Table A. Employment and wage data by occupation for the U.S. and Topeka, May 2005
Major occupational group
Employment Share
(percent of total)
Mean hourly wage
United States
Topeka
Significant difference(1)
United States
Topeka
Significant difference(1)
Management
4.6
5.1
yes
$42.52
$34.84
yes
Business and financial operations
4.2
4.7
yes
27.85
22.73
yes
Computer and mathematical
2.3
2.0
yes
32.26
25.32
yes
Architecture and engineering
1.8
1.4
yes
30.73
24.11
yes
Life, physical, and social science
0.9
1.1
yes
27.90
22.32
yes
Community and social services
1.3
1.7
yes
18.04
15.58
yes
Legal
0.8
1.1
yes
38.98
28.91
yes
Education, training, and library
6.2
6.3
no
20.89
15.38
yes
Arts, design, entertainment, sports,
and media
1.3
1.2
no
21.30
15.47
yes
Healthcare practitioners and technical
5.0
6.4
no
28.45
25.53
yes
Healthcare support
2.6
3.7
yes
11.47
11.24
no
Protective service
2.3
2.9
yes
17.19
17.02
no
Food preparation and serving related
8.3
7.3
yes
8.58
7.78
yes
Building and grounds cleaning
and maintenance
3.3
2.8
yes
10.55
9.77
yes
Personal care and service
2.4
2.9
no
10.67
8.89
yes
Sales and related
10.7
9.0
yes
15.77
13.43
yes
Office and administrative support
17.5
18.6
no
14.28
12.97
yes
Farming, fishing, and forestry
0.3
0.1
yes
10.10
14.77
yes
Construction and extraction
4.9
5.0
no
18.39
16.74
yes
Installation, maintenance, and repair
4.1
4.6
yes
18.30
18.23
no
Production
7.9
6.0
yes
14.37
16.38
yes
Transportation and material moving
7.4
6.2
yes
13.85
12.57
yes
(1) Statistical significance testing at the 90 percent confidence interval
Legal workers, averaging $28.91 an hour, were another of the better-paid occupational groups in Topeka. Even so, hourly earnings were more than 25 percent below (or just over $10.00 less than) the nationwide average of $38.98. Locally, lawyers and administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers were among the highest paid averaging $39.42 and $32.83, respectively. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers ($13.40) and law clerks ($12.56) were among the lowest paid in the legal fields.
In the healthcare practitioners and technical occupational group, workers averaged $25.53 per hour in the Topeka area, among the better paid, even though wages were appreciably below the $28.45 nationwide average. However, this group did have an above-average presence in the area (6.4 percent) when compared to its representation nationally (5.0 percent). Registered nurses, the largest group in this category with 2,930 workers, earned $23.57 per hour. Family and general practitioners ($86.69) and pharmacists ($39.38) were among the better paid. Veterinary technologists and technicians and dietetic technicians averaging $11.70 and $7.52, respectively, were at the lower end of the wage scale.
Also among the well paid in Topeka were those in the computer and mathematical occupational group averaging $25.32 per hour; nationally these workers earned $32.26. Locally, systems software engineers ($28.84) and database administrators ($28.21) were among the better paid in this group and computer support specialists ($18.95) were among the lowest paid.
Three other major occupational groups in the Topeka area averaged more than $20.00 per hour-architecture and engineering; business and financial operations; and life, physical, and social science.
Chart A. Wage distribution in the United States and the Topeka metropolitan area
by major occupational group
The largest occupational group in the Topeka area was office and administrative support with 20,020 workers, representing 18.6 percent of all employment in the metropolitan area. (See chart B.) Workers in this occupational group averaged $12.97 compared to $14.28 nationally. Locally, executive secretaries and administrative assistants (2,520) and general office clerks (1,940) accounted for over 20 percent of the workers in this group and averaged $13.63 and $10.61 an hour, respectively. Those working for the postal service were among the better paid, including postal service clerks averaging $23.24 and postal service mail carriers earning $20.79. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks were at the other end of the wage scale averaging $7.46 an hour.
Other occupational groups with above-average concentrations in Topeka included protective service workers accounting for 2.9 percent of the workforce compared to 2.3 percent nationwide and installation, maintenance, and repair occupations representing 4.6 percent of the local workforce but 4.1 percent nationally. (See table A.) Neither of these two occupational groups had wages that varied significantly from their U.S. averages.
