Full text of 1997 : Text File, USDL - 99-232
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Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information: (202) 606-6567 USDL 99-232
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 606-5902 Wednesday, August 25, 1999
AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY LEVELS IN METROPOLITAN AREAS, 1997
Average annual pay of employees within the nation's 315 metropolitan
areas increased by 4.9 percent from 1996 to 1997, according to data from
the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. The over-
the-year gain was the largest since 1992, when average annual pay increased
by 5.4 percent. (See chart 1.) Annual pay in metropolitan areas averaged
$31,717 in 1997, up from $30,238 in 1996.
Average annual pay for the entire nation, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan
areas combined, was $30,336 in 1997, a 4.8 percent increase from 1996.
(Average annual pay by state and industry for 1997 was issued on June 23,1999,
in USDL 99-171.)
Average annual pay data are compiled from reports submitted by employers
subject to state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) laws covering
121.1 million full- and part-time workers. Average annual pay is computed
by dividing the total annual payrolls of employees covered by UI programs
by the average monthly number of these employees. (See Technical Note
beginning on page 5.) Pay differences between areas reflect the varying
composition of employment by occupation, industry, and hours of work, as
well as other factors. Similarly, over-the-year pay changes may reflect
shifts in these characteristics, as well as changes in the level of average
pay. Table 1 of this release contains pay data for 321 Metropolitan and
Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas within the United States and Puerto
Rico; table 2 includes averages and rankings for the 18 areas designated as
Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas. (See Technical Note for
definitions.) This is the first year that the Bureau of Labor Statistics
has published average annual pay for metropolitan areas within Puerto Rico.
The data for the metropolitan areas within Puerto Rico are not included in
the averages for all metropolitan areas.
Metropolitan and Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas
San Jose, Calif., the hub of Silicon Valley, led the nation with an
average annual pay level of $48,702 in 1997. (See table 1.) New York,
N.Y., had the second highest average annual pay level ($47,281), followed
by San Francisco, Calif. ($42,583), New Haven-Bridgeport-Stamford-Waterbury-
Danbury, Conn. ($42,485), and Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, N.J. ($41,796).
Average pay levels in these five metropolitan areas ranged from 32 to
54 percent above the average for all metropolitan areas in the nation. All
of these MSAs have ranked in the top 10 for average annual pay for the last
10 years. Seven of the top 10 average annual pay levels were found in
metropolitan areas that are part of the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long
Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Conn.-Pa. consolidated metropolitan statistical area. Of
the 315 metropolitan areas, 35 reported average annual pay levels above the
national metropolitan pay average of $31,717. These 35 MSAs accounted for
41 percent of total employment and 49 percent of total wages.
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Excluding MSAs within Puerto Rico, Jacksonville, N.C., continued to
record the lowest average annual pay among metropolitan areas in 1997
($18,960). The second lowest pay occurred in Yuma, Ariz. ($19,467),
followed by Myrtle Beach, S.C. ($19,527), McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Tex.
($19,779), and Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, Tex. ($20,041).
The largest percentage increase in average annual pay from 1996 to 1997
occurred in San Jose, Calif. (8.7 percent). General pay gains within
manufacturing contributed to the increase in this MSA�s average annual pay.
The next largest increase was in Racine, Wis. (8.5 percent), followed by
Austin-San Marcos, Tex. (8.2 percent). Both Jacksonville, N.C., and
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash., reported increases of 8.1 percent,
followed by Houma, La. (7.9 percent.) (Growth in average annual pay for
the Jacksonville, N.C., MSA was partially the result of reporting changes
by the Department of Defense.) From 1996 to 1997, average annual pay
declined in one metropolitan area. Steubenville-Weirton, Ohio-W.Va.,
experienced a drop of 3.0 percent due to a strike in manufacturing. Only
one metropolitan area, Killeen-Temple, Tex., experienced pay growth of less
than 1.0 percent (0.3 percent).
Comparison of Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas
Average annual pay within the nation's nonmetropolitan areas rose
4.3 percent in 1997, compared with 4.9 percent in metropolitan areas.
(See chart 2.) Average annual pay in nonmetropolitan areas in 1997 was
$23,846, up from $22,871 in 1996. In 1997, nonmetropolitan average annual
pay was $7,871 less than metropolitan average annual pay, a difference of
25 percent. In 1996, the difference was 24 percent. The difference between
nonmetropolitan and metropolitan pay has been gradually widening over the
years. In 1980, the difference between the two pay levels amounted to
approximately 16 percent. A difference of 21 percent was reported in 1987.
With the exceptions of 1994 and 1993, growth in total metropolitan
average annual pay has outpaced that of nonmetropolitan average annual pay.
