Territory’s 2015 Average Hourly Wage Was $16.85; Average Annual Salary $35,050, Labor Reveals

ST. CROIX — The Department of Labor on Monday issued a press release revealing the 2015 average hourly wage in the territory as $16.85, while the average annual salary stood at $35,050.

At the percentile wage estimates (the value or boundary of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall), the annual average wage (50 percentile) was $27,750 and the average hourly wage $13.34. Occupations that marked the highest employment count in the survey were office and administrative with an annual average salary $27,050, sales related occupations $20,740, and food preparation at $19,960 respectively.

The results came through the 2015 Occupational Employment Statistics (O.E.S.), a program that produces employment and wage estimates for occupations in the Virgin Islands.

According to the release, occupational employment data are used to develop information regarding current and projected employment needs and job opportunities. This information is used in the production of State education and workforce development plans. These data enable the analysis of the occupational composition of different industries and the comparison of occupational composition across States and local areas, including analysis for economic development purposes.

O.E.S. employment estimates also are used as job placement aids by helping to identify industries that employ the skills gained by enrollees in career-technical training programs. In addition, O.E.S. survey data serve as primary inputs into occupational information systems designed for those who are exploring career opportunities or assisting others in career decision making, according the release.

Those employed as retail salesmen numbered at 1,900 and made an average annual salary of $21,570; those employed as general operations managers numbered around 1,790 and saw an average annual salary of $58,180; those employed as security guards numbered about 1,210 and made an annual salary of $23,000; waiter and waitress employees numbered around 1,010 and made an average of $27,030 annually; and cashiers, coming in at the bottom, numbered around 1,000 employees and saw an annual average of $18,910, according to D.O.L. numbers.

The release said the survey covered over 155 other occupations in detail, covering the hourly and annual average, as well as percentile ranging from starting salary 10% percentile, to senior or experienced at the 90% range. Details can be viewed here.