About the OES
The Occupational Employment Statistics Wage Survey, conducted by Research & Planning in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, samples and contacts approximately 900 businesses in the state in May and November. These data are used to estimate occupational employment and wage rates for Unemployment Insurance covered jobs in non-farm establishments.
Hourly wage estimates are calculated using a year-round, full-time figure of 2,080 hours per year (52 weeks times 40 hours). Occupations that typically have a work year of less than 2,080 hours (such as musical and entertainment occupations, flight attendants, pilots, and teachers) are reported only as an annual wage.
Every state conducts an identical OES wage survey using standard techniques. This facilitates comparison of data among states, as well as comparisons with national figures. National and state wage estimates are located on the BLS website (www.bls.gov/oes).
The survey categorizes workers into 801 detailed occupations. These are combined to form 23 major groups (including the military group), 96 minor groups, and 449 broad groups. An example of this hierarchy would be:
• Major Group: 49-0000 – Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
• Minor Group: 49-2000 – Electrical and Electronic Equipment Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
• Broad Group: 49-2090 – Installers, and Repairers
• Detailed Occupation: 49-2098 – Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers
The data obtained have many uses. Businesses use this information to compare the wages offered for a particular occupation to the state average (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009), while career counselors, colleges, and students can use it in making career decisions. The data are also used to develop occupational projections and estimate staffing patterns in industries.
Wage estimates were calculated using information from the 2006 through 2009 surveys. Using three or more years of data reduces sampling error, particularly for small geographic areas and less common occupations. R&P has used wage updating factors for later time periods to further update the data from all three survey years to a more current time period subsequent to the most recent OES survey reference period, second quarter 2009. As a result, wage-updating factors for March 2010 have been applied to all of the data included in these estimates.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment Statistics. (2010, April). Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) highlights: How jobseekers and employers can use Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) data during wage and salary discussions. Retrieved June 21, 2010, from http://www.bls.gov/oes/highlight_wage_discussions.htm