(MSA historical data are not directly comparable due to revisions of metro-
politan area definitions.) Metropolitan pay grew faster than nonmetropolitan
pay in both the private and public sectors in 1997. In the private sector,
metropolitan average annual pay grew at a rate of 5.2 percent, while non-
metropolitan pay increased 4.8 percent. Within the public sector, metro-
politan average annual pay increased 3.3 percent, versus 2.6 percent for
nonmetropolitan pay.
Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas
Average annual pay for the nation�s 18 consolidated metropolitan
statistical areas (CMSAs) rose by 5.2 percent from 1996 to 1997, from
$34,061 to $35,818. (See table 2.) This was the largest percentage
increase since 1992. From 1987 to 1997, there has been a slight increase
in the difference between the highest and lowest paid CMSAs. In 1987,
there was a difference of approximately 28 percent. In 1997, the reported
difference was 32 percent.
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For the 11th consecutive year, the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long
Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Conn.-Pa., consolidated metropolitan area had the highest
pay level, $42,096. The next highest pay level was recorded in San Francisco-
Oakland-San Jose, Calif. ($40,618), followed by Detroit-Ann Arbor- Flint,
Mich. ($36,402), Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, Mass.-N.H.
($36,210), and Washington-Baltimore, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va. ($36,055).
Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla., had the lowest average annual pay level
($28,784) of the consolidated metropolitan areas for the fourth consecutive
year. Cincinnati-Hamilton, Ohio-Ky.-Ind., had the second lowest ($30,288),
followed by Milwaukee-Racine, Wis. ($30,644), Cleveland-Akron, Ohio
($30,650), and Portland-Salem, Ore.-Wash. (30,708).
The highest percentage increase in average annual pay from 1996 to
1997, 7.5 percent, was reported in Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, Wash. The
next largest increases were in San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif.
(7.0 percent), Dallas-Fort Worth, Tex. (6.0 percent), Houston-Galveston-
Brazoria, Tex. (5.9 percent), and Milwaukee-Racine, Wis. (5.8 percent).
None of the 18 consolidated metropolitan areas reported a decline in
average annual pay in 1997. The smallest increase occurred in Miami-Fort
Lauderdale, Fla. (2.6 percent), followed by Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, Mich.
(3.8 percent), Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md.
(3.9 percent), Los Angeles- Riverside-Orange County, Calif. (4.3 percent),
and Cleveland-Akron, Ohio (4.4 percent).
Technical Note
These data are the product of a federal-state cooperative program known
as Covered Employment and Wages, or the ES-202 program. The data are
derived from summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by
unemployment insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Employment
Security Agencies (SESAs). The summaries are a by-product of the
administration of state unemployment insurance programs that require most
employers to pay quarterly taxes based on the employment and wages of
workers covered by UI. Data for 1997 are preliminary and subject to
revision. Effective with third-quarter 1997 processing, employment and
wage totals were generated using new systems in each of the states and
at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the first year that BLS has
published annual pay data for metropolitan areas within Puerto Rico in this
release.
Coverage
Employment and wage data for workers covered by state UI laws and for
federal civilian workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for
Federal Employees (UCFE) program are compiled from quarterly contribution
reports submitted to the SESAs by employers. In addition to the quarterly
contribution reports, employers who operate multiple establishments within
a state complete a questionnaire, called the "Multiple Worksite Report,"
which provides detailed information on the location and industry of each of
their establishments. Average annual pay data included in this release are
derived from microdata summaries of nearly 7.5 million employer reports of
employment and wages submitted by states to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
These reports are based on place of employment rather than place of
residence.
UI and UCFE coverage is broad and basically comparable from state to
state. In 1997, UI and UCFE programs covered workers in 121.1 million
jobs. The estimated 115.8 million workers in these jobs, (after adjustment
for multiple jobholders), represented 97.4 percent of wage and salary
civilian employment. Multiple job holder estimates are produced by the
Current Population Survey (CPS). Covered workers received $3.673 trillion
in pay, representing 94.4 percent of the wage and salary component of
personal income and 45.3 percent of the gross domestic product. About
82 percent of all covered workers were employed in metropolitan areas.
Total wages of workers in metropolitan areas comprised approximately
86 percent of all covered wages in the United States.
Major exclusions from UI coverage during 1997 included most agricultural
workers on small farms, all members of the Armed Forces, elected officials
in most states, most employees of railroads, some domestic workers, most
student workers at schools, and employees of certain small nonprofit
organizations.
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Concepts and methodology
Average annual pay was computed by dividing total annual pay of
employees covered by UI programs by the average monthly number of these
employees. Included in the annual payroll data are bonuses, the cash value
of meals and lodging when supplied, tips and other gratuities, and, in some
states, employer contributions to certain deferred compensation plans, such
as 401(k) plans, and stock options. Monthly employment is based on the
number of workers who worked during or received pay for the pay period
including the 12th of the month. With few exceptions, all employees of
covered firms are reported, including production and sales workers,
corporation officials, executives, supervisory personnel, and clerical
workers. Workers on paid vacation and part-time workers are also included.