Topeka had a lower-than-average presence in eight major occupational groups, including six that had lower than average wages: computer and mathematical; architecture and engineering; food preparation and serving related; building and grounds cleaning and maintenance; sales and related; and transportation and material moving.
Chart B. Employment distribution in the United States and the Topeka metropolitan area by major occupational group
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| The OES wage and employment data for the 22 major occupational groups in the Topeka |
| metropolitan area were compared to their respective national averages based on statistical |
| significance testing. Only those occupations with wages or employment shares above or below |
| the national wage or share after testing for significance at the 90 percent confidence |
| interval meet the criteria. NOTE: A value that is statistically different from another does |
| not necessarily mean that the difference has economic or practical significance. Statistical |
| significance is concerned with our ability to make confident statements about a universe |
| based on a sample. It is entirely possible that a large difference between two values is not |
| significantly different statistically, while a small difference is, since both the size and |
| heterogeneity of the sample effect the relative error of the data being tested. |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technical Note
The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is a semiannual mail survey measuring occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in the United States. Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands also are surveyed, but their data are not included in this release. OES estimates are constructed from a sample of about 1.2 million establishments. Forms are mailed to approximately 200,000 establishments in May and November of each year for a 3-year period. The nationwide response rate for the May 2005 survey was 78.4 percent based on establishments and 73.2 percent based on employment. The survey included establishments sampled in the May 2005, November 2004, May 2004, November 2003, May 2003, and November 2002 semiannual panels. The sample in the Topeka metropolitan area included 1,416 establishments with a response rate of 81 percent.
The occupational coding system
The OES survey uses the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) occupational classification system, the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. The SOC system is the first OMB-required occupational classification system for federal agencies. The OES survey categorizes workers in 1 of 801 detailed occupations. Together, these detailed occupations comprise 23 major occupational groups, 22 of which are covered in this release. The one exception is military specific occupations which are not included in the OES survey.
For more information about the SOC system, please see the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Web site at http://www.bls.gov/soc/home.htm.
The industry coding system
The OES survey uses the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For more information about NAICS, see the BLS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm.
Survey sample
BLS funds the survey and provides the procedures and technical support, while the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) collect most of the data. BLS produces cross-industry and industry-specific estimates for the nation, states, and metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Industry-specific estimates are produced at the NAICS sector, 3-digit, 4-digit, and selected 5-digit industry levels. BLS releases all cross-industry and national estimates; the SWAs release industry-specific estimates at the state and MSA levels.
State Unemployment Insurance (UI) files provide the universe from which the OES survey draws its sample. Employment benchmarks are obtained from reports submitted by employers to the UI program. The OES survey sample is stratified by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas and industry. Samples selected in panels prior to May 2005 were stratified using MSA definitions based on the 1990 Metropolitan Statistical Area standards. Beginning with the May 2005 panel, the sample was stratified using new MSA definitions based on the 2000 Metropolitan Statistical Area standards.
ConceptsOccupational employment
is the estimate of total wage and salary employment in an occupation across the industries surveyed. The OES survey defines employment as the number of workers who can be classified as full- or part-time employees, including workers on paid vacations or other types of paid leave; workers on unpaid short-term absences; salaried officers, executives, and staff members of incorporated firms; employees temporarily assigned to other units; and employees for whom the reporting unit is their permanent duty station regardless of whether that unit prepares their paycheck.
Wages
for the OES survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate, cost-of-living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses, tips, and on-call pay are included. Excluded are: back pay, jury duty pay, overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, non-production bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Mean hourly wage.
The mean hourly wage rate for an occupation is the total wages that all workers in the occupation earn in an hour divided by the total employment of the occupation. To calculate the mean hourly wage of each occupation, total weighted hourly wages are summed across all intervals and divided by the occupation's weighted survey employment. The mean wage for each interval is based on occupational wage data collected by the BLS Office of Compensation and Working Conditions for the National Compensation Survey (NCS).
Annual wage.
