Survey: Springfield workers average $16.63 an hour

The National Compensation Survey report, released July 11, tracked average wages for 72,200 workers in various occupations during September 2005.

Workers in the metropolitan area averaged $16.63 an hour, with white-collar workers representing 55 percent of the work force, blue-collar workers accounting for 32 percent and service employees representing 13 percent. The Springfield area’s average hourly wage was nearly $2 lower than the U.S. average of $18.62, reported in June 2005, the most recently completed survey.

Among white-collar workers, who on average earned $18.30 an hour, executive, administrative and managerial employees earned the most at an average of $30.08 an hour.

Professional specialty and technical workers – including engineers, teachers and writers – averaged $24.35 an hour; sales workers earned $13.20 an hour; and administrative support employees averaged $12.39 an hour.

In blue-collar professions, where workers earned $16.55 an hour on average, precision production, craft and repair workers averaged $17.98 an hour. Machine operators, assemblers and inspectors earned $14.02 an hour; transportation and material moving employees averaged $20.52 an hour; and handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers and laborers made $12.79 an hour.

Small-business workers at companies employing between 50 and 99 workers made $14.61 an hour, while employees of businesses with 500 or more workers made $16.80.

Union workers in blue-collar jobs averaged $20.17 an hour, while their nonunion counterparts earned $14.32.

The survey looked at earnings for occupations at organizations employing 50 or more people in private industry and state or local governments.

Survey results did not include agricultural businesses, private households, self-employed workers and the federal government.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s Aug. 1 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.[[In-content Ad]]