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February 3, 2005 Average Wage Per Job Growth in North Dakota Largest in Nation The average wage per job in North Dakota rose to $27,393 in 2003, an increase of 4.6 percent from $26,186 in 2002. This was the largest percentage gain among all states. This month’s “Population Bulletin,” a monthly publication from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University, focuses on average wage data released from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (www.bea.doc.gov/). “The energy sector is driving the marked rise in wages in our state and accounts for more than half of the overall percentage gain in wages between 2002 and 2003,” says Richard Rathge, State Data Center director. “The sharp rise in fuel costs nationwide has boosted wage gains in many western North Dakota counties rich in natural resources, such as mining, gas and oil,” Rathge says. The average wage earned in North Dakota still lags behind most states and was 26.2 percent below the national average of $37,130 in 2003. Three other states had lower averages than North Dakota: Mississippi ($27,135), South Dakota ($26,899) and Montana ($26,869). Connecticut had the highest average wage per job in the nation in 2003 ($47,283), followed by New York ($46,559) and New Jersey ($45,596). Minnesota’s average was $37,826. Nationwide, wages rose 2.8 percent between 2002 and 2003, a rate slightly higher than the inflation rate of 2.3 percent. During the same period, Minnesota’s wages rose 3.2 percent, Montana’s wages rose 4 percent and South Dakota’s wages rose 3.7 percent. Statewide, all 53 North Dakota counties experienced an increase in average wages between 2002 and 2003. However, average wage increases in Oliver, Ransom, Walsh and Towner counties did not keep pace with inflation. ### Source:
Richard Rathge, (701) 231-7980, richard.rathge@ndsu.edu
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North Dakota State University |
