1

Summary 00-6

Occupational Wages in the

Mountain Census Division, 1997

This report provides estimates of occupational pay from the

1997 National Compensation Survey (NCS) for the Mountain census division. It highlights average (mean) hourly

pay for workers in six areas:

• Private industry and State and local government

• Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas

• Selected occupations and major occupational groups

• Full- and part-time wages

• Bargaining status

• Size of establishment

Wages in the Mountain census division averaged $14.04

per hour during 1997. Workers in private industry in the

Mountain region averaged $12.97 per hour, whereas hourly

pay of workers in State and local government averaged $17.42.

Nationwide, pay of all workers covered by the survey averaged $15.09 an hour.

NCS summary reports are published for each of the nine

census regions: New England, Middle Atlantic, East North

Central, West North Central, South Atlantic, East South Central, West South Central, Mountain, and Pacific. Data also

are published for some individual localities. These summary

reports are a new product of the National Compensation Survey and may be useful to NCS data users in localities where

separate NCS studies are not published.

Table 1 in this summary provides an overview of average

pay data for worker and establishment characteristics and

geographic area by private industry and State and local government. For example, white-collar workers in private industry averaged $15.88 per hour, blue-collar workers averaged $11.91, and service workers, $6.99. Corresponding averages in State and local government were $19.57, $13.67,

and $11.79. Generally, average hourly earnings for private

industry workers were lower than for State and local government workers. Part of this difference can be explained by

differences in the occupational and industrial mix of the two

sectors. In State and local government, for example, professional specialty and technical occupations are proportionately

more prevalent than in private industry. With the exception

of the construction industry, few State and local government

workers are in goods-producing industries.

Full-time workers in the Mountain region averaged $14.71

per hour whereas part-time workers averaged $9.07. In private industry, full-time workers averaged $13.65 an hour,

and part-time workers averaged $8.10. For workers in State

and local government, average hourly pay was $17.99 and

$12.57, respectively, for full- and part-time workers. NCS

classifies employees as full or part time based on the

employer's classification.

Workers in large establishments in the Mountain region,

that is, establishments with 2,500 or more employees, had

the highest average hourly pay at $19.02. Workers in the

smallest establishment-size category studied (50-99) averaged $12.35.

Table 2 shows that workers in metropolitan areas averaged $14.17 per hour, whereas the average pay for workers

in nonmetropolitan areas, was $13.51. Table 2 also shows

that, most of the time, regardless of employee or establishment characteristics, pay tends to be higher in metropolitan

areas than in nonmetropolitan areas. (See the Technical Note

for definitions of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.)

Among the nine census divisions, average earnings were

generally highest in the New England, Middle Atlantic, and

Pacific regions. Average earnings for all census divisions,

and for other characteristics, can be seen in tables 1 and 2.

Full-time, part-time, and combined average pay rates for

occupations in private industry and in State and local governments are shown in tables 3, 4, and 5. These tables contain wage rates and mean weekly hours for individual occupations and for major occupational groups. Following are

examples of average hourly earnings for combined full- and

part-time workers within the occupational groups of whitecollar, blue-collar, and service workers. All engineers, for

example, averaged $28.91 per hour (table 3). Engineers in

private industry averaged $32.01 (table 4), whereas those in

State and local government averaged $24.70 per hour (table

5). Laborers, except construction, averaged $8.93 in private

industry and $11.96 in State and local governments. Janitors and cleaners, a service occupation, averaged $7.53 in

private industry and $8.98 in State and local government.

Average pay for some workers in white-collar occupations,
2

mainly in the health care field, was higher for part-time work

than for full-time work. Full-time registered nurses averaged $18.58 per hour in private industry whereas their parttime counterparts averaged $20.34. Full-time physical therapists averaged $23.60 and part-time physical therapists averaged $ 31.36. However, these exceptions did not show up

in blue-collar and service occupations. Laborers, except construction, averaged $9.36 and $7.52 for full- and part-time

work, respectively. Full-time janitors averaged $7.68 an hour

and janitors working part-time averaged $6.47.

Earnings by occupational group and level are shown in

table 6. Generally, the levels tend to show higher pay at

higher work levels. The Bureau uses a generic leveling technique with 10 criteria to assign a level to an occupation. The

Technical Note has more information on generic leveling and

generic leveling criteria. Table A in the Technical Note shows

the number of establishments studied in the Mountain census division by employment size; most companies were in

the 100-499 worker size class. It also shows the number of

establishments represented. Table B in the Technical Note

shows the number of workers represented by the surveys in

the Mountain census division by major occupational groups

such as professional specialty and technical, sales, and transportation and material moving.
Table 1. Summary, Mountain: Mean hourly earnings1 and weekly hours by selected characteristics, private industry and

State and local government, National Compensation Survey,2 1997

Worker and establishment characteristics,

and geographic areas

Total Private industry State and local government

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error3

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error3

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error3

(percent)

Total ........................................................... $14.04 1.9 36.5 $12.97 2.6 36.4 $17.42 1.9 36.5

Worker characteristics:4

White-collar occupations5 ....................... 16.98 1.5 37.2 15.88 2.5 37.2 19.57 1.8 37.2

Professional specialty and technical ... 21.58 1.3 36.9 20.52 1.3 36.9 22.86 2.1 36.9

Executive, administrative, and

managerial ........................................ 24.22 2.4 41.1 24.85 3.4 41.7 22.89 2.9 39.9

Sales ................................................... 12.47 5.1 34.1 12.51 5.2 34.1 9.86 8.9 30.1

Administrative support ........................ 10.52 1.3 37.1 10.36 .9 37.4 11.03 4.4 36.3

Blue-collar occupations5 ......................... 12.09 2.5 38.0 11.91 2.8 38.1 13.67 3.9 36.7

Precision production, craft, and repair 15.28 2.9 39.9 15.04 3.3 39.9 17.20 3.8 39.8

Machine operators, assemblers, and

inspectors ......................................... 9.70 2.3 39.4 9.68 2.3 39.4 – – –

Transportation and material moving ... 12.69 6.4 37.2 13.13 7.4 38.2 11.29 5.2 34.2

Handlers, equipment cleaners,

helpers, and laborers ........................ 9.02 2.0 34.8 8.91 2.1 34.8 10.31 4.7 34.7

Service occupations5 .............................. 8.15 1.3 33.3 6.99 1.2 32.9 11.79 5.9 34.6

Full time .................................................. 14.71 2.2 39.9 13.65 2.9 39.9 17.99 1.9 39.7

Part time ................................................. 9.07 1.3 22.4 8.10 2.9 22.5 12.57 3.2 21.9

Union ...................................................... 16.23 1.7 36.8 15.16 3.0 36.6 18.16 1.7 37.0

Nonunion ................................................ 13.72 2.2 36.4 12.70 2.8 36.4 17.24 2.3 36.4

Time ........................................................ 13.95 2.1 36.4 12.80 2.8 36.4 17.42 1.9 36.5

Incentive ................................................. 16.60 6.9 38.2 16.60 6.9 38.2 – – –

Establishment characteristics:

Goods producing .................................... 6 ( ) 6 ( ) 6 ( ) 15.44 2.1 39.8 6 ( ) 6 ( ) 6 ( )

Service producing ................................... 6 ( ) 6 ( ) 6 ( ) 12.12 2.7 35.4 6 ( ) 6 ( ) 6 ( )

50-99 workers7 ....................................... 12.35 3.0 35.7 11.96 2.9 35.8 14.98 6.0 35.0

100-499 workers ..................................... 12.86 2.5 36.2 12.31 2.6 36.2 16.30 5.4 36.4

500-999 workers ..................................... 13.52 4.4 38.2 13.18 5.7 38.5 14.78 3.4 36.9

1000-2499 workers ................................. 15.07 5.9 36.6 14.01 7.8 36.3 17.29 1.5 37.2

2500 workers or more ............................. 19.02 5.8 36.6 17.73 13.1 36.5 19.81 2.0 36.6

Geographic areas:8

Metropolitan ............................................ 14.17 2.4 36.4 13.25 3.0 36.4 18.29 1.3 36.5

Nonmetropolitan ..................................... 13.51 2.4 36.6 11.15 10.4 36.6 16.06 2.0 36.6

New England .......................................... 16.96 1.8 35.1 16.29 2.1 35.0 20.14 2.1 35.2

Middle Atlantic ........................................ 17.42 1.5 35.7 16.47 1.7 35.8 21.25 1.5 35.5

East North Central .................................. 15.45 .9 36.2 14.85 1.0 36.3 18.51 1.3 35.8

West North Central ................................. 14.44 1.8 36.3 13.70 2.2 36.2 17.24 .8 36.8

South Atlantic ......................................... 13.73 1.4 37.0 13.20 1.8 36.7 15.47 1.4 37.9

East South Central ................................. 11.88 2.3 37.8 11.34 2.5 38.0 15.22 1.7 36.9

West South Central ................................ 13.82 1.0 37.2 13.45 1.2 37.0 14.96 1.3 37.8

Mountain ................................................. 14.04 1.9 36.5 12.97 2.6 36.4 17.42 1.9 36.5

Pacific ..................................................... 16.88 1.5 36.2 15.89 1.8 36.4 20.23 1.7 35.5

1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to employees.

They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded

are premium pay for overtime, vacations, and holidays; nonproduction bonuses;

and tips. The mean is computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by

the number of workers, weighted by hours. 2 In this census division, collection was conducted between October 1996 and

April 1998. The average reference period was July 1997. 3 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a

percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around a

sample estimate. For more information about RSEs, see Technical Note. 4 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time schedule

based on the definition used by each establishment. Union workers are those

whose wages are determined through collective bargaining. Wages of time workers

are based solely on hourly rate or salary; incentive workers are those whose wages

are at least partially based on productivity payments such as piece rates,

commissions, and production bonuses. 5 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used to

cover all workers in the civilian economy. See Technical Note for more information. 6 Classification of establishments into goods-producing and service-producing

industries applies to private industry only. 7 Establishments classified with 50-99 workers may contain establishments

with fewer than 50 due to staff reductions between survey sampling and collection. 8 Data are presented for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area divisions as

well as 9 census area divisions. See Technical Note for a list of survey areas in

each census area division and the States comprising the 9 census area divisions.

NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet

publication criteria. 

3
Table 2. Summary, Mountain: Mean hourly earnings1 and weekly hours by selected characteristics, metropolitan and

nonmetropolitan areas,2 National Compensation Survey,3 1997

Worker and establishment characteristics,

and geographic areas

Total Metropolitan areas Nonmetropolitan areas

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Total ............................................................ $14.04 1.9 36.5 $14.17 2.4 36.4 $13.51 2.4 36.6

Private Industry ....................................... 12.97 2.6 36.4 13.25 3.0 36.4 11.15 10.4 36.6

State and local government .................... 17.42 1.9 36.5 18.29 1.3 36.5 16.06 2.0 36.6

Worker characteristics:5

White-collar occupations6 ....................... 16.98 1.5 37.2 17.04 1.8 37.2 16.75 2.7 37.2

Professional specialty and technical ... 21.58 1.3 36.9 21.47 .9 36.7 22.01 4.8 37.9

Executive, administrative, and

managerial ........................................ 24.22 2.4 41.1 24.35 2.9 41.4 23.69 3.5 39.9

Sales ................................................... 12.47 5.1 34.1 13.23 3.8 34.3 8.62 11.6 33.1

Administrative support ........................ 10.52 1.3 37.1 10.69 1.2 37.2 9.77 .9 36.7

Blue-collar occupations6 ......................... 12.09 2.5 38.0 12.29 2.3 37.9 11.18 8.7 38.4

Precision production, craft, and repair 15.28 2.9 39.9 15.42 2.8 39.8 14.34 11.3 40.2

Machine operators, assemblers, and

inspectors ......................................... 9.70 2.3 39.4 10.08 1.6 39.3 8.36 5.8 39.4

Transportation and material moving ... 12.69 6.4 37.2 12.40 4.7 36.9 13.46 17.9 37.8

Handlers, equipment cleaners,

helpers, and laborers ........................ 9.02 2.0 34.8 9.11 2.1 34.6 8.56 4.1 36.0

Service occupations6 .............................. 8.15 1.3 33.3 8.17 1.7 33.2 8.06 2.2 33.9

Full time .................................................. 14.71 2.2 39.9 14.84 2.8 39.9 14.18 2.3 39.7

Part time ................................................. 9.07 1.3 22.4 9.27 1.3 22.3 8.18 5.9 22.6

Union ...................................................... 16.23 1.7 36.8 16.52 1.4 36.5 15.04 8.1 37.8

Nonunion ................................................ 13.72 2.2 36.4 13.82 2.8 36.4 13.28 1.8 36.4

Time ........................................................ 13.95 2.1 36.4 14.04 2.7 36.4 13.60 2.3 36.6

Incentive ................................................. 16.60 6.9 38.2 17.44 5.4 38.4 6.43 22.7 36.4

Establishment characteristics:

Goods producing7 .................................. 15.44 2.1 39.8 15.94 2.4 39.8 13.17 9.5 40.0

Service producing7 ................................. 12.12 2.7 35.4 12.39 2.8 35.5 10.12 12.3 35.1

50-99 workers8 ....................................... 12.35 3.0 35.7 12.71 2.9 35.6 11.47 9.4 36.2

100-499 workers ..................................... 12.86 2.5 36.2 12.95 1.5 36.4 12.50 11.3 35.5

500-999 workers ..................................... 13.52 4.4 38.2 13.58 5.8 38.2 13.34 5.4 38.0

1000-2499 workers ................................. 15.07 5.9 36.6 14.77 5.9 36.5 17.87 2.7 37.3

2500 workers or more ............................. 19.02 5.8 36.6 18.76 6.3 36.1 – – –

Geographic areas:9

New England .......................................... 16.96 1.8 35.1 17.42 1.8 35.2 13.75 5.3 34.0

Middle Atlantic ........................................ 17.42 1.5 35.7 17.75 1.3 35.7 12.22 7.4 36.1

East North Central .................................. 15.45 .9 36.2 15.90 1.0 36.2 12.98 1.3 36.4

West North Central ................................. 14.44 1.8 36.3 15.40 2.2 36.3 11.82 3.7 36.2

South Atlantic ......................................... 13.73 1.4 37.0 14.17 1.7 36.9 11.56 4.0 37.4

East South Central ................................. 11.88 2.3 37.8 13.60 1.6 37.0 10.22 3.7 38.7

West South Central ................................ 13.82 1.0 37.2 14.13 1.2 37.2 11.88 4.0 37.3

Mountain ................................................. 14.04 1.9 36.5 14.17 2.4 36.4 13.51 2.4 36.6

Pacific ..................................................... 16.88 1.5 36.2 17.06 1.5 36.2 13.37 2.9 36.1

1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to employees.

They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded

are premium pay for overtime, vacations, and holidays; nonproduction bonuses;

and tips. The mean is computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by

the number of workers, weighted by hours. 2 Metropolitan areas can be a Metropolitan Statistical Area or Consolidated

Metropolitan Statistical Area as defined by the Office of Management and Budget,

1994. Nonmetropolitan areas are counties that do not fit the definitions above. For

more information, see Technical Note. 3 In this census division, collection was conducted between October 1996 and

April 1998. The average reference period was July 1997. 4 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a

percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around a

sample estimate. For more information about RSEs, see Technical Note. 5 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time schedule

based on the definition used by each establishment. Union workers are those

whose wages are determined through collective bargaining. Wages of time workers

are based solely on hourly rate or salary; incentive workers are those whose wages

are at least partially based on productivity payments such as piece rates,

commissions, and production bonuses. 6 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used to

cover all workers in the civilian economy. See Technical Note for more information. 7 Classification of establishments into goods-producing and service-producing

industries applies to private industry only. 8 Establishments classified with 50-99 workers may contain establishments

with fewer than 50 workers due to reduction in staff from the time of sampling to

data collection. 9 See Technical Note for a list of survey areas in each census area division and

the States comprising the 9 census area divisions.

NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet

publication criteria. 

