Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Gap widens between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area pay

October 11, 2001

Average annual pay within the nation's nonmetropolitan areas rose by 4.9 percent in 2000, compared with 6.0 percent in metropolitan areas.

Average annual pay for all covered workers, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, 1999 and 2000
[Chart data—TXT]

The difference between nonmetropolitan and metropolitan pay has gradually widened over the years. In 1990, the difference between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan pay levels amounted to approximately 16 percent. In 1995, the difference was 23 percent and in 2000, nonmetropolitan average annual pay was 26 percent less than pay in metropolitan areas.

Average annual pay in nonmetropolitan areas in 2000 was $27,311. In comparison, annual pay in metropolitan areas averaged $36,986.

These data on average annual pay are a product of the BLS Covered Employment and Wages program. Pay data presented here are for workers covered by State and Federal unemployment insurance programs. Find additional information in "Average Annual Pay Levels in Metropolitan Areas, 2000," news release USDL 01-318.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Gap widens between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area pay at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2001/oct/wk2/art03.htm (visited March 29, 2024).

OF INTEREST
spotlight
Recent editions of Spotlight on Statistics


triangle