Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area
Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
The National, State, Metropolitan, and
Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates are
calculated from data collected in a national survey of employers. Data on
occupational employment and wages are collected from employers of every
size, in every state, in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, in all
industry sectors. These estimates are cross-industry estimates; each
occupation's employment and wage estimates are calculated from data
collected from employers in all industry sectors. Self-employed persons
are not included in the survey or estimates. The May 2021 OEWS estimates
are based on the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC)
system and the Office of Management and
Budget's revised metropolitan area
definitions, based on the results of the 2010 decennial census.
The National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area
Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates consist of the following:
- SOC Code Number: the Standard Occupational
Classification (SOC) system's unique, six-digit (plus hyphen) numerical
identifier for each occupation. When the SOC code is a link,
clicking on it leads to a page that contains the occupational definition
and national cross-industry estimates.
- Occupation Title: a descriptive title that
corresponds to the SOC code.
- Group: the level of occupational detail (major
group, minor group, broad level, detailed).
- Employment: the estimated total occupational
employment (not including self-employed).
- Employment RSE: the Relative Standard Error of the
employment estimate, a measure of the reliability or precision of the
employment estimate. The relative standard error is defined as the ratio
of the standard error to the survey estimate. For example, a relative
standard error of 10 percent implies that the standard error is
one-tenth as large as the survey estimate.
- Employment per 1000 jobs: the number of jobs
(employment) in the given occupation per 1,000 jobs in the given area.
- Location Quotient: (State, metropolitan, and
nonmetropolitan statistical area estimates only) the ratio of an
occupation's share of employment in a given area to that occupation's
share of employment in the U.S. as a whole. For example, an occupation
that makes up 10 percent of employment in a specific metropolitan area
compared with 2 percent of U.S. employment would have a location
quotient of 5 for the area in question.
- Median Hourly Wage: the estimated 50th percentile
of the distribution of wages based on data collected from employers in
all industries; 50 percent of workers in an occupation earn less than
the median wage, and 50 percent earn more than the median wage.
- Mean Hourly Wage: the estimated total hourly wages
of an occupation divided by its estimated employment, i.e., the average
hourly wage.
- Mean Annual Wage: the estimated total annual wages
of an occupation divided by its estimated employment, i.e., the average
annual wage.
- Mean RSE: the relative standard error of the mean
wage estimates, a measure of the reliability or precision of the mean
wage estimates. The relative standard error is defined as the ratio of
the standard error to the survey estimate. For example, a relative
standard error of 10 percent implies that the standard error is
one-tenth as large as the survey estimate.
- Percentile Wage Estimates: (National estimates
only) A percentile wage estimate shows what percentage of workers in an
occupation earn less than a given wage and what percentage earn more.
For example, a 25th percentile wage of $15.00 indicates that 25 percent
of workers (in a given occupation in a given area) earn less than
$15.00; therefore 75 percent of workers earn more than $15.00. More
about percentile wages.
For more information about the OEWS program and estimates, see the Frequently Asked Questions.
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and
Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage
Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area
Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational
Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022