Table 4

Average certified wages for H-2B jobs are still too low: 2019 national average certified H-2B wage, average OES wage, and dollar amount and percent below OES wage for the top 15 H-2B occupations

H-2B Rank SOC Code Occupation H-2B jobs certified H-2B average hourly wage OES national average hourly wage Amount below national average hourly wage Percent below average hourly wage
1 37-3011 Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers 66,151 $14.18 $15.75 $1.57 11.1%
2 45-4011 Forest and Conservation Workers 11,283 $12.34 $15.96 $3.61 29.3%
3 37-2012 Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 9,869 $11.78 $13.05 $1.27 10.8%
4 51-3022 Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers 8,486 $10.98 $14.02 $3.04 27.7%
5 39-3091 Amusement and Recreation Attendants 8,014 $9.62 $11.85 $2.23 23.2%
6 35-3031 Waiters and Waitresses 4,104 $13.11 $13.04 -$0.07 -0.5%
7 47-2061 Construction Laborers 3,369 $16.18 $20.31 $4.13 25.5%
8 35-2014 Cooks, Restaurant 3,299 $13.62 $13.97 $0.35 2.6%
9 53-7062 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 2,274 $13.26 $15.64 $2.38 17.9%
10 35-3023 Fast Food and Counter Workers 2,255 $10.46 $11.32 $0.86 8.2%
11 39-2021 Animal Caretakers 2,226 $12.58 $13.17 $0.60 4.7%
12 51-9198 Helpers–Production Workers 1,728 $12.78 $14.86 $2.08 16.3%
13 47-2051 Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers 1,610 $15.48 $23.53 $8.05 52.0%
14 35-9011 Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers 1,238 $11.12 $12.18 $1.06 9.5%
15 35-9021 Dishwashers 1,184 $11.24 $11.89 $0.64 5.7%
Total jobs certified in top 15 H-2B occupations in 2019 127,090

Note: H-2B and OES wage data are adjusted to 2020 dollars. H-2B wage data are the weighted average hourly wage of all workers in a respective occupation. H-2B wage data on Fast Food and Counter Workers (SOC code 35-3023) are the combined wage data of Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food (SOC code 35-3021) and Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop workers (SOC code 35-3022). A negative value in the amount or percent below national average hourly wage columns represents an H-2B job that was, on average, certified at a higher wage rate than the corresponding OES national average hourly wage (there is only one instance of this, in the Waiters and Waitresses occupation).

Source: EPI analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2019 Occupational Employment Statistics, and of H-2B 2019 fiscal year disclosure data from the Office of Foreign Labor Certification's Performance Data

Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website.

This chart appears in:

Previous chart: «

Next chart: »