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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

43-9011 Computer Operators

Monitor and control electronic computer and peripheral electronic data processing equipment to process business, scientific, engineering, and other data according to operating instructions. Monitor and respond to operating and error messages. May enter commands at a computer terminal and set controls on computer and peripheral devices. Excludes "Computer Occupations" (15-1100) and "Data Entry Keyers" (43-9021).


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)
34,700 2.8 % $22.47 $46,750 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $13.22 $16.95 $22.04 $27.96 $31.31
Annual Wage (2) $27,490 $35,260 $45,840 $58,150 $65,130


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)
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 4,430 0.21 $22.82 $47,460
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 2,220 0.70 $22.11 $46,000
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,960 0.08 $22.78 $47,380
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 1,490 0.10 $23.92 $49,760
Postal Service (federal government) 1,440 0.23 $28.57 $59,420

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 2,220 0.70 $22.11 $46,000
Postal Service (federal government) 1,440 0.23 $28.57 $59,420
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 4,430 0.21 $22.82 $47,460
Office Administrative Services 970 0.20 $22.80 $47,430
Facilities Support Services 180 0.12 $22.35 $46,490

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 310 0.08 $33.99 $70,700
Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers 60 0.04 $28.74 $59,790
Postal Service (federal government) 1,440 0.23 $28.57 $59,420
Rail Transportation 30 0.01 $27.75 $57,730
Oil and Gas Extraction 90 0.07 $27.09 $56,350


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)
New York 3,390 0.36 1.51 $23.21 $48,280
Texas 3,150 0.26 1.08 $22.83 $47,480
California 3,100 0.18 0.76 $25.23 $52,480
New Jersey 2,120 0.52 2.19 $21.70 $45,130
Florida 1,900 0.22 0.92 $22.30 $46,370




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)
Nebraska 520 0.54 2.23 $21.82 $45,380
New Jersey 2,120 0.52 2.19 $21.70 $45,130
Rhode Island 250 0.51 2.15 $24.37 $50,680
Tennessee 1,310 0.44 1.85 $21.01 $43,700
Hawaii 250 0.39 1.61 $22.79 $47,400




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 100 0.14 0.60 $28.89 $60,100
Alaska 90 0.28 1.18 $27.77 $57,770
California 3,100 0.18 0.76 $25.23 $52,480
Washington 570 0.17 0.72 $25.23 $52,470
Massachusetts 1,120 0.31 1.31 $25.01 $52,030





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)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,560 0.37 1.56 $23.03 $47,910
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,120 0.24 1.00 $24.15 $50,230
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,120 0.18 0.76 $24.94 $51,880
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,010 0.28 1.18 $22.80 $47,430
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 900 0.33 1.36 $25.43 $52,890
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 900 0.31 1.31 $20.95 $43,570
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 730 0.25 1.03 $26.09 $54,270
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 610 0.23 0.95 $19.46 $40,470
Austin-Round Rock, TX 570 0.56 2.33 $21.14 $43,960
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 530 0.17 0.70 $26.10 $54,280




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)
Jefferson City, MO 80 1.08 4.50 $13.21 $27,480
Trenton, NJ 230 0.98 4.08 $24.50 $50,950
Springfield, IL 100 0.96 3.99 $20.09 $41,790
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 440 0.96 4.02 $25.67 $53,390
Charleston, WV 100 0.89 3.71 $14.22 $29,570
Knoxville, TN 300 0.78 3.26 $19.67 $40,920
Lincoln, NE 130 0.72 3.01 $23.24 $48,330
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 350 0.70 2.94 $21.16 $44,020
Huntsville, AL 160 0.69 2.87 $18.75 $39,000
Flagstaff, AZ 40 0.69 2.88 $23.69 $49,280




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 Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 430 0.18 0.74 $27.98 $58,190
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 100 0.09 0.38 $27.01 $56,170
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 140 0.15 0.61 $26.97 $56,100
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 140 0.24 0.98 $26.12 $54,330
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 530 0.17 0.70 $26.10 $54,280
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 730 0.25 1.03 $26.09 $54,270
Portland-South Portland, ME 30 0.14 0.60 $25.82 $53,700
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 250 0.13 0.54 $25.79 $53,630
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 440 0.96 4.02 $25.67 $53,390
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 900 0.33 1.36 $25.43 $52,890

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)
South Georgia nonmetropolitan area 120 0.63 2.65 $30.54 $63,530
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 90 0.37 1.55 $16.70 $34,740
North Georgia nonmetropolitan area 60 0.34 1.41 $16.15 $33,590
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 50 0.34 1.40 $18.18 $37,810
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 40 0.23 0.97 (8) (8)

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)
South Georgia nonmetropolitan area 120 0.63 2.65 $30.54 $63,530
Northwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 40 0.37 1.55 $16.91 $35,180
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 90 0.37 1.55 $16.70 $34,740
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.37 1.53 $25.74 $53,550
Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 40 0.35 1.46 $21.39 $44,500

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)
South Georgia nonmetropolitan area 120 0.63 2.65 $30.54 $63,530
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.37 1.53 $25.74 $53,550
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 40 0.23 0.97 $22.98 $47,800
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $21.73 $45,200
Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 40 0.35 1.46 $21.39 $44,500


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