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Occupational Employment and Wages for Selected Teaching Occupations in New York’s Metropolitan Areas – May 2017

Among the 12 metropolitan areas in New York, 4 had annual wages that were significantly above the national average for elementary school teachers. Seven areas had above-average wages for middle school teachers, and eight had above-average wages for secondary school teachers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli noted three areas—Kingston, New York-Newark Jersey City, and Syracuse—had above-average wages for all three of the selected teaching occupations. Nationwide, the average (mean) wage for elementary school teachers was $60,830; for middle school teachers, $61,040; and for secondary school teachers, $62,860. (See table A. For comprehensive definitions of metropolitan areas in New York, please see Technical Note.)

Table A. Average (mean) annual wages for selected teaching occupations in the United States, New York, and metropolitan areas in New York, May 2017
AreaElementary school teachers, except special educationMiddle school teachers, except special and career/technical educationSecondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education

United States

$60,830$61,040$62,860

New York

80,540*80,940*83,360*

Albany-Schenectady-Troy

62,90070,940*71,570*

Binghamton

60,08068,38066,210

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls

66,670*61,22071,960*

Elmira

53,850(1)78,210*

Glens Falls

58,530*74,110*68,360*

Ithaca

57,790*57,190*56,280*

Kingston

80,500*85,570*87,910*

New York-Newark-Jersey City

81,760*81,360*87,260*

Dutchess County-Putnam County

85,230*91,270*81,200*

Nassau County-Suffolk County

102,900*102,390*101,110*

New York-Jersey City-White Plains

79,560*78,730*85,950*

Rochester

63,57063,950*68,370*

Syracuse

64,180*68,610*74,400*

Utica-Rome

62,46072,780*61,000

Watertown-Fort Drum

63,190(1)58,890*

Footnotes:
(1) Data not available.

Note: An asterisk indicates that the mean annual wage for this area is significantly different from the national average of all areas at the 90-percent confidence level.

Of the 12 metropolitan areas located entirely or partially in the state, the New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the largest numbers of elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers, with a combined employment of 196,090 in the three selected teaching occupations. Almost two-thirds (129,210) of those positions were located in one of the area’s four divisions, New York-Jersey City-White Plains. Another division, Nassau County-Suffolk County, had 32,980 jobs in the selected teaching occupations. Employment in these three occupations combined was less than 14,000 in each of the remaining metropolitan areas in New York. (See table B. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area’s other division, Newark, contains no counties in New York, and its data have not been presented in this release.)

Table B. Employment of selected teaching occupations in the United States, New York, and metropolitan areas in New York, May 2017
AreaElementary school teachers, except special educationMiddle school teachers, except special and career/technical educationSecondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education

United States

1,409,140622,3401,027,230

New York

80,93039,39070,630

Albany-Schenectady-Troy

2,9001,8903,660

Binghamton

1,030570760

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls

5,7401,9804,160

Elmira

(1)(1)260

Glens Falls

560320650

Ithaca

420(1)350

Kingston

640500420

New York-Newark-Jersey City

85,94044,04066,110

Dutchess County-Putnam County

1,1901,3301,280

Nassau County-Suffolk County

13,6706,58012,730

New York-Jersey City-White Plains

58,42028,44042,350

Rochester

4,7302,5806,510

Syracuse

2,6201,8602,310

Utica-Rome

1,380850910

Watertown-Fort Drum

310360260

Footnotes:
(1) Data not available.

Wages for elementary school teachers in metropolitan areas in New York

Elementary school teachers in the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area earned $81,760 per year, measurably above the U.S. average of $60,830. Three other metropolitan areas had mean wages that were significantly above the U.S. average: Kingston ($80,500), Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls ($66,670), and Syracuse ($64,180). Two areas, Ithaca ($57,790) and Glens Falls ($58,530), had wages that were significantly below the national average. Six areas, including Albany and Rochester, had wages that were not measurably different from the national average. (For the purpose of completeness, the chart also includes nonmetropolitan areas.) (See chart 1.)

Wages for middle school teachers in metropolitan areas in New York

The Kingston area had a mean annual wage of $85,570 for middle school teachers, significantly above the U.S. average of $61,040. Six additional metropolitan areas had wages significantly above the national average, including New York-Newark-Jersey City ($81,360), Glens Falls ($74,110) and Utica-Rome ($72,780). Ithaca ($57,190) was the only metropolitan area with an average wage  below the national average. Middle school teachers in the remaining two areas for which data were available in New York (Buffalo and Binghamton) earned wages that were not measurably different from the national average for this occupation. (See chart 2.)

Wages for secondary school teachers in metropolitan areas in New York

Eight metropolitan areas had average wages for secondary school teachers that were significantly higher than the $62,860 national average, including Kingston ($87,910), New York-Newark-Jersey City ($87,260), and Elmira ($78,210). Two metropolitan areas had wages that were measurably below the national average: Ithaca ($56,280) and Watertown-Fort Drum ($58,890). Secondary school teachers in the remaining two areas in New York earned wages that were not measurably different from the U.S. average. (See chart 3.)

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 New York State Department of Labor and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Notes on Occupational Employment Statistics Data

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 sampled employment of 82 million across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 58 percent of total national employment. 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 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.

  • Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Schoharie Counties in New York.
  • Binghamton, N.Y. MSA includes Broome and Tioga Counties in New York.
  • Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, N.Y. MSA includes Erie and Niagara Counties in New York.
  • Elmira, N.Y. MSA includes Chemung County in New York.
  • Glens Falls, N.Y. MSA includes Warren and Washington Counties in New York.
  • Ithaca, N.Y. MSA includes Tompkins County in New York.
  • Kingston, N.Y. MSA includes Ulster County in New York.
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. MSA includes the following:
    • Dutchess County-Putnam County, N.Y. Metropolitan Division (MD) includes Dutchess and Putnam Counties in New York.
    • Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y. MD includes Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York.
    • New York-Jersey City-White Plains, N.Y.-N.J. MD includes Bergen, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic Counties in New Jersey; and Bronx, Kings, New York, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, and Westchester Counties in New York.
    • Newark, N.J.-Pa. MD includes Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties in New Jersey; and Pike County in Pennsylvania.
  • Rochester, N.Y. MSA includes Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne, and Yates Counties in New York.
  • Syracuse, N.Y. MSA includes Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties in New York.
  • Utica-Rome, N.Y. MSA includes Herkimer and Oneida Counties in New York.
  • Watertown-Fort Drum, N.Y. MSA includes Jefferson County in New York.

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Last Modified Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2018