Percent changes in average annual pay were computed using final 1996 data
as the base. These final 1996 data may differ from the preliminary 1996
data previously published.
Average annual pay is affected by the ratio of full-time to part-time
workers as well as the number of individuals in high-paying and low-paying
occupations. When comparing average annual pay levels among metropolitan
areas, these factors should be taken into consideration. Annual pay
data only approximate annual earnings because an individual may not be
employed by the same employer all year or may work for more than one
employer. Also, year-to-year changes in average annual pay can result from
a change in the proportion of employment in high- and low-wage jobs, as
well as from changes in the level of average annual pay.
In order to insure the highest possible quality of data, SESAs verify
with employers and update, if necessary, the industry, location, and
ownership classifications of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes
in establishment classification codes resulting from the verification
process are introduced with the data reported for the first quarter of the
year. Changes resulting from improved employer reporting are also introduced
in the first quarter. For these reasons, some data, especially at more
detailed geographic levels, may not be strictly comparable with earlier
years. In 1997, effective with first quarter, improved Department of Defense
civilian employment and wages were centrally collected from a new data source.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines metropolitan areas
for use in federal statistical activities and updates these definitions as
needed each summer. Data in this release use metropolitan area criteria
established by OMB in definitions issued June 30, 1996 (OMB Bulletin
No.96-08). These definitions reflect information obtained from the 1990
Decennial Census and the 1992 and 1994 Bureau of the Census population
estimates. Metropolitan statistical area definitions are typically
redefined on a yearly basis. Over the past 11 years, changes to metropo-
litan area definitions have occurred in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993,
1994, 1995, and 1996. A complete list of metropolitan area definitions is
available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Document
Sales, 5205 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Va. 22161, telephone 703-487-4650.
Generally speaking, a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is a free-
standing urban area that meets a specified size criteria. Primary
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (PMSAs) are free-standing areas within very
large MSAs. Once an area is identified as a PMSA, the term MSA no longer
is used to describe the area. The large metropolitan area that is the sum
of the PMSAs is called a Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA).
The set of areas known as MSAs, PMSAs, and CMSAs are collectively
designated and referred to as metropolitan areas. Non-metropolitan areas
include counties which do not fall within defined metropolitan areas.
Covered employment and wage data includes establishments classified as
foreign locations, out-of-state locations, and unknown locations in
nonmetropolitan areas.
Current metropolitan area definitions are based on standards published
in the Federal Register on March 30, 1990 (55 FR12154-12160). Under the
1990 standards, an area qualifies for recognition as an MSA in one of two
ways: (1) if it includes a city of at least 50,000 population, or (2) if
it includes a Bureau of the Census-defined urbanized area (of at least
50,000 population) and has a total metropolitan population of at least
100,000 (75,000 in New England). In addition to the county(ies) containing
the main city or urbanized area, an MSA may include additional counties
that have strong economic and social ties to the central county(ies) and
meet other specified requirements of metropolitan character. The ties are
determined chiefly by census data on commuting to work. An MSA may contain
more than one city of 50,000 population and may cross state lines.
An area that meets these requirements for recognition as an MSA but also
has a total population of one million or more may be recognized as a CMSA
if: (1) separate component areas can be identified within the entire area
by meeting specified statistical criteria, and (2) local opinion indicates
there is support for the component areas. If recognized, the component
areas are designated PMSAs, and the entire area becomes a CMSA. If no PMSAs
are recognized, the entire area is an MSA.
OMB defines metropolitan areas in terms of entire counties, except in
the six New England states where they are defined in terms of cities and
towns. New England data in this news release, however, are based on a
county concept defined by OMB as New England County Metropolitan Areas
(NECMAs) because county-level data are the most detailed available from the
Covered Employment and Wages program. NECMAs are county-based alternatives
to the city- and town-based metropolitan areas in New England. The NECMA
for an MSA or CMSA includes: (1) the county containing the first-named
city in that MSA/CMSA title (this county may include the first-named cities
of other MSAs/CMSAs), and (2) each additional county having at least half
its population in the MSA(s)/CMSA(s) whose first-named cities are in the
county identified in step 1.