Many employees are paid at an hourly rate by their employers and may work more than or less than 40 hours per week. Annual wage estimates for most occupations in this release are calculated by multiplying the mean hourly wage by a "year-round, full-time" figure of 2,080 hours (52 weeks by 40 hours). Thus, annual wage estimates may not represent the actual annual pay received by the employee if they work more or less than 2,080 hours per year. Some workers typically work less than full time, year round. For these occupations, the OES survey collects and reports either the annual salary or the hourly wage rate, depending on how the occupation is typically paid, but not both. For example, teachers, flight attendants, and pilots may be paid an annual salary, but do not work the usual 2,080 hours per year. In this case, an annual salary is reported. Other workers, such as entertainment workers are paid hourly rates, but generally do not work full time, year round. For these workers, only an hourly wage is reported.
Hourly versus annual wage reporting.
For each occupation, respondents are asked to report the number of employees paid within specific wage intervals. The intervals are defined both as hourly rates and the corresponding annual rates, where the annual rate for an occupation is calculated by multiplying the hourly wage rate by a typical work year of 2,080 hours. The responding establishment can reference either the hourly or the annual rate for full-time workers, but they are instructed to report the hourly rate for part-time workers.
Estimation methodology
Each OES panel includes approximately 200,000 establishments. The OES survey is designed to produce estimates using six panels (3 years) of data. The full six-panel sample of 1.2 million establishments allows the production of estimates at detailed levels of geography, industry, and occupation.
Wage updating.
Significant reductions in sampling errors are obtained by combining six panels of data, particularly for small geographic areas and occupations. Wages for the current panel need no adjustment. However, wages in the five previous panels need to be updated to the current panel's reference period.
The OES program uses the BLS Employment Cost Index (ECI) to adjust survey data from prior panels before combining them with the current panel's data. The wage updating procedure adjusts each detailed occupation's wage rate, as measured in the earlier panel, according to the average movement of its broader occupational division. The procedure assumes that there are no major differences by geography, industry, or detailed occupation within the occupational division.
May 2005 OES survey estimates.
The May 2005 OES survey estimates are based on all data collected from establishments in the May 2005, November 2004, May 2004, November 2003, May 2003, and November 2002 semiannual samples.
Reliability of the estimates.
Estimates calculated from a sample survey are subject to two types of error: sampling and nonsampling. Sampling error occurs when estimates are calculated from a subset (that is, a sample) of the population instead of the full population. When a sample of the population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimate of the characteristic of interest may differ from the population value of that characteristic. Differences between the sample estimate and the population value will vary depending on the sample selected. This variability can be estimated by calculating the standard error (SE) of the sample estimate. If we were to repeat the sampling and estimation process countless times using the same survey design, approximately 90 percent of the intervals created by adding and subtracting 1.645 SEs from the sample estimate would include the population value. These intervals are called 90-percent confidence intervals. The OES survey, however, usually uses the relative standard error (RSE) of a sample estimate instead of its SE to measure sampling error. RSE is defined as the SE of a sample estimate divided by the sample estimate itself. This statistic provides the user with a measure of the relative precision of the sample estimate. RSEs are calculated for both occupational employment and mean wage rate estimates. Occupational employment RSEs are calculated using a subsample, random group replication technique called the jackknife. Mean wage rate RSEs are calculated using a variance components model that accounts for both the observed and unobserved components of the wage data. The variances of the unobserved components are estimated using wage data from the BLS National Compensation Survey. In general, estimates based on many establishments have lower RSEs than estimates based on few establishments. If the distributional assumptions of the models are violated, the resulting confidence intervals may not reflect the prescribed level of confidence.
Nonsampling error
occurs for a variety of reasons, none of which are directly connected to sampling. Examples of nonsampling error include: nonresponse, data incorrectly reported by the respondent, mistakes made in entering collected data into the database, and mistakes made in editing and processing the collected data.
Additional information
The May 2005 OES national data by occupation, comparable to data in table 1, are available on the BLS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/oes. Users also may access each occupation's definition and percentile wages. The May 2005 cross-industry data for states and metropolitan areas are available on the BLS Web site. Industry staffing patterns at the sector, 3-, 4-, and selected 5-digit NAICS levels are also available from the Internet. These data include industry-specific occupational employment and wage data. A more detailed technical note for OES is available at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.
OES information is also available through our regional web page at http://www.bls.gov/ro7/home.htm and on our fax-on-demand system. For a catalog of items available to be faxed to you, call our fax-on-demand number at 816-426-3152. If you have additional questions, you can contact an economist in the Kansas City information office at 816-426-2481. 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.
