Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does the OES program produce?



2. What basic concepts are essential to understanding the OES survey?



3. What are the differences between the Bureau's Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) wage estimates and National Compensation Survey (NCS) wage estimates?



4. Does the BLS have OES estimates for specific industries?



5. Does the BLS have OES estimates for individual States?



6. Does the BLS have OES estimates for metropolitan areas?



7. Where to find OES estimates



8. What is the difference between "Occupational Employment and Wage estimates" and "Industry Staffing Pattern estimates"?



9. Why does the OES program produce estimates from more than one year's data?



10. Does the OES survey produce estimates by age, race, sex, or educational attainment?



11. Does the OES survey produce estimates by size of establishment?



12. Does the OES program have any data on unemployment for specific occupations?



13. Does the OES program have any information on job vacancies?



14. Does the BLS have employment projections for specific occupations?



15. How are "employees" defined by the OES survey?



16. Does the BLS have occupational employment estimates that include the self-employed?



17. How are "wages" defined by the OES survey?



18. How long has the OES survey collected wage data?



19. What are mean wages? What are median wages?



20. How is the OES survey conducted?



21. When will this year's OES estimates be available?



22. How does the OES program classify occupations?



23. Is the OES classification system compatible with other occupational classification systems?



24. How does the OES program define industry classifications? What is the NAICS?



25. What industries are surveyed? What industries are not surveyed?



26. Does the BLS make OES estimates available in print or electronic form?

For more information, please see the Technical Notes.

The OES program produces employment and wage estimates for over 700 occupations. These are estimates of the number of people employed in certain occupations, and estimates of the wages paid to them. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual States, and for metropolitan statistical areas (MSA); national occupational estimates for specific industries are also available.

• Does the OES survey produce estimates by age, race, sex, or educational attainment?
• Does the OES survey produce estimates by size of establishment?
• Does the OES program have any data on unemployment for specific occupations?
• Does the OES program have any information on job vacancies?

What basic concepts are essential to understanding the OES survey? top

"Establishment," "Industry," and "Occupation" are three key concepts.

• An establishment is the physical location of a certain economic activity, for example, a factory, mine, store, or office. Generally a single establishment produces a single good or provides a single service. An enterprise (a private firm, government, or non-profit organization) could consist of a single establishment or multiple establishments. A multi-establishment enterprise could have all its establishments in one industry (i.e., a chain), or could have various establishments in different industries (i.e., a conglomerate).



• An industry is a group of establishments that produce similar products or provide similar services. For example, all establishments that manufacture automobiles are in the same industry. A given industry, or even a particular establishment in that industry, might have employees in dozens of occupations. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) groups similar establishments into industries. What is the NAICS?



• An occupation is a set of activities or tasks that employees are paid to perform. Employees that perform essentially the same tasks are in the same occupation, whether or not they are in the same industry. Some occupations are concentrated in a few particular industries, other occupations are found in the majority of industries.

What are the differences between the Bureau's Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) wage estimates and National Compensation Survey (NCS) wage estimates? top

Both the OES and the NCS programs provide information on wages and salaries by occupation but they have different strengths. Only OES has information on employment for detailed occupations.

• The OES survey provides earnings on an hourly and annual basis, including mean and median earnings for all areas--national, State, and MSAs--as well as 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentile wage rate estimates for the nation. The NCS survey also provides mean earnings on an hourly and annual basis for all surveys and earnings distributions by the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles for some surveys. The OES program is the larger survey and can provide a greater range of occupations and areas, while the NCS program is conducted by personal visit and can provide greater depth by obtaining occupational work level.

  The NCS occupational work level is based on the duties and responsibilities of the job. An architect, for example, who directs a major project would typically be more highly compensated than an architect preparing a small part of a project under direct supervision.

• The OES program provides information for more occupations (about 700 occupational classifications compared with about 450 occupational classifications in the NCS). The NCS program, on the other hand, provides information on the wages for the occupations it covers at specific levels of work, rather than just an average for all workers in the occupation.



• The OES program provides information for the nation, for States, and for 334 metropolitan areas, as well as for the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Guam. The NCS program provides information for the nation, for 81 metropolitan areas and 73 non-metropolitan counties representing the U.S. and for the 9 Census divisions (although not all areas have information for all occupations).

