Springfield wages dip below national averages

Results of the Occupational Employment Statistics Survey, released Monday, show Springfield workers in 18 of the 22 major occupational groups had wages significantly below national averages.

Some highly paid occupational groups had smaller-than-average concentrations in Springfield than nationally, including management; business and financial operations; computer and mathematical; and architecture and engineering.

Seven groups had larger-than-average concentrations in the area when compared to national employment: health care practitioners and technical; office and administrative support; sales and related; food preparation and serving related; transportation and material moving; installation, maintenance and repair; and health care support. Only health care had an average wage of more than $20 per hour.

The top-employing sector in Springfield was office and administrative support, which employed 17.5 percent, or about 32,000 workers, and paid an average hourly wage of $11.74, compared to $14.13 nationally.

Sales and related jobs also ranked high in Springfield employment with 10.6 percent and paying an average hourly wage of $13.22, compared to $15.52 nationally.

The top-paying sector in the area was management, paying $37.30 per hour, compared to $41.87 nationally. Within that group, general and operations managers earned $42.29 per hour, engineering and financial managers earned $35.24 per hour, and social and community service managers earned $17.94 per hour.

The only other occupational field to pay more than $30 per hour was legal, in which employees earned $35.58 per hour, compared to $39.03 nationally.[[In-content Ad]]