Local workers earn below average wages
A new report from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates the average Idaho Falls area worker is getting paid about 15% less than the national average. In Pocatello, workers are earning about 21% under the national average.
A survey of the Idaho Falls Metropolitan Statistics Area, which includes Bonneville and Jefferson Counties, reflected an average hourly wage of $21.34 in May, 2018. That is about 15% below the national average of $24.98. The average hourly wage in Pocatello was $19.63 in the same time frame.
Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Richard Holden noted that, after testing for statistical significance, wages in the local area were higher than their respective national averages in 1 of the 22 major occupational groups: architecture and engineering. But, 17 groups had significantly lower wages than their respective national averages, including legal, management, education, training, and library workers.
In the Pocatello, area, wages were lower than their respective national average in 19 of the 22 major occupational groups.
In Idaho Falls, local employment was highly concentrated in four occupational groups including architecture and engineering, life, physical and social science, and construction.
Idaho Falls had 2,360 jobs in architecture and engineering, accounting for 3.6% of local area employment. That is about twice the number of the national average. The average hourly wage in that group was $48.57, significantly above the national average $42.01. As might be expected, nuclear engineers were employed at 53.3 times the national rate in Idaho Falls and there were 12.8 times as many chemical engineers than the U.S. average.
In Pocatello, local employment was concentrated in education, community and social service, and health care support. Pocatello had 1,310 jobs in health care support, accounting for 3.9% of local area employment. Those workers were paid an average wage of $14.63, significantly below the national average wage of $15.57.
You can see a complete listing of employment and wage estimates for the Idaho Falls area here.
Information on the Pocatello employment and wage estimates is available here.