4
Table 3. Selected occupations, Mountain: Mean hourly earnings1 and weekly hours for full-time and part-time workers,2 National

Compensation Survey,3 1997

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

All .......................................................................................... $14.04 1.9 36.5 $14.71 2.2 39.9 $9.07 1.3 22.4

All excluding sales ......................................................... 14.17 2.0 36.7 14.76 2.2 39.8 9.38 1.3 22.4

White collar ...................................................................... 16.98 1.5 37.2 17.60 1.7 40.0 11.62 3.7 22.9

White collar excluding sales ...................................... 17.71 1.5 37.7 18.09 1.7 40.0 13.58 2.8 23.1

Professional specialty and technical ......................... 21.58 1.3 36.9 21.97 1.3 39.6 18.10 3.3 22.9

Professional specialty ................................................ 23.22 1.4 37.1 23.64 1.5 39.8 19.41 4.1 22.9

Engineers, architects, and surveyors ..................... 26.41 3.7 41.0 26.41 3.7 41.0 – – –

Civil engineers ................................................... 23.94 3.3 41.4 23.94 3.3 41.4 – – –

Electrical and electronic engineers .................... 29.91 2.1 40.4 29.91 2.1 40.4 – – –

Industrial engineers ........................................... 23.00 5.1 41.7 23.00 5.1 41.7 – – –

Mechanical engineers ........................................ 21.84 7.0 40.4 21.84 7.0 40.4 – – –

Engineers, n.e.c. ................................................ 28.91 7.6 41.6 28.91 7.6 41.6 – – –

Mathematical and computer scientists ................... 24.15 2.7 40.7 24.32 2.6 40.7 – – –

Computer systems analysts and scientists ........ 25.13 2.8 40.7 25.13 2.8 40.7 – – –

Operations and systems researchers and

analysts ............................................................ 19.51 7.6 40.7 20.23 7.0 40.8 – – –

Natural scientists ................................................... 23.74 3.2 43.2 24.74 4.4 44.6 – – –

Chemists, except biochemists ........................... 23.63 11.0 47.6 23.63 11.0 47.6 – – –

Geologists and geodesists ................................. 22.43 17.2 40.6 28.49 11.8 40.1 – – –

Biological and life scientists ............................... 26.87 4.9 46.6 26.87 4.9 46.6 – – –

Medical scientists ............................................... 16.99 10.2 33.1 15.93 13.2 39.5 – – –

Health related ........................................................ 21.78 5.5 34.9 21.83 7.2 39.7 21.60 2.1 24.8

Physicians .......................................................... 47.03 15.8 38.2 46.67 17.9 42.6 – – –

Registered nurses .............................................. 18.91 2.4 34.5 18.56 2.2 39.6 20.16 3.2 23.6

Pharmacists ....................................................... 24.26 4.3 35.7 28.73 2.8 40.2 20.21 1.6 32.4

Dietitians ............................................................ 18.62 4.4 36.4 18.40 4.7 40.0 – – –

Respiratory therapists ........................................ 14.90 3.9 31.3 15.16 4.2 38.5 – – –

Occupational therapists ..................................... 22.66 3.4 34.9 22.34 4.5 40.0 23.68 4.5 24.7

Physical therapists ............................................. 21.91 3.6 31.8 23.60 7.2 40.5 21.49 3.2 30.2

Speech therapists .............................................. 16.56 14.0 36.5 16.46 14.3 36.8 – – –

Therapists, n.e.c. ............................................... 18.74 11.2 37.5 – – – – – –

Teachers, college and university ........................... 27.11 5.9 36.4 28.35 5.7 40.4 21.11 5.0 24.7

Computer science teachers ............................... 20.29 1.7 34.3 – – – – – –

Business, commerce, and marketing teachers .. 28.12 3.6 40.2 28.12 3.6 40.4 – – –

English teachers ................................................ 28.30 21.5 27.3 – – – – – –

Teachers, post secondary, subject not specified 20.30 4.1 37.3 20.61 4.2 40.0 – – –

Teachers, post secondary, n.e.c. ....................... 34.56 3.2 35.4 34.55 3.2 40.0 – – –

Teachers, except college and university ................ 23.12 1.4 35.5 23.42 1.4 37.7 15.42 5.2 14.3

Elementary school teachers .............................. 24.05 6.1 36.2 24.23 6.0 37.6 18.32 5.6 16.6

Secondary school teachers ............................... 24.50 1.7 36.9 24.53 1.7 37.7 20.48 11.7 9.6

Teachers, special education .............................. 17.59 3.2 39.1 17.51 3.3 40.0 – – –

Teachers, n.e.c. ................................................. 18.21 3.7 27.6 20.45 2.8 39.4 11.12 10.5 14.2

Substitute teachers ............................................ 10.73 12.1 18.5 – – – 12.53 17.0 11.2

Vocational and educational counselors ............. 26.15 14.4 35.4 26.22 14.8 36.2 – – –

Librarians, archivists, and curators ........................ 17.36 12.1 38.9 17.48 12.3 40.0 – – –

Librarians ........................................................... 17.36 12.1 38.9 17.48 12.3 40.0 – – –

Social scientists and urban planners ..................... 19.96 7.5 38.3 19.88 7.9 40.3 – – –

Economists ........................................................ 19.36 12.8 41.7 19.36 12.8 41.7 – – –

Psychologists ..................................................... 19.95 9.1 37.4 19.84 9.9 40.0 – – –

Social, recreation, and religious workers ............... 15.45 6.5 37.5 15.30 6.7 40.2 17.05 6.3 21.4

Social workers ................................................... 15.54 7.1 37.5 15.41 7.3 40.1 16.89 6.5 22.1

Recreation workers ............................................ 14.63 11.1 37.5 14.35 11.9 41.3 – – –

Lawyers and judges ............................................... 35.84 10.3 42.5 35.83 10.3 43.0 – – –

Lawyers ............................................................. 31.23 5.1 44.1 31.23 5.1 44.1 – – –

Writers, authors, entertainers, athletes, and

professionals, n.e.c. ............................................. 19.46 6.9 34.9 20.83 4.0 39.9 11.59 38.2 20.3

Designers ........................................................... 17.95 7.4 40.1 17.95 7.4 40.1 – – –

Editors and reporters ......................................... 17.76 2.1 38.7 18.10 1.9 39.9 – – –

Public relations specialists ................................. 27.40 16.4 25.6 30.31 16.6 39.4 – – –

Athletes .............................................................. 9.02 26.7 24.1 – – – 6.06 10.0 17.7

Professional, n.e.c. ............................................ 25.96 5.0 35.7 24.13 5.0 40.0 – – –

Technical ................................................................... 16.59 2.1 36.5 16.87 2.3 39.1 14.07 2.0 22.8

See footnotes at end of table.

5
Table 3. Selected occupations, Mountain: Mean hourly earnings1 and weekly hours for full-time and part-time workers,2 National

Compensation Survey,3 1997–Continued

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

White collar –Continued

Professional specialty and technical –Continued

Technical –Continued

Clinical laboratory technologists and

technicians ....................................................... $13.33 3.4 38.2 $13.23 3.6 39.7 $17.06 16.8 15.2

Radiological technicians .................................... 12.87 3.3 34.6 12.96 4.0 40.0 – – –

Licensed practical nurses .................................. 12.46 2.4 33.6 12.69 2.2 39.3 11.60 5.7 21.7

Health technologists and technicians, n.e.c. ...... 12.55 2.4 30.6 12.61 3.8 39.4 12.43 3.3 20.8

Electrical and electronic technicians .................. 14.99 2.2 39.0 15.05 2.2 39.7 – – –

Engineering technicians, n.e.c. .......................... 17.10 3.2 39.0 16.46 3.9 40.0 – – –

Drafters .............................................................. 16.61 6.1 39.6 16.68 6.2 40.6 – – –

Surveying and mapping technicians .................. 14.98 10.6 40.8 14.98 10.6 40.8 – – –

Biological technicians ........................................ 15.23 3.5 39.0 15.17 3.8 40.0 – – –

Chemical technicians ......................................... 16.41 7.7 40.0 16.41 7.7 40.0 – – –

Science technicians, n.e.c. ................................ 16.34 9.2 31.9 18.02 8.1 40.0 – – –

Airplane pilots and navigators ............................ 83.09 9.1 19.6 83.09 9.1 19.6 – – –

Computer programmers ..................................... 21.22 12.1 41.9 21.22 12.1 41.9 – – –

Legal assistants ................................................. 14.70 4.6 39.9 14.70 4.6 39.9 – – –

Technical and related, n.e.c. .............................. 16.77 6.2 40.1 16.84 6.1 40.6 – – –

Executive, administrative, and managerial ............... 24.22 2.4 41.1 24.33 2.4 41.4 16.80 4.6 27.1

Executives, administrators, and managers ............ 26.58 2.7 41.7 26.65 2.8 41.8 11.43 22.8 27.0

Administrators and officials, public

administration .................................................. 22.52 6.7 41.3 22.53 6.8 41.4 – – –

Financial managers ........................................... 26.49 4.4 41.0 26.49 4.4 41.0 – – –

Personnel and labor relations managers ........... 29.23 6.0 40.5 29.78 5.8 41.2 – – –

Purchasing managers ........................................ 21.66 22.0 43.6 21.66 22.0 43.6 – – –

Managers, marketing, advertising, and public

relations ........................................................... 28.64 6.0 43.6 28.64 6.0 43.6 – – –

Administrators, education and related fields ...... 31.82 8.2 40.4 31.82 8.2 40.4 – – –

Managers, medicine and health ......................... 25.14 15.6 39.3 25.22 15.7 39.7 – – –

Managers, food servicing and lodging

establishments ................................................. 18.79 8.4 44.5 18.79 8.4 44.5 – – –

Managers, service organizations, n.e.c. ............ 22.17 8.8 43.3 22.75 9.7 44.1 – – –

Managers and administrators, n.e.c. ................. 27.60 2.8 42.1 27.62 2.8 42.1 – – –

Management related .............................................. 19.73 2.1 40.0 19.79 2.1 40.7 18.14 5.4 27.2

Accountants and auditors .................................. 15.79 11.9 40.1 15.79 11.9 40.1 – – –

Underwriters ...................................................... 21.33 6.1 39.3 21.33 6.1 39.3 – – –

Other financial officers ....................................... 27.30 5.4 41.2 27.32 5.4 41.4 – – –

Management analysts ........................................ 22.07 11.4 40.1 22.07 11.4 40.1 – – –

Personnel, training, and labor relations

specialists ........................................................ 19.29 2.6 41.1 19.38 2.4 41.3 – – –

Purchasing agents and buyers, n.e.c. ............... 20.19 6.5 39.9 20.19 6.5 39.9 – – –

Construction inspectors ..................................... 20.22 6.9 40.0 20.22 6.9 40.0 – – –

Inspectors and compliance officers, except

construction ..................................................... 17.46 4.3 38.9 17.77 4.7 43.1 – – –

Management related, n.e.c. ............................... 19.61 4.6 39.3 19.64 4.5 40.5 – – –

Sales ............................................................................. 12.47 5.1 34.1 14.03 4.6 40.3 7.35 4.9 22.6

Supervisors, sales ............................................. 19.83 6.4 39.9 20.44 6.6 40.9 – – –

Insurance sales .................................................. 23.35 12.6 39.4 23.35 12.6 39.4 – – –

Real estate sales ............................................... 22.40 28.2 41.8 22.75 27.4 42.6 – – –

Securities and financial services sales .............. 26.69 35.5 39.4 27.95 35.8 40.7 – – –

Sales, other business services .......................... 15.46 4.4 38.0 15.22 4.7 39.1 – – –

Sales representatives, mining, manufacturing,

and wholesale .................................................. 20.45 5.0 41.7 20.45 5.0 41.7 – – –

Sales workers, motor vehicles and boats .......... 16.42 9.3 43.7 16.42 9.3 43.7 – – –

Sales workers, apparel ...................................... 6.37 9.6 24.9 – – – 5.56 3.4 22.2

Sales workers, radio, tv, hi-fi, and appliances ... 17.28 15.2 42.0 17.28 15.2 42.0 – – –

Sales workers, hardware and building supplies 9.14 1.7 36.5 9.25 1.9 40.0 – – –

Sales workers, parts .......................................... 13.52 19.3 34.3 14.16 19.3 40.0 – – –

Sales workers, other commodities ..................... 10.08 7.8 30.4 11.56 10.0 39.8 7.37 3.4 21.2

Sales counter clerks .......................................... 8.06 6.4 34.2 8.25 6.3 39.8 – – –

See footnotes at end of table.

6
Table 3. Selected occupations, Mountain: Mean hourly earnings1 and weekly hours for full-time and part-time workers,2 National

Compensation Survey,3 1997–Continued

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

White collar –Continued

Sales –Continued

Cashiers ............................................................. $8.40 3.7 32.7 $8.82 4.2 39.4 $7.42 4.8 23.4

Sales support, n.e.c. .......................................... 12.68 14.0 38.2 13.08 13.6 40.6 – – –

Administrative support, including clerical ................ 10.52 1.3 37.1 10.76 1.2 39.7 8.31 1.6 23.2

Supervisors, general office ................................ 15.84 3.3 40.9 15.91 3.3 41.0 – – –

Supervisors, financial records processing ......... 15.83 5.6 40.3 15.83 5.6 40.3 – – –

Supervisors, distribution, scheduling, and

adjusting clerks ................................................ 15.35 9.6 42.4 15.33 9.7 42.9 – – –

Computer operators ........................................... 12.95 7.5 39.4 13.15 7.7 40.0 – – –

Secretaries ......................................................... 11.27 2.4 38.9 11.35 2.5 39.9 9.19 7.5 24.7

Stenographers ................................................... 11.87 1.6 35.8 12.10 1.5 40.0 – – –

Typists ............................................................... 11.14 4.5 38.8 11.06 4.9 39.8 – – –

Interviewers ....................................................... 9.47 4.1 35.2 9.55 4.1 37.0 – – –

Hotel clerks ........................................................ 7.16 4.1 35.9 7.50 .6 40.0 – – –

Receptionists ..................................................... 7.68 1.5 35.3 7.72 1.5 40.0 7.37 3.5 17.5

Information clerks, n.e.c. .................................... 10.08 5.0 36.9 10.07 5.1 37.0 – – –

Correspondence clerks ...................................... 11.36 6.8 36.5 11.39 7.7 39.6 – – –

Order clerks ....................................................... 8.54 1.7 37.8 – – – 8.23 4.6 26.7

Personnel clerks, except payroll and

timekeeping ..................................................... 10.66 2.3 39.4 10.66 2.3 39.4 – – –

Library clerks ..................................................... 9.50 6.3 33.0 10.23 6.4 40.0 7.43 9.9 22.0

File clerks ........................................................... 7.90 7.8 36.2 8.09 8.6 40.0 6.75 7.5 22.7

Records clerks, n.e.c. ........................................ 10.01 4.8 37.1 10.07 5.2 39.3 9.11 3.9 20.6

Bookkeepers, accounting and auditing clerks ... 10.72 2.2 38.2 10.87 2.6 40.0 8.81 5.8 24.4

Payroll and timekeeping clerks .......................... 10.64 8.5 40.0 10.64 8.5 40.0 – – –

Billing clerks ....................................................... 9.54 3.1 39.2 9.50 3.2 40.0 – – –

Cost and rate clerks ........................................... 12.23 13.3 34.1 12.18 14.8 38.8 – – –

Office machine operators, n.e.c. ........................ 7.56 3.1 33.1 7.90 4.5 39.7 – – –

Mail clerks, except postal service ...................... 10.40 3.9 35.0 11.79 6.4 40.0 – – –

Dispatchers ........................................................ 10.93 8.9 38.3 10.98 9.3 40.0 – – –

Production coordinators ..................................... 11.81 2.7 35.4 12.17 3.4 40.0 – – –

Traffic, shipping and receiving clerks ................. 11.54 3.8 39.8 11.58 4.0 40.2 – – –

Stock and inventory clerks ................................. 11.55 4.9 37.8 11.70 5.3 40.0 9.75 9.1 22.7

