 | 0.98 | $23.75 | $49,410 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 100 | 0.33 | 3.59 | $30.42 | $63,270 |
| West Virginia | 160 | 0.22 | 2.39 | $25.49 | $53,010 |
| Texas | 2,240 | 0.21 | 2.32 | $24.23 | $50,390 |
| Ohio | 870 | 0.17 | 1.89 | $21.57 | $44,870 |
| Wyoming | 40 | 0.16 | 1.71 | $25.32 | $52,680 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 180 | 0.08 | 0.91 | $31.32 | $65,140 |
| Alaska | 100 | 0.33 | 3.59 | $30.42 | $63,270 |
| Washington | 420 | 0.15 | 1.66 | $29.89 | $62,170 |
| New Mexico | 80 | 0.10 | 1.06 | $29.35 | $61,050 |
| North Dakota | 50 | 0.13 | 1.37 | $27.38 | $56,940 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 710 | 0.27 | 2.95 | $26.76 | $55,660 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 600 | 0.12 | 1.28 | $25.82 | $53,700 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 350 | 0.16 | 1.80 | $20.88 | $43,430 |
| Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH | 250 | 0.26 | 2.80 | $19.90 | $41,380 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 210 | 0.09 | 0.99 | $21.11 | $43,900 |
| Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN | 200 | 0.20 | 2.19 | $22.46 | $46,710 |
| Baltimore-Towson, MD | 180 | 0.14 | 1.53 | $25.97 | $54,020 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 170 | 0.21 | 2.36 | $25.19 | $52,390 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA | 160 | 0.13 | 1.43 | $26.08 | $54,250 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 160 | 0.04 | 0.46 | $23.46 | $48,800 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland, TX | 50 | 0.68 | 7.47 | $28.35 | $58,960 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 30 | 0.54 | 5.91 | $38.08 | $79,200 |
| Evansville, IN-KY | 60 | 0.37 | 4.08 | $24.79 | $51,560 |
| Longview, TX | 40 | 0.36 | 3.98 | $23.12 | $48,090 |
| Holland-Grand Haven, MI | 30 | 0.30 | 3.31 | $20.32 | $42,260 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 80 | 0.30 | 3.30 | $22.53 | $46,850 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 710 | 0.27 | 2.95 | $26.76 | $55,660 |
| Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH | 250 | 0.26 | 2.80 | $19.90 | $41,380 |
| Akron, OH | 80 | 0.25 | 2.74 | $24.02 | $49,970 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 40 | 0.24 | 2.64 | $30.50 | $63,440 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Junction, CO | 30 | 0.54 | 5.91 | $38.08 | $79,200 |
| New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA | 30 | 0.06 | 0.67 | $32.69 | $67,990 |
| Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $32.36 | $67,320 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 40 | 0.24 | 2.64 | $30.50 | $63,440 |
| New Haven, CT | 40 | 0.13 | 1.42 | $29.88 | $62,160 |
| Knoxville, TN | 70 | 0.23 | 2.50 | $29.60 | $61,570 |
| Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA | 60 | 0.07 | 0.77 | $28.81 | $59,920 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division | 60 | 0.06 | 0.64 | $28.72 | $59,740 |
| Midland, TX | 50 | 0.68 | 7.47 | $28.35 | $58,960 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 30 | 0.10 | 1.07 | $28.09 | $58,420 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area | 110 | 0.44 | 4.84 | $21.78 | $45,310 |
| Gulf Coast Texas nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 0.67 | 7.30 | $24.00 | $49,930 |
| Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.96 | 10.53 | $27.54 | $57,280 |
| North Central Texas nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.77 | 8.48 | $27.04 | $56,250 |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.14 | 1.49 | $15.16 | $31,530 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.96 | 10.53 | $27.54 | $57,280 |
| North Central Texas nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.77 | 8.48 | $27.04 | $56,250 |
| Gulf Coast Texas nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 0.67 | 7.30 | $24.00 | $49,930 |
| Other Nevada nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.65 | 7.07 | $29.42 | $61,190 |
| Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area | 110 | 0.44 | 4.84 | $21.78 | $45,310 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.25 | 2.71 | $30.61 | $63,670 |
| Other Nevada nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.65 | 7.07 | $29.42 | $61,190 |
| Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.96 | 10.53 | $27.54 | $57,280 |
| North Central Texas nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.77 | 8.48 | $27.04 | $56,250 |
| East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.43 | 4.66 | $25.96 | $53,990 |
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 2012 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 29, 2013