Additional statistics and other information
Average annual employment and pay data by state and county are available
upon request from the Division of Occupational and Administrative Statistics,
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC 20212,
telephone 202-606-6567, and e-mail (202_info@bls.gov). BLS now issues three
other reports which provide data from state UI and UCFE programs. A news
release on average annual pay by state and industry was issued on
June 23, 1999 (USDL 99-171). Also published from this program is the com-
prehensive bulletin, Employment and Wages, which features information by
detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and
all states. Employment and Wages Annual Averages, 1997 is now available for
sale from the BLS Publications Sales Center, P.O. Box 2145, Chicago, Illinois
60690. The news release for 1997 employment and average annual average pay
for large counties is scheduled to be released in the summer of 1999.
This news release, along with other BLS statistics and information, is
available via the Internet at the BLS World Wide Web site
(http://stats.bls.gov.newsrels.htm). Information in this release will be
made available to sensory-impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone:
202-606-STAT; TDD phone: 202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone number:
1-800-326-2577.
Table 1. Average annual pay for 1996 and 1997 for all covered workers 1/ by metropolitan area
Average Annual Pay Ranking of areas
Metropolitan area /2 Percent By level of
change average annual
1996 1997 1996-97 3/ pay for 1997
Metropolitan areas /4 $ 30,238 $ 31,717 4.9 ---
Abilene, Tex. 21,035 21,942 4.3 297
Aguadilla, P.R. 14,282 15,380 7.7 318
Akron, Ohio 28,090 29,083 3.5 81
Albany, Ga. 24,827 25,408 2.3 189
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y. 28,712 29,725 3.5 65
Albuquerque, N.M. 25,834 27,011 4.6 137
Alexandria, La. 21,995 22,710 3.3 279
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa. 28,759 29,699 3.3 66
Altoona, Pa. 22,675 23,444 3.4 265
Amarillo, Tex. 23,073 24,012 4.1 244
Anchorage, Alaska 33,501 34,788 3.8 22
Ann Arbor, Mich. 31,041 32,643 5.2 32
Anniston, Ala. 22,366 22,862 2.2 276
Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, Wis. 27,105 28,362 4.6 103
Arecibo, P.R. 13,703 14,117 3.0 321
Asheville, N.C. 23,735 24,645 3.8 220
Athens, Ga. 23,317 24,385 4.6 226
Atlanta, Ga. 31,337 33,259 6.1 29
Atlantic-Cape May, N.J. 27,513 27,927 1.5 108
Augusta-Aiken, Ga.-S.C. 25,968 26,937 3.7 139
Austin-San Marcos, Tex. 28,702 31,059 8.2 44
Bakersfield, Calif. 24,315 25,398 4.5 190
Baltimore, Md. 29,957 31,326 4.6 40
Bangor, Maine 23,523 24,642 4.8 221
Barnstable-Yarmouth, Mass. 24,154 25,132 4.1 198
Baton Rouge, La. 26,015 26,994 3.8 138
Beaumont-Port Arthur, Tex. 27,326 28,575 4.6 94
Bellingham, Wash. 23,307 23,904 2.6 247
Benton Harbor, Mich. 25,864 27,679 7.0 110
Bergen-Passaic, N.J. 36,845 38,509 4.5 8
Billings, Mont. 23,491 24,529 4.4 223
Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula, Miss. 23,212 24,159 4.1 234
Binghamton, N.Y. 26,905 27,668 2.8 111
Birmingham, Ala. 28,511 29,637 4.0 67
Bismarck, N.D. 22,617 23,286 3.0 268
Bloomington, Ind. 23,310 24,221 3.9 232
Bloomington-Normal, Ill. 29,970 30,587 2.1 52
Boise City, Idaho 26,339 27,130 3.0 132
Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, Mass.-N.H. 34,357 36,210 5.4 15
Boulder-Longmont, Colo. 30,968 33,198 7.2 30
Brazoria, Tex. 30,781 32,205 4.6 34
Bremerton, Wash. 25,954 27,557 6.2 115
Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, Tex. 19,056 20,041 5.2 311
Bryan-College Station, Tex. 20,683 21,582 4.3 303
Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y. 27,607 28,362 2.7 102
Burlington, Vt. 27,724 28,954 4.4 86
Caguas, P.R. 15,646 16,299 4.2 317
Canton-Massillon, Ohio. 25,110 26,086 3.9 166
