Among the 13 metropolitan areas located entirely or partially in Alabama, 5 had annual wages that were significantly higher than the national average for driver/sales workers. Ten areas had below-average wages for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, and eight areas had below-average wages for light truck or delivery services drivers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that driver/sales workers was the only occupation of the three selected that had measurably higher wages than their respective national average. Nationwide, the average (mean) wage for driver/sales workers was $28,440; for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, $43,590; and for light truck or delivery services drivers, $34,790. (See table A. For comprehensive definitions of metropolitan areas in Alabama, please see Technical Note.)

Table A. Average (mean) annual wages for driver/sales workers and truck drivers in the United States, Alabama, and metropolitan areas in Alabama, May 2016

Area	Driver/Sales Workers	Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers
United States	$28,440	$43,590	$34,790
Alabama	31,280*	39,050*	29,600*
Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville	27,670	35,250*	26,140*
Auburn-Opelika	33,270*	39,000*	36,010
Birmingham-Hoover	33,080*	40,580*	29,030*
Columbus	19,900*	44,490	29,640*
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley	23,000*	41,720	33,260
Decatur	26,690	36,400*	30,360
Dothan	35,420*	39,950	31,080
Florence-Muscle Shoals	30,680	33,360*	30,590*
Gadsden	29,660	39,900*	37,640
Huntsville	41,210*	40,740*	31,470*
Mobile	33,490	41,710*	30,700*
Montgomery	38,050*	39,940*	30,200*
Tuscaloosa	26,600	35,920*	28,750*
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 13 metropolitan areas located entirely or partially in the state, the Birmingham-Hoover area had the largest numbers of driver/sales workers, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, and light truck or delivery services drivers, with employment of 13,890 in the three selected occupations combined. Employment in these three occupations combined was less than 4,400 in each of the remaining metropolitan areas in Alabama. (See table B.)

Table B. Employment of driver/sales workers and truck drivers in the United States, Alabama, and metropolitan areas in Alabama, May 2016

Area	Driver/Sales Workers	Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers
United States	426,310	1,704,520	858,710
Alabama	5,770	31,890	11,600
Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville	140	530	280
Auburn-Opelika	80	680	210
Birmingham-Hoover	1,390	8,810	3,690
Columbus	(1)	720	710
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley	220	700	300
Decatur	320	1,080	260
Dothan	240	1,200	570
Florence-Muscle Shoals	220	640	390
Gadsden	110	480	160
Huntsville	330	1,800	960
Mobile	450	2,720	1,220
Montgomery	290	1,680	1,420
Tuscaloosa	600	1,450	480
Footnotes: (1) Data not available.

Location quotients (LQs) 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. 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.

Three metropolitan areas in Alabama had above-average concentrations of employment for the three selected occupations. In the Decatur and Tuscaloosa areas, driver/sales workers were employed at 2.0 times the national rate. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers were employed at 1.8 times the national rate in Dothan, and 1.7 times the U.S. average in Decatur. Dothan had a LQ of 1.7 for light truck or delivery services drivers. (See table C.)

Table C. Location quotients of driver/sales workers and truck drivers in the United States, Alabama, and metropolitan areas in Alabama, May 2016

Area	Driver/Sales Workers	Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers
United States	1.0	1.0	1.0
Alabama	1.0	1.4	1.0
Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville	1.1	1.1	1.1
Auburn-Opelika	0.5	1.0	0.6
Birmingham-Hoover	0.9	1.4	1.2
Columbus	(1)	0.5	1.0
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley	1.0	0.8	0.7
Decatur	2.0	1.7	0.8
Dothan	1.4	1.8	1.7
Florence-Muscle Shoals	1.4	1.0	1.2
Gadsden	1.0	1.1	0.7
Huntsville	0.5	0.7	0.7
Mobile	0.9	1.3	1.2
Montgomery	0.6	0.8	1.4
Tuscaloosa	2.0	1.2	0.8
Footnotes: (1) Data not available.

Wages for driver/sales workers in metropolitan areas in Alabama

Five metropolitan areas had wages significantly higher than the U.S. average of $28,440 for driver/sales workers: Huntsville ($41,210), Montgomery ($38,050), Dothan ($35,420), Auburn-Opelika ($33,270), and Birmingham-Hoover ($33,080). Two localities—Columbus and Daphne-Fairhope-Foley—had wages that were measurably below the national average.

Wages for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in metropolitan areas in Alabama

Wages were significantly below the national average of $43,590 for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in 10 of the 13 areas in Alabama, including Florence-Muscle Shoals ($33,360), Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville ($35,250), and Tuscaloosa ($35,920). Wages in three areas—Columbus, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, and Dothan—were not measurably different from the national average.

Wages for light truck or delivery services drivers in metropolitan areas in Alabama

Eight metropolitan areas earned wages significantly lower than the national average of $34,790 for light truck or delivery services drivers. Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville ($26,140), Tuscaloosa ($28,750), Birmingham-Hoover ($29,030), and Columbus ($29,640) were among the lower-paying areas. Light truck or delivery services drivers in five areas in Alabama earned wages that were not measurably different from the national average.

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 Alabama Department of Labor.

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. 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 2016 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2016, November 2015, May 2015, November 2014, May 2014, and November 2013. The overall national response rate for the six panels, based on the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is 73 percent based on establishments and 69 percent based on weighted sampled employment. The unweighted employment of sampled establishments 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 2016 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.

• Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, Ala. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Calhoun County in Alabama.
• Auburn-Opelika, Ala. MSA includes Lee County in Alabama.
• Birmingham-Hoover, Ala. MSA includes Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, and Walker Counties in Alabama.
• Columbus, Ga.-Ala. MSA includes Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, and Muscogee Counties in Georgia; Russell County in Alabama.
• Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, Ala. MSA includes Baldwin County in Alabama.
• Decatur, Ala. MSA includes Lawrence and Morgan Counties in Alabama.
• Dothan, Ala. MSA includes Geneva, Henry, and Houston Counties in Alabama.
• Florence-Muscle Shoals, Ala. MSA includes Colbert and Lauderdale Counties in Alabama.
• Gadsden, Ala. MSA includes Etowah County in Alabama.
• Huntsville, Ala. MSA includes Limestone and Madison Counties in Alabama.
• Mobile, Ala. MSA includes Mobile County in Alabama.
• Montgomery, Ala. MSA includes Autauga, Elmore, Lowndes, and Montgomery Counties in Alabama.
• Tuscaloosa, Ala. MSA includes Hale, Pickens, and Tuscaloosa Counties in Alabama.

Additional information

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