National average certified H-2B wage, average OES wage, and employer hourly wage savings in FY 2012 top 15 H-2B occupations
| H-2B rank | SOC code | Occupation | Number of H-2B workers certified | Weighted average hourly certified H-2B wage | OES average hourly wage | Employer hourly wage savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 37-3011 | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 26,363 | $9.20 | $12.44 | $3.24 |
| 2 | 45-4011 | Forest and Conservation Workers | 8,817 | $10.48 | $13.75 | $3.27 |
| 3 | 39-3091 | Amusement and Recreation Attendants | 5,180 | $8.07 | $9.63 | $1.56 |
| 4 | 37-2012 | Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,153 | $8.86 | $10.49 | $1.63 |
| 5 | 51-9198 | Helpers–Production Workers | 2,166 | $8.89 | $11.84 | $2.95 |
| 6 | 35-3031 | Waiters and Waitresses | 1,706 | $9.84 | $9.95 | $0.11 |
| 7 | 37-1011 | First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers | 1,609 | $9.25 | $18.19 | $8.94 |
| 8 | 39-2021 | Nonfarm Animal Caretakers | 1,288 | $9.89 | $10.75 | $0.86 |
| 9 | 51-3022 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 1,143 | $8.25 | $11.39 | $3.14 |
| 10 | 47-3012 | Helpers–Carpenters | 1,135 | $10.51 | $13.09 | $2.58 |
| 11 | 27-2022 | Coaches and Scouts | 1,115 | $15.64 | $17.63 | $1.99 |
| 12 | 53-7064 | Packers and Packagers, Hand | 967 | $8.07 | $10.80 | $2.73 |
| 13 | 53-7063 | Machine Feeders and Offbearers | 939 | $9.73 | $13.79 | $4.06 |
| 14 | 35-9011 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 804 | $8.73 | $9.47 | $0.74 |
| 15 | 45-3011 | Fishers and Related Fishing Workers | 802 | $11.26 | $17.74 | $6.48 |
| Total labor certifications in top 15 | 57,187 |
Note: All values are in 2012 dollars.
Source: EPI analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics and (for top 15 H-2B occupations) of H-2B disclosure data from the Office of Foreign Labor Certification's Performance Data