OOH Earnings Table Extraction Wizard - output frame
Table 1. Employment and wage data from the Occupational Employment Statistics survey, by occupation, Topeka, Ks., metropolitan area, May 2005
Occupation
Employment
Mean wages
Median hourly wages
Hourly
Annual (1)
Management occupations
Chief executives
440
60.47
125,780
52.02
General and operations managers
1,950
32.43
67,450
29.15
Legislators
290
(3)
(5)
(3)
Marketing managers
110
46.48
96,670
42.69
Sales managers
140
49.27
102,480
41.67
Public relations managers
40
37.11
77,200
34.93
Administrative services managers
140
24.90
51,780
23.10
Computer and information systems managers
190
36.29
75,490
35.03
Financial managers
270
38.03
79,110
34.37
Compensation and benefits managers
40
36.27
75,440
36.73
Human resources managers, all other
30
35.14
73,080
35.23
Industrial production managers
70
32.01
66,580
25.85
Purchasing managers
30
35.40
73,630
36.80
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
80
31.40
65,310
31.69
Construction managers
170
31.72
65,980
29.44
Education administrators, elementary and secondary school
190
(3)
61,570
(3)
Engineering managers
120
42.22
87,820
40.34
Food service managers
180
20.40
42,430
18.44
Medical and health services managers
270
30.87
64,200
27.26
Postmasters and mail superintendents
40
23.45
48,780
24.10
Property, real estate, and community association managers
50
33.71
70,110
32.92
Social and community service managers
110
20.40
42,430
17.92
Managers, all other
280
36.55
76,020
33.19
Business and financial operations occupations
Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products
60
21.16
44,010
22.67
Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products
260
26.11
54,310
24.51
Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
360
22.66
47,130
21.57
Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation
170
23.00
47,850
20.88
Cost estimators
220
27.66
57,530
22.04
Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists
70
22.54
46,880
20.42
Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
100
24.72
51,420
23.88
Training and development specialists
190
23.18
48,210
22.90
Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other
130
20.91
43,480
20.23
Management analysts
410
24.41
50,770
21.95
Meeting and convention planners
40
21.34
44,390
20.21
Business operations specialists, all other
910
20.11
41,820
19.08
Accountants and auditors
1,060
23.07
47,990
21.63
Appraisers and assessors of real estate
60
23.85
49,610
21.48
Budget analysts
30
32.99
68,610
33.94
Credit analysts
(4)
19.78
41,130
19.06
Financial analysts
80
24.29
50,530
23.32
Personal financial advisors
80
46.63
96,990
57.66
Insurance underwriters
80
21.08
43,840
17.56
Loan officers
270
19.64
40,840
18.69
Financial specialists, all other
30
26.56
55,250
26.25
Computer and mathematical occupations
Computer programmers
240
22.52
46,830
21.99
Computer software engineers, applications
400
24.19
50,310
23.71
Computer software engineers, systems software
60
28.84
59,980
28.20
Computer support specialists
300
18.95
39,420
18.13
Computer systems analysts
490
28.09
58,420
28.66
Database administrators
50
28.21
58,670
26.56
Network and computer systems administrators
260
20.94
43,550
19.09
Network systems and data communications analysts
180
24.70
51,380
24.32
Actuaries
70
(5)
(5)
(5)
Architecture and engineering occupations
Architects, except landscape and naval
60
26.08
54,250
25.37
Surveyors
50
19.97
41,540
19.57
Civil engineers
430
28.02
58,270
26.94
Electrical engineers
(4)
34.88
72,560
33.38
Environmental engineers
60
30.51
63,470
29.58
Mechanical engineers
50
26.24
54,580
26.21
Architectural and civil drafters
70
18.03
37,500
17.56
Mechanical drafters
30
18.65
38,790
17.68
Drafters, all other
30
20.23
42,070
20.37
Civil engineering technicians
340
17.54
36,480
17.31
Electrical and electronic engineering technicians
70
21.88
45,510
22.29
Surveying and mapping technicians
50
11.87
24,680
10.52
Life, physical, and social science occupations
Chemists
40
19.82
41,220
18.96
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
220
23.41
48,680
23.03
Market research analysts
140
21.06
43,800
20.18
Survey researchers
120
17.66
36,730
16.85
Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists
100
30.69
63,830
25.63
Forest and conservation technicians
(4)
17.83
37,080
18.65
Community and social services occupations
Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors
70
16.56
34,440
16.14
Educational, vocational, and school counselors
140
20.09
41,790
20.35
Mental health counselors
(4)
13.27
27,600
14.10
Rehabilitation counselors
50
15.22
31,660
15.60
