The table below lists occupations with nonunion average earnings that are less than $21.20, the hourly wage a worker needs to earn to bring a family of four above 200 percent of the poverty guideline. The average union earnings for the jobs listed below bring workers in these jobs above 200 percent of the poverty guideline.
For example, nonunion machinist earned an average of $17.84 per hour in 2009. At this hourly wage, a full-time, year round nonunion machinist would earn $6,993 less than 200 percent of the poverty line for a family of four. Meanwhile, union machinists earned an average hourly wage of $24.29 – 36.2 percent more than the average wage for nonunion machinists. At this hourly wage, a full-time, year round union machinist would earn $6,423 more than 200 percent of the poverty line for a family of four. On average, in 2009, a nonunion machinist was paid 73 cents for each dollar paid to a union machinist.
Average Hourly Earnings of Selected Occupations, 2009
Union
Nonunion
Hourly
Wage ($)
Annualized Earnings ($)
Amount Above 200% of the Poverty Line ($)
Hourly
Wage ($)
Annualized Earnings ($)
Amount Below 200% of the Poverty Line ($)
Union Wage Advantage (%)
Union -Nonunion Wage Difference Annualized
Union -Nonunion Wage Difference Hourly
Nonunion Wage per Dollar of Union Wage
Union Wage per Dollar of Nonunion Wage
Athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers
$22.56
$46,925
$2,825
$17.78
$36,982
-$7,118
26.9%
$9,942
$4.78
$0.79
$1.27
Automotive service technicians and mechanics
$24.22
$50,378
$6,278
$16.10
$33,488
-$10,612
50.4%
$16,890
$8.12
$0.66
$1.50
Bailiffs, correctional officers, and jailers
$21.32
$44,346
$246
$16.46
$34,237
-$9,863
29.5%
$10,109
$4.86
$0.77
$1.30
Brickmasons, blockmasons, and stonemasons
$33.46
$69,597
$25,497
$17.08
$35,526
-$8,574
95.9%
$34,070
$16.38
$0.51
$1.96
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
$23.57
$49,026
$4,926
$17.86
$37,149
-$6,951
32.0%
$11,877
$5.71
$0.76
$1.32
Carpenters
$28.08
$58,406
$14,306
$15.90
$33,072
-$11,028
76.6%
$25,334
$12.18
$0.57
$1.77
Chemical processing machine setters, operators, and tenders
$26.48
$55,078
$10,978
$20.16
$41,933
-$2,167
31.3%
$13,146
$6.32
$0.76
$1.31
Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers
$22.52
$46,842
$2,742
$19.81
$41,205
-$2,895
13.7%
$5,637
$2.71
$0.88
$1.14
Construction laborers
$24.32
$50,586
$6,486
$14.18
$29,494
-$14,606
71.5%
$21,091
$10.14
$0.58
$1.72
Counselors
$28.12
$58,490
$14,390
$19.09
$39,707
-$4,393
47.3%
$18,782
$9.03
$0.68
$1.47
Couriers and messengers
$26.87
$55,890
$11,790
$14.24
$29,619
-$14,481
88.7%
$26,270
$12.63
$0.53
$1.89
Court, municipal, and license clerks
$23.44
$48,755
$4,655
$16.79
$34,923
-$9,177
39.6%
$13,832
$6.65
$0.72
$1.40
Crane and tower operators
$27.62
$57,450
$13,350
$17.56
$36,525
-$7,575
57.3%
$20,925
$10.06
$0.64
$1.57
Crushing, grinding, polishing, mixing, and blending workers
$24.72
$51,418
$7,318
$15.54
$32,323
-$11,777
59.1%
$19,094
$9.18
$0.63
$1.59
Dispatchers
$21.68
$45,094
$994
$15.25
$31,720
-$12,380
42.2%
$13,374
$6.43
$0.70
$1.42
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
$22.01
$45,781
$1,681
$15.73
