Among the 14 local areas in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md. and York-Hanover, Pa. 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 no metropolitan area in Pennsylvania had wages that were measurably below those for the nation in all three occupations. Nationwide, the average (mean) wage for secondary school teachers was $59,330; for middle school teachers, $57,620; and for elementary school teachers, $56,830. (See table A. For comprehensive definitions of metropolitan areas in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, please see Technical Note.)

The Philadelphia metropolitan area had 62,400 secondary, middle, and elementary school teachers, the largest number among the 14 metropolitan areas in the commonwealth. Pittsburgh, with 22,460, had Pennsylvania’s second-largest number of teachers in these three occupations. Allentown had 10,650 teachers while employment levels for teachers in each of the remaining areas were less than 7,000. (See table B.)

Table A. Average (mean) annual wages for secondary, middle, and elementary school teachers in the United States and metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania, May 2014

Area	Secondary School	Middle School	Elementary School
United States	$59,330	$57,620	$56,830
Pennsylvania	62,130*	58,620	60,580*
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton	61,390	61,190*	61,580*
Altoona	60,060	56,640	54,120
Erie	54,120*	52,620	55,290
Harrisburg-Carlisle	55,610*	57,720	57,440
Johnstown	58,800	58,980	48,310*
Lancaster	60,370	56,530	58,040
Lebanon	60,790	61,310*	60,130
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington	65,940*	62,270*	65,210*
Pittsburgh	61,100	58,550	57,560
Reading	63,650*	62,030*	58,880
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre	61,480*	58,160	59,310
State College	56,700	60,890	57,450
Williamsport	61,890*	59,160	59,010
York-Hanover	65,860*	71,010*	65,200*
* 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.

Table B. Employment for secondary, middle, and elementary school teachers in the United States and metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania, May 2014

Area	Secondary School	Middle School	Elementary School
United States	960,380	630,620	1,353,020
Pennsylvania	50,930	24,060	55,300
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton	3,710	2,180	4,760
Altoona	--	260	470
Erie	--	1,190	1,320
Harrisburg-Carlisle	1,990	1,080	2,800
Johnstown	540	360	710
Lancaster	1,780	820	1,540
Lebanon	610	--	420
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington	23,570	12,700	26,130
Pittsburgh	6,900	5,050	10,510
Reading	2,560	920	2,120
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre	2,980	1,170	2,800
State College	420	100	460
Williamsport	580	280	370
York-Hanover	1,870	530	2,100
-- Estimate not released.

Wages for secondary school teachers in metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania

Five metropolitan areas in the commonwealth had wages for secondary school teachers that were significantly higher than the national average. The Philadelphia metropolitan area was among the highest-paying localities in Pennsylvania for secondary school teachers at $65,940 per year, $6,610 above the national average. York and Reading were also among the highest-paying areas in Pennsylvania for secondary school teachers at $65,860 and $63,650 per year, respectively. Erie and Harrisburg-Carlisle were the only metropolitan areas with significantly below-average wages for secondary school teachers.

Wages for middle school teachers in metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania

The York metropolitan area was among the top paid areas for middle school teachers in the commonwealth at $71,010 per year. Four other localities had significantly higher average wages for this occupation: Philadelphia, Reading, Lebanon, and Allentown. The remaining nine metropolitan areas had wages for middle school teachers that were not statistically different from the national average.

Wages for elementary school teachers in metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania

The Philadelphia metropolitan area was one of the highest paying areas for elementary school teachers in the commonwealth at $65,210 per year. In addition to Philadelphia, two other areas had wages for elementary school teachers that were among the highest in the state—York ($65,200) and Allentown ($61,580). Johnstown, at $48,310, was the only metropolitan area in Pennsylvania that had wages that were measurably below the U.S. average for elementary school teachers.

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.

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. Each year, forms are mailed to two semiannual panels of approximately 200,000 sampled establishments, one panel in May and the other in November. 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 employment. 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.

 

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.

Erie, Pa. MSA includes Erie 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

Camden, N.J. Metropolitan Division (MD) includes Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties in New Jersey.

Philadelphia, Pa. MD includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania.

Wilmington, Del.-Md.-N.J. MD includes New Castle County in Delaware, Cecil County in Maryland, and Salem County in New Jersey.

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, 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.

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