Bloomberg
Sunday, March 16, 2014 | 2:01 a.m.
This story was first published in the March 16 issue of The Sunday, a sister publication of the Sun.
Ever look around at the signs of recovery here — the construction and rebound in travel and tourism — and wonder why it doesn’t feel like the recession has ended for you?
There’s a reason: It hasn’t in terms of wages.
If you’re a financial manager, a food server, a machinist, an engineer or a therapist, congratulations for picking a great time to be working in Las Vegas.
If you’re doing practically anything else for a living? Well, at least the weather’s nice most of the year.
The average Las Vegan makes about $41,400 a year, a figure that has stalled since the recession. The average worker lucky enough to get a raise saw his or her paycheck increase by only about $110 in 2012. Before the recession, the average annual raise was more than $2,000.
That’s not to say some people aren’t cashing in. Many corporate executives, Strip entrepreneurs, elected officials and celebrities are raking in big bucks.
But the slow increase in most people’s pay has meant that thin family budgets are stretched even further, constricting consumer spending, a crucial cog in the region’s overall economic recovery. With unemployment still at almost 9 percent in December, a return to normal wage growth likely will take several years, economists say.
People “have less money to spend, so businesses do less well, they hire less and they pay lower wages,” economist John Restrepo said. “Two-thirds of the economy is driven by consumer spending. ... As long as consumer spending is sluggish, you’ll have sluggish growth in the economy.”
With high unemployment and an excess of willing workers, there’s little pressure for companies to increase salaries. That likely won’t change until the unemployment rate drops to 5 or 6 percent.
“There’s just not much demand for the workers because of nature of the recovery we’ve had,” Restrepo said. “Companies have learned to make do with less.”
The hardest hit
More than 110,000 valley jobs were lost from 2007 to 2012. That’s 12 percent of the labor force.
The construction industry took the hardest hit when the housing market crashed. Construction jobs shrunk by a third from the start of the recession to 2012.
Those who have remained employed have wrestled with flat or decreasing wages, a big hit from the average 5 percent annual raises they earned during the boom. Roofers, stucco masons, painters, drywall installers and carpenters all saw their wages drop in 2012.
As tourism stalled and consumer spending dipped, employees in service-related jobs also took a hit. Wages of hairdressers, fitness trainers, car technicians and others dropped as the public scrimped and saved by forgoing nonessentials.
Employees at larger companies generally have fared better, as bigger operations can better absorb economic shocks. Workers at smaller companies, however, and self-employed professionals, such as lawyers and dentists, saw sharp decreases in their take-home pay.
More than 17,000 office and administrative workers lost their jobs from 2007 to 2012, and wages for clerks, human resource specialists and secretaries increased just 1 percent in three years, largely because employers had little incentive to raise salaries when they could find cheaper workers among the unemployed.
“We’re starting to see job growth, but there’s a big hole to dig out of,” said Bill Anderson, chief economist at the Nevada Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation.
The bright spots
The biggest wage increases in recent years have been in the health and technology fields. Both industries require highly specialized skills and have been growing locally and nationally despite the downturn.
Health care workers’ wages increased faster than any other industry over the past five years. Physical and occupational therapists, for instance, saw their pay rise 33 and 22 percent, respectively, from 2009 to 2012.
Overall, the local health care industry added 6,000 workers since 2007. The number of personal care aides alone tripled over the past seven years. High demand for services has meant that workers’ wages have increased faster than inflation, even as jobs were added.
The technology sector also is healthy, in part because many tech companies can sell their services nationally, widening their customer base and helping to insulate them from local economic struggles.
Who’s winning? Who’s losing? And who are the people at the top of the compensation pyramid?