Child, family, and school social workers
390
15.24
31,710
14.96
Medical and public health social workers
110
20.87
43,400
20.61
Mental health and substance abuse social workers
230
17.10
35,560
16.46
Health educators
50
16.16
33,620
14.04
Social and human service assistants
420
11.27
23,450
10.75
Community and social service specialists, all other
60
13.08
27,200
13.05
Clergy
30
19.69
40,950
18.67
Legal occupations
Lawyers
600
39.42
82,000
30.22
Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
40
32.83
68,280
28.96
Paralegals and legal assistants
150
16.73
34,800
15.47
Law clerks
80
12.56
26,120
11.61
Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
40
13.40
27,880
12.25
Legal support workers, all other
260
16.77
34,880
16.46
Education, training, and library occupations
Preschool teachers, except special education
100
10.94
22,760
10.13
Kindergarten teachers, except special education
100
(3)
35,910
(3)
Elementary school teachers, except special education
1,730
(3)
33,040
(3)
Middle school teachers, except special and vocational
education
920
(3)
31,850
(3)
Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education
1,080
(3)
35,020
(3)
Vocational education teachers, secondary school
110
(3)
40,400
(3)
Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school
110
(3)
38,120
(3)
Special education teachers, middle school
40
(3)
37,420
(3)
Special education teachers, secondary school
50
(3)
40,720
(3)
Self-enrichment education teachers
110
15.82
32,900
12.87
Librarians
180
20.91
43,490
20.58
Instructional coordinators
130
24.31
50,560
24.40
Teacher assistants
1,160
(3)
17,620
(3)
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Floral designers
50
10.55
21,940
10.13
Graphic designers
240
15.19
31,590
15.42
Interior designers
30
17.77
36,960
15.89
Producers and directors
30
16.98
35,320
13.47
Coaches and scouts
170
(3)
23,220
(3)
Choreographers
30
(5)
(5)
(5)
Radio and television announcers
30
25.19
52,400
16.22
Reporters and correspondents
(4)
10.95
22,780
10.18
Public relations specialists
310
22.33
46,450
19.87
Editors
30
18.16
37,760
18.68
Writers and authors
30
16.16
33,610
16.45
Broadcast technicians
50
10.66
22,180
10.32
Photographers
60
10.37
21,580
9.84
Camera operators, television, video, and motion picture
30
7.45
15,500
6.57
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Dietitians and nutritionists
40
22.26
46,310
21.28
Pharmacists
200
39.38
81,920
39.87
Family and general practitioners
(4)
86.69
180,310
(2)
Physicians and surgeons, all other
40
64.69
134,540
63.00
Physician assistants
60
33.10
68,840
33.22
Registered nurses
2,930
23.57
49,020
22.68
Occupational therapists
130
27.18
56,540
26.20
Physical therapists
200
29.41
61,170
29.05
Recreational therapists
40
18.17
37,790
16.14
Respiratory therapists
(4)
20.32
42,270
20.18
Speech-language pathologists
80
26.61
55,360
24.55
Veterinarians
50
26.73
55,600
25.27
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners, all other
80
80.19
166,790
(2)
Medical and clinical laboratory technologists
(4)
22.15
46,060
21.33
Medical and clinical laboratory technicians
120
13.27
27,610
12.59
Dental hygienists
(4)
32.04
66,640
31.91
Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
60
18.43
38,330
18.49
Diagnostic medical sonographers
60
23.83
49,560
24.65
Radiologic technologists and technicians
150
20.87
43,410
20.58
Dietetic technicians
(4)
7.52
15,630
7.66
Pharmacy technicians
230
11.78
24,510
10.88
Surgical technologists
(4)
13.85
28,820
13.44
Veterinary technologists and technicians
60
11.70
24,330
10.71
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
730
16.20
33,690
16.16
Medical records and health information technicians
170
14.10
29,330
14.54
Opticians, dispensing
(4)
10.37
21,560
10.45
Occupational health and safety specialists
60
21.36
44,420
20.14
Healthcare support occupations
Home health aides
1,030
10.43
21,690
10.11
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
1,620
10.76
22,380
10.37
Psychiatric aides
350
9.67
20,120
9.56
Occupational therapist assistants
40
20.47
42,570
21.52
Physical therapist assistants
160
19.79
41,150
19.34
Physical therapist aides
30
11.28
23,470
11.37
Massage therapists
(4)
9.49
19,730
8.41
Dental assistants
200
12.94
26,920
12.90
Medical assistants
210
10.47
21,780
10.31
Medical transcriptionists
130
13.54
28,170
13.23
Pharmacy aides
(4)
8.05
16,750
8.06
Healthcare support workers, all other
90
12.32
25,630
11.08
Protective service occupations
Fire fighters
960
20.50
42,640
23.11
Detectives and criminal investigators
180
22.43
46,660
23.03
Police and sheriff's patrol officers
720
17.35
36,090
17.63
Security guards
