Top 20 H-2B occupations in 2019: National average certified H-2B wage, average OES wage, and employer hourly wage savings
| H-2B Rank | SOC code | Occupation | H-2B jobs certified | H-2B average hourly wage | OES national average hourly wage | Employer average hourly wage savings | Percent saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 37-3011 | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 66,151 | $14.01 | $15.15 | $1.14 | 8.2% |
| 2 | 45-4011 | Forest and Conservation Workers | 11,283 | $12.34 | $15.33 | $2.99 | 24.2% |
| 3 | 37-2012 | Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 9,869 | $11.78 | $12.52 | $0.74 | 6.3% |
| 4 | 51-3022 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 8,486 | $10.98 | $13.60 | $2.62 | 23.9% |
| 5 | 39-3091 | Amusement and Recreation Attendants | 8,014 | $9.62 | $11.48 | $1.87 | 19.4% |
| 6 | 35-3031 | Waiters and Waitresses | 4,104 | $13.11 | $12.65 | -$0.47 | -3.6% |
| 7 | 47-2061 | Construction Laborers | 3,369 | $16.18 | $19.75 | $3.57 | 22.1% |
| 8 | 35-2014 | Cooks, Restaurant | 3,299 | $13.62 | $13.50 | -$0.12 | -0.9% |
| 9 | 53-7062 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,274 | $13.26 | $15.12 | $1.86 | 14.0% |
| 10 | 39-2021 | Nonfarm Animal Caretakers | 2,226 | $12.58 | $12.68 | $0.10 | 0.8% |
| 11 | 35-3022 | Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop | 1,804 | $10.21 | $11.37 | $1.16 | 11.3% |
| 12 | 51-9198 | Helpers–Production Workers | 1,728 | $12.78 | $14.38 | $1.59 | 12.5% |
| 13 | 47-2051 | Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | 1,610 | $15.48 | $23.17 | $7.70 | 49.7% |
| 14 | 35-9011 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 1,238 | $11.12 | $11.73 | $0.61 | 5.5% |
| 15 | 35-9021 | Dishwashers | 1,184 | $11.24 | $11.35 | $0.11 | 1.0% |
| 16 | 45-3011 | Fishers and Related Fishing Workers* | 1,183 | $11.58 | $15.65 | $4.07 | 35.2% |
| 17 | 53-7064 | Packers and Packagers, Hand | 1,177 | $11.49 | $12.97 | $1.48 | 12.9% |
| 18 | 45-2092 | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 1,165 | $12.00 | $12.95 | $0.95 | 7.9% |
| 19 | 37-2011 | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,053 | $13.80 | $14.17 | $0.37 | 2.7% |
| 20 | 37-3013 | Tree Trimmers and Pruners | 1,028 | $16.89 | $19.82 | $2.93 | 17.4% |
*2017 OES wage data for fishers and fish related workers is adjusted to 2019 dollars.
Note: 2018 OES wage data are adjusted to 2019 dollars. A negative value in the employer hourly wage savings column represents an H-2B job that was, on average, certified at a higher wage rate than the corresponding OES national average hourly wage.
Source: EPI analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics 2017, 2018, and of H-2B fiscal 2019 disclosure data from the Office of Foreign Labor Certification's Performance Data.
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