Workers in the Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills Metropolitan Division had an average (mean) hourly wage of $23.04 in May 2014, similar to the nationwide average of $22.71, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that, after testing for statistical significance, wages in the local area were higher than their respective national averages in 2 of the 22 major occupational groups: construction and extraction; and sales and related. Ten groups had significantly lower wages than their respective national averages, including life, physical, and social science; computer and mathematical; and arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media.

When compared to the nationwide distribution, local employment was more highly concentrated in 7 of the 22 occupational groups, including production; architecture and engineering; and sales and related. Conversely, 11 groups had employment shares significantly below their national representation, including education, training, and library; transportation and material moving; and construction and extraction. (See table A and box note at end of release.)

One occupational group—production—was chosen to illustrate the diversity of data available for any of the 22 major occupational categories. Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills had 126,800 jobs in production, accounting for 11.1 percent of local area employment, significantly higher than the 6.6-percent share nationally. The average hourly wage for this occupational group locally was $17.17, compared to the national wage of $17.06.

Some of the largest detailed occupations within the production group included team assemblers (29,360), machinists (9,460), and inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers (8,230). Among the higher paying jobs were power plant operators and gas plant operators, with mean hourly wages of $35.61 and $33.45, respectively. At the lower end of the wage scale were pressers, textile, garment, and related materials ($9.72) and laundry and dry-cleaning workers ($9.91). (Detailed occupational data for production are presented in table 1; for a complete listing of detailed occupations available go to www.bls.gov/oes/2014/may/oes_47664.htm.)

Location quotients allow us to explore the occupational make-up of a metropolitan area by comparing the composition of jobs in an area relative to the national average. (See table 1.) For example, a location quotient of 2.0 indicates that an occupation accounts for twice the share of employment in the area than it does nationally. In the Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills Metropolitan Division, above-average concentrations of employment were found in many of the occupations within the production group. For instance, model makers, metal and plastic were employed at 10.2 times the national rate in Warren, and forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, at 10.1 times the U.S. average. On the other hand, bakers had a location quotient of 1.0 in Warren, indicating that this particular occupation’s local and national employment shares were similar.

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 Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

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 are also surveyed, but their data are not included in the national estimates. 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. May 2014 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2014, November 2013, May 2013, November 2012, May 2012, and November 2011. The overall national response rate for the six panels is 74.3 percent based on establishments and 70.5 percent based on weighted sampled employment. The unweighted employment of sampled establishments across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 57.1 percent of total national employment. (Response rates are slightly lower for these estimates due to the federal shutdown in October 2013.) The sample in the Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills Metropolitan Division included 5,856 establishments with a response rate of 75 percent. For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.

The OES survey provides estimates of employment and hourly and annual wages for wage and salary workers in 22 major occupational groups and 821 detailed occupations for the nation, states, metropolitan statistical areas, metropolitan divisions, and nonmetropolitan areas. In addition, employment and wage estimates for 94 minor groups and 458 broad occupations are available in the national data. OES data by state and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan area are available from www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm and www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcma.htm, respectively.

The May 2014 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.

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.

The Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Mich. Metropolitan Division  includes Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, and St. Clair Counties.

Additional information

OES data are available on our regional web page at www.bls.gov/regions/midwest. 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/2014/may/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.

Table 1. Employment and wage data from the Occupational Employment Statistics survey, by occupation, Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills Metropolitan Division, May 2014