550
9.69
20,140
8.46
Food preparation and serving related occupations
Chefs and head cooks
100
11.11
23,110
10.06
First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers
650
11.67
24,270
10.96
Cooks, fast food
380
6.66
13,840
6.50
Cooks, institution and cafeteria
580
10.15
21,120
9.52
Cooks, restaurant
380
8.78
18,260
8.54
Cooks, short order
280
6.91
14,370
6.54
Food preparation workers
610
7.28
15,140
7.27
Bartenders
400
6.81
14,160
6.60
Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food
1,580
7.37
15,330
7.28
Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop
300
6.19
12,870
6.21
Waiters and waitresses
1,740
6.94
14,440
6.53
Food servers, nonrestaurant
(4)
6.58
13,690
6.40
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
120
6.99
14,550
6.81
Dishwashers
380
6.92
14,390
7.01
Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
240
7.53
15,650
7.50
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations
First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers
160
13.69
28,470
14.02
First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
80
17.41
36,210
16.30
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
1,750
9.63
20,030
9.19
Maids and housekeeping cleaners
560
7.85
16,320
7.79
Pest control workers
40
13.15
27,350
12.92
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
440
9.52
19,790
9.30
Personal care and service occupations
First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers
80
13.23
27,510
12.29
Nonfarm animal caretakers
160
7.59
15,790
6.86
Amusement and recreation attendants
200
6.78
14,110
6.49
Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
200
11.86
24,670
10.02
Child care workers
510
7.95
16,540
7.84
Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors
130
9.38
19,510
9.43
Recreation workers
220
9.01
18,740
8.24
Sales and related occupations
First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers
870
15.71
32,680
13.57
First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers
180
31.65
65,830
26.72
Cashiers
2,700
8.02
16,680
7.61
Counter and rental clerks
340
9.01
18,730
8.71
Parts salespersons
190
12.15
25,280
10.57
Retail salespersons
3,380
10.22
21,260
8.72
Advertising sales agents
120
17.25
35,880
11.98
Insurance sales agents
250
22.23
46,250
16.65
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
180
28.18
58,620
26.13
Sales representatives, services, all other
220
27.30
56,790
24.60
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
190
27.13
56,430
25.84
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
700
26.91
55,970
23.84
Real estate sales agents
60
19.68
40,930
19.31
Sales and related workers, all other
90
19.34
40,230
16.02
Office and administrative support occupations
First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers
1,480
18.99
39,510
17.82
Switchboard operators, including answering service
150
10.25
21,330
10.04
Bill and account collectors
380
11.77
24,480
11.69
Billing and posting clerks and machine operators
320
12.18
25,340
11.92
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
1,630
13.35
27,770
13.01
Payroll and timekeeping clerks
210
15.43
32,090
15.49
Procurement clerks
50
14.40
29,950
14.89
Tellers
620
9.76
20,300
9.66
Court, municipal, and license clerks
160
14.81
30,800
14.91
Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks
40
10.34
21,500
8.54
Customer service representatives
(4)
13.11
27,270
12.16
File clerks
180
10.54
21,930
9.48
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
160
7.46
15,510
7.23
Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
140
11.35
23,610
10.61
Library assistants, clerical
150
9.67
20,120
9.80
Loan interviewers and clerks
80
12.95
26,940
12.04
Order clerks
150
12.93
26,900
12.41
Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping
120
16.27
33,840
16.25
Receptionists and information clerks
890
9.56
19,880
9.41
All other information and record clerks
210
18.27
37,990
16.65
Couriers and messengers
230
7.56
15,720
6.99
Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers
(4)
10.90
22,660
10.55
Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
120
12.76
26,530
10.68
Meter readers, utilities
130
12.97
26,980
14.20
Postal service clerks
60
23.24
48,340
23.84
Postal service mail carriers
330
20.79
43,230
21.93
Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
190
20.00
41,590
21.21
Production, planning, and expediting clerks
140
19.22
39,970
19.46
Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks
830
13.77
28,630
11.43
Stock clerks and order fillers
1,490
11.25
23,410
10.51
Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping
(4)
