Overall, production workers in the utilities industry had average weekly earnings of $978 in 2002. Earnings varied by industry segment within utilities (table 4). Average weekly earnings for production workers were highest in natural gas distribution ($1,009) and electric power generation, transmission, and distribution ($1,000); and lowest in water, sewage, and other systems ($689).
Table 4. Average earnings and hours of production workers in nongovernment utilities by industry segment, 2002
| Industry segment |
Earnings |
Weekly
hours |
| Weekly |
Hourly |
| |
|
|
|
| Total, private industry |
$506 |
$14.95 |
33.9 |
| |
|
|
|
| Nongovernment utilities |
978 |
23.94 |
40.9 |
Natural gas distribution |
1,009 |
23.58 |
42.8 |
Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution |
1,001 |
24.56 |
40.7 |
Water, sewage, and other systems |
689 |
18.67 |
36.9 |
Earnings in utilities were generally higher than earnings in other industries. The hourly earnings for production workers in utilities averaged $23.94 in 2002, compared with $14.95 in all private industry. This was due in part to more overtime and weekend work—as utility plant operations must be monitored 24 hours a day—which commands higher hourly rates. Earnings in selected occupations in utilities appear in table 5.
Table 5. Median hourly earnings of the largest occupations in utilities, 2002
| Occupation |
Utilities |
All industries |
| General and operations managers |
$41.58 |
$32.80 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
34.01 |
20.64 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
31.45 |
22.87 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay |
25.66 |
24.85 |
| Power plant operators |
25.20 |
24.00 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
24.98 |
23.33 |
| Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door |
24.41 |
20.90 |
| Customer service representatives |
17.07 |
12.62 |
| Meter readers, utilities |
16.06 |
13.86 |
| Office clerks, general |
15.77 |
10.71 |
In 2002, almost a third of workers in utilities were union members or covered by union contracts, more than double the proportion for all industries.
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