Change in average hourly wages of workers in all US occupations and in the top 10 H-2B occupations, 2014–2016
| H-2B Rank FY2016 | SOC code | Number of H-2B workers certified, FY2016 | Occupation | 2014 avg. hourly wage | 2016 avg. hourly wage | 2014–2016 real change | 2014–2016 % change | Avg. % change per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00-0000 | All | $23.03 | $23.86 | $0.83 | 3.62% | 1.79% | ||
| 1 | 37-3011 | 44,981 | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $13.03 | $13.73 | $0.70 | 5.38% | 2.66% |
| 2 | 45-4011 | 9,434 | Forest and Conservation Workers | $14.45 | $15.00 | $0.55 | 3.82% | 1.89% |
| 3 | 37-2012 | 7,751 | Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $10.97 | $11.46 | $0.49 | 4.46% | 2.21% |
| 4 | 39-3091 | 6,992 | Amusement and Recreation Attendants | $10.04 | $10.58 | $0.54 | 5.40% | 2.67% |
| 5 | 51-3022 | 5,447 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | $11.79 | $12.27 | $0.48 | 4.05% | 2.01% |
| 6 | 47-2061 | 5,237 | Construction Laborers | $17.43 | $18.22 | $0.79 | 4.54% | 2.24% |
| 7 | 35-3031 | 3,426 | Waiters and Waitresses | $10.54 | $11.73 | $1.19 | 11.24% | 5.47% |
| 8 | 35-2014 | 2,161 | Cooks, Restaurant | $11.56 | $12.23 | $0.67 | 5.81% | 2.86% |
| 9 | 51-9198 | 1,974 | Helpers–Production Workers | $12.48 | $12.95 | $0.47 | 3.75% | 1.86% |
| 10 | 39-2021 | 1,636 | Nonfarm Animal Caretakers | $11.19 | $11.74 | $0.55 | 4.88% | 2.41% |
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