THE OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS
  WAGE SURVEY

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The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, in conjunction with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), conducts the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Wage Survey on a semi-annual basis, mailing OES survey forms to employers throughout the state. 
Employers receiving the survey are strongly encouraged to participate since the quality and the level of detail that can be provided from this survey depends on the cooperation received from the employer community. Wage data are published for specific areas and/or industries only if there are enough responses to ensure both the reliability of the data and the confidentiality of the respondents.
The wage data provided here are possible due to thousands of New Jersey employers who participated in the OES Wage Survey. The wage and employment data collected in the OES Wage Survey provide valuable input for wage comparisons and for identifying trends in emerging or declining occupations -- precisely the kind of information needed by employers. Wage comparisons between areas are useful for new companies in selecting a location or for established companies looking to relocate. In addition, people often consult these data when choosing or changing careers, entering the job market, or relocating to another area. Likewise, career counselors use this information when advising people on occupational choices.
Occupational wage data is included for New Jersey and each of the state’s ten metropolitan areas and is estimated from data collected during six surveys: the May 2006, November 2005, May 2005, November 2004, May 2004, and November 2003 surveys. Each November survey collects data from November of that year through June of the following year. Each May survey collects data from May through December (see the Footnotes and Technical Notes menu buttons on the Wage Data tables for a more complete explanation). 
This August, 2007 release of the OES survey estimates publishes area estimates using the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) configurations based on the 2000 Census. This MSA configuration, first published with the release of the May 2005 survey data in July of 2006, provides data for ten substate areas within New Jersey. Prior to the May 2005 survey data, the OES estimates were published for the nine substate areas based on the 1999 MSA configurations. Many of these "new" MSA configurations are "cross-state" areas comprised of counties from two or more states. In those instances, the data presented here is representative of only the New Jersey portion of the MSA. For example, the entire "Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area" is comprised of Warren County, NJ and three Pennsylvania counties. The data for the "Warren County Area" that is available on this site covers only the New Jersey portion of that MSA. For more information on Metroploitan Statistical Areas visit the U.S. Census Bureau website.
The OES survey is conducted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in conjunction with the BLS and the U.S. Employment and Training Administration (ETA).  Prior to 1996, the OES survey collected employment data by occupation but not wage data. This addition has resulted in occupational wage data of greater quality and consistency than ever before available. 
The stringent requirements of the OES survey, in terms of a statistically valid sample and methodology, combined with consistent survey forms and definitions, has resulted in quality wage data for hundreds of occupations that are truly comparable across all states and metropolitan areas. This is in direct contrast to previously available occupational wage data which existed for only a limited number of occupations and originated from a variety of different surveys, each collected over differing time periods using different questionnaires, methodologies, occupational titles and definitions.
The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Wage Survey Form