Meter readers .................................................... 12.62 2.7 40.0 12.62 2.7 40.0 – – –

Expeditors .......................................................... 10.10 10.7 37.6 10.27 10.1 40.0 – – –

Insurance adjusters, examiners, and

investigators ..................................................... 13.51 6.5 39.1 13.51 6.5 39.3 – – –

Investigators and adjusters, except insurance ... 10.45 4.1 38.7 10.49 4.1 39.2 – – –

Eligibility clerks, social welfare ........................... 13.77 4.8 39.0 13.86 4.6 40.0 – – –

Bill and account collectors ................................. 10.36 5.5 38.9 10.43 5.4 40.0 – – –

General office clerks .......................................... 10.21 3.1 36.2 10.61 3.2 39.7 7.70 2.4 23.3

Bank tellers ........................................................ 10.44 4.6 34.5 10.91 5.9 40.8 – – –

Data entry keyers ............................................... 9.06 3.0 38.1 9.06 3.4 39.8 9.11 4.8 24.3

Statistical clerks ................................................. 10.00 2.1 38.7 10.06 2.4 39.9 – – –

Teachers’ aides ................................................. 7.67 2.5 25.0 7.91 3.3 32.6 7.45 3.7 20.5

Administrative support, n.e.c. ............................ 9.98 3.7 36.7 10.23 4.2 39.8 9.07 5.7 28.6

Blue collar ........................................................................ 12.09 2.5 38.0 12.44 2.3 40.1 7.67 3.9 22.7

Precision production, craft, and repair ...................... 15.28 2.9 39.9 15.30 2.9 40.2 11.08 8.3 14.7

Supervisors, mechanics and repairers .............. 20.76 2.6 40.0 20.76 2.6 40.0 – – –

Automobile mechanics ....................................... 20.30 10.1 40.1 20.30 10.1 40.1 – – –

Automobile mechanic apprentices ..................... 10.09 7.5 35.0 – – – – – –

Bus, truck, and stationary engine mechanics .... 16.25 4.1 40.0 16.25 4.1 40.0 – – –

Aircraft engine mechanics ................................. 18.39 11.5 40.0 18.39 11.5 40.0 – – –

Heavy equipment mechanics ............................. 17.38 2.7 39.6 17.52 2.8 40.0 – – –

Industrial machinery repairers ........................... 17.10 3.0 40.0 17.10 3.0 40.0 – – –

Machinery maintenance ..................................... 14.34 6.5 40.0 14.34 6.5 40.0 – – –

Electronic repairers, communications and

industrial equipment ......................................... 13.60 8.3 39.7 13.60 8.3 40.1 – – –

Data processing equipment repairers ................ 13.77 8.0 40.0 13.77 8.0 40.0 – – –

See footnotes at end of table.

7
Table 3. Selected occupations, Mountain: Mean hourly earnings1 and weekly hours for full-time and part-time workers,2 National

Compensation Survey,3 1997–Continued

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Blue collar –Continued

Precision production, craft, and repair –Continued

Telephone installers and repairers .................... $18.34 4.3 40.0 $18.34 4.3 40.0 – – –

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration

mechanics ........................................................ 16.83 3.6 40.0 16.83 3.6 40.0 – – –

Mechanics and repairers, n.e.c. ......................... 14.99 2.5 39.7 15.00 2.5 39.9 – – –

Supervisors, construction trades, n.e.c. ............. 18.58 5.7 40.0 18.58 5.7 40.0 – – –

Carpenters ......................................................... 15.29 8.2 41.5 15.29 8.2 41.5 – – –

Electricians ........................................................ 15.70 10.1 39.7 15.71 10.1 40.0 – – –

Painters, construction and maintenance ............ 10.91 9.8 40.8 10.90 9.8 41.1 – – –

Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters ............... 20.45 2.5 39.9 20.45 2.5 39.9 – – –

Construction trades, n.e.c. ................................. 15.97 7.0 36.1 16.03 7.4 40.5 – – –

Supervisors, production ..................................... 18.42 4.1 41.6 18.42 4.1 41.6 – – –

Machinists .......................................................... 14.97 2.4 40.0 14.97 2.4 40.0 – – –

Sheet metal workers .......................................... 11.91 9.9 40.0 11.91 9.9 40.0 – – –

Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers 8.68 3.3 40.0 8.68 3.3 40.0 – – –

Butchers and meat cutters ................................. 12.04 6.2 39.4 12.04 6.4 40.0 – – –

Bakers ................................................................ 9.73 6.6 38.8 9.76 6.7 39.7 – – –

Food batchmakers ............................................. 8.74 10.1 35.5 – – – – – –

Inspectors, testers, and graders ........................ 15.57 5.9 40.4 15.57 5.9 40.4 – – –

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ..... 9.70 2.3 39.4 9.75 2.3 39.9 $7.67 6.0 26.0

Fabricating machine operators, n.e.c. ............... 11.06 2.6 40.0 11.06 2.6 40.0 – – –

Molding and casting machine operators ............ 9.37 1.8 35.4 10.60 2.7 40.0 – – –

Printing press operators ..................................... 15.39 5.2 39.2 15.23 5.4 40.0 – – –

Photoengravers and lithographers ..................... 14.76 5.8 39.1 14.76 5.8 39.1 – – –

Laundering and dry cleaning machine operators 6.72 3.5 35.5 6.83 4.1 39.2 – – –

Packaging and filling machine operators ........... 9.40 6.2 40.0 9.40 6.2 40.0 – – –

Mixing and blending machine operators ............ 8.66 11.4 40.0 8.66 11.4 40.0 – – –

Painting and paint spraying machine operators 9.96 5.9 40.4 9.96 5.9 40.4 – – –

Photographic process machine operators ......... 11.24 5.5 38.5 – – – – – –

Miscellaneous machine operators, n.e.c. .......... 10.69 2.5 39.7 10.83 2.6 39.7 – – –

Welders and cutters ........................................... 14.46 7.8 40.4 14.46 7.8 40.4 – – –

Assemblers ........................................................ 8.11 3.1 39.4 8.10 3.1 40.0 – – –

Miscellaneous hand working, n.e.c. ................... 10.44 5.1 40.0 10.44 5.1 40.0 – – –

Production inspectors, checkers and examiners 10.09 7.5 39.1 10.26 7.8 40.0 – – –

Transportation and material moving ......................... 12.69 6.4 37.2 13.07 6.5 40.4 8.77 7.9 20.6

Truck drivers ...................................................... 13.25 5.1 40.0 13.28 5.2 40.9 12.12 10.4 23.9

Bus drivers ......................................................... 10.97 4.6 27.8 11.41 5.9 39.3 10.11 4.0 17.8

Parking lot attendants ........................................ 6.82 2.8 31.1 – – – – – –

Motor transportation, n.e.c. ................................ 6.85 5.3 32.6 7.15 5.5 40.0 6.28 4.4 24.2

Supervisors, material moving equipment ........... 16.63 6.8 40.0 16.63 6.8 40.0 – – –

Operating engineers .......................................... 10.88 10.3 40.0 10.88 10.3 40.0 – – –

Grader, dozer, and scrapper operators ............. 17.07 4.0 40.0 17.07 4.0 40.0 – – –

Industrial truck and tractor equipment operators 14.95 11.9 39.9 14.95 12.0 40.3 – – –

Miscellaneous material moving equipment

operators, n.e.c. ............................................... 14.17 11.4 39.6 14.16 11.7 40.0 – – –

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and

laborers ....................................................................... 9.02 2.0 34.8 9.48 1.8 40.1 7.29 4.9 23.4

Groundskeepers and gardeners, except farm ... 9.41 4.7 34.3 10.16 8.3 40.0 7.75 2.0 26.1

Supervisors, handlers, equipment cleaners, and

laborers, n.e.c. ................................................. 16.25 5.9 40.0 16.25 5.9 40.0 – – –

Helpers, mechanics and repairers ..................... 11.06 8.5 38.8 11.46 8.6 40.0 – – –

Helpers, construction trades .............................. 8.98 9.5 41.0 8.98 9.5 41.0 – – –

Construction laborers ......................................... 11.50 5.9 39.0 11.69 6.2 39.7 – – –

Production helpers ............................................. 8.41 4.2 39.7 8.41 4.3 40.0 – – –

Stock handlers and baggers .............................. 7.99 4.7 29.5 9.15 3.4 40.0 6.42 9.1 21.8

Machine feeders and offbearers ........................ 10.36 11.2 38.4 10.37 11.7 40.0 – – –

Freight, stock, and material handlers, n.e.c. ...... 9.55 4.3 36.0 9.81 7.3 40.5 8.26 5.4 22.8

Garage and service station related .................... 10.68 9.0 36.0 10.13 5.2 40.0 – – –

See footnotes at end of table.

8
Table 3. Selected occupations, Mountain: Mean hourly earnings1 and weekly hours for full-time and part-time workers,2 National

Compensation Survey,3 1997–Continued

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Blue collar –Continued

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and

laborers –Continued

Vehicle washers and equipment cleaners ......... $8.12 8.4 31.7 $8.47 9.9 40.0 – – –

Hand packers and packagers ............................ 7.66 4.8 39.1 7.62 4.9 39.9 – – –

Laborers, except construction, n.e.c. ................. 9.02 3.5 35.5 9.46 3.9 40.0 $7.55 4.5 25.8

Service .............................................................................. 8.15 1.3 33.3 8.67 2.1 39.0 6.20 1.5 21.6

Protective service .................................................. 12.14 7.1 37.3 12.77 7.5 40.9 7.41 11.8 22.3

Supervisors, firefighters and fire prevention ...... 20.99 11.5 49.9 20.99 11.5 49.9 – – –

Supervisors, police and detectives .................... 19.96 7.9 41.2 19.96 7.9 41.2 – – –

Supervisors, guards ........................................... – – – 9.74 11.8 39.0 – – –

Firefighting ......................................................... 14.03 4.3 47.7 14.40 3.6 49.5 – – –

Police and detectives, public service ................. 18.85 6.5 39.3 18.86 6.6 40.0 – – –

Sheriffs, bailiffs, and other law enforcement

officers ............................................................. 15.72 5.2 40.0 15.72 5.2 40.0 – – –

Correctional institution officers ........................... 11.80 5.6 40.0 11.65 5.8 40.0 – – –

Guards and police, except public service .......... 7.36 4.3 34.9 7.50 2.7 39.7 6.71 15.0 22.0

Protective service, n.e.c. .................................... 11.99 12.7 26.6 14.33 10.4 38.6 8.41 3.2 18.0

Food service .......................................................... 6.39 3.3 31.0 6.88 3.0 38.3 5.41 2.2 22.5

Supervisors, food preparation and service ........ 10.97 6.4 36.6 11.91 4.0 39.6 6.53 6.2 26.9

Bartenders ......................................................... 6.22 8.6 32.3 6.56 8.1 38.9 5.46 3.8 23.4

Waiters and waitresses ...................................... 3.80 10.3 29.9 4.09 10.1 38.2 3.35 9.2 22.2

Cooks ................................................................. 7.93 3.6 34.1 8.14 4.0 37.9 7.23 3.9 25.4

Food counter, fountain, and related ................... 5.69 1.8 26.1 5.82 5.0 36.4 5.62 1.1 22.2

Kitchen workers, food preparation ..................... 7.27 2.1 28.2 7.62 3.2 39.2 6.74 2.9 19.6

Waiters’/Waitresses’ assistants ......................... 4.94 4.5 32.6 5.02 4.9 38.4 4.71 4.1 23.3

Food preparation, n.e.c. ..................................... 6.49 5.0 31.5 6.74 6.6 37.9 5.90 3.5 22.4

Health service ........................................................ 7.89 1.8 32.7 7.96 1.8 39.1 7.59 3.2 18.5

Health aides, except nursing ............................. 7.63 2.9 36.9 7.59 3.0 39.8 8.69 4.8 13.1

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............ 7.92 1.8 31.5 8.05 2.2 38.8 7.50 3.2 19.1

Cleaning and building service ................................ 7.94 2.4 35.4 8.14 3.0 39.5 6.68 1.5 21.2

Supervisors, cleaning and building service

workers ............................................................ 10.85 6.3 39.8 10.85 6.3 39.8 – – –

Maids and housemen ........................................ 6.72 1.7 32.0 6.62 2.2 39.3 – – –

Janitors and cleaners ......................................... 8.16 2.7 36.5 8.34 2.9 39.6 6.38 1.9 21.2

Personal service .................................................... 7.45 5.9 32.5 7.62 7.2 37.5 6.71 6.4 20.6

Supervisors, personal service ............................ 11.57 12.8 40.3 11.57 12.8 40.3 – – –

Attendants, amusement, and recreation

facilities ............................................................ 5.99 .7 35.0 6.04 .7 39.5 5.64 2.1 20.7

Public transportation attendants ........................ 19.91 9.5 19.7 19.91 9.5 19.7 – – –

Baggage porters and bellhops ........................... 8.39 26.2 37.5 7.22 20.4 39.3 – – –

Welfare service aides ........................................ 8.20 4.7 33.4 8.14 4.3 37.8 – – –

Early childhood teachers’ assistants .................. 6.69 2.0 22.4 7.41 4.4 34.0 6.33 3.6 19.1

Child care workers, n.e.c. .................................. 7.20 12.6 25.1 8.38 23.4 39.4 6.42 4.4 20.3

Service, n.e.c. .................................................... 7.46 3.5 32.7 7.80 2.6 39.0 6.23 3.0 20.6

1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to employees. They

include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded are premium

pay for overtime, vacations, and holidays; nonproduction bonuses; and tips. The mean is

computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the number of workers,

weighted by hours. 2 All workers include full-time and part-time workers. Employees are classified as

working either a full-time or a part-time schedule based on the definition used by each

establishment. Therefore, a worker with a 35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered

a full-time employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in another firm, where

a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule. 3 In this census division, collection was conducted between October 1996 and April

1998. The average reference period was July 1997. 4 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used to cover all

workers in the civilian economy. For more information, see Technical Note. 5 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a percent of the

estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around a sample estimate. For

more information about RSEs, see Technical Note.

NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet publication

criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Overall occupational groups may

include data for categories not shown separately. 