11.93
24,810
10.88
Executive secretaries and administrative assistants
2,520
13.63
28,350
12.89
Legal secretaries
280
12.18
25,330
11.80
Medical secretaries
340
13.84
28,790
12.94
Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive
1,210
10.91
22,680
10.51
Computer operators
120
14.96
31,120
13.86
Data entry keyers
150
10.58
22,000
10.26
Word processors and typists
30
13.66
28,410
12.80
Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
80
13.44
27,960
12.98
Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service
320
10.41
21,650
10.32
Office clerks, general
1,940
10.61
22,070
10.20
Office and administrative support workers, all other
70
14.10
29,330
14.44
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
30
11.34
23,590
11.37
Construction and extraction occupations
First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers
540
22.91
47,650
22.51
Brickmasons and blockmasons
70
19.15
39,830
20.27
Carpenters
660
16.15
33,580
15.77
Carpet installers
(4)
17.51
36,410
16.96
Tile and marble setters
(4)
24.05
50,020
24.27
Cement masons and concrete finishers
190
16.12
33,530
15.87
Construction laborers
960
12.76
26,540
12.21
Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
90
14.42
30,000
14.59
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
490
17.60
36,610
18.52
Drywall and ceiling tile installers
80
14.65
30,460
14.27
Tapers
40
16.36
34,020
16.72
Electricians
370
20.53
42,710
22.38
Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall
(4)
13.12
27,300
12.40
Painters, construction and maintenance
160
14.48
30,120
13.28
Pipelayers
(4)
13.56
28,200
12.73
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
530
19.29
40,120
19.37
Sheet metal workers
160
18.63
38,750
19.97
Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters
110
12.54
26,090
10.97
Helpers--carpenters
100
11.23
23,360
10.35
Helpers--electricians
50
11.23
23,360
11.36
Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
40
11.06
23,000
9.90
Construction and building inspectors
50
21.36
44,430
20.08
Highway maintenance workers
150
13.34
27,750
13.05
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers
590
23.48
48,840
22.71
Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers
210
15.87
33,020
15.77
Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers
(4)
15.73
32,720
15.44
Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
40
22.16
46,100
23.19
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
60
24.95
51,890
26.33
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
200
19.62
40,810
21.15
Automotive body and related repairers
80
17.89
37,220
17.01
Automotive glass installers and repairers
(4)
19.79
41,170
20.01
Automotive service technicians and mechanics
640
15.07
31,340
14.25
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
180
15.82
32,900
15.41
Farm equipment mechanics
70
13.02
27,080
12.75
Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
180
18.12
37,700
18.06
Tire repairers and changers
150
8.34
17,350
7.92
Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
40
21.83
45,410
21.32
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
160
18.35
38,160
17.98
Home appliance repairers
(4)
16.11
33,510
16.42
Industrial machinery mechanics
220
22.64
47,090
22.52
Maintenance and repair workers, general
1,010
17.49
36,370
17.50
Maintenance workers, machinery
80
18.01
37,470
16.43
Electrical power-line installers and repairers
140
24.97
51,940
25.20
Telecommunications line installers and repairers
120
20.18
41,980
21.21
Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other
(4)
14.98
31,160
13.29
Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers
50
13.72
28,550
13.70
Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
100
9.47
19,690
9.60
Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
60
15.56
32,370
13.63
Production occupations
First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers
420
24.72
51,410
24.24
Structural metal fabricators and fitters
30
14.99
31,170
15.82
Team assemblers
350
12.61
26,230
10.41
Assemblers and fabricators, all other
50
12.93
26,900
12.45
Bakers
80
11.34
23,590
10.51
Butchers and meat cutters
100
13.32
27,710
12.72
Food cooking machine operators and tenders
80
16.75
34,830
16.68
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
140
14.54
30,230
15.00
Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
(4)
12.46
25,910
11.62
Machinists
(4)
18.09
37,630
18.24
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
80
13.76
28,630
12.64
Bindery workers
240
9.18
19,100
8.21
Prepress technicians and workers
70
14.10
29,330
15.04
Printing machine operators
370
16.26