Casper, Wyo. 23,200 24,137 4.0 236
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 27,523 29,076 5.6 82
Champaign-Urbana, Ill 24,982 25,826 3.4 172
Charleston-North Charleston, S.C 23,168 24,122 4.1 237
Charleston, W.Va 26,697 27,487 3.0 120
Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, N.C.-S.C. 29,287 30,826 5.3 48
Charlottesville, Va. 25,699 26,557 3.3 148
Chattanooga, Tenn.-Ga. 25,460 26,744 5.0 145
Cheyenne, Wyo. 21,998 23,013 4.6 272
Chicago, Ill. 33,910 35,894 5.9 16
Chico-Paradise, Calif. 21,021 22,117 5.2 292
Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. 29,022 30,492 5.1 54
Clarksville-Hopkinsville, Tenn.-Ky. 21,510 22,210 3.3 289
Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria, Ohio. 29,705 31,089 4.7 43
Colorado Springs, Colo. 25,771 27,296 5.9 125
Columbia, Mo. 23,920 24,453 2.2 225
Columbia, S.C. 24,481 25,477 4.1 186
Columbus, Ga.-Ala. 22,863 24,239 6.0 230
Columbus, Ohio. 27,878 29,453 5.7 72
Corpus Christi, Tex. 24,976 25,634 2.6 178
Cumberland, Md.-W.Va. 22,723 23,445 3.2 264
Dallas, Tex. 32,983 35,012 6.2 18
Danville, Va. 22,173 23,175 4.5 269
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa-Ill. 26,483 28,463 7.5 98
Dayton-Springfield, Ohio. 28,486 30,312 6.4 59
Daytona Beach, Fla. 21,220 22,001 3.7 295
Decatur, Ala. 25,842 26,877 4.0 141
Decatur, Ill. 28,425 29,525 3.9 69
Denver, Colo. 31,614 33,374 5.6 28
Des Moines, Iowa 27,525 29,171 6.0 80
Detroit, Mich. 35,747 37,126 3.9 11
Dothan, Ala. 23,260 24,220 4.1 233
Dover, Del. 24,176 24,824 2.7 211
Dubuque, Iowa. 24,745 25,438 2.8 188
Duluth-Superior, Minn.-Wis. 24,221 24,881 2.7 208
Dutchess County, N.Y. 30,546 31,104 1.8 42
Eau Claire, Wis. 22,148 23,163 4.6 270
El Paso, Tex. 21,834 22,748 4.2 278
Elkhart-Goshen, Ind. 26,333 27,208 3.3 127
Elmira, N.Y. 24,358 24,968 2.5 205
Enid, Okla. 20,630 21,539 4.4 304
Erie, Pa. 25,941 26,795 3.3 144
Eugene-Springfield, Ore. 24,152 25,166 4.2 196
Evansville-Henderson, Ind.-Ky. 25,322 26,691 5.4 146
Fargo-Moorhead, N.D.-Minn. 22,973 23,816 3.7 251
Fayetteville, N.C. 22,508 23,574 4.7 257
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark. 23,003 24,347 5.8 228
Flagstaff, Ariz.-Utah. 21,440 22,142 3.3 291
Flint, Mich. 33,294 33,640 1.0 26
Florence, Ala. 22,810 23,562 3.3 258
Florence, S.C. 23,440 24,224 3.3 231
Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo 26,166 27,413 4.8 123
Fort Lauderdale, Fla 27,546 28,401 3.1 100
Fort Myers-Cape Coral, Fla 23,246 24,112 3.7 239
Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie, Fla 23,589 24,734 4.9 217
Fort Smith, Ark.-Okla. 21,980 22,921 4.3 274
Fort Walton Beach, Fla. 20,657 21,921 6.1 298
Fort Wayne, Ind. 26,463 27,595 4.3 113
Fort Worth-Arlington, Tex. 28,515 30,040 5.3 60
Fresno, Calif. 21,703 22,606 4.2 281
Gadsden, Ala. 23,256 24,029 3.3 243
Gainesville, Fla. 22,348 23,505 5.2 261
Galveston-Texas City, Tex. (5) 26,926 (5) 140
Gary, Ind. 28,505 29,068 2.0 83
Glens Falls, N.Y. 24,324 25,161 3.4 197
Goldsboro, N.C. 21,417 22,070 3.0 293
Grand Forks, N.D.-Minn. 20,476 21,944 7.2 296
Grand Junction, Colo. 22,715 23,613 4.0 254
Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, Mich. 28,486 29,632 4.0 68
Great Falls, Mont. 21,072 21,781 3.4 300
Greeley, Colo. 24,527 25,273 3.0 193
Green Bay, Wis. 27,118 28,916 6.6 88
Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, N.C. 26,123 27,173 4.0 130
Greenville, N.C. 23,466 24,800 5.7 212
Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, S.C. 25,431 26,475 4.1 149
Hagerstown, Md. 24,393 25,499 4.5 184
Hamilton-Middletown, Ohio 27,629 28,787 4.2 90
Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, Pa. 27,776 28,829 3.8 89
Hartford, Conn. 34,844 36,643 5.2 12
Hattiesburg, Miss. 21,774 22,623 3.9 280
Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, N.C. 22,498 23,580 4.8 256
