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15-763-DAL
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Workers in the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area had an average (mean) hourly wage of $20.53 in May 2014, about 10 percent below the nationwide average of $22.71, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that, after testing for statistical significance, wages in the local area were higher than their respective national averages in 1 of the 22 major groups–production occupations. Sixteen groups had wages that were measurably lower than their respective national averages; included in this group were computer and mathematical; education, training, and library; and construction and extraction. Wages in the remaining occupational groups were not statistically different from their respective national averages.
When compared to the nationwide distribution, local employment was more highly concentrated in 6 of the 22 occupational groups, including production; office and administrative support; and construction and extraction. Conversely, 10 groups had employment shares significantly below their national representation, including business and financial operations; education, training, and library; and computer and mathematical. (See table A and box note at end of release.)
Major occupational group | Percent of total employment | Mean hourly wage | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | Tulsa | United States | Tulsa | Percent difference(1) | |||
Total, all occupations | 100.0% | 100.0% | $22.71 | $20.80 | * | -8 | |
Management | 5.0 | 5.7 | * | 54.08 | 46.59 | * | -14 |
Business and financial operations | 5.1 | 3.9 | * | 34.81 | 29.11 | * | -16 |
Computer and mathematical | 2.8 | 1.8 | * | 40.37 | 31.88 | * | -21 |
Architecture and engineering | 1.8 | 2.1 | * | 39.19 | 37.89 | -3 | |
Life, physical, and social science | 0.8 | 0.5 | * | 33.69 | 37.01 | 10 | |
Community and social service | 1.4 | 1.3 | * | 21.79 | 18.35 | * | -16 |
Legal | 0.8 | 0.9 | 48.61 | 46.94 | -3 | ||
Education, training, and library | 6.2 | 5.1 | * | 25.10 | 20.01 | * | -20 |
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media | 1.3 | 0.9 | * | 26.82 | 23.86 | * | -11 |
Healthcare practitioners and technical | 5.8 | 5.5 | 36.54 | 33.51 | * | -8 | |
Healthcare support | 2.9 | 2.6 | * | 13.86 | 13.16 | * | -5 |
Protective service | 2.4 | 2.0 | 21.14 | 17.56 | * | -17 | |
Food preparation and serving related | 9.1 | 9.1 | 10.57 | 9.55 | * | -10 | |
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance | 3.2 | 2.6 | * | 12.68 | 10.93 | * | -14 |
Personal care and service | 3.1 | 2.6 | * | 12.01 | 10.64 | * | -11 |
Sales and related | 10.5 | 10.9 | 18.59 | 17.23 | * | -7 | |
Office and administrative support | 16.0 | 17.1 | * | 17.08 | 16.03 | * | -6 |
Farming, fishing, and forestry | 0.3 | 0.1 | * | 12.09 | 14.09 | 17 | |
Construction and extraction | 3.9 | 4.8 | * | 22.40 | 18.39 | * | -18 |
Installation, maintenance, and repair | 3.9 | 4.6 | * | 21.74 | 20.01 | * | -8 |
Production | 6.6 | 9.5 | * | 17.06 | 18.12 | * | 6 |
Transportation and material moving | 6.8 | 6.3 | 16.57 | 17.89 | 8 | ||
(1) A positive percent difference measures how much the mean wage in Tulsa is above the national mean wage, while a negative difference reflects a lower wage. | |||||||
Note: * 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. Tulsa had 40,720 jobs in production, accounting for 9.5 percent of local area employment, significantly higher than the 6.6-percent national share. The local average hourly wage for this occupational group was $18.12, about 6 percent above the national average of $17.06.
With employment of 5,210, team assemblers was one of the largest occupations within the production group, as were welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (4,080) and production workers' helpers (3,130). Among the higher paying jobs were petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers and first-line supervisors of production and operating workers, with mean hourly wages of $42.86 and $28.26, respectively. At the lower end of the wage scale were laundry and dry-cleaning workers ($10.43) and packaging and filling machine operators and tenders ($11.43). (Detailed occupational data for production workers are presented in table 1; for a complete listing of detailed occupations see www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_46140.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 Tulsa metropolitan area, above average concentrations of employment were found in many of the occupations within the production group. For instance, aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers were employed at 10.4 times the national rate in Tulsa, and petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers, at 5.0 times the U.S. average. Tulsa’s aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers location quotient was among the highest in all metropolitan areas for this occupation. On the other hand, electrical and electronic equipment assemblers had a location quotient of 1.0 in Tulsa, meaning the local employment share in this particular occupation matched 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 Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
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.
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. Forms are mailed to approximately 200,000 sampled establishments in May and November each year. 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 weighted sampled employment. The unweighted employment of sampled establishments across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 57.1 percent of total national employment. (Response rates are slightly lower for these estimates due to the federal shutdown in October 2013.) The sample in the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area included 3,614 establishments with a response rate of 77 percent. 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 aand information about the 2012 NAICS is available at www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm.
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 Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Creek, Okmulgee, Osage, Pawnee, Rogers, Tulsa, and Wagoner Counties in Oklahoma.
Additional information
OES data are available on our regional web page at www.bls.gov/regions/southwest. 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/currnet/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.