9
Table 4. Selected occupations, Mountain, private industry: Mean hourly earnings1 for full-time and part-time workers,2 National

Compensation Survey,3 1997

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

All .......................................................................................... $12.97 2.6 36.4 $13.65 2.9 39.9 $8.10 2.9 22.5

All excluding sales ......................................................... 13.02 2.6 36.7 13.60 2.9 39.9 8.29 2.8 22.5

White collar ...................................................................... 15.88 2.5 37.2 16.55 2.5 40.2 10.24 5.2 22.7

White collar excluding sales ...................................... 16.70 2.3 38.0 17.05 2.5 40.2 12.42 5.3 22.8

Professional specialty and technical ......................... 20.52 1.3 36.9 20.85 1.3 39.8 17.22 7.2 21.6

Professional specialty ................................................ 22.19 1.4 37.4 22.48 1.4 40.3 19.26 9.3 21.9

Engineers, architects, and surveyors ..................... 26.85 3.3 40.7 26.85 3.3 40.7 – – –

Civil engineers ................................................... 23.68 6.6 42.1 23.68 6.6 42.1 – – –

Electrical and electronic engineers .................... 29.91 2.1 40.4 29.91 2.1 40.4 – – –

Industrial engineers ........................................... 23.00 5.1 41.7 23.00 5.1 41.7 – – –

Mechanical engineers ........................................ 21.84 7.0 40.4 21.84 7.0 40.4 – – –

Engineers, n.e.c. ................................................ 32.01 3.7 40.0 32.01 3.7 40.0 – – –

Mathematical and computer scientists ................... 24.69 2.7 40.8 24.89 2.5 40.8 – – –

Computer systems analysts and scientists ........ 26.00 2.6 40.8 26.00 2.6 40.8 – – –

Operations and systems researchers and

analysts ............................................................ 19.20 7.8 40.7 19.92 7.2 40.8 – – –

Natural scientists ................................................... 24.82 8.3 39.7 24.82 8.3 39.7 – – –

Geologists and geodesists ................................. 26.72 13.9 40.2 26.72 13.9 40.2 – – –

Biological and life scientists ............................... 31.97 5.5 39.2 31.97 5.5 39.2 – – –

Health related ........................................................ 20.74 2.2 34.6 20.32 2.7 39.8 22.61 3.1 21.8

Physicians .......................................................... 45.57 10.5 35.0 42.73 13.6 41.4 – – –

Registered nurses .............................................. 18.91 2.5 34.7 18.58 2.1 39.6 20.34 4.0 22.4

Pharmacists ....................................................... 28.28 3.6 35.7 29.08 2.8 40.2 – – –

Dietitians ............................................................ 17.88 4.5 37.7 – – – – – –

Respiratory therapists ........................................ 14.90 3.9 31.3 15.16 4.2 38.5 – – –

Occupational therapists ..................................... 22.56 3.7 34.7 22.34 4.5 40.0 – – –

Physical therapists ............................................. 26.20 7.7 27.3 23.60 7.2 40.5 31.36 5.7 16.6

Speech therapists .............................................. 22.10 12.1 37.6 21.90 12.4 40.0 – – –

Teachers, college and university ........................... 17.67 14.9 39.3 17.55 15.4 43.5 20.58 9.7 12.3

Teachers, post secondary, n.e.c. ....................... 23.84 4.3 35.9 24.10 4.3 39.8 – – –

Teachers, except college and university ................ 14.09 12.5 30.8 14.06 13.0 36.3 – – –

Elementary school teachers .............................. 17.15 12.4 39.5 17.16 12.6 40.2 – – –

Secondary school teachers ............................... 18.65 11.7 36.9 18.38 12.0 41.8 – – –

Teachers, n.e.c. ................................................. 20.20 9.5 22.8 21.61 8.8 39.0 – – –

Librarians, archivists, and curators ........................ – – – – – – – – –

Social scientists and urban planners ..................... 16.92 10.8 37.2 16.76 11.7 41.1 – – –

Economists ........................................................ 19.90 15.4 42.2 19.90 15.4 42.2 – – –

Psychologists ..................................................... 14.10 6.0 33.5 13.29 4.4 40.0 – – –

Social, recreation, and religious workers ............... 12.66 7.8 36.6 12.25 8.4 40.5 16.05 11.8 20.5

Social workers ................................................... 12.76 8.7 36.4 12.27 9.6 40.3 16.25 11.4 21.5

Recreation workers ............................................ 11.85 11.3 38.4 11.95 11.4 42.2 – – –

Lawyers and judges ............................................... 34.36 10.6 45.1 34.36 10.6 45.1 – – –

Lawyers ............................................................. 34.36 10.6 45.1 34.36 10.6 45.1 – – –

Writers, authors, entertainers, athletes, and

professionals, n.e.c. ............................................. 17.67 8.2 37.6 19.66 3.5 39.9 4.01 32.0 26.8

Designers ........................................................... 18.10 7.6 40.1 18.10 7.6 40.1 – – –

Editors and reporters ......................................... 17.76 2.1 38.7 18.10 1.9 39.9 – – –

Public relations specialists ................................. 21.54 12.6 33.6 23.80 9.1 39.0 – – –

Professional, n.e.c. ............................................ 23.36 10.4 40.0 23.36 10.4 40.0 – – –

Technical ................................................................... 17.01 2.8 36.1 17.42 3.0 38.8 12.70 2.6 20.9

Clinical laboratory technologists and

technicians ....................................................... 13.13 3.5 38.2 13.02 3.7 39.9 17.06 16.8 15.2

Radiological technicians .................................... 12.85 3.3 34.7 12.96 4.0 40.0 – – –

Licensed practical nurses .................................. 12.53 2.1 33.9 12.60 2.1 39.4 12.20 4.3 21.0

Health technologists and technicians, n.e.c. ...... 12.65 2.7 30.1 12.76 4.4 39.2 12.46 3.4 21.5

Electrical and electronic technicians .................. 16.10 3.2 38.5 16.22 3.3 39.6 – – –

Engineering technicians, n.e.c. .......................... 16.92 4.7 40.0 16.92 4.7 40.0 – – –

Drafters .............................................................. 15.43 6.5 39.5 15.46 6.9 40.9 – – –

Surveying and mapping technicians .................. 14.20 10.5 40.9 14.20 10.5 40.9 – – –

Biological technicians ........................................ 17.54 7.2 38.2 17.56 7.6 40.0 – – –

Chemical technicians ......................................... 14.37 3.0 40.0 14.37 3.0 40.0 – – –

Science technicians, n.e.c. ................................ 21.53 8.6 40.0 21.53 8.6 40.0 – – –

Airplane pilots and navigators ............................ 83.09 9.1 19.6 83.09 9.1 19.6 – – –

See footnotes at end of table.

10
Table 4. Selected occupations, Mountain, private industry: Mean hourly earnings1 for full-time and part-time workers,2 National

Compensation Survey,3 1997–Continued

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

White collar –Continued

Professional specialty and technical –Continued

Technical –Continued

Computer programmers ..................................... $24.66 3.1 42.4 $24.66 3.1 42.4 – – –

Legal assistants ................................................. 15.64 6.2 39.8 15.64 6.2 39.8 – – –

Technical and related, n.e.c. .............................. 15.55 5.8 40.1 15.65 5.7 41.1 – – –

Executive, administrative, and managerial ............... 24.85 3.4 41.7 24.95 3.4 42.0 $17.74 7.1 28.9

Executives, administrators, and managers ............ 27.09 3.3 42.4 27.12 3.4 42.5 – – –

Financial managers ........................................... 27.59 10.2 41.5 27.59 10.2 41.5 – – –

Personnel and labor relations managers ........... 27.38 6.5 40.5 27.96 6.4 41.3 – – –

Purchasing managers ........................................ 21.66 22.0 43.6 21.66 22.0 43.6 – – –

Managers, marketing, advertising, and public

relations ........................................................... 28.64 6.0 43.6 28.64 6.0 43.6 – – –

Administrators, education and related fields ...... 16.73 10.9 42.7 16.73 10.9 42.7 – – –

Managers, medicine and health ......................... 30.89 6.9 38.7 31.18 6.6 39.5 – – –

Managers, food servicing and lodging

establishments ................................................. 19.02 9.0 44.7 19.02 9.0 44.7 – – –

Managers, service organizations, n.e.c. ............ 23.84 11.6 44.9 23.84 11.6 44.9 – – –

Managers and administrators, n.e.c. ................. 28.39 3.1 42.3 28.42 3.1 42.4 – – –

Management related .............................................. 20.74 3.2 40.5 20.84 3.2 41.0 18.10 8.5 29.5

Accountants and auditors .................................. 17.63 7.7 40.2 17.63 7.7 40.2 – – –

Underwriters ...................................................... 21.33 6.1 39.3 21.33 6.1 39.3 – – –

Other financial officers ....................................... 27.92 5.5 41.4 27.93 5.5 41.6 – – –

Management analysts ........................................ 24.43 9.3 40.2 24.43 9.3 40.2 – – –

Personnel, training, and labor relations

specialists ........................................................ 19.44 2.6 41.3 19.73 2.3 41.6 – – –

Purchasing agents and buyers, n.e.c. ............... 20.19 6.5 39.9 20.19 6.5 39.9 – – –

Management related, n.e.c. ............................... 19.63 5.4 39.2 19.60 5.2 40.9 – – –

Sales ............................................................................. 12.51 5.2 34.1 14.08 4.7 40.4 7.35 5.0 22.6

Supervisors, sales ............................................. 20.00 6.5 39.9 20.63 6.7 41.0 – – –

Insurance sales .................................................. 23.35 12.6 39.4 23.35 12.6 39.4 – – –

Real estate sales ............................................... 24.60 28.9 42.3 – – – – – –

Securities and financial services sales .............. 26.69 35.5 39.4 27.95 35.8 40.7 – – –

Sales, other business services .......................... 15.46 4.4 38.0 15.22 4.7 39.1 – – –

Sales representatives, mining, manufacturing,

and wholesale .................................................. 20.45 5.0 41.7 20.45 5.0 41.7 – – –

Sales workers, motor vehicles and boats .......... 16.42 9.3 43.7 16.42 9.3 43.7 – – –

Sales workers, apparel ...................................... 6.37 9.6 24.9 – – – 5.56 3.4 22.2

Sales workers, radio, tv, hi-fi, and appliances ... 17.28 15.2 42.0 17.28 15.2 42.0 – – –

Sales workers, hardware and building supplies 9.14 1.7 36.5 9.25 1.9 40.0 – – –

Sales workers, parts .......................................... 13.52 19.3 34.3 14.16 19.3 40.0 – – –

Sales workers, other commodities ..................... 10.09 7.8 30.6 11.56 10.0 39.8 7.39 3.5 21.4

Sales counter clerks .......................................... 8.06 6.4 34.2 8.25 6.3 39.8 – – –

Cashiers ............................................................. 8.43 3.8 32.8 8.87 4.3 39.7 7.41 5.0 23.4

Sales support, n.e.c. .......................................... 12.68 14.0 38.2 13.08 13.6 40.6 – – –

Administrative support, including clerical ................ 10.36 .9 37.4 10.56 .9 39.7 8.39 1.7 23.5

Supervisors, general office ................................ 14.70 3.1 40.5 14.79 3.0 40.6 – – –

Supervisors, financial records processing ......... 16.35 3.6 40.4 16.35 3.6 40.4 – – –

Supervisors, distribution, scheduling, and

adjusting clerks ................................................ 15.35 9.6 42.4 15.33 9.7 42.9 – – –

Computer operators ........................................... 13.34 5.4 39.1 13.69 5.1 39.9 – – –

Secretaries ......................................................... 11.51 2.8 38.8 11.59 2.9 39.8 9.69 7.1 24.7

Stenographers ................................................... 11.87 1.6 35.8 12.10 1.5 40.0 – – –

Typists ............................................................... 10.89 5.8 36.8 10.59 5.9 39.5 – – –

Interviewers ....................................................... 9.34 4.0 34.8 9.43 4.0 36.7 – – –

Hotel clerks ........................................................ 7.16 4.1 35.9 7.50 .6 40.0 – – –

Receptionists ..................................................... 7.64 1.7 35.0 7.65 1.8 40.0 7.54 3.6 16.8

Information clerks, n.e.c. .................................... 9.62 4.3 36.6 9.59 4.4 36.6 – – –

Correspondence clerks ...................................... 11.36 6.8 36.5 11.39 7.7 39.6 – – –

Order clerks ....................................................... 8.51 1.7 37.8 – – – 8.23 4.6 26.7

See footnotes at end of table.

11
Table 4. Selected occupations, Mountain, private industry: Mean hourly earnings1 for full-time and part-time workers,2 National

Compensation Survey,3 1997–Continued

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

White collar –Continued

Administrative support, including clerical

–Continued

Personnel clerks, except payroll and

timekeeping ..................................................... $10.24 2.5 39.3 $10.24 2.5 39.3 – – –

File clerks ........................................................... 7.26 2.4 35.7 7.36 2.4 40.0 $6.75 7.5 22.7

Records clerks, n.e.c. ........................................ 9.91 7.1 37.4 10.02 7.7 39.8 8.36 .7 20.9

Bookkeepers, accounting and auditing clerks ... 10.26 1.6 37.7 10.41 1.7 40.0 8.81 5.8 24.4

Payroll and timekeeping clerks .......................... 10.64 8.5 40.0 10.64 8.5 40.0 – – –

Billing clerks ....................................................... 10.21 4.6 39.1 10.17 4.7 40.0 – – –

Cost and rate clerks ........................................... 12.23 13.3 34.1 12.18 14.8 38.8 – – –

Office machine operators, n.e.c. ........................ 7.63 3.5 35.9 7.90 4.5 39.7 – – –

Mail clerks, except postal service ...................... 10.23 3.9 34.6 11.72 7.1 39.9 – – –

Dispatchers ........................................................ 11.14 10.2 36.5 11.63 10.2 40.0 – – –

Production coordinators ..................................... 11.24 2.5 35.1 11.58 2.9 40.0 – – –

Traffic, shipping and receiving clerks ................. 11.54 3.8 39.8 11.58 4.0 40.2 – – –

Stock and inventory clerks ................................. 11.36 5.4 37.9 11.44 5.7 40.0 9.95 14.8 19.4

Expeditors .......................................................... 10.10 10.7 37.6 10.27 10.1 40.0 – – –

Insurance adjusters, examiners, and

investigators ..................................................... 13.51 6.5 39.1 13.51 6.5 39.3 – – –

Investigators and adjusters, except insurance ... 10.31 4.0 38.6 10.35 4.0 39.2 – – –

Bill and account collectors ................................. 10.38 5.8 38.9 10.45 5.7 40.0 – – –

General office clerks .......................................... 9.77 3.1 35.1 10.25 3.2 39.4 7.12 3.4 21.9

Bank tellers ........................................................ 10.44 4.6 34.5 10.91 5.9 40.8 – – –

Data entry keyers ............................................... 9.06 3.0 38.1 9.06 3.4 39.8 9.11 4.8 24.3

Statistical clerks ................................................. 10.92 6.1 36.4 11.02 6.5 39.5 – – –

Administrative support, n.e.c. ............................ 9.35 1.5 36.1 9.53 1.8 39.7 8.82 5.1 28.4

Blue collar ........................................................................ 11.91 2.8 38.1 12.26 2.7 40.2 7.37 3.9 22.9

Precision production, craft, and repair ...................... 15.04 3.3 39.9 15.06 3.3 40.3 11.05 8.5 14.9

Supervisors, mechanics and repairers .............. 20.06 2.1 40.0 20.06 2.1 40.0 – – –

Automobile mechanics ....................................... 20.68 9.9 40.1 20.69 9.9 40.1 – – –

Bus, truck, and stationary engine mechanics .... 16.03 5.4 40.0 16.03 5.4 40.0 – – –

Aircraft engine mechanics ................................. 18.39 11.5 40.0 18.39 11.5 40.0 – – –

Heavy equipment mechanics ............................. 17.89 5.4 39.6 18.07 5.3 40.0 – – –

Industrial machinery repairers ........................... 17.10 3.0 40.0 17.10 3.0 40.0 – – –

Machinery maintenance ..................................... 13.95 6.5 40.0 13.95 6.5 40.0 – – –

Electronic repairers, communications and

industrial equipment ......................................... 13.60 8.3 40.1 13.60 8.3 40.1 – – –

Data processing equipment repairers ................ 13.77 8.0 40.0 13.77 8.0 40.0 – – –

Telephone installers and repairers .................... 18.34 4.3 40.0 18.34 4.3 40.0 – – –

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration

mechanics ........................................................ 16.46 3.7 40.0 16.46 3.7 40.0 – – –

Mechanics and repairers, n.e.c. ......................... 14.85 2.6 39.7 14.86 2.6 39.9 – – –

Carpenters ......................................................... 15.72 8.8 41.8 15.72 8.8 41.8 – – –

Electricians ........................................................ 15.96 11.2 39.7 15.97 11.3 40.0 – – –

Painters, construction and maintenance ............ 10.62 9.1 41.2 10.62 9.1 41.2 – – –

Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters ............... 20.44 2.5 39.9 20.44 2.5 39.9 – – –

Construction trades, n.e.c. ................................. 16.76 5.7 35.5 16.86 6.1 40.6 – – –

Supervisors, production ..................................... 18.88 4.7 41.9 18.88 4.7 41.9 – – –

Machinists .......................................................... 14.67 3.0 40.0 14.67 3.0 40.0 – – –

Sheet metal workers .......................................... 11.91 9.9 40.0 11.91 9.9 40.0 – – –

Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers 8.68 3.3 40.0 8.68 3.3 40.0 – – –

Butchers and meat cutters ................................. 12.04 6.2 39.4 12.04 6.4 40.0 – – –

Bakers ................................................................ 9.73 6.6 38.8 9.76 6.7 39.7 – – –

Food batchmakers ............................................. 8.74 10.1 35.5 – – – – – –

Inspectors, testers, and graders ........................ 15.09 8.7 40.6 15.09 8.7 40.6 – – –

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ..... 9.68 2.3 39.4 9.73 2.4 39.9 7.67 6.0 26.0

Fabricating machine operators, n.e.c. ............... 11.06 2.6 40.0 11.06 2.6 40.0 – – –

Molding and casting machine operators ............ 9.37 1.8 35.4 10.60 2.7 40.0 – – –

Printing press operators ..................................... 15.39 5.2 39.2 15.23 5.4 40.0 – – –

See footnotes at end of table.