Here’s a look, based on information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
LISTED WITH 2012 HOURLY AVERAGE WAGE AND ANNUAL WAGE
Accountants and auditors: $29.77/$61,910
Actors: $34.06:
Administrative services managers: $36.49/$75,900
Advertising and promotions managers: $49.12/$102,160
Advertising sales agents: $28.41/$59,100
Agents and business managers of artists, performers and athletes: $33.59/$69,860
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians: $30.58/$63,610
Animal Control workers: $27.99/$58,230
Appraisers and assessors of real estate: $34.05/$70,830
Architects, except landscape and naval: $38.12/$79,290
Art directors: $43.37/$90,210
Art, drama, and music teachers: $37.95/$78,930
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations: $28.79/$59,870
Athletic trainers: -/$40,370
Audio and video equipment technicians: $30.78/$64,030
Automotive body and related repairers: $20.49/$42,630
Automotive service technicians/$mechanics: $19.62/$40,810
Baggage porters and bellhops: $12.50/$26,000
Bakers: $13.78/$28,660
Bartenders: $13.40/$27,880
Bill and budget analysts: $35.49/$73,820
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations: $14.14/$29,400
Bus, truck mechanics, bus drivers, school: $19.64/$40,860
Bus drivers, transit and intercity: $14.80/$30,780
Business and financial operations occupations: $30.68/$63,820
Business operations specialists, all other: $34.40/$71,550
Butchers and meat cutters: $15.29/$31,800
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters: $19.50/$40,550
Cardiovascular technologists and techs: $27.94/$58,110
Carpenters: $25.96/$54,000
Cashiers: $10.68/$22,210
Chefs and head cooks: $25.92/$53,920
Chemists: $40.33/$83,890
Chief executives: $85.80/$178,460
Child, family and school social workers: $23.29/$48,450
Childcare workers: $9.31/$19,370
Chiropractors: $27.97/$58,180
Clergy: $25.67/$53,390
Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists: $30.60/$63,650
Coin, vending and amusement machine servicers and repairers: $21.63/$45,000
Commercial and industrial designers: $27.10/$56,360
Commercial pilots: -/$77,170
Computer hardware engineers: $42.20/$87,770
Concierges: $16.16/$33,620
Construction and building inspectors: $35.47/$73,780
Construction laborers: $18.1/$37,650
Construction managers: $42.82/$89,070
Cooks, all other: $17.32/$36,030
Cooks, fast food: $9.68/$20,120
Cooks, institution and cafeteria: $14.64/$30,460
Cooks, restaurant: $13.68/$28,450
Cooks, short order: $14.03/$29,190
Costume attendants: $24.54/$51,040
Customer service representatives: $15.38/$31,990
Dancers: $30/-
Demonstrators and product promoters: $12.02/$25,010
Dental assistants: $17.67/$36,760
Dental hygienists: $43.84/$91,180
Dentists, general: $60.04/$124,890
Designers, all other: $18.16/$37,770
Dietitians and nutritionists: $37.89/$78,810
Dining room and cafeteria attendants, and bartender helpers: $12.43/$25,850
Dishwashers: $12.12/$25,210
Editors: $25.15/$52,310
Education administrators, all other: $34.22/$71,170
Education administrators, elementary and secondary school: -/$87,120
Education administrators, postsecondary: $46.75/$97,240
Education administrators, preschool and child care center/$program: $17.73/$36,870
Electrical engineers: $42.18/$87,730
Electricians: $30.01/$62,430
Elementary school teachers, except special education: -/$52,630
Eligibility interviewers, government programs: $20.51/$42,650
Entertainers and performers, sports, related workers,: $55.22/-
Entertainment attendants and related workers: $14.12/$29,380
Environmental engineers: $40.07/$83,350
Examiners, investigators: $32.14/$66,860
Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants: $26.04/$54,160
Family and general practitioners: $81.31/$169,130
Film and video editors: $26.62/$55,360
Financial analysts: $36.15/$75,180
Fine artists, painters, sculptors, and illustrators: $19.37/$40,280
Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors: $14.52/$30,190
Floral designers: $13.73/$28,550
Food batchmakers: $17.44/$36,280