Occupation (1)	Employment		Mean wages
	Level (2)	Location quotient (3)	Hourly	Annual (4)
Production Occupations	126,800	1.7	$17.17	$35,720
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	6,530	1.3	29.84	62,060
Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers	110	0.9	16.86	35,070
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers	1,970	1.1	13.86	28,820
Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers	120	0.3	16.46	34,230
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers	960	3.0	24.74	51,450
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters	540	0.8	18.18	37,820
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators	90	0.6	14.95	31,090
Team Assemblers	29,360	3.1	15.71	32,670
Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other	4,340	2.2	12.75	26,530
Bakers	1,480	1.0	13.53	28,150
Butchers and Meat Cutters	1,030	0.9	14.46	30,080
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers	550	0.4	11.07	23,030
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders	40	0.2	13.85	28,800
Food Batchmakers	500	0.5	12.72	26,460
Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators, Metal and Plastic	2,950	2.4	19.49	40,530
Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Tool Programmers, Metal and Plastic	520	2.5	23.19	48,230
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	1,070	1.8	15.69	32,640
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	1,830	10.1	12.92	26,870
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	5,800	3.6	15.78	32,820
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	240	1.7	19.58	40,720
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	1,110	1.9	16.42	34,140
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	790	2.2	17.62	36,660
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	420	2.3	19.12	39,770
Machinists	9,460	2.9	20.18	41,980
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders	100	0.6	12.66	26,340
Model Makers, Metal and Plastic	530	10.2	26.38	54,880
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic	(5)	(5)	20.94	43,550
Foundry Mold and Coremakers	90	0.9	15.05	31,310
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	3,710	3.4	13.54	28,160
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	1,150	1.4	16.85	35,040
Tool and Die Makers	4,700	7.3	25.44	52,910
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	3,060	1.0	18.40	38,270
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	690	1.5	15.07	31,340
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	770	4.3	15.61	32,470
Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic	50	0.4	22.04	45,850
Plating and Coating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	610	2.0	13.39	27,850
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners	270	3.0	19.81	41,200
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other	330	1.8	15.83	32,920
Prepress Technicians and Workers	250	0.8	17.12	35,610
Printing Press Operators	990	0.7	15.73	32,710
Print Binding and Finishing Workers	330	0.8	15.04	31,280
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers	1,300	0.8	9.91	20,620
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials	240	0.6	9.72	20,220
Sewing Machine Operators	1,010	0.8	12.83	26,680
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers	(5)	(5)	13.60	28,300
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers	(5)	(5)	14.10	29,320
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	50	0.4	15.63	32,510
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	50	0.3	12.18	25,330
Upholsterers	(5)	(5)	14.80	30,770
Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other	(5)	(5)	17.59	36,590
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters	490	0.7	16.44	34,200
Furniture Finishers	50	0.4	15.86	32,990
Patternmakers, Wood	(5)	(5)	21.45	44,620
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing	270	0.5	12.43	25,850
Power Plant Operators	240	0.7	35.61	74,060
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators	90	0.3	28.85	60,010
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	350	0.4	23.78	49,450
Chemical Plant and System Operators	80	0.2	(5)	(5)
Gas Plant Operators	140	1.0	33.45	69,570
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers	(5)	(5)	24.22	50,380
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders	360	0.7	19.64	40,860
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	210	0.6	18.40	38,270
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	60	0.3	16.76	34,860
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand	320	1.3	13.18	27,410
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	1,300	1.3	16.07	33,430
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	530	1.0	15.34	31,910
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	610	1.1	12.96	26,960
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers	8,230	2.0	17.32	36,030
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers	320	1.7	18.14	37,720
Dental Laboratory Technicians	560	1.9	20.57	42,780
Medical Appliance Technicians	60	0.5	21.62	44,970
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians	700	3.0	17.06	35,490
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	(5)	(5)	12.72	26,460
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	1,790	2.3	12.88	26,800
Painters, Transportation Equipment	380	0.9	28.41	59,090
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers	190	1.4	14.16	29,460
Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators	130	0.5	11.37	23,640
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders	(5)	(5)	10.73	22,310
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders	90	0.6	14.87	30,940
Etchers and Engravers	(5)	(5)	15.37	31,970
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic	570	1.9	15.18	31,580
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	440	0.6	19.18	39,900
Helpers--Production Workers	6,590	1.9	13.65	28,390
Production Workers, All Other	3,850	2.1	16.44	34,190
Footnotes: (1) For a complete listing of all detailed occupations in Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division, see www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm. (2) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers. (3) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average. (4) 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. (5) Estimate not released.