The best-paying jobs in Honolulu last year relative to mainland wages were in construction, transportation, health care and installation and maintenance, according to a report released Tuesday.
Those occupations were among nine in which Honolulu ranked "significantly higher" than the national average, according to the report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Honolulu’s average wage of $22.24 for all 22 major occupational groups measured was 1 percent higher than the national average of $22.01 an hour.
The biggest advantage for Honolulu workers was in the construction industry, where the average wage of $30.27 an hour was 40 percent higher than the national average of $21.61 an hour. The $19.24 an hour paid to workers involved in transportation and material moving was 19 percent higher than the national average of $16.15 an hour, according to the report.
The study did not make adjustments for cost of living. The expense of living in Honolulu puts residents at a relative disadvantage financially to many mainland cities where it is cheaper to live.
The average pay for health care practitioners, a broad grouping that includes physicians, nurses, dentists, therapists and paramedics, was $40.96 an hour, 16 percent above the national average of $35.35 an hour. Those employed in installation, maintenance and repair were paid an average of $24.46 an hour, 16 percent above the national average of $21.09 an hour.
Honolulu was at the biggest disadvantage in management jobs, where the average wage of $43.06 an hour was 18 percent below the national average of $53.20 an hour. The next-biggest disparity was in a category that includes jobs in arts, design, entertainment, sports and media, where the average wage of $22.64 cents an hour was 14 percent below the national average of $26.20 an hour.
Other occupational categories for which the Honolulu wage was significantly below the national average included computer and mathematical, sales, protective services and legal.
Honolulu’s largest occupational group was food preparation and serving, where 48,350 workers accounted for 11.2 percent of the total workforce. That group made up 8.9 percent of the workforce nationally.
The report was based on a survey conducted in May 2012.