12
Table 4. Selected occupations, Mountain, private industry: Mean hourly earnings1 for full-time and part-time workers,2 National

Compensation Survey,3 1997–Continued

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Blue collar –Continued

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors

–Continued

Photoengravers and lithographers ..................... $14.76 5.8 39.1 $14.76 5.8 39.1 – – –

Laundering and dry cleaning machine operators 6.54 4.4 35.1 6.65 4.3 39.0 – – –

Packaging and filling machine operators ........... 9.40 6.2 40.0 9.40 6.2 40.0 – – –

Mixing and blending machine operators ............ 8.66 11.4 40.0 8.66 11.4 40.0 – – –

Painting and paint spraying machine operators 9.96 5.9 40.4 9.96 5.9 40.4 – – –

Photographic process machine operators ......... 11.24 5.5 38.5 – – – – – –

Miscellaneous machine operators, n.e.c. .......... 10.64 2.5 39.7 10.78 2.7 39.7 – – –

Welders and cutters ........................................... 14.35 8.1 40.5 14.35 8.1 40.5 – – –

Assemblers ........................................................ 8.11 3.1 39.4 8.10 3.1 40.0 – – –

Miscellaneous hand working, n.e.c. ................... 10.44 5.1 40.0 10.44 5.1 40.0 – – –

Production inspectors, checkers and examiners 10.09 7.5 39.1 10.26 7.8 40.0 – – –

Transportation and material moving ......................... 13.13 7.4 38.2 13.56 7.0 40.5 $7.75 10.3 22.4

Truck drivers ...................................................... 13.36 5.2 40.0 13.40 5.3 40.9 12.12 10.4 23.9

Bus drivers ......................................................... 11.68 8.6 32.4 – – – – – –

Parking lot attendants ........................................ 6.82 2.8 31.1 – – – – – –

Motor transportation, n.e.c. ................................ 6.76 5.1 32.5 7.03 5.6 40.0 6.28 4.4 24.2

Supervisors, material moving equipment ........... 16.63 6.8 40.0 16.63 6.8 40.0 – – –

Industrial truck and tractor equipment operators 14.95 11.9 39.9 14.95 12.0 40.3 – – –

Miscellaneous material moving equipment

operators, n.e.c. ............................................... 14.97 19.4 39.3 14.99 20.1 39.9 – – –

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and

laborers ....................................................................... 8.91 2.1 34.8 9.37 1.9 40.1 7.13 4.1 23.1

Groundskeepers and gardeners, except farm ... 7.57 7.5 33.6 7.38 8.4 40.0 – – –

Supervisors, handlers, equipment cleaners, and

laborers, n.e.c. ................................................. 16.25 5.9 40.0 16.25 5.9 40.0 – – –

Helpers, mechanics and repairers ..................... 10.76 9.5 40.0 10.76 9.5 40.0 – – –

Helpers, construction trades .............................. 8.34 8.2 41.2 8.34 8.2 41.2 – – –

Construction laborers ......................................... 11.69 6.4 39.7 11.69 6.4 39.7 – – –

Production helpers ............................................. 8.41 4.2 39.7 8.41 4.3 40.0 – – –

Stock handlers and baggers .............................. 7.95 4.8 29.4 9.11 3.5 40.0 6.42 9.1 21.8

Machine feeders and offbearers ........................ 10.36 11.2 38.4 10.37 11.7 40.0 – – –

Freight, stock, and material handlers, n.e.c. ...... 9.53 4.3 35.9 9.78 7.4 40.5 8.26 5.4 22.8

Garage and service station related .................... 9.92 4.8 39.5 10.13 5.2 40.0 – – –

Vehicle washers and equipment cleaners ......... 8.02 8.7 31.5 8.36 10.2 40.0 – – –

Hand packers and packagers ............................ 7.66 4.8 39.1 7.62 4.9 39.9 – – –

Laborers, except construction, n.e.c. ................. 8.93 3.6 35.5 9.36 4.0 40.0 7.52 4.6 25.9

Service .............................................................................. 6.99 1.2 32.9 7.31 1.7 38.7 5.93 1.9 22.2

Protective service .................................................. 7.73 5.2 34.1 7.99 4.8 39.8 6.67 12.6 21.8

Supervisors, guards ........................................... – – – 9.26 13.9 39.0 – – –

Guards and police, except public service .......... 7.32 4.1 34.9 7.45 2.4 39.7 6.68 15.3 22.0

Food service .......................................................... 6.24 4.3 31.9 6.74 4.0 38.4 5.14 1.9 23.1

Supervisors, food preparation and service ........ 10.54 8.4 36.6 11.56 5.2 40.3 6.53 6.2 26.9

Bartenders ......................................................... 6.22 8.6 32.3 6.56 8.1 38.9 5.46 3.8 23.4

Waiters and waitresses ...................................... 3.80 10.3 29.9 4.09 10.1 38.2 3.35 9.2 22.2

Cooks ................................................................. 7.89 4.3 35.9 8.08 4.2 37.9 6.80 3.7 27.5

Food counter, fountain, and related ................... 5.64 1.9 27.0 5.82 5.0 36.4 5.51 .8 23.0

Kitchen workers, food preparation ..................... 7.37 2.7 31.7 7.67 4.0 39.2 6.90 3.6 24.1

Waiters’/Waitresses’ assistants ......................... 4.94 4.5 32.6 5.02 4.9 38.4 4.71 4.1 23.3

Food preparation, n.e.c. ..................................... 6.45 5.8 32.2 6.75 6.9 38.7 5.40 1.7 20.6

Health service ........................................................ 7.67 2.2 32.4 7.70 1.3 38.8 7.56 7.1 19.9

Health aides, except nursing ............................. 7.41 3.6 35.5 7.33 3.3 39.7 8.69 4.8 13.1

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............ 7.73 2.6 31.8 7.82 1.3 38.6 7.46 7.2 20.7

Cleaning and building service ................................ 7.37 3.0 34.4 7.50 3.7 39.6 6.78 1.7 21.3

Supervisors, cleaning and building service

workers ............................................................ 8.78 5.3 39.7 8.78 5.3 39.7 – – –

Maids and housemen ........................................ 6.83 1.1 31.4 6.77 1.0 39.3 – – –

See footnotes at end of table.

13
Table 4. Selected occupations, Mountain, private industry: Mean hourly earnings1 for full-time and part-time workers,2 National

Compensation Survey,3 1997–Continued

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Service –Continued

Cleaning and building service –Continued

Janitors and cleaners ......................................... $7.53 4.0 36.0 $7.68 4.5 39.7 $6.47 2.5 21.8

Personal service .................................................... 7.34 7.2 33.9 7.51 7.7 37.5 6.37 9.8 21.9

Supervisors, personal service ............................ 10.89 12.3 40.3 10.89 12.3 40.3 – – –

Attendants, amusement, and recreation

facilities ............................................................ 5.94 .9 36.0 6.04 .7 39.4 5.10 4.3 21.4

Public transportation attendants ........................ 19.91 9.5 19.7 19.91 9.5 19.7 – – –

Baggage porters and bellhops ........................... 8.39 26.2 37.5 7.22 20.4 39.3 – – –

Welfare service aides ........................................ – – – 7.61 8.5 41.3 – – –

Early childhood teachers’ assistants .................. 6.43 3.2 23.6 – – – – – –

Child care workers, n.e.c. .................................. 7.38 20.2 33.4 8.63 28.6 40.0 – – –

Service, n.e.c. .................................................... 7.43 4.0 33.0 7.76 3.0 38.9 6.20 3.3 21.0

1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to employees. They

include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded are premium

pay for overtime, vacations, and holidays; nonproduction bonuses; and tips. The mean is

computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the number of workers,

weighted by hours. 2 All workers include full-time and part-time workers. Employees are classified as

working either a full-time or a part-time schedule based on the definition used by each

establishment. Therefore, a worker with a 35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered

a full-time employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in another firm, where

a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule. 3 In this census division, collection was conducted between October 1996 and April

1998. The average reference period was July 1997. 4 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used to cover all

workers in the civilian economy. For more information, see Technical Note. 5 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a percent of the

estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around a sample estimate. For

more information about RSEs, see Technical Note.

NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet publication

criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Overall occupational groups may

include data for categories not shown separately. 

14
Table 5. Selected occupations, Mountain, State and local government: Mean hourly earnings1 and weekly hours for full-time and

part-time workers,2 National Compensation Survey,3 1997

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

All .......................................................................................... $17.42 1.9 36.5 $17.99 1.9 39.7 $12.57 3.2 21.9

All excluding sales ......................................................... 17.45 1.9 36.6 18.03 1.9 39.8 12.60 3.2 21.9

White collar ...................................................................... 19.57 1.8 37.2 20.03 1.7 39.6 15.23 3.3 23.5

White collar excluding sales ...................................... 19.63 1.8 37.2 20.09 1.7 39.6 15.32 3.3 23.7

Professional specialty and technical ......................... 22.86 2.1 36.9 23.34 2.2 39.4 18.96 2.8 24.3

Professional specialty ................................................ 24.22 2.0 36.8 24.78 2.2 39.3 19.54 1.9 23.8

Engineers, architects, and surveyors ..................... 24.40 11.6 42.3 24.40 11.6 42.3 – – –

Civil engineers ................................................... 24.48 5.0 40.0 24.48 5.0 40.0 – – –

Engineers, n.e.c. ................................................ 24.70 19.4 44.0 24.70 19.4 44.0 – – –

Mathematical and computer scientists ................... 20.35 6.0 40.0 20.35 6.0 40.0 – – –

Computer systems analysts and scientists ........ 19.96 6.1 40.0 19.96 6.1 40.0 – – –

Natural scientists ................................................... 23.35 3.5 44.6 24.71 5.2 47.2 – – –

Health related ........................................................ 24.90 17.8 35.7 27.81 24.2 39.4 20.15 1.4 30.9

Registered nurses .............................................. 18.92 2.9 33.2 18.36 5.1 38.7 19.63 2.2 28.1

Teachers, college and university ........................... 28.10 5.5 36.1 29.69 5.5 40.0 21.12 5.1 25.4

Business, commerce, and marketing teachers .. 28.07 3.5 40.4 28.07 3.5 40.4 – – –

Teachers, post secondary, subject not specified 20.30 4.1 37.4 20.61 4.2 40.0 – – –

Teachers, except college and university ................ 23.52 1.5 35.7 23.84 1.5 37.8 15.46 5.4 15.0

Elementary school teachers .............................. 24.10 6.2 36.2 24.27 6.2 37.6 18.32 5.6 16.6

Secondary school teachers ............................... 24.59 1.8 36.9 24.62 1.8 37.7 – – –

Teachers, special education .............................. 17.67 3.1 39.1 17.59 3.3 40.0 – – –

Teachers, n.e.c. ................................................. 17.68 3.6 29.2 20.11 2.2 39.5 10.64 10.3 16.7

Substitute teachers ............................................ 10.73 12.1 18.5 – – – 12.53 17.0 11.2

Vocational and educational counselors ............. 30.10 13.3 34.4 30.29 13.7 35.3 – – –

Librarians, archivists, and curators ........................ 17.12 13.5 38.9 17.23 13.8 40.0 – – –

Librarians ........................................................... 17.12 13.5 38.9 17.23 13.8 40.0 – – –

Social scientists and urban planners ..................... 21.38 7.3 38.8 21.29 7.7 40.0 – – –

Psychologists ..................................................... 21.53 7.7 38.6 21.43 8.3 40.0 – – –

Social, recreation, and religious workers ............... 17.75 5.5 38.2 17.70 6.3 40.0 – – –

Social workers ................................................... 17.68 6.0 38.4 17.67 6.8 40.0 – – –

Lawyers and judges ............................................... 36.47 13.1 41.4 36.46 13.1 42.1 – – –

Lawyers ............................................................. 29.14 8.0 43.4 29.14 8.0 43.4 – – –

Writers, authors, entertainers, athletes, and

professionals, n.e.c. ............................................. 25.82 9.0 28.0 25.46 11.7 40.0 27.09 5.8 13.5

Athletes .............................................................. 10.89 20.9 22.7 – – – – – –

Technical ................................................................... 15.55 2.1 37.6 15.43 2.2 39.9 16.37 7.1 26.9

Licensed practical nurses .................................. 11.99 7.7 31.4 13.54 4.2 38.3 – – –

Health technologists and technicians, n.e.c. ...... 11.95 5.5 34.2 – – – – – –

Electrical and electronic technicians .................. 12.70 21.2 40.0 12.70 21.3 40.0 – – –

Engineering technicians, n.e.c. .......................... 17.25 5.6 38.2 15.88 8.4 40.0 – – –

Legal assistants ................................................. 13.78 6.9 40.0 13.78 6.9 40.0 – – –

Technical and related, n.e.c. .............................. 18.63 3.2 40.0 18.63 3.2 40.0 – – –

Executive, administrative, and managerial ............... 22.89 2.9 39.9 23.02 3.0 40.3 – – –

Executives, administrators, and managers ............ 25.55 4.2 40.3 25.68 4.2 40.5 – – –

Administrators and officials, public

administration .................................................. 22.60 7.0 41.3 22.60 7.0 41.4 – – –

Financial managers ........................................... 24.07 6.3 40.0 24.07 6.3 40.0 – – –

Administrators, education and related fields ...... 35.14 8.2 40.0 35.14 8.2 40.0 – – –

Managers, medicine and health ......................... 18.62 21.7 40.0 18.62 21.7 40.0 – – –

Managers, service organizations, n.e.c. ............ 14.36 16.4 37.3 16.29 18.1 40.0 – – –

Managers and administrators, n.e.c. ................. 21.66 6.5 40.2 21.66 6.5 40.2 – – –

Management related .............................................. 17.43 5.1 39.0 17.40 5.3 40.0 – – –

Accountants and auditors .................................. 12.86 13.1 40.0 12.86 13.1 40.0 – – –

Personnel, training, and labor relations

specialists ........................................................ 18.69 9.4 40.0 – – – – – –

Construction inspectors ..................................... 18.57 3.8 40.0 18.57 3.8 40.0 – – –

Inspectors and compliance officers, except

construction ..................................................... 17.78 6.8 34.3 18.17 7.0 40.0 – – –

Management related, n.e.c. ............................... 19.58 7.6 39.4 19.69 7.6 40.0 – – –

Sales ............................................................................. 9.86 8.9 30.1 10.39 14.7 35.3 – – –

See footnotes at end of table.

