Introduction
The formulation of targeted economic development plans and programs requires socioeconomic data from various sources. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation annually produce occupational employment and wage data. From the 2006 Nevada Occupational Employment Statistics Survey, occupational employment and wage data are available for 645 Nevada occupations. These occupations accounted for 1.26 million jobs with an annual average wage of $46,091. This fact sheet will discuss the highest and lowest paying occupations in the state of Nevada and compare the state to national trends. Education requirements for each occupation are discussed in a University of Nevada Cooperative Extension fact sheet titled “Future Demand for Education and Training in Nevada: 2004-2014.”
Highest and Lowest Paying Occupations in Nevada
For economic development planning, it may be of interest to know the top five paying occupations, as well as the five lowest paying occupations. Planners can use this information to target industries that bring in jobs with higher paying wages versus industries that pay the least.
The highest paying occupations in Nevada for 2006 were:
Surgeons, obstetricians and gynecologists, internists, family and general practitioners and all other physicians and surgeons.
The highest annual average wage was for surgeons. Their average salary of $187,630 was just over $3,400 higher than the national average for this occupation. Overall, 20 of the 25 highest paying occupations in Nevada had average annual salaries that were above the national average. Obstetricians and gynecologists, dentists, podiatrists and engineering managers had salaries that were below the national average. Lawyers had salaries equal to the national average. The majority of these occupations required an education level of at least a bachelor’s degree.
The lowest paying occupations in Nevada for 2006 were:
Gaming dealers, fast food cooks, farm and ranch animal farm workers, combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food and child care workers.
Gaming dealers had the lowest annual average wage. Their average salary of $13,780 was approximately $3,200 lower than the national average for this occupation. Eleven of the 25 lowest paying occupations in Nevada had average annual salaries that were above the national average. Dishwashers had the highest positive margin of difference in average salary, with Nevada workers earning $20,080 compared to the national average of $16,190. A majority of these low paying occupations required only shortterm, on-the-job training.
Highest Paying Occupations in Nevada
The major Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) group of Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations accounted for 13 of Nevada’s 25 highest paying occupations. Further, the top six occupations and 10 of the top 15 occupations in annual average wage were contained in this major SOC. Among the remaining highest paying occupations, there were five management occupations, two legal occupations and two architecture and engineering occupations.
Table 1 depicts the 25 highest paying occupations in Nevada. These occupations accounted for 28,000 jobs, or 2.2 percent of all Nevada occupations. The annual average wage of these 25 occupations in 2006 was $127,328, with surgeons garnering an average annual wage of $187,630, which was the highest annual average wage in Nevada.
Lowest Paying Occupations in Nevada
The major SOC group of food preparation and serving related occupations accounted for eight of the 25 lowest paying occupations in Nevada, while the personal care and service occupations accounted for seven of the 25 lowest paying occupations. These two groups comprised seven of the top 10 lowest paying occupations in Nevada in terms of annual average wage. Among the remaining lowest paying occupations, four were in transportation and material moving occupations.
Table 2 shows the 25 lowest paying occupations, which accounted for 196,410 total jobs or 15.6 percent of all jobs in Nevada. The annual average wage for these 25 occupations in 2006 was $18,266.
