Change in average hourly wages of workers in all U.S. occupations and in top 15 H-2B occupations, 2004–2015
| H-2B Rank FY2015* | SOC code | Occupation | Number of H-2B workers certified, FY15 | 2004 | 2015 | 2004–2015 real change in 2015 dollars | 2004–2015 percentage change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00-0000 | All | $22.42 | $23.25 | $0.82 | 3.7% | ||
| 1 | 37-3011 | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 42,104 | $13.38 | $13.21 | -$0.17 | -1.3% |
| 2 | 45-4011 | Forest and Conservation Workers | 8,339 | $14.28 | $14.37 | $0.09 | 0.6% |
| 3 | 39-3091 | Amusement and Recreation Attendants | 6,906 | $10.08 | $10.28 | $0.20 | 2.0% |
| 4 | 37-2012 | Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 6,667 | $10.86 | $11.06 | $0.20 | 1.8% |
| 5 | 47-2061 | Construction Laborers | 3,619 | $17.46 | $17.58 | $0.12 | 0.7% |
| 6 | 51-3022 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 2,822 | $12.09 | $11.94 | -$0.15 | -1.3% |
| 7 | 35-3031 | Waiters and Waitresses | 2,062 | $9.65 | $11.08 | $1.43 | 14.8% |
| 8 | 53-7064 | Packers and Packagers, Hand | 1,644 | $11.30 | $11.41 | $0.11 | 1.0% |
| 9 | 35-2014 | Cooks, Restaurant | 1,539 | $12.26 | $11.75 | -$0.51 | -4.1% |
| 10 | 39-2021 | Nonfarm Animal Caretakers | 1,515 | $11.64 | $11.37 | -$0.27 | -2.3% |
| 11 | 27-2022 | Coaches and Scouts* | 1,349 | $19.85 | $19.27 | -$0.58 | -2.9% |
| 12 | 53-7062 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,159 | $13.26 | $13.40 | $0.14 | 1.0% |
| 13 | 47-2051 | Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | 1,139 | $20.61 | $20.24 | -$0.36 | -1.8% |
| 14 | 51-9031 | Cutters and Trimmers, Hand | 1,013 | $14.61 | $13.88 | -$0.73 | -5.0% |
| 15 | 45-3011 | Fishers and Related Fishing Workers | 912 | $17.68 | $14.42 | -$3.27 | -18.5% |
*Hourly wage rate was unavailable for this occupation in the OES data so an hourly wage rate was estimated by dividing the average annual salary by 2080 hours (52 weeks*40 hours).
Note: All values adjusted to 2015 dollars.
Source: Office of Foreign Labor Certification Performance Data, H-2B Disclosure Data, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/performancedata.cfm; EPI analysis of Occupational Employment Statistics survey data, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.