$32,718
-$11,382
39.9%
$13,062
$6.28
$0.71
$1.40
Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers
$24.45
$50,856
$6,756
$14.04
$29,203
-$14,897
74.1%
$21,653
$10.41
$0.57
$1.74
Electricians
$29.72
$61,818
$17,718
$19.81
$41,205
-$2,895
50.0%
$20,613
$9.91
$0.67
$1.50
Elementary and middle school teachers
$26.19
$54,475
$10,375
$18.40
$38,272
-$5,828
42.3%
$16,203
$7.79
$0.70
$1.42
Eligibility interviewers, government programs
$23.44
$48,755
$4,655
$19.28
$40,102
-$3,998
21.6%
$8,653
$4.16
$0.82
$1.22
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics
$23.41
$48,693
$4,593
$15.27
$31,762
-$12,338
53.3%
$16,931
$8.14
$0.65
$1.53
Fire fighters
$25.25
$52,520
$8,420
$16.95
$35,256
-$8,844
49.0%
$17,264
$8.30
$0.67
$1.49
First-line supervisor/managers: office, admin. support workers
$26.66
$55,453
$11,353
$20.55
$42,744
-$1,356
29.7%
$12,709
$6.11
$0.77
$1.30
Heating, air cond., refrigeration mechanics & installers
$28.79
$59,883
$15,783
$19.17
$39,874
-$4,226
50.2%
$20,010
$9.62
$0.67
$1.50
Heavy vehicle & mobile equip. service techs & mechanics
$27.16
$56,493
$12,393
$20.42
$42,474
-$1,626
33.0%
$14,019
$6.74
$0.75
$1.33
Highway maintenance workers
$22.81
$47,445
$3,345
$17.89
$37,211
-$6,889
27.5%
$10,234
$4.92
$0.78
$1.28
Industrial and refractory machinery mechanics
$23.07
$47,986
$3,886
$19.23
$39,998
-$4,102
20.0%
$7,987
$3.84
$0.83
$1.20
Information and record clerks, all other
$21.51
$44,741
$641
$17.20
$35,776
-$8,324
25.1%
$8,965
$4.31
$0.80
$1.25
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
$22.26
$46,301
$2,201
$17.78
$36,982
-$7,118
25.2%
$9,318
$4.48
$0.80
$1.25
Librarians
$25.76
$53,581
$9,481
$19.20
$39,936
-$4,164
34.2%
$13,645
$6.56
$0.75
$1.34
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
$21.56
$44,845
$745
$19.34
$40,227
-$3,873
11.5%
$4,618
$2.22
$0.90
$1.11
Machinists
$24.29
$50,523
$6,423
$17.84
$37,107
-$6,993
36.2%
$13,416
$6.45
$0.73
$1.36
Maintenance and repair workers, general
$23.74
$49,379
$5,279
$17.46
$36,317
-$7,783
36.0%
$13,062
$6.28
$0.74
$1.36
Meter readers, utilities
$23.14
$48,131
$4,031
$16.52
$34,362
-$9,738
40.1%
$13,770
$6.62
$0.71
$1.40
Miscellaneous community and social service specialists
$25.28
$52,582
$8,482
$18.21
$37,877
-$6,223
38.8%
$14,706
$7.07
$0.72
$1.39
Miscellaneous media and communication workers
$22.04
$45,843
$1,743
$19.90
$41,392
-$2,708
10.8%
$4,451
$2.14
$0.90
$1.11
Miscellaneous plant and system operators
$34.30
$71,344
$27,244
$21.19
$44,075
-$25
61.9%
$27,269
$13.11
$0.62
$1.62
Office and administrative support workers, all other
$23.25
$48,360
$4,260
$18.62
$38,730
-$5,370
24.9%
$9,630
$4.63
$0.80
$1.25
Operating engineers & other construction equip. operators
$29.94
$62,275
$18,175
$17.68
$36,774
-$7,326
69.3%
$25,501
$12.26
$0.59
$1.69
Other installation, maintenance, and repair workers
$23.58
$49,046
$4,946
$16.74
$34,819
-$9,281
40.9%
$14,227
$6.84
$0.71
$1.41
Other life, physical, and social science technicians
$25.52
$53,082
$8,982
$18.03
$37,502
-$6,598
41.5%
$15,579
$7.49
$0.71
$1.42
Other teachers and instructors
$24.63
$51,230
$7,130
$17.83
$37,086
-$7,014
38.1%
$14,144
$6.80
$0.72
$1.38