Table 1. Twenty-five Highest Paying Occupations in Nevada
| NV Rank |
Occupation |
Employment |
NV Annual Average Wage |
US Rank |
| 1 |
Surgeons |
** |
$187,630 |
2 |
| 2 |
Obstetricians and Gynecologists |
** |
$173,640 |
3 |
| 3 |
Internists, General |
** |
$169,350 |
6 |
| 4 |
Family and General Practitioners |
** |
$158,080 |
9 |
| 5 |
Physicians and Surgeons, All Other |
** |
$151,520 |
11 |
| 6 |
Psychiatrists |
** |
$150,920 |
8 |
| 7 |
Real Estate Brokers |
390 |
$147,170 |
73 |
| 8 |
Chief Executives |
810 |
$144,640 |
10 |
| 9 |
Dentists, General |
820 |
$137,090 |
13 |
| 10 |
Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners, All Others |
260 |
$130,050 |
57 |
| 11 |
Nuclear Engineers |
140 |
$127,790 |
36 |
| 12 |
Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates |
190 |
$122,870 |
29 |
| 13 |
Aerospace Engineers |
** |
$118,270 |
43 |
| 14 |
Podiatrists |
60 |
$118,150 |
15 |
| 15 |
Optometrists |
180 |
$117,650 |
27 |
| 16 |
Chiropractors |
220 |
$116,490 |
70 |
| 17 |
Lawyers |
4,760 |
$113,660 |
16 |
| 18 |
Engineering Managers |
930 |
$107,900 |
18 |
| 19 |
General and Operations Managers |
15,930 |
$103,030 |
26 |
| 20 |
Veterinarians |
350 |
$102,950 |
68 |
| 21 |
Computer and Information Scientists, Research |
** |
$100,260 |
28 |
| 22 |
Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers and Athletes |
130 |
$100,150 |
54 |
| 23 |
Public Relations Managers |
280 |
$97,210 |
35 |
| 24 |
Pharmacists |
2,060 |
$94,070 |
34 |
| 25 |
Education Administrators, Postsecondary |
490 |
$92,670 |
59 |
**Employment data not reported
Table 2. Twenty-five Lowest Paying Occupations in Nevada
| NV Rank1 |
Occupation |
Employment |
NV Annual Average Wage |
US Rank1 |
| 1 |
Gaming Dealers |
24,660 |
$13,780 |
7 |
| 2 |
Cooks, Fast Food |
12,220 |
$15,130 |
2 |
| 3 |
Farmworkers, Farm and Ranch Animals |
** |
$15,720 |
37 |
| 4 |
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food |
18,680 |
$16,350 |
1 |
| 5 |
Child Care Workers |
1,690 |
$16,630 |
24 |
| 6 |
Amusement and Recreation Attendants |
2,880 |
$17,290 |
11 |
| 7 |
Bicycle Repairers |
** |
$17,380 |
65 |
| 8 |
Waiters and Waitresses |
38,360 |
$17,610 |
9 |
| 9 |
Parking Lot Attendants |
3,140 |
$17,680 |
17 |
| 10 |
Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession and Coffee Shop |
5,180 |
$17,760 |
6 |
| 11 |
Dining room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers |
14,720 |
$17,970 |
4 |
| 12 |
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers |
1,350 |
$18,580 |
15 |
| 13 |
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment |
4,720 |
$18,620 |
33 |
| 14 |
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers |
510 |
$18,810 |
41 |
| 15 |
Ushers, Lobby Attendants and Ticket Takers |
2,900 |
$18,990 |
10 |
| 16 |
Packers and Packagers, Hand |
5,630 |
$19,130 |
27 |
| 17 |
Service Station Attendants |
770 |
$19,410 |
26 |
| 18 |
Food Servers, Non-restaurant |
1,770 |
$19,490 |
30 |
| 19 |
Cashiers |
36,570 |
$19,650 |
13 |
| 20 |
Molding, Coremaking, Casting Machine Setters, Operators and Tenders; Metal and Plastic |
390 |
$19,720 |
152 |
| 21 |
Dishwashers |
9,760 |
$20,080 |
3 |
| 22 |
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge and Coffee Shop |
5,480 |
$20,090 |
5 |
| 23 |
Transportation Attendants, Except Flight Attendants and Baggage Porters |
710 |
$20,220 |
42 |
| 24 |
Personal and Home Care Aides |
2,130 |
$20,220 |
14 |
| 25 |
Gaming and Sports Book Writers and Runners |
2,190 |
$20,330 |
38 |
1Rank of 1 indicates lowest ranking job, rank of 25 indicated 25th lowest paying job.