Food preparation and serving workers, including fast food: $9.32/$19,380
Food preparation workers: $13.71/$28,520
Food servers, nonrestaurant: $11.84/$24,640
Food service managers: $36.52/$75,970
Gaming and sports book writers and runners: $11.16/$23,210
Gaming cage workers: $15.56/$32,370
Gaming change persons and booth cashiers: $12.46/$25,910
Gaming dealers: $8.25/$17,170
Gaming managers: $49.32/$102,590
Gaming supervisors: $26.32/$54,750
Gaming surveillance and investigators: $18.66/$38,820
General managers: $50.45/$104,930
Graphic designers: $24.42/$50,800
Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists: $10.48/$21,790
Hazardous materials removal workers: $20.66/$42,980
Health educators: $32.93/$68,500
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary: -/$108,540
Health care social workers: $32.57/$67,750
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers: $21.48/$44,680
Highway maintenance: $21.09/$43,870
Home health aides: $13.32/$27,700
Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge and coffee shop: $12.62/$26,260
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks: $15.27/$31,760
Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping: $16.08/$33,450
Industrial engineers: $37.39/$77,780
Industrial production managers: $48.04/$99,930
Industrial truck and tractor operators: $16.22/$33,730
Information and record clerks, all other: $17.82/$37,060
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations: $23.37/$48,610
Insurance claims and policy processing clerks: $18.31/$38,090
Insurance sales agents: $25.25/$52,520
Insurance underwriters: $29.84/$62,070
Interior designers: $25.06/$52,110
Internists, general: $91.10/$189,500
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeepers: $13.63/$28,340
Kindergarten teachers, except special education: : $51,930
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers: $12.84/$26,700
Laundry and dry-cleaning workers: $10.90/$22,670
Lawyers: $58.47/$121,620
Legal occupations: $45.55/$94,740
Legal secretaries: $20/$41,590
Legislators: -/$49,620
Licensed practical and vocational nurses: $25.85/$53,780
Life, physical, social science occupations: $32.84/$68,310
Lifeguards, ski patrol, other recreational protective workers: $10.10/$21,020
Light truck or delivery services drivers: $16.32/$33,930
Loan officers: $29.69/$61,750
Locker room, coatroom, dressing room attendants: $10.41/$21,660
Locksmiths and safe repairers: $23.31/$48,480
Lodging managers: $48.91/$101,730
Machine feeders and offbearers: $12.72/$26,460
Machinists: $20.11/$41,820
Maids and housekeepers: $14.35/$29,840
Managers, all other: $48.75/$101,400
Manicurists, pedicurists: $9.22/$19,180
Marketing managers: $56.72/$117,970
Massage therapists: $13.49/$28,060
Meat, poultry and fish cutters and trimmers: $11.58/$24,080
Mechanical drafters: $19.17/$39,880
Mechanical engineers: $39.45/$82,050
Media and communication workers: $28.91/$60,120
Medical and clinical laboratory technicians: $20.11/$41,830
Medical and clinical laboratory technologists: $31.28/$65,070
Medical and health services managers: $50.95/$105,970
Medical aAssistants: $14.88/$30,950
Medical secretaries: $18.24/$37,940
Meeting, convention and event planners: $23.78/$49,460
Mental health social workers: $23.88/$49,660
Mental health counselors: $23.10/$48,050
Merchandise displayers and window trimmers: $14.80/$30,790
Motorboat mechanics and service technicians: $16.14/$33,570
Multimedia artists and animators: $20.08/$41,780
Musicians and singers: $32.82/-
Natural sciences managers: $56.09/$116,660
New accounts clerks: $18.59/$38,670
Nonfarm animal caretakers: $10.87/$22,600
Nuclear medicine technologists: $37.27/$77,530
Occupational Health and Safety specialists: $34.06/$70,840
Occupational therapists: $52.83/$109,880
Occupational therapy assistants: $37.47/$77,930
Office and administrative support occupations: $16.20/$33,700
Office clerks, general: $15.06/$31,330
Optometrists: $46.09/$95,870
Order clerks: $14.19/$29,500
Packers and packagers, hand: $11.35/$23,610