Painters, construction and maintenance
$28.45
$59,176
$15,076
$14.29
$29,723
-$14,377
99.1%
$29,453
$14.16
$0.50
$1.99
Painting workers
$22.00
$45,760
$1,660
$16.66
$34,653
-$9,447
32.1%
$11,107
$5.34
$0.76
$1.32
Payroll and timekeeping clerks
$24.84
$51,667
$7,567
$17.64
$36,691
-$7,409
40.8%
$14,976
$7.20
$0.71
$1.41
Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
$29.95
$62,296
$18,196
$17.50
$36,400
-$7,700
71.1%
$25,896
$12.45
$0.58
$1.71
Postal service clerks
$22.23
$46,238
$2,138
$20.53
$42,702
-$1,398
8.3%
$3,536
$1.70
$0.92
$1.08
Postal service mail carriers
$24.00
$49,920
$5,820
$20.74
$43,139
-$961
15.7%
$6,781
$3.26
$0.86
$1.16
Postal service mail sorters, processors, machine operators
$23.81
$49,525
$5,425
$15.44
$32,115
-$11,985
54.2%
$17,410
$8.37
$0.65
$1.54
Preschool and kindergarten teachers
$25.78
$53,622
$9,522
$13.65
$28,392
-$15,708
88.9%
$25,230
$12.13
$0.53
$1.89
Printing machine operators
$24.54
$51,043
$6,943
$15.44
$32,115
-$11,985
58.9%
$18,928
$9.10
$0.63
$1.59
Production, planning, and expediting clerks
$21.67
$45,074
$974
$20.48
$42,598
-$1,502
5.8%
$2,475
$1.19
$0.95
$1.06
Radio & telecommunications equipment installers & repairers
$27.10
$56,368
$12,268
$19.48
$40,518
-$3,582
39.1%
$15,850
$7.62
$0.72
$1.39
Reservation and transportation ticket agents & travel clerks
$21.87
$45,490
$1,390
$16.99
$35,339
-$8,761
28.7%
$10,150
$4.88
$0.78
$1.29
Roofers
$27.67
$57,554
$13,454
$14.12
$29,370
-$14,730
96.0%
$28,184
$13.55
$0.51
$1.96
Secondary school teachers
$27.06
$56,285
$12,185
$20.91
$43,493
-$607
29.4%
$12,792
$6.15
$0.77
$1.29
Sheet metal workers
$27.04
$56,243
$12,143
$16.56
$34,445
-$9,655
63.3%
$21,798
$10.48
$0.61
$1.63
Social workers
$25.44
$52,915
$8,815
$20.20
$42,016
-$2,084
25.9%
$10,899
$5.24
$0.79
$1.26
Special education teachers
$27.00
$56,160
$12,060
$21.00
$43,680
-$420
28.6%
$12,480
$6.00
$0.78
$1.29
Structural and reinforcing iron and steel workers
$28.33
$58,926
$14,826
$15.19
$31,595
-$12,505
86.5%
$27,331
$13.14
$0.54
$1.87
Supervisors, transportation and material moving workers
$29.21
$60,757
$16,657
$19.42
$40,394
-$3,706
50.4%
$20,363
$9.79
$0.66
$1.50
Telecommunications line installers and repairers
$28.80
$59,904
$15,804
$17.85
$37,128
-$6,972
61.3%
$22,776
$10.95
$0.62
$1.61
Tool and die makers
$26.42
$54,954
$10,854
$20.51
$42,661
-$1,439
28.8%
$12,293
$5.91
$0.78
$1.29
Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators
$24.02
$49,962
$5,862
$19.74
$41,059
-$3,041
21.7%
$8,902
$4.28
$0.82
$1.22
Welding, soldering, and brazing workers
$23.02
$47,882
$3,782
$17.42
$36,234
-$7,866
32.1%
$11,648
$5.60
$0.76
$1.32
The poverty guideline in 2009 for a family of four was $22,050 200 percent of the poverty line for a family of four in 2009 was $44,100. To surpass 200 percent of the poverty line for a family of four, a worker needs to earn an hourly wage of at least $21.20 (full-time, year round).
Sources: Barry T. Hirsch and David A. MacPherson, Union Membership and Earnings Data Book, BNA, 2010; The 2009 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia, Federal Register, Vol. 74, No. 14, January 23, 2009, pp. 4199–4201. Prepared by the AFL-CIO
