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News Release Information

17-1321-PHI
Thursday, September 21, 2017

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Occupational Employment and Wages for Teachers in Pennsylvania’s Metropolitan Areas – May 2016

Among the 19 metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md., and Reading had wages significantly above the national average for secondary, middle, and elementary school teachers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that only Erie had wages that were significantly below those for the nation in all three occupations. Nationwide, the average (mean) wage for secondary school teachers was $61,420; for middle school teachers, $59,800; and for elementary school teachers, $59,020. (See table A. For comprehensive definitions of metropolitan areas in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, please see the Technical Note.)

Table A. Average (mean) annual wages for secondary, middle, and elementary school teachers in the United States, Pennsylvania, and metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania, May 2016
AreaSecondary school teachers, except special and career/technical educationMiddle school teachers, except special and career/technical educationElementary school teachers, except special education

United States

$61,420$59,800$59,020

Pennsylvania

64,320*62,620*62,250*

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton

67,020*63,73062,760*

Altoona

57,360-56,380

Bloomsburg-Berwick

50,020*43,420*68,780*

Chambersburg-Waynesboro

61,31064,350*62,000*

East Stroudsburg

69,190*69,390*70,200*

Erie

52,140*53,660*49,370*

Gettysburg

65,200-52,150

Harrisburg-Carlisle

52,960*56,190*60,000

Johnstown

55,180*-52,980*

Lancaster

62,66058,78060,670

Lebanon

65,770*-64,770*

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington

68,880*65,270*66,440*

Pittsburgh

62,56065,260*59,030

Reading

66,630*65,800*62,310*

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton

64,410*62,56058,140

State College

60,07066,510*67,030*

Williamsport

65,270*61,36059,440

York-Hanover

69,920*63,66065,630*

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman

63,09060,54056,430

* The mean annual wage for this area is significantly different from the national average of all areas at the 90-percent confidence level.

-- Estimate not released.

The Philadelphia area had 62,630 secondary, middle, and elementary school teachers, the largest number among the metropolitan areas in the commonwealth. Pittsburgh had a combined employment of 21,870 for the three selected teaching occupations. Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton had a combined employment of 7,570, while employment levels for the selected occupations were less than 6,000 in each of the remaining areas for which data were available. (See table B.)

Table B. Employment for secondary, middle, and elementary school teachers in the United States, Pennsylvania, and metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania, May 2016
AreaSecondary school teachers, except special and career/technical educationMiddle school teachers, except special and career/technical educationElementary school teachers, except special education

United States

1,003,250626,3101,392,660

Pennsylvania

45,07024,52051,990

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton

2,5901,4003,580

Altoona

750--490

Bloomsburg-Berwick

--300410

Chambersburg-Waynesboro

--530760

East Stroudsburg

170--1,010

Erie

1,300--1,090

Gettysburg

370----

Harrisburg-Carlisle

1,9101,0802,970

Johnstown

420--970

Lancaster

1,4601,2401,440

Lebanon

470--480

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington

21,92014,30026,410

Pittsburgh

7,6004,8009,470

Reading

9308201,910

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton

1,7607002,730

State College

390160390

Williamsport

--570440

York-Hanover

1,0805502,420

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman

2,6101,2701,740

-- Estimate not released.

Wages for secondary school teachers in metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania

Eight metropolitan areas in the commonwealth had wages for secondary school teachers that were significantly higher than the national average. York-Hanover ($69,920), East Stroudsburg ($69,190), and Philadelphia ($68,880) were among the higher-paying areas in Pennsylvania for secondary school teachers. The Bloomsburg-Berwick, Erie, Harrisburg-Carlisle, and Johnstown metropolitan areas had wages for secondary school teachers that were significantly below average.

Wages for middle school teachers in metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania

The East Stroudsburg metropolitan area ($69,390) had wages for middle school teachers that were significantly higher than the national average. Five other areas had higher-than-average wages for middle school teachers: State College, Reading, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Chambersburg-Waynesboro. Bloomsburg, Erie, and Harrisburg had wages for middle school teachers that were statistically below the national average.

