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Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information: (202) 691-6567
USDL
Media contact:

691-5902

00-349

For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Tuesday, November 28, 2000

AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY IN METROPOLITAN AREAS, 1999
Average annual pay of employees within the nation's 316 metropolitan
areas increased by 4.4 percent from 1998 to 1999, according to preliminary
data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.
The over-the-year gain was smaller than 1998's gain of 5.2 percent. (See
chart 1.) Annual pay in metropolitan areas averaged $34,868 in 1999, up
from $33,407 in 1998.
Average annual pay for the entire nation, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan
areas combined, was $33,313 in 1999, a 4.3 percent increase from 1998.
(Average annual pay by state and industry was issued on Nov. 17, 2000,
in USDL 00-339.)
Average annual pay data are compiled from reports submitted by
employers subject to state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) laws
covering 127.0 million full- and part-time jobs. 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.) 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 Metropolitan and Primary Metropolitan
Statistical Areas within the United States and Puerto Rico; table 2
includes averages and rankings for the areas designated as Consolidated
Metropolitan Statistical Areas. (See Technical Note for definitions.) New
Jersey data were not available for the fourth quarter of 1999 and therefore
are not shown for 1999. Totals for the United States were calculated using
estimated 1999 data for New Jersey. The data for the six 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 $61,110 in 1999. (See table 1.) New York,
N.Y., had the second highest average annual pay level ($52,351), followed
by San Francisco, Calif. ($50,169), New Haven-Bridgeport-Stamford-WaterburyDanbury, Conn. ($47,142), and Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash. ($43,921).

The first four of these Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) occupied the
same slots last year. Average pay levels in these five metropolitan areas
ranged from 26 to 75 percent above the average for all metropolitan areas
in the nation. Of the 307 metropolitan areas in the nation, excluding
those with New Jersey components, 29 reported average annual pay levels
above the national metropolitan pay average of $34,868. (The nation's
metropolitan average annual pay was calculated using estimated New Jersey
data.)
- 2 Excluding MSAs within Puerto Rico, Jacksonville, N.C., continued to
record the lowest average annual pay among metropolitan areas in 1999
($20,280). The second lowest pay occurred in Yuma, Ariz. ($20,363),
followed by Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, Tex. ($20,997), McAllenEdinburg-Mission, Tex. ($21,105), and Myrtle Beach, S.C. ($21,691). These
five MSAs had the lowest average annual pay in 1998 as well.
The largest percentage increase in average annual pay from 1998 to 1999
occurred in San Jose, Calif. (18.9 percent). The next largest increases
were in Barnstable-Yarmouth, Mass., and Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.
(10.2 percent each), followed by Austin-San Marcos, Tex. (10.1 percent),
and San Francisco, Calif. (9.9 percent).
From 1998 to 1999, 275 metropolitan areas experienced less than the
average growth in annual pay (4.4 percent). Of these, 5 MSAs had growth
around 1 percent; 14 metropolitan areas experienced growth of less than 1
percent; and 9 metropolitan areas reported a decline in average annual pay.
Comparison of Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas
Average annual pay within the nation's nonmetropolitan areas rose 3.8
percent in 1999, compared with 4.4 percent in metropolitan areas. (See
chart 2.) Average annual pay in nonmetropolitan areas in 1999 was $25,993,
up from $25,039 in 1998. In 1999, nonmetropolitan average annual pay was
25 percent less than metropolitan average annual pay, a difference of
$8,875. The difference between nonmetropolitan and metropolitan pay has
gradually widened over the years. In 1980, the difference between the two
pay levels amounted to approximately 16 percent. A difference of 22
percent was reported in 1988.
With the exception of 1993 and 1994, growth in total metropolitan
average annual pay outpaced that of nonmetropolitan average annual pay over
the last 10 years. (MSA historical data are not directly comparable due to
revisions of metropolitan area definitions.) Average annual pay is based
on place of employment, not residence.
Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas

Average annual pay for
Statistical Areas (CMSAs)
$37,851 to $39,695. (See
year's growth rate of 5.4

the nation's 18 Consolidated Metropolitan
rose by 4.9 percent from 1998 to 1999, from
table 2.) This was lower than the previous
percent.