15
Table 5. Selected occupations, Mountain, State and local government: Mean hourly earnings1 and weekly hours for full-time and

part-time workers,2 National Compensation Survey,3 1997–Continued

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

White collar –Continued

Administrative support, including clerical ................ $11.03 4.4 36.3 $11.40 4.4 39.5 $8.13 3.1 22.4

Supervisors, general office ................................ 18.23 9.0 41.8 18.23 9.0 41.8 – – –

Secretaries ......................................................... 10.81 1.7 39.1 10.92 1.7 40.0 – – –

Receptionists ..................................................... 7.92 3.2 37.0 8.09 4.2 40.0 – – –

Library clerks ..................................................... 9.50 6.3 33.0 10.23 6.4 40.0 7.43 9.9 22.0

Records clerks, n.e.c. ........................................ 10.19 5.7 36.5 10.15 5.8 38.5 – – –

Bookkeepers, accounting and auditing clerks ... 12.24 7.3 40.0 12.24 7.3 40.0 – – –

Dispatchers ........................................................ 10.87 9.1 38.9 10.79 9.3 40.0 – – –

Eligibility clerks, social welfare ........................... 13.80 4.9 39.4 13.86 4.6 40.0 – – –

General office clerks .......................................... 10.80 4.9 37.7 11.08 5.1 40.0 8.69 3.7 26.2

Teachers’ aides ................................................. 7.67 2.5 25.1 7.91 3.3 32.6 7.43 3.7 20.6

Administrative support, n.e.c. ............................ 12.06 10.2 39.1 12.07 11.0 40.0 – – –

Blue collar ........................................................................ 13.67 3.9 36.7 14.17 4.6 40.0 9.49 3.7 21.7

Precision production, craft, and repair ...................... 17.20 3.8 39.8 17.20 3.8 39.9 – – –

Mechanics and repairers, n.e.c. ......................... 15.60 3.0 40.0 15.60 3.0 40.0 – – –

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ..... – – – – – – – – –

Transportation and material moving ......................... 11.29 5.2 34.2 11.44 6.4 40.0 10.40 3.4 18.3

Truck drivers ...................................................... 11.70 5.9 40.0 11.70 5.9 40.0 – – –

Bus drivers ......................................................... 10.49 2.1 25.4 10.58 10.5 40.0 10.40 3.4 18.3

Operating engineers .......................................... 10.31 5.4 40.0 10.31 5.4 40.0 – – –

Miscellaneous material moving equipment

operators, n.e.c. ............................................... 13.11 5.2 40.0 13.11 5.2 40.0 – – –

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and

laborers ....................................................................... 10.31 4.7 34.7 10.98 7.6 40.0 8.70 8.4 26.2

Groundskeepers and gardeners, except farm ... 9.82 5.9 34.4 10.95 11.8 40.0 7.66 2.1 27.2

Construction laborers ......................................... 9.06 9.9 31.2 – – – – – –

Laborers, except construction, n.e.c. ................. 11.96 4.1 34.7 – – – – – –

Service .............................................................................. 11.79 5.9 34.6 12.50 6.6 40.2 7.56 1.8 18.9

Protective service .................................................. 15.88 4.3 40.4 16.13 4.4 41.6 10.33 4.4 24.7

Supervisors, police and detectives .................... 19.96 7.9 41.2 19.96 7.9 41.2 – – –

Firefighting ......................................................... 14.55 3.4 48.7 14.67 3.6 49.2 – – –

Police and detectives, public service ................. 18.86 6.6 40.0 18.86 6.6 40.0 – – –

Sheriffs, bailiffs, and other law enforcement

officers ............................................................. 15.72 5.2 40.0 15.72 5.2 40.0 – – –

Correctional institution officers ........................... 11.80 5.6 40.0 11.65 5.8 40.0 – – –

Protective service, n.e.c. .................................... 11.66 10.1 29.0 13.58 11.4 40.0 9.04 5.8 21.1

Food service .......................................................... 8.18 5.7 23.6 9.82 10.9 35.3 7.11 3.0 19.4

Supervisors, food preparation and service ........ 13.72 10.3 36.7 13.72 10.3 36.7 – – –

Cooks ................................................................. 8.22 6.0 25.2 – – – – – –

Kitchen workers, food preparation ..................... 6.70 5.3 17.4 – – – – – –

Food preparation, n.e.c. ..................................... 6.81 2.3 27.4 – – – 6.95 2.7 27.6

Health service ........................................................ 8.70 4.7 33.6 8.77 4.8 40.0 7.85 6.2 10.5

Health aides, except nursing ............................. 8.09 .9 40.0 8.09 .9 40.0 – – –

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............ 8.88 6.3 30.0 9.02 6.7 39.9 7.85 6.2 10.5

Cleaning and building service ................................ 9.08 2.5 37.4 9.27 2.8 39.5 6.12 1.3 20.5

Janitors and cleaners ......................................... 8.98 1.9 37.3 9.15 2.0 39.5 6.10 1.5 19.5

See footnotes at end of table.

16
Table 5. Selected occupations, Mountain, State and local government: Mean hourly earnings1 and weekly hours for full-time and

part-time workers,2 National Compensation Survey,3 1997–Continued

Occupation4

Total Full time Part time

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Service –Continued

Personal service .................................................... $8.18 3.1 25.7 $8.70 6.5 37.4 $7.51 2.3 18.2

Attendants, amusement, and recreation

facilities ............................................................ 7.25 4.3 21.5 – – – 7.67 4.4 18.4

Early childhood teachers’ assistants .................. 6.95 2.3 21.3 8.02 4.1 38.7 6.58 4.3 18.4

Child care workers, n.e.c. .................................. 6.93 3.8 18.4 – – – 6.79 2.9 16.3

1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to employees. They

include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded are premium

pay for overtime, vacations, and holidays; nonproduction bonuses; and tips. The mean is

computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the number of workers,

weighted by hours. 2 All workers include full-time and part-time workers. Employees are classified as

working either a full-time or a part-time schedule based on the definition used by each

establishment. Therefore, a worker with a 35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered

a full-time employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in another firm, where

a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule. 3 In this census division, collection was conducted between October 1996 and April

1998. The average reference period was July 1997. 4 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used to cover all

workers in the civilian economy. For more information, see Technical Note. 5 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a percent of the

estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around a sample estimate. For

more information about RSEs, see Technical Note.

NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet publication

criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Overall occupational groups may

include data for categories not shown separately. 

17
Table 6. Occupational groups1 and levels,2 Mountain: Mean hourly earnings3 and weekly hours, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey,4 1997

Occupational group and level

Total Private industry State and local government

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

All .......................................................................................... $14.04 1.9 36.5 $12.97 2.6 36.4 $17.42 1.9 36.5

All excluding sales ......................................................... 14.17 2.0 36.7 13.02 2.6 36.7 17.45 1.9 36.6

White collar ...................................................................... 16.98 1.5 37.2 15.88 2.5 37.2 19.57 1.8 37.2

1 ..................................................................... 6.24 1.8 26.9 6.21 1.8 27.4 6.63 9.4 21.0

2 ..................................................................... 8.59 6.5 34.6 8.68 7.8 35.1 8.22 4.2 32.8

3 ..................................................................... 8.40 3.1 34.3 8.33 3.6 34.1 8.83 2.8 34.9

4 ..................................................................... 9.96 1.3 36.3 9.76 2.0 36.3 10.87 4.1 36.0

5 ..................................................................... 12.40 1.6 37.4 12.48 2.0 37.5 12.17 3.3 37.3

6 ..................................................................... 13.07 1.5 37.4 13.18 1.9 37.4 12.72 1.4 37.4

7 ..................................................................... 17.20 1.5 39.2 16.60 1.9 39.9 18.16 3.1 38.2

8 ..................................................................... 18.96 2.5 38.5 19.08 3.3 39.0 18.70 3.3 37.7

9 ..................................................................... 21.41 1.0 38.3 20.32 .7 39.2 22.68 1.3 37.2

10 ................................................................... 23.95 4.1 40.4 23.94 5.8 41.5 23.96 2.1 38.4

11 ................................................................... 28.02 1.7 38.9 29.74 1.8 39.3 25.24 2.7 38.2

12 ................................................................... 34.53 4.8 40.6 33.85 2.3 42.1 35.52 10.5 38.6

13 ................................................................... 41.17 3.7 39.6 44.72 3.3 38.6 36.58 5.0 40.9

14 ................................................................... 43.21 11.8 43.9 51.70 5.0 41.9 29.28 9.9 47.8

Not able to be leveled .................................... 27.95 12.5 34.9 24.13 15.2 36.8 33.23 14.3 32.6

White collar excluding sales ...................................... 17.71 1.5 37.7 16.70 2.3 38.0 19.63 1.8 37.2

1 ..................................................................... 6.57 2.5 25.7 6.53 2.5 26.2 6.84 9.7 23.1

2 ..................................................................... 8.96 7.7 35.6 9.17 9.4 36.5 8.26 4.3 33.0

3 ..................................................................... 8.69 1.5 35.8 8.66 1.8 36.0 8.83 2.8 35.1

4 ..................................................................... 9.99 .9 37.2 9.72 1.8 37.6 10.89 4.1 36.0

5 ..................................................................... 12.36 1.9 37.7 12.44 2.7 37.9 12.16 3.4 37.2

6 ..................................................................... 12.94 1.2 37.0 13.02 1.4 36.9 12.73 1.4 37.3

7 ..................................................................... 16.94 1.4 39.1 16.09 1.7 39.7 18.16 3.1 38.2

8 ..................................................................... 18.23 1.5 38.2 17.96 1.5 38.6 18.69 3.3 37.7

9 ..................................................................... 21.43 1.0 38.1 20.30 .7 39.0 22.68 1.3 37.2

10 ................................................................... 23.79 4.1 40.4 23.70 5.8 41.5 23.98 2.1 38.4

11 ................................................................... 27.74 1.7 38.6 29.50 2.0 38.9 25.24 2.7 38.2

12 ................................................................... 34.33 5.0 40.7 33.47 2.2 42.3 35.52 10.5 38.6

13 ................................................................... 41.17 3.7 39.6 44.72 3.3 38.6 36.58 5.0 40.9

14 ................................................................... 43.21 11.8 43.9 51.70 5.0 41.9 29.28 9.9 47.8

Not able to be leveled .................................... 27.63 13.0 34.8 23.47 15.9 36.7 33.23 14.3 32.6

Professional specialty and technical ......................... 21.58 1.3 36.9 20.52 1.3 36.9 22.86 2.1 36.9

Professional specialty ................................................ 23.22 1.4 37.1 22.19 1.4 37.4 24.22 2.0 36.8

4 ..................................................................... 6.97 1.3 14.9 – – – – – –

5 ..................................................................... 14.10 9.2 30.9 16.01 13.3 30.2 11.21 10.0 32.0

6 ..................................................................... 11.85 4.4 33.4 12.32 4.9 35.5 10.87 9.7 29.8

7 ..................................................................... 19.34 1.5 37.5 17.96 2.7 38.5 20.43 2.1 36.8

8 ..................................................................... 19.10 1.8 36.6 18.02 1.8 36.2 20.52 3.8 37.2

9 ..................................................................... 21.78 .8 36.8 19.31 1.5 37.5 23.64 1.7 36.3

10 ................................................................... 24.33 2.3 38.8 24.21 4.0 40.6 24.47 3.1 36.8

11 ................................................................... 25.74 1.9 38.2 26.94 1.5 39.1 24.23 4.3 37.0

12 ................................................................... 35.00 9.5 38.8 33.19 1.9 40.4 36.68 16.5 37.4

13 ................................................................... 39.25 4.4 39.8 42.49 3.3 38.5 36.36 5.6 41.1

14 ................................................................... 36.40 15.0 45.9 49.56 6.0 41.9 – – –

Not able to be leveled .................................... 25.36 32.3 33.3 17.57 35.8 33.9 35.29 27.6 32.5

Engineers, architects, and surveyors ..................... 26.41 3.7 41.0 26.85 3.3 40.7 24.40 11.6 42.3

8 ..................................................................... 21.70 5.8 40.0 23.13 2.8 40.0 – – –

9 ..................................................................... 20.96 3.2 41.9 20.71 4.1 42.8 21.50 4.7 40.0

10 ................................................................... 24.94 5.7 41.6 25.10 6.3 41.7 – – –

11 ................................................................... 27.40 1.6 40.0 27.61 1.6 40.1 – – –

12 ................................................................... 32.79 3.0 40.4 33.34 3.0 40.5 – – –

13 ................................................................... 40.99 3.8 40.4 40.99 3.8 40.4 – – –

14 ................................................................... 41.63 4.5 41.6 41.63 4.5 41.6 – – –

Mathematical and computer scientists ................... 24.15 2.7 40.7 24.69 2.7 40.8 20.35 6.0 40.0

7 ..................................................................... 19.67 10.8 40.0 19.67 10.8 40.0 – – –

8 ..................................................................... 16.99 6.0 40.0 16.99 6.0 40.0 – – –

9 ..................................................................... 19.35 2.9 40.1 19.99 3.3 40.1 17.89 3.7 40.0

10 ................................................................... 25.08 2.9 42.1 24.58 2.3 42.4 – – –

11 ................................................................... 28.00 3.7 40.6 28.16 4.1 40.6 – – –

12 ................................................................... 32.48 2.4 40.4 32.61 2.4 40.4 – – –

See footnotes at end of table.

18
Table 6. Occupational groups1 and levels,2 Mountain: Mean hourly earnings3 and weekly hours, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey,4 1997–Continued

Occupational group and level

Total Private industry State and local government

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

White collar –Continued

Professional specialty and technical –Continued

Professional specialty –Continued

Mathematical and computer scientists –Continued

13 ................................................................... $35.85 3.3 47.0 $35.85 3.3 47.0 – – –

Natural scientists ................................................... 23.74 3.2 43.2 24.82 8.3 39.7 $23.35 3.5 44.6

9 ..................................................................... 19.12 7.7 35.7 18.00 8.4 40.0 – – –

11 ................................................................... 19.68 11.8 40.6 – – – – – –

12 ................................................................... 23.42 21.6 39.3 30.86 3.1 38.9 – – –

13 ................................................................... 29.97 7.5 49.3 39.23 6.3 40.4 – – –

Health related ........................................................ 21.78 5.5 34.9 20.74 2.2 34.6 24.90 17.8 35.7

5 ..................................................................... 19.78 10.9 25.9 – – – – – –

6 ..................................................................... 10.83 3.7 32.6 15.23 3.4 28.8 – – –

7 ..................................................................... 17.17 3.3 36.0 17.41 3.2 36.1 – – –

8 ..................................................................... 18.08 2.3 35.2 18.09 2.1 35.1 18.01 9.6 36.5

9 ..................................................................... 19.59 1.8 34.9 19.22 2.3 35.4 20.63 1.9 33.6

10 ................................................................... 22.82 4.9 36.0 22.80 5.1 37.4 – – –

11 ................................................................... 23.20 7.9 37.9 26.79 5.7 36.3 – – –

12 ................................................................... 61.00 12.3 40.2 – – – – – –

13 ................................................................... 48.60 5.9 33.6 58.21 4.6 27.5 – – –

14 ................................................................... 55.88 18.2 31.8 66.39 12.9 40.7 – – –

Teachers, college and university ........................... 27.11 5.9 36.4 17.67 14.9 39.3 28.10 5.5 36.1

8 ..................................................................... 15.63 3.0 39.2 16.94 10.7 36.4 – – –

9 ..................................................................... 14.77 12.7 33.7 – – – – – –

10 ................................................................... 24.71 2.8 35.0 22.28 13.8 36.7 24.85 2.7 34.9

11 ................................................................... 25.85 4.2 37.8 22.92 5.1 33.5 26.02 4.8 38.1

12 ................................................................... 31.05 3.6 36.6 – – – – – –

Teachers, except college and university ................ 23.12 1.4 35.5 14.09 12.5 30.8 23.52 1.5 35.7

5 ..................................................................... 11.06 14.6 30.1 18.14 14.6 39.5 9.60 4.6 28.8

6 ..................................................................... 10.36 5.3 27.7 – – – – – –

7 ..................................................................... 21.56 2.6 36.5 21.46 22.0 31.2 21.57 2.6 36.6

8 ..................................................................... 21.53 3.1 36.6 16.52 13.6 36.7 21.62 3.2 36.6

9 ..................................................................... 25.34 2.6 36.6 19.71 7.9 35.9 25.39 2.6 36.6

Librarians, archivists, and curators ........................ 17.36 12.1 38.9 – – – 17.12 13.5 38.9

8 ..................................................................... 20.22 12.3 39.4 – – – – – –

Social scientists and urban planners ..................... 19.96 7.5 38.3 16.92 10.8 37.2 21.38 7.3 38.8

7 ..................................................................... 12.46 2.7 40.4 12.81 3.6 40.7 – – –

8 ..................................................................... 22.65 18.3 36.2 – – – – – –

9 ..................................................................... 16.64 3.7 40.2 – – – – – –

Social, religious, and recreation workers ............... 15.45 6.5 37.5 12.66 7.8 36.6 17.75 5.5 38.2

5 ..................................................................... 10.88 9.8 36.4 9.53 4.3 35.4 – – –

6 ..................................................................... 10.97 12.5 35.4 8.78 8.8 37.7 – – –

7 ..................................................................... 14.83 6.3 42.2 12.83 7.3 44.9 16.62 7.3 40.0

8 ..................................................................... 13.00 7.9 39.6 – – – – – –

9 ..................................................................... 18.61 3.3 36.9 17.83 4.8 34.1 19.04 5.0 38.5

Lawyers and judges ............................................... 35.84 10.3 42.5 34.36 10.6 45.1 36.47 13.1 41.4

12 ................................................................... 32.33 1.5 43.7 – – – – – –

Writers, authors, entertainers, athletes, and

professionals, n.e.c. ............................................. 19.46 6.9 34.9 17.67 8.2 37.6 25.82 9.0 28.0

5 ..................................................................... 12.51 17.7 31.3 12.51 17.7 31.3 – – –

6 ..................................................................... 14.61 7.8 38.0 14.76 8.4 37.8 – – –

7 ..................................................................... 15.93 6.2 38.2 15.44 7.9 37.8 – – –

9 ..................................................................... 19.70 2.7 39.8 19.72 2.7 39.9 – – –

10 ................................................................... 24.86 2.3 39.9 25.06 3.9 39.8 – – –

11 ................................................................... 22.95 2.0 26.8 – – – – – –

Not able to be leveled .................................... 11.28 34.9 30.4 11.37 42.5 33.0 10.89 20.9 22.7

Technical ................................................................... 16.59 2.1 36.5 17.01 2.8 36.1 15.55 2.1 37.6

3 ..................................................................... 9.25 2.2 33.2 9.25 2.2 33.2 – – –

4 ..................................................................... 10.52 2.4 35.9 10.60 2.7 35.3 – – –

5 ..................................................................... 13.17 2.6 36.3 13.13 2.5 36.3 13.24 5.5 36.3

6 ..................................................................... 12.93 1.1 35.3 12.34 1.7 33.1 13.86 1.3 39.2

7 ..................................................................... 15.36 1.8 39.4 14.91 1.6 39.5 16.59 4.8 39.3

8 ..................................................................... 17.79 2.3 38.6 17.99 3.3 39.5 17.31 2.7 36.9

See footnotes at end of table.

