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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

19-3011 Economists

Conduct research, prepare reports, or formulate plans to address economic problems related to the production and distribution of goods and services or monetary and fiscal policy. May collect and process economic and statistical data using sampling techniques and econometric methods. Excludes "Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists" (13-1161).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
18,650 3.5 % $55.78 $116,020 1.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $27.95 $37.15 $50.16 $68.16 $87.77
Annual Wage (2) $58,130 $77,270 $104,340 $141,780 $182,560


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 4,220 0.21 $59.41 $123,570
Scientific Research and Development Services 3,790 0.56 $58.66 $122,010
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 2,750 0.19 $64.00 $133,130
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 1,730 0.08 $34.86 $72,510
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 1,150 0.02 $42.14 $87,650

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 440 2.40 $62.97 $130,980
Scientific Research and Development Services 3,790 0.56 $58.66 $122,010
Grantmaking and Giving Services 530 0.37 $53.96 $112,240
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 4,220 0.21 $59.41 $123,570
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 2,750 0.19 $64.00 $133,130

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services (8) (8) $109.91 $228,620
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 2,750 0.19 $64.00 $133,130
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 300 0.04 $63.33 $131,730
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 440 2.40 $62.97 $130,980
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 320 0.03 $60.60 $126,050


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 6,380 8.95 69.45 $64.55 $134,260
California 1,430 0.08 0.65 $59.82 $124,430
Virginia 1,230 0.32 2.48 $60.62 $126,080
Massachusetts 1,150 0.32 2.51 $56.57 $117,680
Texas 830 0.07 0.53 $51.19 $106,480




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 6,380 8.95 69.45 $64.55 $134,260
Virginia 1,230 0.32 2.48 $60.62 $126,080
Massachusetts 1,150 0.32 2.51 $56.57 $117,680
Alaska 100 0.30 2.37 $41.33 $85,970
Maryland 700 0.26 2.03 $56.19 $116,870




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 6,380 8.95 69.45 $64.55 $134,260
New York 750 0.08 0.62 $61.31 $127,520
Virginia 1,230 0.32 2.48 $60.62 $126,080
Ohio 140 0.03 0.20 $60.33 $125,490
California 1,430 0.08 0.65 $59.82 $124,430





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 7,950 2.54 19.68 $63.91 $132,940
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,130 0.41 3.17 $56.38 $117,280
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 690 0.07 0.56 $64.73 $134,640
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 390 0.16 1.24 $65.27 $135,760
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 360 0.06 0.45 $63.15 $131,350
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 340 0.07 0.57 $52.07 $108,300
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 340 0.10 0.74 $54.33 $113,000
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 290 0.11 0.85 $55.65 $115,750
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 260 0.09 0.71 $47.32 $98,430
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 220 0.68 5.26 $34.16 $71,060




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 7,950 2.54 19.68 $63.91 $132,940
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 220 0.68 5.26 $34.16 $71,060
College Station-Bryan, TX 60 0.53 4.12 $32.16 $66,880
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 150 0.48 3.75 $38.48 $80,040
Trenton, NJ 110 0.46 3.56 (8) (8)
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,130 0.41 3.17 $56.38 $117,280
Urban Honolulu, HI 150 0.32 2.49 $48.18 $100,220
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 40 0.29 2.25 $47.30 $98,380
Anchorage, AK 50 0.28 2.14 $40.49 $84,220
Boulder, CO 50 0.27 2.11 $51.83 $107,810




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 120 0.10 0.81 $72.99 $151,820
Cleveland-Elyria, OH 70 0.07 0.56 $67.74 $140,900
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 390 0.16 1.24 $65.27 $135,760
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 690 0.07 0.56 $64.73 $134,640
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 7,950 2.54 19.68 $63.91 $132,940
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 360 0.06 0.45 $63.15 $131,350
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 150 0.10 0.78 $60.52 $125,880
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 150 0.05 0.38 $59.13 $122,990
Bakersfield, CA (8) (8) (8) $58.00 $120,640
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,130 0.41 3.17 $56.38 $117,280

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 50 0.34 2.64 $37.97 $78,980
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 40 0.38 2.96 $32.23 $67,040

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 40 0.38 2.96 $32.23 $67,040
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 50 0.34 2.64 $37.97 $78,980

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $41.61 $86,560
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 50 0.34 2.64 $37.97 $78,980
Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $35.04 $72,890
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 40 0.38 2.96 $32.23 $67,040


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) 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.

(2) 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 wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) 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.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019