The San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif., consolidated metropolitan
area had the highest pay level, $48,073. The second highest pay level was
recorded in Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, Mass.-N.H.
($40,903), followed by Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, Wash. ($40,612), DetroitAnn Arbor-Flint, Mich. ($39,926), and Washington-Baltimore, D.C.-Md.-Va.W.Va. ($39,675). (New Jersey data were not available for this release;
therefore, data for the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.Conn.-Pa., and Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md.,
CMSAs are not included in this release.)
- 3 Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla., had the lowest average annual pay level
($31,725) of the consolidated metropolitan areas in the nation for the
sixth consecutive year. Cleveland-Akron, Ohio, had the second lowest
($32,903), followed by Cincinnati-Hamilton, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. ($33,296),
Milwaukee-Racine, Wis. ($33,301), and Portland-Salem, Ore.-Wash. ($33,408).
The highest percentage increase in average annual pay from 1998 to 1999
was in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif. consolidated metropolitan
area, at 11.5 percent. The next largest increases were in Seattle-TacomaBremerton, Wash. (9.2 percent), Denver-Boulder-Greeley, Colo. (6.8 percent),
Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, Mass.-N.H. (6.7 percent), and
Dallas-Fort Worth, Tex. (5.0 percent).
None of the consolidated metropolitan areas reported a decline in
average annual pay in 1999. The smallest increases occurred in ClevelandAkron, Ohio (2.8 percent), and Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, Mich. (3.4 percent).
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Tex., Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County,
Calif., and Sacramento-Yolo, Calif., reported increases of 3.6 percent.
--------------------------------------------------------| 1999 average annual pay and other data from the Covered|
|Employment and Wages program will be available on the BLS|
|web site at http://stats.bls.gov/cewnote.htm in early
|
|December.
|
--------------------------------------------------------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 1999 are preliminary and subject to
revision.
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 7.8 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 1999, UI and UCFE programs covered workers in 127.0 million
jobs. The estimated 122 million workers in these jobs (after adjustment
for multiple jobholders) represented 99.0 percent of wage and salary
civilian employment. Multiple jobholder estimates are produced by the
Current Population Survey (CPS). Covered workers received $4.232 trillion
in pay, representing 94.7 percent of the wage and salary component
of personal income and 45.5 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 1999 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.
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 also are included.
Percent changes in average annual pay were computed using final 1998 data
as the base. These final 1998 data may differ from the preliminary 1998
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 also are
introduced in the first quarter. For these reasons, some data, especially
at more detailed geographic levels, may not be strictly comparable with
earlier years.
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 23, 1998 (OMB Bulletin No. 9806). These definitions reflect information obtained from the 1990
Decennial Census and the 1996 and 1997 Bureau of the Census population
estimates. Metropolitan statistical area definitions are typically
redefined on a yearly basis. 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 1-800-553-6847.
Generally speaking, a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is a freestanding 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. Nonmetropolitan areas
include counties which do not fall within defined metropolitan areas and also

establishments classified as foreign locations with U.S. workers, out-of-state
locations, and unknown locations.
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 202-691-6567 (e-mail: 202_info@bls.gov).
BLS issues three other reports which provide data from state UI and UCFE
programs. The 1999 news release for average annual pay by state and
industry was issued on Nov. 17, 2000 (USDL 00-339), and employment and
average annual average pay for large counties is scheduled to be released
soon. Also published from this program is the comprehensive 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, 1999 will be available for sale in
early 2001 from the BLS Publications Sales Center, P.O. Box 2145, Chicago,
Illinois 60690.
This news release, along with other BLS statistics and information, is
available via the Internet at (http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm).
Information in this release will be made available to sensory-impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone number: 1-800-877-8339.
Table 1. Average annual pay for 1998 and 1999 for all covered workers(1) by metropolitan area
Average annual pay
Metropolitan area(2)

Ranking of
areas

1998

1999(3)

Percent
change,
1998-1999

By level of
average annual
pay for 1999

Metropolitan areas(4)...............................