Honolulu, Hawaii 28,336 29,511 4.1 70
Houma, La. 24,096 25,994 7.9 168
Houston, Tex. 32,895 34,930 6.2 19
Huntington-Ashland, W.Va.-Ky.-Ohio. 23,922 24,784 3.6 214
Huntsville, Ala. 31,472 32,543 3.4 33
Indianapolis, Ind. 29,133 30,517 4.8 53
Iowa City, Iowa. 25,536 26,408 3.4 154
Jackson, Mich. 27,579 28,566 3.6 95
Jackson, Miss. 24,906 26,145 5.0 161
Jackson, Tenn. 24,591 25,624 4.2 179
Jacksonville, Fla. 26,375 27,422 4.0 122
Jacksonville, N.C. 17,534 18,960 8.1 315
Jamestown, N.Y. 22,807 23,558 3.3 259
Janesville-Beloit, Wis. 27,832 29,457 5.8 71
Jersey City, N.J. 36,833 38,455 4.4 10
Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va. 24,492 24,922 1.8 206
Johnstown, Pa. 21,564 22,403 3.9 287
Jonesboro, Ark.. 21,942 22,980 4.7 273
Joplin, Mo. 21,932 22,910 4.5 275
Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Mich. 28,611 29,434 2.9 74
Kankakee, Ill. 25,213 26,240 4.1 159
Kansas City, Mo.-Kan. 28,772 29,819 3.6 64
Kenosha, Wis. 26,228 27,183 3.6 129
Killeen-Temple, Tex 22,419 22,487 0.3 283
Knoxville, Tenn 25,340 26,367 4.1 156
Kokomo, Ind 34,787 35,815 3.0 17
LaCrosse, Wis.-Minn. 23,002 23,961 4.2 246
Lafayette, Ind. 25,992 27,465 5.7 121
Lafayette, La. 23,955 25,671 7.2 176
Lake Charles, La. 26,059 27,067 3.9 135
Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla. 24,106 25,019 3.8 204
Lancaster, Pa. 26,467 27,272 3.0 126
Lansing-East Lansing, Mich. 29,101 30,688 5.5 50
Laredo, Tex. 20,387 21,473 5.3 307
Las Cruces, N.M. 20,372 21,477 5.4 306
Las Vegas, Nev.-Ariz. 27,331 28,202 3.2 105
Lawrence, Kan. 21,198 21,913 3.4 299
Lawton, Okla. 20,916 21,497 2.8 305
Lewiston-Auburn, Maine 22,495 23,460 4.3 263
Lexington, Ky. 25,746 27,027 5.0 136
Lima, Ohio 25,013 25,819 3.2 173
Lincoln, Neb. 24,018 25,182 4.8 194
Little Rock-North Little Rock, Ark. 25,389 26,431 4.1 153
Longview-Marshall, Tex. 23,983 24,795 3.4 213
Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif. 33,476 34,846 4.1 20
Louisville, Ky.-Ind. 26,635 27,616 3.7 112
Lubbock, Tex. 22,721 23,437 3.2 266
Lynchburg, Va. 23,946 25,042 4.6 203
Macon, Ga. 24,766 26,436 6.7 151
Madison, Wis. 27,191 28,474 4.7 97
Mansfield, Ohio 24,535 25,712 4.8 174
Mayaguez, P.R. 13,741 14,604 6.3 320
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Tex. 18,928 19,779 4.5 312
Medford-Ashland, Ore. 22,679 23,299 2.7 267
Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, Fla. 27,370 28,499 4.1 96
Memphis, Tenn.-Ark.-Miss. 27,909 29,269 4.9 78
Merced, Calif. 20,909 21,650 3.5 302
Miami, Fla. 28,382 29,030 2.3 85
Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, N.J. 39,630 41,796 5.5 5
Milwaukee-Waukesha, Wis. 29,076 30,673 5.5 51
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis. 31,935 33,577 5.1 27
Mobile, Ala. 24,252 25,179 3.8 195
Modesto, Calif. 23,738 24,908 4.9 207
Monmouth-Ocean, N.J. 29,919 31,506 5.3 38
Monroe, La. 23,389 24,060 2.9 241
Montgomery, Ala. 24,508 25,323 3.3 192
Muncie, Ind. 25,144 26,400 5.0 155
Myrtle Beach, S.C. 18,551 19,527 5.3 313
Naples, Fla. 23,728 25,500 7.5 183
Nashville, Tenn. 28,143 29,880 6.2 62
Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y. 32,879 34,341 4.4 24
New Haven-Bridgeport-Stamford-Waterbury-Danbury, Conn. 39,495 42,485 7.6 4
New London-Norwich, Conn. 32,003 33,043 3.3 31
New Orleans, La. 26,116 27,555 5.5 116
New York, N.Y. 45,007 47,281 5.1 2
Newark, N.J. 38,894 40,411 3.9 6
Newburgh, N.Y.-Pa. 25,593 25,850 1.0 170
Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, Va.-N.C. 24,183 25,115 3.9 200
Oakland, Calif. 34,427 36,377 5.7 13
Ocala, Fla. 21,677 22,473 3.7 285
Odessa-Midland, Tex. 25,902 27,542 6.3 117
Oklahoma City, Okla. 24,294 25,130 3.4 199
Olympia, Wash. 26,575 27,377 3.0 124
Omaha, Neb.-Iowa 25,964 27,588 6.3 114
Orange County, Calif. 32,179 33,767 4.9 25
Orlando, Fla. 25,206 26,303 4.4 157
