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News Release Information

18-437-CHI
Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Occupational Employment and Wages in Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis — May 2017

Workers in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis Metropolitan Statistical Area had an average (mean) hourly wage of $24.07 in May 2017, not significantly different from the nationwide average of $24.34, 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 6 of the 22 major occupational groups, including construction and extraction; sales and related; and production. Nine groups had significantly lower wages than their respective national averages, including architecture and engineering; computer and mathematical; and arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media.

When compared to the nationwide distribution, local employment was more highly concentrated in 5 of the 22 occupational groups, including production; personal care and service; and business and financial operations. Conversely, 12 groups had employment shares significantly below their national representation, including food preparation and serving related; office and administrative support; and transportation and material moving. (See table A and box note at end of release.)

Table A. Occupational employment and wages by major occupational group, United States and the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis Metropolitan Statistical Area, and measures of statistical significance, May 2017
Major occupational groupPercent of total employmentMean hourly wage
United StatesMilwaukeeUnited StatesMilwaukeePercent difference (1)

Total, all occupations

100.0100.0$24.34$24.07-1

Management

5.15.257.6557.390

Business and financial operations

5.25.8*36.7034.17*-7

Computer and mathematical

3.03.143.1836.88*-15

Architecture and engineering

1.82.0*41.4435.01*-16

Life, physical, and social science

0.80.5*35.7632.52*-9

Community and social service

1.51.523.1021.05*-9

Legal

0.80.851.6248.17-7

Education, training, and library

6.15.4*26.6725.50-4

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

1.41.528.3423.01*-19

Healthcare practitioners and technical

6.06.4*38.8340.033

Healthcare support

2.92.5*15.0515.402

Protective service

2.41.9*22.6922.34-2

Food preparation and serving related

9.38.3*11.8810.65*-10

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

3.12.9*13.9113.47-3

Personal care and service

3.65.4*13.1112.03*-8

Sales and related

10.29.5*19.5621.87*12

Office and administrative support

15.414.5*18.2418.59*2

Farming, fishing, and forestry

0.30.1*13.8716.64*20

Construction and extraction

4.03.2*24.0127.78*16

Installation, maintenance, and repair

3.93.5*23.0223.42*2

Production

6.310.1*18.3018.82*3

Transportation and material moving

7.06.1*17.8217.20*-3

Footnotes:
(1) A positive percent difference measures how much the mean wage in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis Metropolitan Statistical Area is above the national mean wage, while a negative difference reflects a lower wage.
* The percent share of employment or mean hourly wage for this area is significantly different from the national average of all areas at the 90-percent confidence level.

One occupational group—production—was chosen to illustrate the diversity of data available for any of the 22 major occupational categories. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis had 84,780 jobs in production, accounting for 10.1 percent of local area employment, significantly higher than the 6.3-percent share nationally. The average hourly wage for this occupational group locally was $18.82, significantly above the national wage of $18.30.

Some of the larger detailed occupations within the production group included assemblers and fabricators, all other, including team assemblers (11,120); first-line supervisors of production and operating workers (6,010); and machinists (5,200). Among the higher paying jobs in this group were power distributors and dispatchers with mean hourly wages of $43.36 and drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, $41.13. At the lower end of the wage scale were laundry and dry-cleaning workers ($11.45) and food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders ($11.65). (Detailed data for production occupations are presented in table 1; for a complete listing of detailed occupations available go to www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_33340.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 Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis Metropolitan Statistical Area, above-average concentrations of employment were found in many of the occupations within the production group. For instance, foundry mold and coremakers were employed at 7.9 times the national rate in Milwaukee, and print binding and finishing workers, at 5.2 times the U.S. average. On the other hand, cabinetmakers and bench carpenters had a location quotient of 1.0 in Milwaukee, 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 Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

Notes on Occupational Employment Statistics Data

With the release of the May 2017 estimates, the OES program has replaced 21 detailed occupations found in the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) with 10 new aggregations of those occupations. In addition, selected 4- and 5-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industries previously published by OES will no longer be published separately. Some of the 4-digit NAICS industries that are no longer being published separately will instead be published as OES-specific industry aggregations. More information about the new occupational and industry aggregations is available at www.bls.gov/oes/changes_2017.htm.

A value that is statistically different from another does not necessarily mean that the difference has economic or practical significance. Statistical significance is concerned with the ability to make confident statements about a universe based on a sample. It is entirely possible that a large difference between two values is not significantly different statistically, while a small difference is, since both the size and heterogeneity of the sample affect the relative error of the data being tested.