$33,407

$34,868

4.4

-

Abilene, TX...........................................
Aguadilla, PR.........................................
Akron, OH.............................................
Albany, GA............................................
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY...........................
Albuquerque, NM.......................................
Alexandria, LA........................................
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA........................
Altoona, PA...........................................
Amarillo, TX..........................................

22,274
16,040
30,698
26,152
31,078
28,177
23,884
30,712
24,494
24,930

22,988
16,807
30,990
26,813
31,901
28,934
23,962
32,154
25,352
25,632

3.2
4.8
1.0
2.5
2.6
2.7
0.3
4.7
3.5
2.8

296
310
80
191
68
130
278
62
246
236

Anchorage, AK.........................................
Ann Arbor, MI.........................................
Anniston, AL..........................................
Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI...........................
Arecibo, PR...........................................
Asheville, NC.........................................
Athens, GA............................................
Atlanta, GA...........................................
Atlantic-Cape May, NJ.................................
Augusta-Aiken, GA-SC..................................

35,459
34,331
23,851
29,399
15,083
25,728
25,772
35,405
28,509
28,019

35,707
35,733
24,591
30,772
15,505
26,504
26,683
37,341
(5)
28,592

0.7
4.1
3.1
4.7
2.8
3.0
3.5
5.5
(5)
2.0

25
24
267
86
313
205
197
21
(5)
140

Austin-San Marcos, TX.................................
Bakersfield, CA.......................................
Baltimore, MD.........................................

35,347
26,478
32,731

38,930
26,997
33,837

10.1
2.0
3.4

15
183
39

Bangor, ME............................................
Barnstable-Yarmouth, MA...............................
Baton Rouge, LA.......................................
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX..............................
Bellingham, WA........................................
Benton Harbor, MI.....................................
Bergen-Passaic, NJ....................................

25,374
26,954
28,309
30,222
24,795
27,848
40,110

26,219
29,711
28,793
30,242
25,605
29,882
(5)

3.3
10.2
1.7
0.1
3.3
7.3
(5)

215
110
132
98
237
107
(5)

Billings, MT..........................................
Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula, MS........................
Binghamton, NY........................................
Birmingham, AL........................................
Bismarck, ND..........................................
Bloomington, IN.......................................
Bloomington-Normal, IL................................
Boise City, ID........................................
Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, MA-NH......
Boulder-Longmont, CO..................................

24,802
26,319
28,445
30,607
24,239
25,810
31,437
28,000
38,335
37,817

25,550
26,348
29,167
31,990
24,792
26,141
32,888
29,864
40,903
40,002

3.0
0.1
2.5
4.5
2.3
1.3
4.6
6.7
6.7
5.8

239
213
126
66
258
219
50
108
8
10

Brazoria, TX..........................................
Bremerton, WA.........................................
Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX..................
Bryan-College Station, TX.............................
Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY.............................
Burlington, VT........................................
Caguas, PR............................................
Canton-Massillon, OH..................................
Casper, WY............................................
Cedar Rapids, IA......................................

32,945
28,346
20,979
22,348
29,661
30,444
17,019
27,394
25,094
31,375

33,266
29,109
20,997
23,413
30,487
31,716
17,480
27,707
25,683
32,441

1.0
2.7
0.1
4.8
2.8
4.2
2.7
1.1
2.3
3.4

45
128
305
288
92
70
309
167
234
55

Champaign-Urbana, IL..................................
Charleston-North Charleston, SC.......................
Charleston, WV........................................
Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC...................
Charlottesville, VA...................................
Chattanooga, TN-GA....................................
Cheyenne, WY..........................................
Chicago, IL...........................................
Chico-Paradise, CA....................................
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN..................................