Owensboro, Ky. 22,209 23,525 5.9 260
Panama City, Fla. 21,121 22,504 6.5 282
Parkersburg-Marietta, W.Va.-Ohio 24,685 25,668 4.0 177
Pensacola, Fla. 23,245 23,888 2.8 248
Peoria-Pekin, Ill. 27,842 29,434 5.7 73
Philadelphia, Pa.-N.J. 33,076 34,375 3.9 23
Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz. 27,826 29,301 5.3 76
Pine Bluff, Ark. 22,738 23,820 4.8 250
Pittsburgh, Pa. 29,060 30,363 4.5 57
Pittsfield, Mass. 26,298 27,936 6.2 107
Pocatello, Idaho 21,391 22,025 3.0 294
Ponce, P.R. 14,367 14,899 3.7 319
Portland, Maine 26,379 27,541 4.4 118
Portland-Vancouver, Ore.-Wash. 29,935 31,606 5.6 36
Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket, R.I. 27,330 28,615 4.7 93
Provo-Orem, Utah 23,480 23,842 1.5 249
Pueblo, Colo. 22,357 23,091 3.3 271
Punta Gorda, Fla. 21,816 22,145 1.5 290
Racine, Wis. 27,973 30,341 8.5 58
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C. 29,091 30,908 6.2 47
Rapid City, S.D. 20,719 21,447 3.5 308
Reading, Pa. 28,206 29,432 4.3 75
Redding, Calif. 23,855 24,681 3.5 218
Reno, Nev. 27,679 28,451 2.8 99
Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, Wash. 27,863 28,310 1.6 104
Richmond-Petersburg, Va. 28,704 30,025 4.6 61
Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif. 25,279 26,185 3.6 160
Roanoke, Va. 24,581 25,693 4.5 175
Rochester, Minn. 30,662 31,517 2.8 37
Rochester, N.Y. 30,235 31,353 3.7 39
Rockford, Ill. 28,060 29,278 4.3 77
Rocky Mount, N.C. 23,266 24,832 6.7 210
Sacramento, Calif. 29,560 31,028 5.0 45
Saginaw-Bay City-Midland, Mich. 31,117 32,117 3.2 35
Salem, Ore. 23,748 24,769 4.3 216
Salinas, Calif. 24,852 26,103 5.0 164
Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah. 25,768 27,130 5.3 131
San Angelo, Tex. 21,426 22,222 3.7 288
San Antonio, Tex. 24,459 25,517 4.3 182
San Diego, Calif. 28,845 30,364 5.3 56
San Francisco, Calif. 40,017 42,583 6.4 3
San Jose, Calif. 44,824 48,702 8.7 1
San Juan-Bayamon, P.R. 17,351 18,103 4.3 316
San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles, Calif. 23,970 24,771 3.3 215
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, Calif. 26,251 27,738 5.7 109
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif. 26,098 27,188 4.2 128
Santa Fe, N.M. 24,553 25,539 4.0 180
Santa Rosa, Calif. 26,938 28,724 6.6 91
Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla. 22,455 23,492 4.6 262
Savannah, Ga. 25,079 25,832 3.0 171
Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton, Pa. 24,075 25,069 4.1 202
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash. 33,586 36,311 8.1 14
Sharon, Pa. 23,494 24,343 3.6 229
Sheboygan, Wis. 26,020 27,119 4.2 133
Sherman-Denison, Tex. 25,124 25,396 1.1 191
Shreveport-Bossier City, La. 23,729 24,502 3.3 224
Sioux City, Iowa-Neb. 23,273 23,605 1.4 255
Sioux Falls, S.D. 23,547 24,569 4.3 222
South Bend, Ind. 25,661 26,572 3.6 147
Spokane, Wash. 24,536 25,530 4.0 181
Springfield, Ill. 29,700 31,171 5.0 41
Springfield, Mass. 27,411 28,373 3.5 101
Springfield, Mo. 22,869 23,651 3.4 252
St. Cloud, Minn. 22,680 23,622 4.2 253
St. Joseph, Mo. 23,239 24,048 3.5 242
St. Louis, Mo.-Ill. 29,474 30,995 5.2 46
State College, Pa. 24,730 26,081 5.5 167
Steubenville-Weirton, Ohio-W.Va. 26,240 25,441 -3.0 187
Stockton-Lodi, Calif. 24,763 26,101 5.4 165
Sumter, S.C. 20,708 21,777 5.2 301
Syracuse, N.Y. 27,652 28,671 3.7 92
Tacoma, Wash. 25,548 26,455 3.5 150
Tallahassee, Fla. 24,226 25,109 3.6 201
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla. 25,530 26,799 5.0 143
Terre Haute, Ind. 23,046 24,140 4.7 235
Texarkana, Tex.-Texarkana, Ark. 22,390 23,989 7.1 245
Toledo, Ohio. 27,793 29,054 4.5 84
Topeka, Kan. 25,454 26,131 2.7 162
Trenton, N.J. 37,598 39,835 6.0 7
Tulsa, Okla. 26,122 27,491 5.2 119
Tuscaloosa, Ala. 25,051 25,951 3.6 169
Tuscon, Ariz. 24,705 25,491 3.2 185
Tyler, Tex. 25,295 26,109 3.2 163