Technical Note

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is a semiannual survey measuring occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in the United States. The OES data available from BLS include cross-industry occupational employment and wage estimates for the nation; over 650 areas, including states and the District of Columbia, metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), metropolitan divisions, nonmetropolitan areas, and territories; national industry-specific estimates at the NAICS sector, 3-, 4-, and selected 5- and 6-digit industry levels, and national estimates 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. Each year, two semiannual panels of approximately 200,000 sampled establishments are contacted, one panel in May and the other in November. Responses are obtained by mail, Internet or other electronic means, email, telephone, or personal visit. The May 2017 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2017, November 2016, May 2016, November 2015, May 2015, and November 2014. The overall national response rate for the six panels, based on the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is 72 percent based on establishments and 68 percent based on weighted sampled employment. The unweighted sample employment of 82 million across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 58 percent of total national employment. The sample in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis Metropolitan Statistical Area included 4,933 establishments with a response rate of 76 percent. For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_tec.htm.

The May 2017 OES estimates are based on the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system and the 2017 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 2017 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wis. Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha 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/current/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, Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis Metropolitan Statistical Area, May 2017
Occupation (1)EmploymentMean wages
Level (2)Location quotient (3)HourlyAnnual (4)

Production occupations

84,7801.6$18.82$39,150

First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

6,0101.730.3763,160

Coil winders, tapers, and finishers

(5)(5)16.3834,060

Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers

4,3602.819.5240,590

Engine and other machine assemblers

3001.418.5338,550

Structural metal fabricators and fitters

9902.221.6044,920

Assemblers and fabricators, all other, including team assemblers

11,1201.415.6132,470

Bakers

1,0401.013.8728,840

Butchers and meat cutters

4200.520.1841,960

Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers

4800.512.6626,340

Slaughterers and meat packers

4000.912.1025,160

Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders

4303.411.6524,220

Food batchmakers

1,2001.313.0527,150

Food cooking machine operators and tenders

1000.517.4436,280

Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic

4,3305.121.7245,170

Computer numerically controlled machine tool programmers, metal and plastic

4403.227.7957,810

Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

(5)(5)20.2442,100

Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

(5)(5)16.1333,540

Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

1100.821.0743,820

Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

3,0002.718.4538,380

Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

1502.341.1385,550

Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

1,9604.517.0935,540

Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

4502.620.9543,570

Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

600.522.0245,800

Machinists

5,2002.320.5942,820

Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders

1201.118.2838,030

Pourers and casters, metal

2104.616.7934,920

Model makers, metal and plastic

401.326.8455,830

Patternmakers, metal and plastic

502.819.7741,110

Foundry mold and coremakers

6507.918.6038,680

Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

2,3502.617.0835,520

Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

1,3301.917.5936,600

Tool and die makers

1,2002.824.2050,340

Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

3,0101.421.7645,260

Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders

2701.225.9053,870

Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

4203.719.0539,620

Plating and coating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

3801.715.1931,580

Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners

1102.320.6042,840

Prepress technicians and workers

5302.821.3744,440

Printing press operators

2,6702.618.7539,000

Print binding and finishing workers

1,5005.216.1233,520

Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

9300.811.4523,820

Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials

2401.011.9924,940

Sewing machine operators

5200.713.3627,790

Shoe and leather workers and repairers

1202.811.6724,260

Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers

(5)(5)14.5030,150

Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders

1100.911.9424,830

Upholsterers

300.219.4240,390

Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters

5701.020.4942,630

Furniture finishers

800.816.5634,450

Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood

(5)(5)19.8841,350

Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing

2700.615.2931,790

Power distributors and dispatchers

701.043.3690,190

Power plant operators

1500.738.5280,130

Stationary engineers and boiler operators

1500.827.2656,710

Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

3300.529.9362,250

Chemical equipment operators and tenders

5201.120.0741,750

Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders

5001.720.8743,410

Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders

1100.617.6636,740

Grinding and polishing workers, hand

(5)(5)13.7228,540

Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders

1,2201.618.2738,010

Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders

8102.316.5834,490

Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders

3300.714.9331,050

Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders

500.4(5)(5)

Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

4,2801.419.8641,320

Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers

(5)(5)28.5259,310

Dental laboratory technicians

1700.820.4042,440

Medical appliance technicians

1201.515.2131,630

Ophthalmic laboratory technicians

2301.314.5130,180

Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders

4,4901.913.0827,200

Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders

1,2202.418.5038,490

Painters, transportation equipment

3001.019.9841,550

Photographic process workers and processing machine operators

2601.913.4027,880

Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders

(5)(5)16.9335,210

Etchers and engravers

(5)(5)16.1433,560

Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic

2801.115.8432,950

Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders

1,3202.418.5438,550

Helpers--production workers

2,8501.212.2725,520

Production workers, all other

7800.517.9037,230

Footnotes:
(1) For a complete listing of all detailed occupations in Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI, see www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_33340.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.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, May 23, 2018