26,952
25,245
28,477
32,897
28,601
27,303
24,312
37,745
23,195
32,206

28,047
26,410
29,105
34,325
29,394
28,264
25,249
39,536
24,115
33,626

4.1
4.6
2.2
4.3
2.8
3.5
3.9
4.7
4.0
4.4

155
209
129
33
119
149
250
13
274
41

Clarksville-Hopkinsville, TN-KY.......................
Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria, OH...........................
Colorado Springs, CO..................................
Columbia, MO..........................................
Columbia, SC..........................................
Columbus, GA-AL.......................................
Columbus, OH..........................................
Corpus Christi, TX....................................

23,052
32,354
29,415
25,666
26,785
25,047
31,166
26,553

23,775
33,437
30,674
26,547
27,941
26,131
32,428
26,940

3.1
3.3
4.3
3.4
4.3
4.3
4.0
1.5

283
42
88
202
160
221
58
186

Cumberland, MD-WV.....................................
Dallas, TX............................................

23,697
37,309

24,084
39,281

1.6
5.3

275
14

Danville, VA..........................................
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL...................
Dayton-Springfield, OH................................
Daytona Beach, FL.....................................
Decatur, AL...........................................
Decatur, IL...........................................
Denver, CO............................................
Des Moines, IA........................................
Detroit, MI...........................................
Dothan, AL............................................

23,892
29,293
31,196
22,859
27,700
31,239
35,606
30,604
39,497
25,362

24,681
29,263
32,362
23,640
28,892
32,061
38,133
32,271
40,836
25,923

3.3
-0.1
3.7
3.4
4.3
2.6
7.1
5.4
3.4
2.2

265
125
59
285
131
64
16
61
9
229

Dover, DE.............................................
Dubuque, IA...........................................
Duluth-Superior, MN-WI................................
Dutchess County, NY...................................
Eau Claire, WI........................................
El Paso, TX...........................................
Elkhart-Goshen, IN....................................
Elmira, NY............................................
Enid, OK..............................................
Erie, PA..............................................

25,974
26,462
26,145
33,568
24,601
23,691
28,725
25,846
21,765
27,489

26,408
26,662
27,198
35,256
25,318
24,275
29,643
26,603
22,695
27,864

1.7
0.8
4.0
5.0
2.9
2.5
3.2
2.9
4.3
1.4

210
198
179
28
248
270
114
199
300
163

Eugene-Springfield, OR................................
Evansville-Henderson, IN-KY...........................
Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN.................................
Fayetteville, NC......................................
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR....................
Flagstaff, AZ-UT......................................
Flint, MI.............................................
Florence, AL..........................................
Florence, SC..........................................
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.............................

26,132
28,412
25,069
24,491
26,133
23,419
34,580
23,617
25,273
29,165

26,913
29,166
25,983
25,120
27,679
23,814
35,658
24,792
26,101
30,019

3.0
2.7
3.6
2.6
5.9
1.7
3.1
5.0
3.3
2.9

189
127
226
254
168
282
26
259
222
104

Fort Lauderdale, FL...................................
Fort Myers-Cape Coral, FL.............................
Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie, FL........................
Fort Smith, AR-OK.....................................
Fort Walton Beach, FL.................................
Fort Wayne, IN........................................
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX..............................
Fresno, CA............................................
Gadsden, AL...........................................
Gainesville, FL.......................................

30,006
25,300
25,558
23,901
23,492
28,847
31,662
23,856
24,476
24,923

31,210
26,451
26,044
24,731
23,913
30,052
32,961
24,734
24,740
25,166

4.0
4.5
1.9
3.5
1.8
4.2
4.1
3.7
1.1
1.0

76
207
224
263
279
103
49
262
261
252

Galveston-Texas City, TX..............................
Gary, IN..............................................

28,238
30,510

28,371
30,455

0.5
-0.2

146
94

Glens Falls, NY.......................................
Goldsboro, NC.........................................
Grand Forks, ND-MN....................................
Grand Junction, CO....................................
Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, MI.....................
Great Falls, MT.......................................
Greeley, CO...........................................
Green Bay, WI.........................................