Utica-Rome, N.Y. 23,678 24,658 4.1 219
Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa, Calif. 25,833 27,092 4.9 134
Ventura, Calif. 28,289 30,454 7.7 55
Victoria, Tex. 23,448 24,101 2.8 240
Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, N.J. 27,901 28,953 3.8 87
Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, Calif. 19,768 20,770 5.1 309
Waco, Tex. 23,302 24,383 4.6 227
Washington, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va. 36,385 38,487 5.5 9
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa 25,169 26,433 5.0 152
Wausau, Wis. 25,011 26,260 5.0 158
West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla. 29,057 29,821 2.6 63
Wheeling, W.Va.-Ohio 22,220 22,824 2.7 277
Wichita, Kan. 27,685 29,204 5.5 286
Wichita Falls, Tex. 21,719 22,431 3.3 79
Williamsport, Pa. 23,526 24,116 2.5 238
Wilmington-Newark, Del.-Md. 33,220 34,841 4.9 21
Wilmington, N.C. 24,019 24,833 3.4 209
Yakima, Wash. 19,780 20,716 4.7 310
Yolo, Calif. 29,067 30,739 5.7 49
York, Pa. 26,955 28,113 4.3 106
Youngstown-Warren, Ohio. 25,985 26,856 3.4 142
Yuba City, Calif. 21,365 22,483 5.2 284
Yuma, Ariz. 18,213 19,467 6.9 314
1/ Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation
for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
2/ Includes data for Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas
as of June 30, 1996. In the New England areas, the New England County Metropolitan Area
(NECMA) definitions were used. See Technical Note.
3/ Percent changes were computed from unrounded average annual pay data and may
differ from those computed using data rounded to the nearest dollar.
4/ Does not include the six MSAs within Puerto Rico.
5/ Data for 1996 and 1997 are not comparable.
Table 2. Average annual pay for 1996 and 1997 for all covered workers 1/ by Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area
Consolidated metropolitan statistical area 2/ Average Annual Pay Ranking of areas
Percent By level of
change average annual
1996 1997 1996-97 3/ pay for 1997
Consolidated metropolitan statistical areas $ 34,061 $ 35,818 5.2 --
Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, Mass.-N.H. 34,357 36,210 5.4 4
Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. 33,407 35,285 5.6 6
Cincinnati-Hamilton, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. 28,855 30,288 5.0 17
Cleveland-Akron, Ohio 29,350 30,650 4.4 15
Dallas-Fort Worth, Tex. 31,700 33,603 6.0 10
Denver-Boulder-Greeley, Colo. 31,186 32,958 5.7 12
Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, Mich. 35,074 36,402 3.8 3
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Tex. 32,577 34,490 5.9 7
Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, Calif. 31,898 33,269 4.3 11
Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 28,055 28,784 2.6 18
Milwaukee-Racine, Wis. 28,978 30,644 5.8 16
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Conn.-Pa. 40,065 42,096 5.1 1
Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md. 32,621 33,896 3.9 9
Portland-Salem, Ore.-Wash. 29,108 30,708 5.5 14
Sacramento-Yolo, Calif. 29,505 30,997 5.1 13
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif. 37,973 40,618 7.0 2
Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, Wash. 31,786 34,162 7.5 8
Washington-Baltimore, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va. 34,203 36,055 5.4 5
1/ Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation
for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
2/ Includes data for Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas as of June 30 1996.
In the New England areas, the New England County Metropolitan Area (NECMA) definitions
were used. See Technical Note.
3/ Percent changes were computed from unrounded average annual pay data and may
differ from those computed using data rounded to the nearest dollar.