Wages for elementary school teachers in metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania

The East Stroudsburg metropolitan area ($70,200) had wages for elementary school teachers that were significantly higher than the national average. In addition to East Stroudsburg, eight other areas had above average wages for elementary school teachers, including Bloomsburg ($68,780) and State College ($67,030). Erie and Johnstown, at $49,370 and $52,980, respectively, were the only metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania that had wages that were significantly below the national average.

These statistics are from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, a federal-state cooperative program between BLS and State Workforce Agencies, in this case, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry; the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development; the Delaware Department of Labor; and the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation. The OES survey provides estimates of employment and hourly and annual wages for wage and salary workers in 22 major occupational groups and about 800 detailed occupations for the nation, states, metropolitan statistical areas, metropolitan divisions, and nonmetropolitan areas.

Note on Occupational Employment Statistics Data

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 the 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 affect 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. The OES program produces employment and wage estimates for over 800 occupations for all industries combined in the nation; the 50 states and the District of Columbia; 432 metropolitan areas and divisions; 167 nonmetropolitan areas; and Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. National estimates are also available by industry for NAICS sectors, 3-, 4-, and selected 5- and 6-digit industries; and by ownership across all industries and for schools and hospitals. OES data are available at www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm.

OES estimates are constructed from a sample of about 1.2 million establishments. Forms are mailed to approximately 200,000 sampled establishments in May and November each year. The May 2016 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2016, November 2015, May 2015, November 2014, May 2014, and November 2013. The overall national response rate for the six panels, based on the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is 73 percent based on establishments and 69 percent based on weighted sampled employment. The unweighted employment of sampled establishments across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 58 percent of total national employment. For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.

The May 2016 OES estimates are based on the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system and the 2012 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Information about the 2010 SOC is available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/soc and information about the 2012 NAICS is available at www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm.

Metropolitan area definitions

The substate area data published in this release reflect the standards and definitions established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa.-N.J. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties in Pennsylvania and Warren County in New Jersey.

Altoona, Pa. MSA includes Blair County in Pennsylvania.

Bloomsburg-Berwick, Pa. MSA includes Columbia and Montour Counties in Pennsylvania.

Chambersburg-Waynesboro, Pa. MSA includes Franklin County in Pennsylvania.

East Stroudsburg, Pa. MSA includes Monroe County in Pennsylvania.

Erie, Pa. MSA includes Erie County in Pennsylvania.

Gettysburg, Pa. MSA includes Adams County in Pennsylvania.

Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pa. MSA includes Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry Counties in Pennsylvania.

Johnstown, Pa. MSA includes Cambria County in Pennsylvania.

Lancaster, Pa. MSA includes Lancaster County in Pennsylvania.

Lebanon, Pa. MSA includes Lebanon County in Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md. MSA includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania; Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem Counties in New Jersey; New Castle County in Delaware; and Cecil County in Maryland.

Pittsburgh, Pa. MSA includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties in Pennsylvania.

Reading, Pa. MSA includes Berks County in Pennsylvania.

Scranton—Wilkes-Barre—Hazleton, Pa. MSA includes Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties in Pennsylvania.

State College, Pa. MSA includes Centre County in Pennsylvania.

Williamsport, Pa. MSA includes Lycoming County in Pennsylvania.

York-Hanover, Pa. MSA includes York County in Pennsylvania.

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pa. MSA includes Mercer County in Pennsylvania and Mahoning and Trumbull Counties in Ohio.

Additional information

OES data are available on our regional web page at https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic. Answers to frequently asked questions about the OES data are available at www.bls.gov/oes/oes_ques.htm. Detailed technical information about the OES survey is available in our Survey Methods and Reliability Statement on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/oes/current/methods_statement.pdf.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, September 21, 2017