26,059
23,116
22,783
24,553
31,060
22,509
26,404
29,789

26,140
23,989
23,385
25,312
31,913
23,153
27,384
30,632

0.3
3.8
2.6
3.1
2.7
2.9
3.7
2.8

220
277
292
249
67
294
175
90

Greensboro--Winston-Salem--High Point, NC.............
Greenville, NC........................................
Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC...................
Hagerstown, MD........................................
Hamilton-Middletown, OH...............................
Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, PA.......................
Hartford, CT..........................................
Hattiesburg, MS.......................................
Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, NC..........................
Honolulu, HI..........................................

28,610
25,447
27,663
26,525
29,897
30,416
38,490
22,880
24,941
30,260

29,676
26,515
28,704
27,637
30,980
31,487
39,954
23,615
25,965
30,971

3.7
4.2
3.8
4.2
3.6
3.5
3.8
3.2
4.1
2.3

112
204
134
170
81
72
11
286
228
83

Houma, LA.............................................
Houston, TX...........................................
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH..........................
Huntsville, AL........................................
Indianapolis, IN......................................
Iowa City, IA.........................................
Jackson, MI...........................................
Jackson, MS...........................................
Jackson, TN...........................................
Jacksonville, FL......................................

27,147
36,729
25,099
33,789
32,487
27,232
29,488
27,073
26,788
29,955

27,091
38,114
25,577
34,225
33,655
28,578
30,828
28,074
27,811
29,918

-0.2
3.8
1.9
1.3
3.6
4.9
4.5
3.7
3.8
-0.1

181
17
238
35
40
141
85
153
165
106

Jacksonville, NC......................................
Jamestown, NY.........................................
Janesville-Beloit, WI.................................
Jersey City, NJ.......................................
Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA.................
Johnstown, PA.........................................
Jonesboro, AR.........................................
Joplin, MO............................................
Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, MI............................
Kankakee, IL..........................................

19,818
24,660
29,867
40,079
25,695
23,160
23,655
23,469
30,601
26,399

20,280
24,813
30,501
(5)
26,142
24,018
24,375
24,245
31,246
27,293

2.3
0.6
2.1
(5)
1.7
3.7
3.0
3.3
2.1
3.4

307
257
91
(5)
218
276
269
271
75
178

Kansas City, MO-KS....................................
Kenosha, WI...........................................
Killeen-Temple, TX....................................
Knoxville, TN.........................................
Kokomo, IN............................................
La Crosse, WI-MN......................................
Lafayette, LA.........................................

31,276
28,906
23,145
27,700
37,532
24,928
26,528

33,026
30,073
23,879
28,597
39,653
25,972
26,146

5.6
4.0
3.2
3.2
5.7
4.2
-1.4

47
102
280
139
12
227
217

Lafayette, IN.........................................
Lake Charles, LA......................................
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL.............................

28,752
27,757
26,188

29,296
27,957
26,914

1.9
0.7
2.8

123
159
188

Lancaster, PA.........................................
Lansing-East Lansing, MI..............................
Laredo, TX............................................
Las Cruces, NM........................................
Las Vegas, NV-AZ......................................
Lawrence, KS..........................................
Lawton, OK............................................
Lewiston-Auburn, ME...................................
Lexington, KY.........................................
Lima, OH..............................................

28,539
30,945
22,169
22,707
29,803
22,840
23,068
24,368
28,151
27,231

29,452
32,434
22,653
22,798
30,634
23,643
23,087
25,364
29,319
28,210

3.2
4.8
2.2
0.4
2.8
3.5
0.1
4.1
4.1
3.6

118
56
301
297
89
284
295
244
122
150

Lincoln, NE...........................................
Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR.....................
Longview-Marshall, TX.................................
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA............................
Louisville, KY-IN.....................................
Lubbock, TX...........................................
Lynchburg, VA.........................................
Macon, GA.............................................
Madison, WI...........................................
Mansfield, OH.........................................