Painters, construction and maintenance: $23.56/$49,000
Painting, coating and decorating workers: $14.54/$30,250
Paralegals and legal assistants: $24.71/$51,400
Parking lot attendants: $10.74/$22,350
Parts salespeople: $14.33/$29,800
Payroll and timekeeping clerks: $18.61/$38,710
Personal care aides: $10.09/$20,990
Personal care and service occupations: $12.33/$25,640
Personal financial advisers: $34.12/$70,980
Pest control workers: $16.71/$34,760
Pharmacists: $55.64/$115,730
Pharmacy aides: $8.51/$17,710
Pharmacy technicians: $16.59/$34,510
Photographers: $22.9/$47,630
Physical therapist aides: $14.41/$29,970
Physical therapist assistants: $31.40/$65,320
Physical therapists: $56.31/$117,130
Physician assistants: $49.48/$102,930
Physicians and surgeons, all other: $106.34/$221,200
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters: $33.12/$68,880
Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers: $26.61/$55,360
Postal Service clerks: $24.31/$50,560
Postal Service mail carriers: $26.01/$54,090
Postal Service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators: $23.66/$49,210
Private detectives and investigators: $25.04/$52,080
Producers and directors: $39.24/$81,620
Protective service occupations: $18.77/$39,040
Psychiatrists: $77.79/$161,810
Public relations and fundraising managers: $55.80/$116,060
Public relations specialists: $28.24/$58,740
Products: $25.41/$52,840
Purchasing managers: $49.61/$103,190
Real estate brokers: $36.57/$76,070
Real estate sales agents: $21.61/$44,960
Receptionists and information clerks: $13.20/$27,470
Recreation workers: $13.78/$28,660
Reporters and correspondents: $24.18/$50,290
Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks: $15.86/$32,990
Respiratory therapists: $34.17/$71,070
Retail salespersons: $13.12/$27,290
Roofers: $18.86/$39,220
Sales and related occupations: $16.08/$33,440
Sales engineers: $41.33/$85,960
Sales managers: $48.73/$101,360
Sales representatives, services, all other: $23.75/$49,400
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents: $28.67/$59,640
Security and fire alarm systems installers: $27.40/$56,990
Security guards: $13.02/$27,070
Self-enrichment education teachers: $20.18/$41,970
Sewing machine operators: $13.91/$28,920
Sheet metal workers: $24.99/$51,970
Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks: $14.86/$30,920
Skincare specialists: $11.09/$23,070
Slot supervisors: $14.55/$30,260
Social and community service managers: $33.15/$68,960
Social and human service assistants: $14.32/$29,790
Sound engineering technicians: $40.55/$84,340
Stock clerks and order fillers: $11.92/$24,790
Structural iron and steel workers: $31.21/$64,920
Structural metal fabricators and fitters: $17.20/$35,780
Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors: $21.18/$44,050
Surgeons: $101.96/$212,080
Surgical technologists: $26.84/$55,830
Surveyors: $36.30/$75,510
Switchboard operators, answering service: $14.41/$29,980
Tailors, dressmakers and custom sewers: $14.93/$31,060
Tapers: $22.33/$46,440
Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents: $32.87/$68,360
Tax preparers: $20.68/$43,010
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs: $15.09/$31,390
Teacher assistants: -/$32,820
Team assemblers: $13.48/$28,040
Technical writers: $28.93/$60,170
Telemarketers: $13.27/$27,610
Tellers: $13.20/$27,450
Tile and marble setters: $21.90/$45,540
Tire repairers and changers: $14.64/$30,450
Transportation, material moving occupations: $17.30/$35,980
Transportation workers, all other: $20.25/$42,130
Travel agents: $16.88/$35,100
Upholsterers: $18.69/$38,880
Urban and regional planners: $40.69/$84,640
Ushers, lobby attendants, ticket takers: $11.20/$23,300
Veterinarians: $42.32/$88,030
Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers: $13.07/$27,180
Veterinary technologists and technicians: $14.41/$29,970
Waiters and waitresses: $11.23/$23,350
Word processors and typists: $13.98/$29,080
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