Occupation(1) | Employment | Mean wages | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Level(2) | Location quotient(3) | Hourly | Annual(4) | |
| 40,720 | 1.4 | $18.12 | $37,690 |
First-line supervisors of production and operating workers | 2,710 | 1.4 | 28.26 | 58,780 |
Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers | 1,330 | 10.4 | 20.04 | 41,680 |
Coil winders, tapers, and finishers | (5) | (5) | 17.36 | 36,110 |
Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers | 630 | 1.0 | 13.68 | 28,450 |
Electromechanical equipment assemblers | 730 | 4.9 | 18.12 | 37,700 |
Engine and other machine assemblers | 340 | 2.8 | 15.12 | 31,450 |
Structural metal fabricators and fitters | 730 | 3.0 | 17.09 | 35,550 |
Team assemblers | 5,210 | 1.5 | 15.70 | 32,650 |
Assemblers and fabricators, all other | 310 | 0.4 | 13.56 | 28,200 |
Bakers | 440 | 0.8 | 11.11 | 23,100 |
Butchers and meat cutters | 450 | 1.0 | 11.96 | 24,880 |
Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers | 70 | 0.1 | 13.17 | 27,390 |
Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders | (5) | (5) | 12.99 | 27,020 |
Food batchmakers | 410 | 1.1 | 11.86 | 24,670 |
Food cooking machine operators and tenders | (5) | (5) | 13.45 | 27,970 |
Food processing workers, all other | 80 | 0.6 | 11.66 | 24,250 |
Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic | 1,060 | 2.3 | 19.57 | 40,700 |
Computer numerically controlled machine tool programmers, metal and plastic | 70 | 0.8 | 27.26 | 56,700 |
Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 120 | 0.5 | 16.78 | 34,910 |
Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 90 | 1.4 | 21.84 | 45,430 |
Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 390 | 3.7 | 17.25 | 35,870 |
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 1,120 | 1.9 | 15.23 | 31,690 |
Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 320 | 5.8 | 18.34 | 38,140 |
Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 310 | 1.4 | 15.49 | 32,220 |
Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 260 | 1.9 | 18.28 | 38,020 |
Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 100 | 1.4 | 14.45 | 30,060 |
Machinists | 2,590 | 2.1 | 18.34 | 38,140 |
Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders | (5) | (5) | 14.68 | 30,540 |
Foundry mold and coremakers | 90 | 2.3 | 12.82 | 26,670 |
Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 250 | 0.6 | 12.45 | 25,900 |
Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 880 | 2.8 | 16.57 | 34,460 |
Tool and die makers | 200 | 0.9 | 23.43 | 48,740 |
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers | 4,080 | 3.5 | 20.19 | 41,990 |
Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders | 520 | 3.0 | 19.82 | 41,230 |
Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 160 | 2.4 | 17.62 | 36,660 |
Plating and coating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 240 | 2.2 | 15.46 | 32,160 |
Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners | 100 | 2.8 | 14.56 | 30,280 |
Metal workers and plastic workers, all other | 40 | 0.6 | 14.64 | 30,460 |
Prepress technicians and workers | 60 | 0.5 | 15.54 | 32,320 |
Printing press operators | 280 | 0.5 | 15.34 | 31,910 |
Print binding and finishing workers | 50 | 0.3 | 13.45 | 27,970 |
Laundry and dry-cleaning workers | 600 | 0.9 | 10.43 | 21,680 |
Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials | 170 | 1.1 | 9.55 | 19,860 |
Sewing machine operators | 160 | 0.4 | 10.89 | 22,650 |
Upholsterers | 70 | 0.7 | 17.59 | 36,590 |
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters | 190 | 0.7 | 15.85 | 32,970 |
Furniture finishers | (5) | (5) | 16.58 | 34,490 |
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing | 80 | 0.4 | 14.42 | 30,000 |
Power plant operators | 180 | 1.4 | 29.81 | 62,010 |
Stationary engineers and boiler operators | 70 | 0.6 | 23.55 | 48,990 |
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators | 250 | 0.7 | 18.67 | 38,830 |
Gas plant operators | 310 | 6.1 | 25.01 | 52,020 |
Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers | 660 | 5.0 | 42.86 | 89,150 |
Chemical equipment operators and tenders | 310 | 1.5 | 24.13 | 50,180 |
Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders | 60 | 0.4 | 10.57 | 21,990 |
Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders | 110 | 1.1 | 13.62 | 28,340 |
Grinding and polishing workers, hand | 230 | 2.5 | 13.97 | 29,060 |
Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders | 130 | 0.3 | 21.96 | 45,690 |
Cutters and trimmers, hand | 50 | 1.1 | 15.36 | 31,940 |
Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders | 160 | 0.8 | 14.82 | 30,820 |
Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders | 90 | 0.4 | 14.43 | 30,010 |
Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders | 80 | 1.2 | 15.97 | 33,210 |
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers | 2,540 | 1.6 | 20.52 | 42,670 |
Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers | 30 | 0.5 | (5) | (5) |
Dental laboratory technicians | 160 | 1.4 | 19.15 | 39,840 |
Medical appliance technicians | 70 | 1.6 | 14.47 | 30,100 |
Ophthalmic laboratory technicians | 120 | 1.4 | 11.69 | 24,310 |
Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders | 900 | 0.7 | 11.43 | 23,770 |
Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders | 680 | 2.4 | 17.24 | 35,860 |
Painters, transportation equipment | 210 | 1.4 | 21.75 | 45,230 |
Painting, coating, and decorating workers | 60 | 1.2 | 11.22 | 23,330 |
Photographic process workers and processing machine operators | 100 | 1.1 | 10.93 | 22,740 |
Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders | 30 | 0.6 | 15.13 | 31,480 |
Etchers and engravers | (5) | (5) | 15.77 | 32,800 |
Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic | 90 | 0.8 | 14.68 | 30,540 |
Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders | 540 | 1.9 | 21.45 | 44,610 |
Helpers--production workers | 3,130 | 2.4 | 13.52 | 28,120 |
Production workers, all other | 410 | 0.6 | 16.37 | 34,060 |
(1) For a complete listing of all detailed occupations in the Tulsa MSA, see www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_46140.htm. |
Last Modified Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2015