26,602
27,698
25,387
36,571
29,172
24,618
26,041
27,692
29,863
26,660

27,431
28,620
25,865
37,748
30,473
24,727
26,857
28,355
31,097
27,307

3.1
3.3
1.9
3.2
4.5
0.4
3.1
2.4
4.1
2.4

174
138
232
19
93
264
190
147
77
177

Mayaguez, PR..........................................
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX..........................
Medford-Ashland, OR...................................
Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, FL.....................
Memphis, TN-AR-MS.....................................
Merced, CA............................................
Miami-Dade, FL........................................
Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ......................
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI................................
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI...........................

15,487
20,689
24,275
29,492
31,285
22,380
30,867
44,567
32,130
35,624

16,047
21,105
25,677
29,961
32,591
23,502
32,059
(5)
33,375
37,248

3.6
2.0
5.8
1.6
4.2
5.0
3.9
(5)
3.9
4.6

312
304
235
105
52
287
65
(5)
43
22

Missoula, MT..........................................
Mobile, AL............................................
Modesto, CA...........................................
Monmouth-Ocean, NJ....................................
Monroe, LA............................................
Montgomery, AL........................................
Muncie, IN............................................
Myrtle Beach, SC......................................
Naples, FL............................................
Nashville, TN.........................................

23,266(6)
25,832
26,040
33,233
24,520
26,159
26,490
20,762
26,802
30,691

24,127(7)
26,595
26,958
(5)
25,356
27,309
26,775
21,691
28,008
31,711

3.7
3.0
3.5
(5)
3.4
4.4
1.1
4.5
4.5
3.3

273
200
185
(5)
245
176
193
303
157
71

Nassau-Suffolk, NY....................................

35,783

36,944

3.2

23

New Haven-Bridgeport-Stamford-Waterbury-Danbury, CT...
New London-Norwich, CT................................
New Orleans, LA.......................................
New York, NY..........................................
Newark, NJ............................................
Newburgh, NY-PA.......................................
Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, VA-NC............
Oakland, CA...........................................
Ocala, FL.............................................

44,812
34,618
28,984
50,381
42,906
26,870
26,131
38,559
23,591

47,142
35,409
29,365
52,351
(5)
27,671
27,156
40,975
24,196

5.2
2.3
1.3
3.9
(5)
3.0
3.9
6.3
2.6

4
27
120
2
(5)
169
180
7
272

Odessa-Midland, TX....................................
Oklahoma City, OK.....................................
Olympia, WA...........................................
Omaha, NE-IA..........................................
Orange County, CA.....................................
Orlando, FL...........................................
Owensboro, KY.........................................
Panama City, FL.......................................
Parkersburg-Marietta, WV-OH...........................
Pensacola, FL.........................................

28,384
25,972
28,456
28,593
35,717
27,796
24,107
23,916
26,426
24,888

27,785
26,700
29,702
30,084
37,487
28,781
25,077
23,841
26,770
25,172

-2.1
2.8
4.4
5.2
5.0
3.5
4.0
-0.3
1.3
1.1

166
196
111
101
20
133
255
281
194
251

Peoria-Pekin, IL......................................
Philadelphia, PA-NJ...................................
Phoenix-Mesa, AZ......................................
Pine Bluff, AR........................................
Pittsburgh, PA........................................
Pittsfield, MA........................................
Pocatello, ID.........................................
Ponce, PR.............................................
Portland, ME..........................................
Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA.............................

30,749
36,231
31,197
24,777
31,369
28,882
22,656
15,720
28,897
32,840

31,784
(5)
32,430
25,339
33,057
29,629
23,322
16,198
30,412
34,380

3.4
(5)
4.0
2.3
5.4
2.6
2.9
3.0
5.2
4.7

69
(5)
57
247
46
115
293
311
96
32

Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket, RI......................
Provo-Orem, UT........................................
Pueblo, CO............................................
Punta Gorda, FL.......................................
Racine, WI............................................
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC........................
Rapid City, SD........................................
Reading, PA...........................................
Redding, CA...........................................
Reno, NV..............................................

