NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State
University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
January 29, 1998
Between 1991 and 1996, average wage per job in North Dakota rose 17.4 percent, from $17,859 to $20,960, according to the latest "Population Bulletin" released by the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University.
"This is exciting news in several respects," said Richard Rathge, director of the Data Center. "First, the average wage per job grew faster than inflation, which increased by 14.4 percent between 1991 and 1996. This means workers, on average, increased their buying power between 1991 and 1996. Second, the salary increases in the state reflected the typical raises that most Americans saw during this period. Unfortunately, our salaries lag significantly behind the national average, by approximately 26 percent."
During the same period, average wages per job in the United States increased 17.6 percent, from $24,216 to $28,483, while in Minnesota they rose 20.2 percent to $28,307, in Montana 14.6 percent to $20,852, and in South Dakota 19.6 percent to $20,348.
Mercer County had the highest average wage per job in North Dakota in 1996, $32,074. Oliver came second at $31,557 and Sargent County was third at $26,709.
North Dakota counties with the lowest average wage per job in 1996 were Slope with $12,600, Logan with $12,914, and Divide with $12,930.
The average wage per job in metropolitan areas of North Dakota—Bismarck, Fargo-Moorhead, Grand Forks—was $22,310. The average in nonmetropolitan areas: $19,497.
[EDITORS: TO LOCALIZE, SEE BLUE PUBLICATION FOLLOWING THIS STORY, "AVERAGE WAGE PER JOB IN NORTH DAKOTA, 1991-1996." THIS PUBLICATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE DATA CENTER, BOX 5636, NDSU, FARGO, ND 58105.]
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Source: Richard Rathge (701) 231-8621
Editor: Barry Brissman (701) 231-7866
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