  The metropolitan definitions differ for the two programs: Where an area has both a primary metropolitan statistical area (PMSA) and a broader consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA), the OES program uses the PMSA and the NCS program uses the CMSA.

• If you need to know the general wage profile for a large number of occupations in a large number of areas, the OES estimates are the better choice. If you need information by State, metropolitan area, or industry, you will need to use OES estimates. If you want estimates for pay-setting purposes, and want to set pay according to the level of work that is being performed, the NCS estimates are the better choice.



• Both surveys include full- and part-time workers who are paid a wage or salary. The NCS program obtains actual work schedules from the establishment, while the OES program assumes standardized schedules. Thus, if you need information on occupations in which the work schedule is atypical, you need to exercise caution in using the OES estimates.



• Both surveys exclude agriculture, fishing and forestry industries and private household workers; the OES program includes federal executive branch employment except for some national security agencies, while the NCS program excludes federal government employment.



• The OES estimates are available at http://www.bls.gov/oes/oes_data.htm and the NCS estimates are available at http://www.bls/gov/ncs/ocs/compub.htm.

Does the BLS have OES estimates for specific industries? top

Yes. The table below shows where to find OES estimates, including a sample of national industry-specific occupational employment and wage estimates. The BLS produces national occupational employment and wage estimates for most 3, 4, and 5-digit NAICS industries. What is the NAICS? These estimates are available by request.

Industry-specific OES estimates for individual States may be available from the States' Labor Market Information (LMI) or Research, Analysis, and Statistics offices which are part of their State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). Availability, format and medium of the data vary by State. To obtain OES data for a particular State, please contact the appropriate office on the State Contact List.

Yes. This table below shows where to find OES estimates, including state-wide cross-industry occupational employment and wage estimates for individual States. Additional information may be available from the State Workforce Agency (SWA) in each State. Format and medium of the data vary by State. To obtain additional estimates for a particular State, please contact the appropriate office on the State Contact List.

Yes. The table below shows where to find OES estimates, including cross-industry occupational employment and wage estimates for metropolitan areas.

Metropolitan areas comprise one or more entire counties, except in New England, where cities and towns are the basic geographic units. Where metropolitan areas are combined to form consolidated metropolitan areas (CMSAs) the component metropolitan areas are designated primary metropolitan statistical areas (PMSAs). Metropolitan areas that are not combined to form CMSAs are designated metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). There is more information about metropolitan areas on the Census Bureau web site.

The OES program produces cross-industry occupational employment and wage estimates for MSAs and PMSAs. The OES program does not produce estimates for CMSAs. The metropolitan area definitions used to produce OES estimates are those that were in effect during the year prior to the survey year. The definitions of some metropolitan areas or their components may have been changed since the current OES estimates became available.

Where to find OES estimates top

Does the BLS make OES estimates available in print or electronic form?

The Occupational Employment Statistics program produces "Occupational Employment and Wage estimates" and "Industry Staffing Pattern estimates"-- both of which consist of employment and wage estimates by occupation. The "Occupational Employment and Wage estimates" consist of national, State and metropolitan area estimates. The "Industry Staffing Pattern estimates" contain only national estimates.

The main difference is that the "Occupational Employment and Wage estimates" are cross-industry estimates, and the "Industry Staffing Pattern estimates" are industry-specific estimates.

• Cross-industry estimates are calculated with data collected from establishments in all the industries in which a particular occupation is reported. (Not every occupation is surveyed in every industry.) For example, the cross-industry occupational employment estimate for mechanical engineers is the sum of all the industry-specific estimates for mechanical engineers. Likewise, cross-industry occupational wage estimates for mechanical engineers are calculated from data collected from establishments in all the industries where mechanical engineers are reported.



• Industry-specific estimates are calculated with data collected from establishments in a particular industry. Industry-specific occupational employment estimates estimate the number of people employed in that occupation in a particular industry. Similarly, the industry-specific occupational wage estimates are calculated with data from establishments in one particular industry. Since different industries employ people in different occupations, the occupations in the staffing pattern for one industry will not be the same as the occupations in the staffing pattern for another industry.

Prior to 1996, national industry-specific estimates of occupational employment were the only OES estimates produced by the BLS; wage estimates were not produced.