30,092
25,292
23,952
23,144
31,348
32,821
22,204
30,541
25,399
29,832

31,053
26,543
24,605
23,393
32,532
34,866
23,406
31,002
25,906
31,380

3.2
4.9
2.7
1.1
3.8
6.2
5.4
1.5
2.0
5.2

78
203
266
291
54
30
289
79
230
74

Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, WA..........................
Richmond-Petersburg, VA...............................
Riverside-San Bernardino, CA..........................
Roanoke, VA...........................................
Rochester, MN.........................................
Rochester, NY.........................................

29,517
31,404
27,529
26,750
33,125
32,084

30,088
33,012
28,328
28,011
35,025
32,588

1.9
5.1
2.9
4.7
5.7
1.6

100
48
148
156
29
53

Rockford, IL..........................................
Rocky Mount, NC.......................................
Sacramento, CA........................................
Saginaw-Bay City-Midland, MI..........................

30,598
25,729
32,979
33,330

31,441
26,798
34,266
33,990

2.8
4.2
3.9
2.0

73
192
34
36

St. Cloud, MN.........................................
St. Joseph, MO........................................
St. Louis, MO-IL......................................
Salem, OR.............................................
Salinas, CA...........................................
Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT..............................
San Angelo, TX........................................
San Antonio, TX.......................................
San Diego, CA.........................................
San Francisco, CA.....................................

26,207
25,104
32,256
25,738
27,279
28,370
23,454
26,976
32,210
45,644

26,148
26,000
33,345
26,931
28,500
29,486
24,521
28,068
34,690
50,169

-0.2
3.6
3.4
4.6
4.5
3.9
4.5
4.0
7.7
9.9

216
225
44
187
143
117
268
154
31
3

San Jose, CA..........................................
San Juan-Bayamon, PR..................................
San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles, CA............
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, CA..................
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA............................
Santa Fe, NM..........................................
Santa Rosa, CA........................................
Sarasota-Bradenton, FL................................
Savannah, GA..........................................
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA..................

51,397
19,113
25,853
29,279
28,836
26,924
30,631
(8)
27,745
26,068

61,110
19,720
26,441
30,092
30,975
27,559
32,077
25,506
28,643
26,593

18.9
3.2
2.3
2.8
7.4
2.4
4.7
(8)
3.2
2.0

1
308
208
99
82
172
63
241
136
201

Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA..........................
Sharon, PA............................................
Sheboygan, WI.........................................
Sherman-Denison, TX...................................
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA...........................
Sioux City, IA-NE.....................................
Sioux Falls, SD.......................................
South Bend, IN........................................
Spokane, WA...........................................
Springfield, IL.......................................

39,849
24,868
28,164
27,026
25,546
24,793
25,969
27,683
26,553
32,610

43,921
25,442
29,622
28,098
26,272
25,440
26,964
28,632
27,566
33,990

10.2
2.3
5.2
4.0
2.8
2.6
3.8
3.4
3.8
4.2

5
242
116
152
214
243
184
137
171
37

Springfield, MO.......................................
Springfield, MA.......................................
State College, PA.....................................
Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV...........................
Stockton-Lodi, CA.....................................
Sumter, SC............................................
Syracuse, NY..........................................
Tacoma, WA............................................
Tallahassee, FL.......................................
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL...................

24,733
29,392
26,964
26,346
27,011
22,206
29,593
27,482
26,920
28,249

25,508
30,281
27,971
26,742
27,921
22,758
30,423
28,654
27,544
29,342

3.1
3.0
3.7
1.5
3.4
2.5
2.8
4.3
2.3
3.9

240
97
158
195
162
298
95
135
173
121

Terre Haute, IN.......................................
Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR...........................
Toledo, OH............................................
Topeka, KS............................................
Trenton, NJ...........................................
Tucson, AZ............................................
Tulsa, OK.............................................
Tuscaloosa, AL........................................
Tyler, TX.............................................
Utica-Rome, NY........................................

