About May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

The May 2021 OEWS National Industry-Specific 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 data are used to calculate industry-specific occupational employment and wage estimates for sectors, 3-, 4-, and selected 5- and 6-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industry groups. The May 2021 estimates are based on the 2021 NAICS. For more information about NAICS, see the NAICS page. The industry-specific occupational employment and wage estimates for a particular industry are calculated with data collected from establishments in that industry. Self-employed persons are not included in the survey or estimates. Since 1999, the OEWS program has used the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.

The National Industry-Specific 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 occupational employment (not including self-employed) for that industry.
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.
Percent of Total: a percentage expressing the estimated occupational employment divided by the estimated total industry employment, for that industry.
Median Hourly Wage: the estimated 50th percentile of the distribution of wages based on data collected from employers in that industry; 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, for that industry.
Mean Annual Wage: the estimated total annual wages of an occupation divided by its estimated employment, i.e., the average annual wage, for that industry.
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.

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