33,830
16.58
Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
110
8.00
16,650
7.97
Sewing machine operators
(4)
7.99
16,620
7.75
Upholsterers
(4)
11.67
24,260
12.25
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters
40
13.71
28,510
13.28
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
(4)
8.24
17,140
8.16
Power distributors and dispatchers
(4)
24.27
50,480
23.18
Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders
30
18.09
37,620
19.34
Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders
190
15.21
31,630
15.55
Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders
290
22.05
45,870
21.98
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
340
19.30
40,150
20.15
Dental laboratory technicians
(4)
14.13
29,390
12.97
Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
840
15.72
32,690
16.30
Painters, transportation equipment
(4)
15.80
32,870
15.41
Photographic process workers
30
15.43
32,090
16.56
Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic
30
10.72
22,300
10.21
Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
(4)
13.12
27,290
13.36
Helpers--production workers
290
13.51
28,110
11.76
Transportation and material moving occupations
First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand
100
18.38
38,240
16.88
First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators
250
23.86
49,630
23.71
Bus drivers, transit and intercity
90
12.08
25,120
13.48
Bus drivers, school
630
11.50
23,920
10.70
Driver/sales workers
290
14.08
29,280
14.44
Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer
1,060
15.39
32,020
14.72
Truck drivers, light or delivery services
560
12.76
26,550
11.54
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs
70
8.25
17,150
8.34
Service station attendants
310
7.88
16,390
7.35
Crane and tower operators
(4)
14.66
30,500
13.97
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators
(4)
15.39
32,000
15.62
Industrial truck and tractor operators
420
15.02
31,230
14.53
Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
310
8.46
17,590
7.91
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
1,220
10.09
21,000
9.22
Packers and packagers, hand
1,010
10.77
22,410
8.82
1 Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a 'year-round,
full-time' hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly
mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
2 Represents a wage above $70.00 per hour.
3 Hourly wage rates for occupations where workers typically work fewer than 2,080 hours per
year are not available.
4 Indicates that an employment estimate is not available.
5 Indicates that a wage estimate is not available.
6 There is a wide variation in the number of hours worked by those employed as actors, dancers,
singers, and musicians. Many jobs are for the duration of 1 day or 1 week, and it is extremely
rare for a performer to have guaranteed employment for a period that exceeds 3 to 6 months.
Therefore only hourly wages are available for these occupations.
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The largest occupational group in the Topeka area was office and administrative support with 20,020 workers, representing 18.6 percent of all employment in the metropolitan area. (See chart B.) Workers in this occupational group averaged $12.97 compared to $14.28 nationally. Locally, executive secretaries and administrative assistants (2,520) and general office clerks (1,940) accounted for over 20 percent of the workers in this group and averaged $13.63 and $10.61 an hour, respectively. Those working for the postal service were among the better paid, including postal service clerks averaging $23.24 and postal service mail carriers earning $20.79. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks were at the other end of the wage scale averaging $7.46 an hour.
Other occupational groups with above-average concentrations in Topeka included protective service workers accounting for 2.9 percent of the workforce compared to 2.3 percent nationwide and installation, maintenance, and repair occupations representing 4.6 percent of the local workforce but 4.1 percent nationally. (See table A.) Neither of these two occupational groups had wages that varied significantly from their U.S. averages.
Topeka had a lower-than-average presence in eight major occupational groups, including six that had lower than average wages: computer and mathematical; architecture and engineering; food preparation and serving related; building and grounds cleaning and maintenance; sales and related; and transportation and material moving.
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