Change in average hourly wages of workers in all US occupations and in the top 10 H-2B occupations, 2004–2016
| H-2B Rank FY2016 | SOC code | Number of H-2B workers certified, FY2016 | Occupation | 2004 avg. hourly wage | 2016 avg. hourly wage | 2004–2016 real change | 2004–2016 % change | Avg. % change per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00-0000 | All | $22.62 | $23.86 | $1.24 | 5.49% | 0.45% | ||
| 1 | 37-3011 | 44,981 | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $13.49 | $13.73 | $0.24 | 1.75% | 0.14% |
| 2 | 45-4011 | 9,434 | Forest and Conservation Workers | $14.41 | $15.00 | $0.59 | 4.10% | 0.34% |
| 3 | 37-2012 | 7,751 | Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $10.95 | $11.46 | $0.51 | 4.63% | 0.38% |
| 4 | 39-3091 | 6,992 | Amusement and Recreation Attendants | $10.17 | $10.58 | $0.41 | 4.08% | 0.33% |
| 5 | 51-3022 | 5,447 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | $12.20 | $12.27 | $0.07 | 0.59% | 0.05% |
| 6 | 47-2061 | 5,237 | Construction Laborers | $17.61 | $18.22 | $0.61 | 3.46% | 0.28% |
| 7 | 35-3031 | 3,426 | Waiters and Waitresses | $9.73 | $11.73 | $2.00 | 20.52% | 1.57% |
| 8 | 35-2014 | 2,161 | Cooks, Restaurant | $12.36 | $12.23 | -$0.13 | -1.08% | -0.09% |
| 9 | 51-9198 | 1,974 | Helpers–Production Workers | $13.15 | $12.95 | -$0.20 | -1.53% | -0.13% |
| 10 | 39-2021 | 1,636 | Nonfarm Animal Caretakers | $11.74 | $11.74 | $0.00 | -0.00% | 0.00% |
Note: All values are adjusted to 2016 dollars. SOC stands for Standard Occupational Classification, a system used by the U.S. Department of Labor to classify workers into occupational categories.
Source: EPI analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics and of H-2B disclosure data (for the top 10 H-2B occupations) from the Office of Foreign Labor Certification’s Performance Data