19
Table 6. Occupational groups1 and levels,2 Mountain: Mean hourly earnings3 and weekly hours, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey,4 1997–Continued

Occupational group and level

Total Private industry State and local government

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

White collar –Continued

Professional specialty and technical –Continued

Technical –Continued

9 ..................................................................... $19.86 3.7 39.2 $19.98 5.1 39.8 – – –

10 ................................................................... 24.47 5.1 37.3 23.79 7.6 36.1 – – –

11 ................................................................... 55.86 13.5 26.4 55.86 13.5 26.4 – – –

Executive, administrative, and managerial ............... 24.22 2.4 41.1 24.85 3.4 41.7 $22.89 2.9 39.9

5 ..................................................................... 14.52 4.2 38.7 15.21 5.0 40.1 12.56 7.6 35.2

6 ..................................................................... 12.93 3.6 39.8 13.74 4.8 39.7 11.67 8.5 40.0

7 ..................................................................... 15.77 2.5 40.9 15.73 3.0 41.5 15.87 5.0 39.8

8 ..................................................................... 16.53 4.1 41.6 17.79 2.9 42.5 13.31 6.3 39.5

9 ..................................................................... 21.11 1.6 40.9 21.94 1.8 41.0 19.22 3.3 40.8

10 ................................................................... 23.07 6.8 43.0 23.29 8.4 43.2 22.23 2.2 42.5

11 ................................................................... 27.40 2.1 41.3 27.94 2.9 42.2 26.66 3.0 40.0

12 ................................................................... 33.70 2.8 42.6 33.65 3.6 43.6 33.82 3.1 40.5

13 ................................................................... 42.25 3.1 40.9 43.43 4.0 41.1 – – –

14 ................................................................... 51.81 6.7 41.7 52.81 6.9 41.8 – – –

Not able to be leveled .................................... 34.44 11.3 37.3 31.17 14.4 38.6 39.27 18.3 35.6

Executives, administrators, and managers ............ 26.58 2.7 41.7 27.09 3.3 42.4 25.55 4.2 40.3

6 ..................................................................... 13.85 11.2 39.6 13.68 14.2 39.5 – – –

7 ..................................................................... 15.91 5.0 42.0 15.76 3.9 42.7 – – –

8 ..................................................................... 15.78 5.8 42.4 17.48 4.1 44.0 12.10 4.4 39.3

9 ..................................................................... 21.00 1.9 41.5 21.96 2.0 41.7 19.05 3.6 41.1

10 ................................................................... 23.87 6.9 43.5 24.52 8.7 43.3 21.41 3.2 44.5

11 ................................................................... 27.36 2.5 41.4 27.77 3.4 42.4 26.74 3.7 40.0

12 ................................................................... 33.71 2.8 42.6 33.66 3.8 43.9 33.82 3.1 40.5

13 ................................................................... 41.88 3.3 40.6 43.18 4.4 40.8 – – –

14 ................................................................... 52.74 6.9 40.8 54.22 7.0 40.9 – – –

Not able to be leveled .................................... 37.29 11.0 40.3 34.74 13.7 40.6 – – –

Management related .............................................. 19.73 2.1 40.0 20.74 3.2 40.5 17.43 5.1 39.0

5 ..................................................................... 14.74 4.3 39.2 15.05 5.0 40.1 13.74 8.5 36.6

6 ..................................................................... 12.74 4.2 39.9 13.75 6.2 39.8 11.40 7.4 40.0

7 ..................................................................... 15.70 2.6 40.4 15.71 3.4 40.6 15.70 3.7 40.0

8 ..................................................................... 17.92 2.7 40.3 18.28 3.4 40.4 – – –

9 ..................................................................... 21.31 2.7 40.0 21.91 2.5 39.9 19.62 7.2 40.0

10 ................................................................... 21.98 8.4 42.4 21.62 9.9 43.0 – – –

11 ................................................................... 27.63 4.3 40.6 29.08 2.3 41.2 26.31 5.7 40.0

12 ................................................................... 33.56 4.9 41.7 33.56 4.9 41.7 – – –

Not able to be leveled .................................... 15.52 6.3 25.0 16.15 6.0 32.0 – – –

Sales ............................................................................. 12.47 5.1 34.1 12.51 5.2 34.1 9.86 8.9 30.1

1 ..................................................................... 6.04 2.0 27.7 6.05 2.0 28.0 – – –

2 ..................................................................... 7.09 3.8 31.1 7.05 4.1 31.2 – – –

3 ..................................................................... 7.79 8.6 31.4 7.79 8.7 31.5 – – –

4 ..................................................................... 9.85 4.3 33.4 9.87 4.3 33.4 – – –

5 ..................................................................... 12.67 3.1 35.8 12.67 3.2 35.6 – – –

6 ..................................................................... 14.06 8.7 41.0 14.12 9.0 41.0 – – –

7 ..................................................................... 21.16 7.8 42.3 21.16 7.8 42.3 – – –

8 ..................................................................... 23.00 10.5 40.5 23.01 10.5 40.5 – – –

9 ..................................................................... 20.83 2.7 45.6 20.83 2.7 45.6 – – –

10 ................................................................... 27.71 17.1 41.2 28.07 17.7 41.3 – – –

11 ................................................................... 31.45 5.6 42.3 31.45 5.6 42.3 – – –

12 ................................................................... 42.47 7.3 38.8 42.47 7.3 38.8 – – –

Administrative support, including clerical ................ 10.52 1.3 37.1 10.36 .9 37.4 11.03 4.4 36.3

1 ..................................................................... 6.57 2.5 25.7 6.53 2.5 26.2 6.84 9.7 23.1

2 ..................................................................... 8.97 7.7 35.7 9.18 9.4 36.5 8.26 4.3 33.0

3 ..................................................................... 8.68 1.5 35.9 8.64 1.9 36.0 8.83 2.9 35.4

4 ..................................................................... 9.97 1.0 37.5 9.65 1.7 38.0 10.96 4.3 36.0

5 ..................................................................... 11.75 1.7 39.2 11.59 1.2 39.4 12.11 4.3 39.0

6 ..................................................................... 13.39 1.8 39.2 13.45 2.0 39.2 12.81 3.3 39.0

7 ..................................................................... 15.42 3.0 40.0 15.54 2.2 39.9 15.21 7.3 40.0

See footnotes at end of table.

20
Table 6. Occupational groups1 and levels,2 Mountain: Mean hourly earnings3 and weekly hours, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey,4 1997–Continued

Occupational group and level

Total Private industry State and local government

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

White collar –Continued

Administrative support, including clerical

–Continued

8 ..................................................................... $18.42 3.0 40.3 $18.15 3.9 40.5 – – –

9 ..................................................................... 19.72 1.8 42.2 19.60 2.2 40.6 – – –

Not able to be leveled .................................... 12.58 11.0 38.8 12.62 15.9 38.3 – – –

Blue collar ........................................................................ 12.09 2.5 38.0 11.91 2.8 38.1 $13.67 3.9 36.7

1 ..................................................................... 6.90 1.3 33.2 6.87 1.4 33.4 8.85 12.0 26.8

2 ..................................................................... 7.91 1.5 37.2 7.90 1.7 37.3 8.11 5.4 34.0

3 ..................................................................... 9.32 1.6 36.6 9.28 1.6 37.7 9.61 5.7 29.3

4 ..................................................................... 10.71 1.6 38.9 10.67 1.6 39.1 11.04 8.9 37.2

5 ..................................................................... 12.71 1.6 39.1 12.69 1.9 39.2 12.83 3.0 38.3

6 ..................................................................... 15.39 4.2 40.6 15.59 4.5 40.8 14.12 4.8 39.4

7 ..................................................................... 17.45 3.1 39.9 17.47 3.4 39.9 17.30 3.3 39.8

8 ..................................................................... 18.38 2.3 40.4 18.51 2.4 40.5 17.36 3.0 40.0

9 ..................................................................... 22.29 2.0 40.7 22.69 2.4 40.9 20.60 1.0 40.0

Precision production, craft, and repair ...................... 15.28 2.9 39.9 15.04 3.3 39.9 17.20 3.8 39.8

1 ..................................................................... 7.17 4.6 40.0 7.17 4.6 40.0 – – –

2 ..................................................................... 7.96 3.1 39.8 7.96 3.1 39.8 – – –

3 ..................................................................... 9.48 2.4 39.7 9.48 2.4 39.7 – – –

4 ..................................................................... 9.60 5.7 39.9 9.27 4.1 39.9 – – –

5 ..................................................................... 12.75 3.8 38.6 12.68 4.2 38.5 13.27 5.0 40.0

6 ..................................................................... 15.20 3.1 40.7 15.47 3.1 40.9 13.85 6.1 39.8

7 ..................................................................... 17.82 3.1 39.9 17.77 3.5 39.9 18.19 5.0 39.7

8 ..................................................................... 18.54 2.4 40.5 18.70 2.7 40.6 17.36 3.0 40.0

9 ..................................................................... 22.32 1.9 40.7 22.74 2.4 40.9 20.54 1.0 40.0

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ..... 9.70 2.3 39.4 9.68 2.3 39.4 – – –

1 ..................................................................... 6.90 3.2 38.2 6.90 3.2 38.2 – – –

2 ..................................................................... 7.73 2.3 39.6 7.72 2.4 39.6 – – –

3 ..................................................................... 8.77 3.2 39.0 8.77 3.2 39.0 – – –

4 ..................................................................... 9.58 4.0 39.8 9.58 4.0 39.8 – – –

5 ..................................................................... 12.67 4.4 39.9 12.67 4.4 39.9 – – –

6 ..................................................................... 12.39 4.9 39.9 12.32 5.2 39.9 – – –

7 ..................................................................... 16.15 6.7 39.4 16.09 7.0 39.4 – – –

Transportation and material moving ......................... 12.69 6.4 37.2 13.13 7.4 38.2 11.29 5.2 34.2

1 ..................................................................... 5.82 5.4 29.8 5.82 5.4 29.8 – – –

2 ..................................................................... 8.05 5.3 36.7 7.85 5.9 37.4 9.19 6.1 32.9

3 ..................................................................... 9.73 3.4 31.8 9.69 4.3 36.9 9.83 10.4 24.2

4 ..................................................................... 11.95 8.3 36.5 13.13 7.1 36.5 10.29 4.7 36.5

5 ..................................................................... 13.14 3.1 38.9 13.34 3.6 39.8 12.43 4.5 36.0

6 ..................................................................... 17.49 9.0 41.3 – – – – – –

7 ..................................................................... 15.71 3.6 40.3 16.09 3.2 40.4 14.53 5.4 40.0

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and

laborers ....................................................................... 9.02 2.0 34.8 8.91 2.1 34.8 10.31 4.7 34.7

1 ..................................................................... 6.95 1.6 32.0 6.91 1.6 32.2 8.85 12.0 26.8

2 ..................................................................... 8.06 3.5 33.9 8.11 3.8 34.0 7.51 6.6 33.4

3 ..................................................................... 9.50 2.4 35.4 9.52 2.5 35.5 9.43 8.8 35.0

4 ..................................................................... 11.40 1.8 39.4 11.38 1.9 39.3 11.95 1.8 40.0

5 ..................................................................... 11.61 1.8 39.3 11.38 2.2 39.1 12.55 2.5 40.0

6 ..................................................................... 15.60 4.0 39.0 15.65 4.5 40.0 – – –

Service .............................................................................. 8.15 1.3 33.3 6.99 1.2 32.9 11.79 5.9 34.6

1 ..................................................................... 5.70 2.5 30.6 5.49 2.2 31.0 7.25 7.7 27.3

2 ..................................................................... 6.40 2.4 32.0 6.29 2.4 33.1 7.33 2.6 24.4

3 ..................................................................... 7.09 2.1 33.5 6.79 2.0 33.0 8.25 2.5 35.5

4 ..................................................................... 9.01 4.3 33.2 8.95 5.3 33.5 9.25 3.6 32.4

5 ..................................................................... 10.15 2.6 39.1 9.65 2.0 38.5 10.87 6.8 39.9

6 ..................................................................... 13.79 1.9 38.4 12.12 6.6 33.2 14.75 4.7 42.2

See footnotes at end of table.