Significant reductions in sampling error can be achieved by taking advantage of a full three years of data, covering 1.2 million establishments and over 70 percent of the employment in the United States. This feature is particularly important in improving the reliability of estimates for detailed occupations in small geographical areas. Combining multiple years of data is also necessary to obtain full coverage of establishments with 250 or more workers since, in order to reduce respondent burden, the OES survey samples them only once every three years. While there are significant advantages, there are also limitations associated with this estimation procedure in that it requires "updating" for the earlier years of data.

The May 2003 employment and wage estimates were calculated using data collected in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and May 2003. The 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 wage data have been adjusted to the May 2003 reference period using the over-the-year wage change in the most applicable Employment Cost Index series.

No. The OES survey program does not gather demographic information. However, the BLS Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey program provides information on employment, unemployment, and weekly earnings, by a variety of demographic characteristics.

No. The OES survey does not produce estimates based on total establishment employment. Information pertaining to the number of establishments in various employment size classes and their aggregate employment (economy wide and by industry) can be obtained by contacting the staff at the "ES-202" or Covered Employment & Wages program.

No. The OES survey produces estimates of the numbers of employees and their wages collected from the establishments where they work. However, there is some information on selected unemployment indicators (including broad occupational groups) in "The Employment Situation" news release, which is part of Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey . More detailed information on characteristics of the unemployed can be obtained by contacting the Labor Force Statistics staff.

No. The OES survey does not ask establishments for vacancy information. Another BLS program, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), asks establishments for the number of job openings on the last business day of each month. However, the data is not available by occupation. The U.S. Department of Labor maintains a web site where job seekers can search America's Job Bank for job vacancies.

For more than 50 years, the Bureau's Occupational Outlook Handbook has been a nationally recognized source of career information. It describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects for a variety of occupations.

"Employees" are all part-time and full-time workers who are paid a wage or salary. The survey does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers, or unpaid family workers.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Office of Employment Projections provides current and projected national economy-wide (across all industries, including the self-employed) occupational employment estimates for selected occupations.

Wages for the OES survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay.

Included in the collection of wage data are:

• base rate,
• cost-of-living allowances,
• guaranteed pay,
• hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses, and
• on-call pay, and
• tips.

Excluded from the wage data are :

• back pay,
• jury duty pay,
• overtime pay,
• severance pay,
• shift differentials,
• nonproduction bonuses, and
• tuition reimbursements.

The OES survey collected both occupational employment and occupational wage data nationwide for the first time in 1996. Prior to 1996, occupational employment estimates by industry were the only national OES estimates produced by the BLS.

The OES program produces estimates of wages by occupation; i.e., the wages paid to wage or salary employees in a given occupation in the U.S., in a particular State, or in a particular industry. These occupational wage estimates are either estimates of mean wages or percentiles, such as the median wage.

• A mean wage is an average wage. An occupational mean wage estimate is calculated by summing the wages of all the employees in a given occupation and then dividing the total wages by the number of employees.



• A median wage is a boundary. An occupational median wage estimate is the boundary between the highest paid 50% and the lowest paid 50% of workers in that occupation. Half of the workers in a given occupation earn more than the median wage, and half the workers earn less than the median wage. For more information, see the page on percentiles.

The OES survey is a semi-annual mail survey of non-farm establishments. The BLS produces the survey materials and selects the establishments to be surveyed. The sampling frame (the list from which establishments to be surveyed are selected) is derived from the list of establishments maintained by State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) for unemployment insurance purposes. Establishments to be surveyed are selected in order to obtain data from every metropolitan area and State, across all surveyed industries, and from establishments of varying sizes. The SWAs mail the survey materials to the selected establishments and make follow-up calls to request data from non-respondents or to clarify data. The collected data are used to produce occupational estimates at the National, State, and sub-State levels.

The OES program releases estimates every year in the second and fourth quarter. Estimates are produced from data collected in a semi-annual nationwide survey. The survey begins with survey materials being sent to selected establishments during the reference month (May or November) of the survey year. Data collection starts then and continues for eight months. As the data collection finishes, the data entry and estimates processing begins, and this is followed by estimates production and validation.