Highest and Lowest Paying Occupations in the United States
Knowledge of Nevada occupational trends that are similar or dissimilar to the overall national trend may allow the state of Nevada’s economic development practitioners to target appropriate economic activities. Also, analysis of this data may provide information to Nevada decision makers to develop appropriate public policies to enhance high paying occupations in the state.
Highest Paying Occupations in the United States
In comparison to the highest paying occupations in Nevada, Table 3 depicts the 10 highest paying occupations in the United States, which accounted for 597,660 jobs, or 0.45 percent of total U.S. occupations in 2006.
Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations accounted for 14 of the United States’ 25 highest paying occupations. Further, the top nine occupations and 13 of the top 15 occupations in annual average wage were contained in this major SOC. Among the remaining highest paying occupations, there were seven management occupations, and two transportation and material moving occupations.
Lowest Paying Occupations in the United States
In comparison to the lowest paying occupations in Nevada, Table 4 depicts the 10 lowest paying occupations in the United States, which accounted for 7,356,270 jobs, or 5.5 percent of total U.S. occupations in 2006.
Food preparation and serving related occupations accounted for ten of the 25 lowest paying occupations in Nevada, while personal care and service occupations accounted for six of the 25 lowest paying occupations. These two groups comprised the top 10 lowest paying occupations in the United States in terms of annual average wage.
Among the remaining lowest paying occupations, two were transportation and material moving occupations, two were production occupations and two were farming, fishing and forestry occupations.
Table 3. Ten Highest Paying Occupations in the United States
| US Rank |
Occupation |
Employment |
US Annual Average Wage |
NV Rank |
| 1 |
Anesthesiologists |
29,890 |
$184,340 |
–* |
| 2 |
Surgeons |
51,900 |
$184,150 |
1 |
| 3 |
Obstetricians and Gynecologists |
22,520 |
$178,040 |
2 |
| 4 |
Orthodontists |
5,200 |
$176,900 |
–* |
| 5 |
Oral and maxillofacial Surgeons |
5,320 |
$164,760 |
–* |
| 6 |
Internists, General |
48,700 |
$160,860 |
3 |
| 7 |
Prosthodontists |
480 |
$158,940 |
–* |
| 8 |
Psychiatrists |
24,730 |
$149,990 |
6 |
| 9 |
Family and General Practitioners |
109,400 |
$149,850 |
4 |
| 10 |
Chief Executives |
299,520 |
$144,600 |
8 |
*Occupation not reported in Nevada statistics.
Table 4. Ten Lowest Paying Occupations in the United States.
| US Rank1 |
Occupation |
Employment |
US Annual Average Wage |
NV Rank |
| 1 |
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food |
2,461,890 |
$15,930 |
4 |
| 2 |
Cooks, Fast Food |
612,020 |
$15,960 |
2 |
| 3 |
Dishwashers |
502,770 |
$16,190 |
21 |
| 4 |
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers |
401,790 |
$16,320 |
11 |
| 5 |
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge and Coffee Shop |
340,390 |
$16,860 |
22 |
| 6 |
Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food concession and Coffee Shop |
524,410 |
$16,950 |
10 |
| 7 |
Gaming Dealers |
82,960 |
$17,010 |
1 |
| 8 |
Shampooers |
15,580 |
$17,050 |
–* |
| 9 |
Waiters and Waitresses |
2,312,930 |
$17,190 |
8 |
| 10 |
Ushers, Lobby Attendants and Ticket Takers |
101,530 |
$17,500 |
15 |
1Rank of 1 indicates lowest ranking job, rank of 10 indicates 10th lowest paying job.
Conclusions
Economic development planners should consider occupational wages when targeting new businesses in Nevada. Planners have to balance targeting businesses with higher paying occupations with businesses that employ lower paying occupations. As shown in Tables 1 and 2, the top 25 highest paying occupations account for only 2.2 percent of total 2006 Nevada employment while the 25 lowest paying occupations account for 15.6 percent of the states total.
References
May 2006 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimate, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007.
May 2006 Nevada Occupation Employment and Wage Estimate, Nevada Workforce Informer, 2007.