21
Table 6. Occupational groups1 and levels,2 Mountain: Mean hourly earnings3 and weekly hours, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey,4 1997–Continued

Occupational group and level

Total Private industry State and local government

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

Mean hours

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Service –Continued

7 ..................................................................... $15.99 3.4 40.5 $14.17 10.6 39.1 $16.40 3.1 40.9

8 ..................................................................... 18.23 4.1 40.4 15.29 6.5 40.5 19.39 4.9 40.4

9 ..................................................................... 19.89 4.3 42.0 – – – 19.89 4.3 42.0

10 ................................................................... 26.03 4.3 42.5 – – – 26.22 4.9 41.3

Protective service .................................................. 12.14 7.1 37.3 7.73 5.2 34.1 15.88 4.3 40.4

1 ..................................................................... 6.85 2.7 21.9 – – – – – –

2 ..................................................................... 6.48 8.9 34.6 6.48 9.0 34.7 – – –

3 ..................................................................... 8.20 5.7 33.1 7.99 8.6 33.6 8.75 9.7 31.9

4 ..................................................................... 8.18 8.6 31.3 7.41 5.7 29.5 9.99 3.6 36.5

5 ..................................................................... 10.58 6.0 40.7 9.19 6.2 40.0 12.21 3.6 41.6

6 ..................................................................... 15.29 5.0 42.0 – – – 15.26 5.1 43.2

7 ..................................................................... 15.93 3.3 40.4 – – – 16.36 3.3 40.9

8 ..................................................................... 18.70 4.3 40.3 – – – 19.41 4.9 40.4

9 ..................................................................... 19.82 5.0 42.2 – – – 19.81 5.1 42.3

10 ................................................................... 26.03 4.3 42.5 – – – 26.22 4.9 41.3

Food service ......................................................... 6.39 3.3 31.0 6.24 4.3 31.9 8.18 5.7 23.6

1 ..................................................................... 5.19 2.5 28.9 5.10 3.3 29.5 6.60 1.9 21.6

2 ..................................................................... 5.70 2.5 29.3 5.50 2.8 31.6 7.14 4.3 19.1

3 ..................................................................... 6.15 5.8 31.9 6.05 5.6 31.8 7.63 5.9 32.3

4 ..................................................................... 7.89 5.1 36.7 7.89 5.1 36.7 – – –

5 ..................................................................... 9.62 5.3 37.8 9.39 5.9 38.4 – – –

6 ..................................................................... 11.10 4.6 37.9 11.02 4.3 37.8 – – –

7 ..................................................................... 16.20 10.0 42.0 17.06 8.4 42.7 – – –

Health service ....................................................... 7.89 1.8 32.7 7.67 2.2 32.4 8.70 4.7 33.6

2 ..................................................................... 7.35 1.1 36.4 7.35 1.1 36.4 – – –

3 ..................................................................... 7.45 3.7 30.9 7.38 3.7 30.2 7.86 7.3 35.7

4 ..................................................................... 8.61 2.7 30.2 8.73 1.6 30.8 8.47 5.4 29.4

5 ..................................................................... 10.22 14.2 39.9 11.24 4.9 39.6 9.90 17.4 40.0

Cleaning and building service ................................ 7.94 2.4 35.4 7.37 3.0 34.4 9.08 2.5 37.4

1 ..................................................................... 6.59 3.8 34.9 6.19 1.4 34.9 7.67 10.3 35.0

2 ..................................................................... 7.21 1.7 31.6 7.02 1.0 30.7 7.85 3.5 35.2

3 ..................................................................... 8.15 2.9 39.0 7.74 2.2 38.9 8.61 4.0 39.2

4 ..................................................................... 9.61 2.9 38.2 9.26 1.3 37.8 – – –

5 ..................................................................... 9.59 6.6 40.0 – – – 9.57 8.8 40.0

6 ..................................................................... 13.03 4.8 40.0 – – – – – –

7 ..................................................................... 17.17 15.0 40.0 – – – – – –

Personal service .................................................... 7.45 5.9 32.5 7.34 7.2 33.9 8.18 3.1 25.7

1 ..................................................................... 5.47 3.9 30.2 5.46 4.2 32.7 5.64 1.8 13.4

2 ..................................................................... 5.98 1.2 32.2 5.94 1.3 34.3 6.39 2.0 19.2

3 ..................................................................... 6.72 5.5 34.7 6.45 4.5 35.7 7.69 2.3 31.4

4 ..................................................................... 12.54 9.0 30.5 13.10 10.2 30.7 8.45 6.8 29.2

5 ..................................................................... 10.02 6.3 36.8 10.11 7.2 36.5 – – –

6 ..................................................................... 12.84 2.3 27.1 12.72 3.0 27.6 – – –

1 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used to cover all

workers in the civilian economy. For more information, see Technical Note. 2 Each occupation for which data are collected in an establishment is evaluated based

on 10 factors, including knowledge, complexity, work environment, etc. Points are assigned

based on the occupation’s rank within each factor. The points are summed to determine the

overall level of the occupation. See the Technical Note for more information. 3 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to employees. They

include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded are premium

pay for overtime, vacations, and holidays; nonproduction bonuses; and tips. The mean is

computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the number of workers,

weighted by hours. 4 In this census division, collection was conducted between October 1996 and April

1998. The average reference period was July 1997. 5 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a percent of the

estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around a sample estimate. For

more information about RSEs, see Technical Note.

NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet publication

criteria. Occupational groups may include data for levels not shown separately.

22
23

Technical Note

The data in this report are based on the National Compensation Survey (NCS) conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics throughout the year. The surveys are locality-based and

cover establishments in private industry and State and local

governments. Bulletins are issued for individual localities

when sufficient data meet publication standards. Agriculture,

private households, and the Federal Government are excluded

from the scope of the survey.

Survey scope. In the Mountain census division, the NCS studied 931 establishments with 50 or more workers,1 representing about 19,700 establishments within the scope of the survey. (See table A.) The number of workers represented by

the survey is shown in table B. For purposes of this survey,

an establishment is an economic unit that produces goods or

services, a central administrative office, or an auxiliary unit

providing support services to a company. For private industry, an establishment is usually at a single physical location.

For State and local government, an establishment is defined

as all locations of a government entity.

Sampling frame. The list of establishments from which the

survey sample was selected (sampling frame) was developed

from the State unemployment insurance reports. The reference month for the public sector is June 1994. Due to the

volatility of industries within the private sector, sampling

frames were developed using the most recent month of reference available at the time the sample was selected. The reference month for the private sector is March 1996. The sampling frame was reviewed prior to the survey and, when necessary, missing establishments were added, out-of-business

and out-of-scope establishments were removed, and addresses,

employment levels, industry classification, and other information were updated.

Sample design and data collection. The sample for this survey was selected using a three stage design. The first stage

consists of the selection of areas. The nationwide NCS sample

includes 149 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas that represent the Nation’s 326 metropolitan statistical areas (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget) and the remaining portions of the 48 contiguous States. Metropolitan

areas are designated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA)

or Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (CMSA), as

defined in 1994 by the Office of Management and Budget.

Nonmetropolitan areas are counties that do not fit the metropolitan area definition.

The NCS locality areas that contribute to the Mountain census division are:

Bannock County, ID

Carson City County, NV

Cheyenne County, CO

Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO CMSA

Fergus County, MT

Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA

Great Falls, MT MSA

Lincoln County, WY

Phoenix-Mesa, AZ MSA

Reno, NV MSA

Yavapai County, AZ

In the second stage, the sample of establishments is drawn

by first stratifying the sampling frame by industry and ownership. The number of sample establishments allocated to each

stratum is approximately proportional to the stratum employment. Each sampled establishment is selected within a stratum with a probability proportional to its employment. Use

of this technique means that the larger an establishment’s

employment, the greater its chance of selection. Weights are

applied to each establishment when the data are tabulated so

that the establishment represents similar units (by industry

and employment size) in the economy that are not selected

for collection.

The third stage of sample selection is a probability sample

of occupations within a sampled establishment. In the Mountain region, collection was conducted between October 1996

and April 1998 with an average reference period of July 1997.

The combined average payroll reference month for all surveys that contributed to the national estimates is August 1997.

Additional information about the area sample and method of

estimation is available in the BLS publication, National Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States,

1997, Bulletin 2519.

Occupational selection and classification. Identification of

the occupations for which wage data are collected is a fourstep process:

1. Probability-proportional-to-size selection of establishment jobs

2. Classification of jobs into occupations based on the

Census of Population system

3. Characterization of jobs as full time v. part time, union

v. nonunion, and time v. incentive

4. Determination of the level of work of each job

For each occupation, wage data are collected for those workers who meet all the criteria identified in the last three steps.

 1 Establishments classified as employing between 50 and 99 workers may

include establishments with fewer than 50 workers because staff reductions

may have taken place between the time of sampling and the time of data

collection.
24

Special procedures are developed for jobs for which a correct classification or level can not be determined.

In step one, the jobs to be sampled are selected at each

establishment by the BLS field economist during a personal

visit. A complete list of employees is used for sampling, with

each selected worker representing a job within the establishment. As with the selection of establishments, the selection

of a job is based on probability proportional to its size in the

establishment. The greater the number of people working in

a job in the establishment, the greater its chance of selection.

The second step of the process entails classifying the selected jobs into occupations based on their duties. The National Compensation Survey occupational classification system is based on the 1990 Census of Population. A selected

job may fall into any one of about 480 occupational classifications, from accountant to wood lathe operator. In cases

where a job’s duties overlap two or more census classification codes, the duties used to set the wage level are used to

classify the job. Classification by primary duties is the fallback.

In step three, certain other job characteristics of the chosen workers are identified. First, the worker is identified as

holding either a full- or part-time job, based on the

establishment’s definition of those terms. Then the worker is

classified as having a time versus incentive job, depending

on whether any part of pay is directly based on the actual

production of the workers, rather than solely on hours worked.

Finally, the worker is identified as being in a union job or a

nonunion job.

The fourth step in the job classification procedure is to

determine the work level of each of the establishment’s selected jobs, using a “generic leveling” process. This process,

involving discussions between the Bureau’s field economist

and the respondent, ranks and compares all selected establishment occupations using 10 leveling factors. For more information on generic leveling and an example of using the

criteria for leveling a job, see appendixes C and D at

www.bls.gov/compub.htm or any of our published NCS

bulletins. This web site also has a link to the NCS job descriptions.

Data reliability. The data in this summary are estimates from

a scientifically selected probability sample. There are two

types of errors possible in an estimate based on a sample survey, sampling and nonsampling.

Sampling errors occur because observations come only

from a sample and not from an entire population. The sample

used for this survey is one of a number of possible samples

of the same size that could have been selected using the

sample design. Estimates derived from the different samples

would differ from each other.

A measure of the variation among these differing estimates

is called the standard error or sampling error. It indicates the

precision with which an estimate from a particular sample

approximates the average result of all possible samples. The

relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error divided by

the estimate. Tables in this report provide RSE data for indicated series.

The standard error can be used to calculate a “confidence

interval” around a sample estimate. As an example, suppose

the mean hourly earnings for all workers is $15.09 per hour

with a relative standard error of 0.6 percent for this estimate.

At the 90-percent level, the confidence interval for this estimate is $15.24 to $14.94 ($15.09 x 1.645 x 0.006 = $0.149,

round to $0.15); ($15.09 + .15 = $15.24; $15.09 - .15 =

$14.94). If all possible samples were selected to estimate the

population value, the interval from each sample would include the true population value approximately 90 percent of

the time.

Nonsampling errors also affect survey results. They can

stem from many sources, such as inability to obtain information for some establishments, difficulties with survey definitions, inability of the respondents to provide correct information, or mistakes in recording or coding the data obtained. A

Technical Reinterview Program conducted in all survey areas will be used to develop a formal quality assessment process to help compute nonsampling error. Although they also

are not specifically measured, efforts are made to minimize

nonsampling errors by the extensive training of field economists who gather survey data, edit the data by computer, and

provide a detailed review of the data.

Census area divisions. Census divisions providing data are

defined as follows: New England—Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Rhode Island;

Middle Atlantic—New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; East North Central—Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio,

and Wisconsin; West North Central—Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska;

South Atlantic—Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida,

Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia,

and West Virginia; East South Central—Alabama, Kentucky,

Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South Central—Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; Mountain—Montana,

Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and

Nevada; and Pacific—Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, and Alaska.2 Some census divisions include Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (CMSAs) and Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) that cross State lines.

Additional information about the National Compensation Survey, including a list of occupational classifications,

is available by calling (202) 691-6199. You may also write

to the Bureau of Labor Statistics at: Division of Compensation Data Analysis and Planning, 2 Massachusetts Ave.,

NE, Room 4175, Washington, DC 20212-0001, or send email to OCLTINFO@bls.gov.

The data contained in this summary are also available on

the Internet through the BLS site http://stats.bls.gov/

comhome.htm. Data are in three formats: An ASCII file con-

 2 Although Alaska and Hawaii are included in the Pacific Census Division, the 1997 NCS excluded these States.
25

taining the published table formats; an ASCII file containing

positional columns of data for manipulation as a data base or

spreadsheet; and a Portable Document Format (PDF) containing the entire summary.

Material in this summary is in the public domain and, with

appropriate credit, may be reproduced without permission.

This information is available to sensory impaired individuals

upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Information Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.
26

Table A. Number of establishments represented by the survey and number studied by industry group and establishment

employment size, Mountain, National Compensation Survey, 1997

Industry division

Number of

establishments represented1

Number of establishments studied

Total 50 - 99

workers

100 - 499

workers

500 - 999

workers

1000 -

2,499

workers

2,500 -

4,999

workers

5,000 or

more

workers

All .................................................................................................... 19,700 931 257 419 107 101 27 20

Private Industry .......................................................................... 16,800 811 242 385 85 75 16 8

Goods-producing industries ..................................................... 3,400 210 50 103 30 20 4 3

Mining .................................................................................. 200 13 3 8 2 – – –

Construction ......................................................................... 1,100 38 17 21 ––––

Manufacturing ...................................................................... 2,100 159 30 74 28 20 4 3

Durable goods ................................................................. 1,300 103 21 46 18 13 2 3

Fabricated metal products, except machinery and

transportation equipment ....................................... 100 7 2 5 ––––

Industrial and commercial machinery and computer

equipment .............................................................. 200 22 4 9 5 3 1–

Electronic and electrical equipment ............................. 400 22 2 11 6 1 – 2

Transportation equipment ............................................ 100 10 321211

Measuring, analyzing, and controlling instruments ...... 100 14 1 8 2 3– –

Nondurable goods ........................................................... 800 56 9 28 10 7 2 –

Food and kindred products .......................................... 100 13 1 5 4 3– –

Printing, publishing, and allied industries ..................... 200 17 3 8 3 2 1–

Chemicals and allied products ..................................... 300 8 1 4 1 1 1–

Service-producing industries ................................................... 13,400 601 192 282 55 55 12 5

Transportation and utilities ................................................... 1,000 52 11 216842

Wholesale trade ................................................................... 1,000 43 18 22 2 1 – –

Retail trade .......................................................................... 5,200 150 68 71 5 6 – –

Finance, insurance and real estate ...................................... 1,500 54 13 229613

Depository institutions ...................................................... 100 16 4 6 2 1– 3

Insurance carriers ............................................................ 200 18 4 8 4 2– –

Services ............................................................................... 4,600 302 82 146 33 34 7 –

Business services ............................................................ 1,400 62 14 36 10 2 – –

Educational services ........................................................ 100 34 15 18 – 1 – –

Health services ................................................................ 1,200 104 20 50 11 19 4 –

Hospitals ...................................................................... 200 39 1 9 8 17 4 –

Engineering, accounting, research, management, and

related services .......................................................... 300 21 8 9 2 2– –

State and local government ...................................................... 2,900 120 15 34 22 26 11 12

Health services ................................................................ 500 11 3 4 3 1– –

Hospitals ...................................................................... 500 9 3 2 3 1– –

1 Number of establishments represented by the survey rounded to the nearest 100. NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported. Overall industry and industry groups

may include data for categories not shown separately.
27

Table B. Number of workers1 represented by the survey, by occupational group,2 Mountain,

National Compensation Survey,3 1997

Occupational group All industries Private industry State and local

government

All ............................................................................................. 3,559,800 2,615,000 944,800

All excluding sales ................................................................ 3,269,600 2,331,000 938,600

White collar ......................................................................... 2,000,700 1,340,600 660,100

White collar excluding sales ............................................. 1,710,500 1,056,600 653,900

Professional specialty and technical ................................. 767,300 381,500 385,900

Professional specialty occupations ............................... 592,400 256,900 335,500

Technical occupations .................................................. 174,900 124,600 50,300

Executive, administrative, and managerial ....................... 278,100 182,500 95,600

Sales ................................................................................. 290,300 284,000 6,200

Administrative support, including clerical .......................... 665,100 492,600 172,400

Blue collar ........................................................................... 757,300 673,800 83,500

Precision production, craft, and repair .............................. 273,300 242,800 30,500

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors .............. 160,900 158,900 –

Transportation and material moving ................................. 111,400 79,500 31,800

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ...... 211,800 192,600 19,200

Service ................................................................................. 801,800 600,600 201,200

1 Number of workers represented by the survey are rounded

to the nearest 100. Estimates of the number of workers provide a

description of size and composition of the labor force included in

the survey. Estimates are not intended, however, for comparison

with other statistical series to measure employment trends or

levels. Both full-time and part-time workers were included in the

survey. 2 A classification system including about 480 individual

occupations is used to cover all workers in the civilian economy.

For more information, see Technical Note. 3 In this census division, collection was conducted between

October 1996 and April 1998. The average reference period was

July 1997.

NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data

did not meet publication criteria.