The May 2003 OES Estimates were produced using the revised Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. The SOC system, which is being adopted by all Federal statistical agencies for reporting occupational data, consists of 821 detailed occupations, grouped into 449 broad occupations, 96 minor groups, and 23 major groups. The OES program provides occupational employment and wage estimates at the major group and detailed occupation level. Due to the OES survey's transition to the new SOC system, estimates from 1999 and subsequent years are not directly comparable with previous years' OES estimates, which were based on a classification system having 7 major occupational groups and 770 detailed occupations. The detailed SOC occupations are allocated among these twenty-three major groups:

• 11-0000 Management Occupations
• 13-0000 Business and Financial Operations Occupations
• 15-0000 Computer and Mathematical Occupations
• 17-0000 Architecture and Engineering occupations
• 19-0000 Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
• 21-0000 Community and Social Services Occupations
• 23-0000 Legal Occupations
• 25-0000 Education, Training and Library Occupations
• 27-0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
• 29-0000 Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
• 31-0000 Healthcare Support Occupations
• 33-0000 Protective Service Occupations
• 35-0000 Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
• 37-0000 Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations
• 39-0000 Personal Care and Service Occupations
• 41-0000 Sales and Related Occupations
• 43-0000 Office and Administrative Support Occupations
• 45-0000 Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
• 47-0000 Construction and Extraction Occupations
• 49-0000 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair occupations
• 51-0000 Production Occupations
• 53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
• 55-0000 Military specific Occupations (not surveyed in OES).

Yes. The classification system used since 1999 is compatible with the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. The SOC system will be used by all Federal statistical agencies for reporting occupational data. The old OES classification system is compatible with the 1980 Standard Occupational Classification system and the U.S. Bureau of the Census occupational classifications. By using a "crosswalk" to the SOC or Census system users can compare OES estimates with occupational data from other sources. The NOICC Crosswalk & Data Center Home Page is the source of various "crosswalks" that are used to link the occupational classifications of one system to those of another.

The OES program uses definitions of industries found in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The NAICS is used throughout the federal government to group establishments into industries. The NAICS structure makes it possible to collect and calculate establishment data by broad industrial Sectors (labeled 11 through 92), Sub-sectors (the 3-digit NAICS levels), Industry Groups (the 4-digit NAICS levels), and NAICS Industries (the 5-digit level). See the North American Industry Classification System, 2002 (Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget), available in many libraries. The OES survey produces occupational employment and wage estimates for most 3, 4, and 5-digit NAICS industrial groups. (Note: OES estimates of government employment and wages do not correspond to the NAICS. In the case of government, the OES survey produces occupational employment and wage estimates for Local Government, State Government, and Federal Government.)

The OES survey collects occupational employment and wage data from establishments in nonfarm industries. The OES survey produces estimates of occupational employment and wages for most 3, 4, and 5-digit industrial groups in these industrial sectors: Forestry and logging; Mining; Utilities; Construction; Manufacturing; Wholesale trade; Retail trade; Transportation and warehousing; Information; Finance and insurance; Real estate and Rental and leasing; Professional, scientific, and technical services; Management of companies and enterprises; Administrative and support and Waste management and remediation services; Educational services; Health care and social assistance; Arts, entertainment, and recreation; Accommodation and food services; Other services (except public administration); and Government.

The OES program does not survey establishments in NAICS 111 (Crop production); NAICS 112 (Animal production); NAICS 114 (Fishing, hunting, and trapping); and NAICS 814 (Private households).

The BLS makes OES estimates available via this Internet site, in publication, and in electronic format.

• This Internet site contains cross-industry Occupational Employment and Wage estimates for the U.S., for individual States, and for metropolitan areas. It also has a sample of national (industry-specific) Industry Staffing Pattern estimates. Please refer to the table above to determine where to obtain particular OES estimates.



• The OES publication presents employment and wage estimates for selected occupations in selected states, metropolitan areas, and industries.



• OES estimates are available in electronic format. Current estimates are available at no cost via a download from this website. The BLS can provide historical National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates by Industry (for 4- and 5-digit NAICS industry groups) in electronic files.

For more information about the OES publication or to request estimates, please contact the OES program at the BLS. Some OES estimates are available from the State Workforce Agencies located in each State.

Last Modified Date: May 7, 2004

URL: http://www.bls.gov/OES
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