Workers in the Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia Metropolitan Division had an average (mean) hourly wage of $24.51 in May 2015, about 6 percent above the nationwide average of $23.23, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that, after testing for statistical significance, wages in the local area were higher than their respective national averages in 5 of the 22 major occupational groups, including construction and extraction; production; and transportation and material moving. Three groups had significantly lower wages than their respective national averages: legal; computer and mathematical; and healthcare support.

When compared to the nationwide distribution, local employment was more highly concentrated in 6 of the 22 occupational groups, including production; architecture and engineering; and healthcare practitioners and technical. Conversely, eight groups had employment shares significantly below their national representation, including sales and related; construction and extraction; and education, training, and library. (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. Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia had 70,100 jobs in production, accounting for 9.7 percent of local area employment, significantly higher than the 6.6-percent share nationally. The average hourly wage for this occupational group locally was $20.36, significantly above the national wage of $17.41.

Some of the larger detailed occupations within the production group included team assemblers (23,240); first-line supervisors of production and operating workers (4,710); and inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers (4,400). Among the higher paying jobs were power plant operators ($34.98) and first-line supervisors of production and operating workers ($32.63). At the lower end of the wage scale were pressers, textile, garment, and related materials ($9.84) and laundry and dry-cleaning workers ($11.26). (Detailed occupational data for production are presented in table 1; for a complete listing of detailed occupations available go to www.bls.gov/oes/2015/may/oes_19804.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 Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia Metropolitan Division, above-average concentrations of employment were found in some of the occupations within the production group. For instance, rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic were employed at 9.1 times the national rate in Detroit, and tool and die makers, at 4.7 times the U.S. average. On the other hand, chemical equipment operators and tenders had a location quotient of 1.0 in Detroit, 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 Labor & Economic Growth.

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. May 2015 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2015, November 2014, May 2014, November 2013, May 2013, and November 2012. The overall national response rate for the six panels is 73.5 percent based on establishments and 69.6 percent based on weighted sampled employment. The unweighted employment of sampled establishments across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 57.9 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 Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia Metropolitan Division included 3,978 establishments with a response rate of 68 percent. For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.

The May 2015 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.

The Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, Mich. Metropolitan Division includes Wayne County.

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/2015/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, Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia Metropolitan Division, May 2015

Occupation (1)	Employment		Mean wages
	Level (2)	Location quotient (3)	Hourly	Annual (4)
Production Occupations	70,100	1.5	$20.36	$42,340
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	4,710	1.5	32.63	67,860
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers	390	0.4	14.65	30,480
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers	530	2.6	25.82	53,700
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters	330	0.8	19.04	39,600
Team Assemblers	23,240	4.0	21.10	43,880
Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other	1,190	1.0	13.03	27,100
Bakers	830	0.9	12.73	26,490
Butchers and Meat Cutters	670	0.9	14.24	29,620
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers	(5)	(5)	12.28	25,550
Slaughterers and Meat Packers	(5)	(5)	13.45	27,970
Food Batchmakers	370	0.5	16.83	35,020
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders	90	0.5	11.77	24,480
Food Processing Workers, All Other	40	0.2	9.87	20,530
Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators, Metal and Plastic	1,320	1.7	17.93	37,300
Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Tool Programmers, Metal and Plastic	170	1.3	25.72	53,500
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	410	1.1	17.06	35,490
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	290	2.8	15.89	33,060
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	1,520	9.1	22.68	47,170
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	3,710	3.6	20.13	41,880
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	(5)	(5)	21.28	44,270
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	350	0.9	17.50	36,390
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	340	1.6	18.04	37,520
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	180	1.7	15.31	31,840
Machinists	3,390	1.6	21.20	44,090
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders	40	0.4	17.83	37,080
Model Makers, Metal and Plastic	220	6.6	32.61	67,830
Foundry Mold and Coremakers	70	1.0	15.00	31,200
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	1,040	1.5	14.37	29,880
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	320	0.6	(5)	(5)
Tool and Die Makers	1,850	4.7	29.63	61,630
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	1,460	0.7	20.59	42,830
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	590	2.1	23.62	49,130
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	160	1.5	17.09	35,550
Plating and Coating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	480	2.6	13.89	28,890
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners	50	0.9	23.73	49,370
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other	(5)	(5)	19.46	40,470
Prepress Technicians and Workers	(5)	(5)	14.90	30,990
Printing Press Operators	490	0.6	17.00	35,360
Print Binding and Finishing Workers	90	0.3	15.49	32,210
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers	1,540	1.5	11.26	23,410
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials	160	0.6	9.84	20,460
Sewing Machine Operators	190	0.3	12.25	25,470
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers	(5)	(5)	13.73	28,550
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters	70	0.1	14.52	30,200
Patternmakers, Wood	60	10.9	25.07	52,150
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood	(5)	(5)	19.83	41,250
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing	40	0.1	14.18	29,490
Power Plant Operators	450	2.3	34.98	72,760
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators	330	1.8	28.43	59,130
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	250	0.4	23.08	48,000
Chemical Plant and System Operators	(5)	(5)	30.30	63,030
Gas Plant Operators	(5)	(5)	32.12	66,820
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders	350	1.0	25.70	53,460
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	170	0.7	18.98	39,480
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	60	0.3	13.65	28,380
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	710	1.0	17.37	36,140
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	280	0.8	12.31	25,590
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	70	0.2	14.70	30,580
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers	4,400	1.6	18.06	37,570
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers	(5)	(5)	15.31	31,840
Dental Laboratory Technicians	220	1.1	19.34	40,220
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians	60	0.4	25.50	53,050
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	2,460	1.2	12.65	26,310
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	380	0.8	15.45	32,130
Painters, Transportation Equipment	200	0.8	25.90	53,870
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers	40	0.5	16.26	33,820
Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators	40	0.3	18.97	39,460
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders	110	1.3	12.10	25,180
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic	140	0.7	14.00	29,130
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	450	0.9	13.67	28,440
Helpers--Production Workers	1,640	0.7	11.72	24,370
Production Workers, All Other	1,430	1.1	17.76	36,930
Footnotes: (1) For a complete listing of all detailed occupations in the Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia 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) Estimates not released.