25,515
24,212
29,705
27,472
41,612
26,764
28,670
27,001
27,568
25,194

26,402
24,828
30,890
28,464
(5)
28,194
29,273
28,384
28,505
25,881

3.5
2.5
4.0
3.6
(5)
5.3
2.1
5.1
3.4
2.7

211
256
84
144
(5)
151
124
145
142
231

Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa, CA............................
Ventura, CA...........................................
Victoria, TX..........................................
Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ......................
Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, CA........................
Waco, TX..............................................
Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV...............................
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA..............................
Wausau, WI............................................
West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL........................

28,309
31,973
25,335
30,198
21,826
25,468
40,585
26,697
26,951
31,877

29,674
33,927
25,707
(5)
22,703
26,487
42,601
26,352
27,853
32,609

4.8
6.1
1.5
(5)
4.0
4.0
5.0
-1.3
3.3
2.3

113
38
233
(5)
299
206
6
212
164
51

Wheeling, WV-OH.......................................
Wichita, KS...........................................
Wichita Falls, TX.....................................
Williamsport, PA......................................
Wilmington-Newark, DE-MD..............................
Wilmington, NC........................................
Yakima, WA............................................
Yolo, CA..............................................
York, PA..............................................
Youngstown-Warren, OH.................................

23,594
30,479
23,000
25,141
36,758
25,621
21,518
32,025
29,280
27,110

24,792
30,770
23,395
26,101
37,990
27,017
22,400
32,341
29,817
27,932

5.1
1.0
1.7
3.8
3.4
5.4
4.1
1.0
1.8
3.0

260
87
290
223
18
182
302
60
109
161

Yuba City, CA.........................................
Yuma, AZ..............................................

23,983
19,894

25,129
20,363

4.8
2.4

253
306

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
1999. In the New England areas, the New England County Metropolitan Area (NECMA) definitions were used. See
Technical Note.
3 Data are preliminary.
4 Totals were calculated using estimated data for New Jersey for the fourth quarter in 1999 and do not
include the six MSAs within Puerto Rico.
5 MSAs containing New Jersey data are not available for 1999.

Please see text for more information.

6 Data are being provided for over-the-year comparison purposes only.
7 Data consists of a new MSA.
8 Data are not available for release.
Table 2. Average annual pay for 1998 and 1999 for all covered workers(1) by Consolidated Metropolitan
Statistical Area
Average annual pay
Consolidated metropolitan
statistical area(2)

Ranking of
areas

1998

1999(3)

Percent
change,
1998-1999

By level of
average annual
pay for 1999

Consolidated metropolitan statistical areas(4)........

$37,851

$39,695

4.9

-

Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, MA-NH........
Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI..........................
Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN...........................
Cleveland-Akron, OH.....................................
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX...................................
Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO..............................
Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, MI.............................
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria,TX...........................
Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, CA.................
Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL...............................

38,335
37,094
31,919
31,994
35,718
35,415
38,599
36,247
34,932
30,530

40,903
38,765
33,296
32,903
37,503
37,833
39,926
37,550
36,182
31,725

6.7
4.5
4.3
2.8
5.0
6.8
3.4
3.6
3.6
3.9

2
6
14
15
9
7
4
8
10
16

Milwaukee-Racine, WI....................................
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA...
Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-DE-MD......
Portland-Salem, OR-WA...................................
Sacramento-Yolo, CA.....................................
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA......................
San Juan-Caguas-Arecibo, PR.............................
Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, WA............................
Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV.......................

32,062
44,582
35,666
31,913
32,877
43,127
18,734
37,174
37,928

33,301
(5)
(5)
33,408
34,062
48,073
19,319
40,612
39,675

3.9
(5)
(5)
4.7
3.6
11.5
3.1
9.2
4.6

13
(5)
(5)
12
11
1
17
3
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 1999. In the New England
areas, the New England County Metropolitan Area (NECMA) definitions were used. See Technical Note.

3 Data are preliminary.
4 Totals were calculated using estimated data for New Jersey for the fourth quarter in 1999 and do not
include the six MSAs within Puerto Rico.
5 CMSAs containing New Jersey data are not available for 1999.

Please see text for more information.