CRANSTON – The average annual wage in Rhode Island was $44,651 in 2010, a 2.8 percent increase from a year earlier, according to the R.I. Department of Labor and Training.
The Rhode Island wage was $2,091 lower than the national average of $46,742, which increased 2.6 percent from 2009.
“In most incidences, educational attainment correlated with earning power,” the DLT said Tuesday, noting that 21 percent of Rhode Island workers held bachelor’s degrees in both public and private industries.
Those with the highest percentage of workers with four-year degrees were in the educational service sector, 62 percent; professional and technical services, 50 percent; and “management of companies,” 45 percent. In contrast, only 4.3 percent of retail trade workers held four-year degrees, 2.7 percent of transportation and warehousing workers, and 0.7 percent of accommodation and food services workers.
The DLT also analyzed private and public sector wages. In 2010, private sector wages averaged $42,530 while the public sector wage was $58,283, increasing 2.9 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.
Local government employees saw the greatest percentage increase in 2010; their average annual wage increased 2.7 percent to $53,001 while federal government employees increased 2.2 percent to $73,950. Meanwhile, state government employees saw their average annual wage decline 0.2 percent to $59,004.
The “management of companies” sector reported both the largest annual increase on a percentage basis, up 9.5 percent, and the highest annual wages, $101,240. The finance and insurance sector had the second-largest increase on a percentage basis, up 8.1 percent to $73,450.
Only two sectors saw wage declines in 2010; construction and agriculture fell 1.3 percent and fishing and hunting dropped 0.7 percent.
High-wage industries included: utilities, $83,249; finance and insurance, $73,450; professional and technical services, $63,861; wholesale trade, $63,199; and information, $61,341.
On the other hand, the lowest annual wages were reported in retail trade, $27,059; other services, $26,602; agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, $24,916; arts, entertainment and recreation, $23,744; and accommodation and food services, $16,239.
Well, will you look at that. Looks like those college educated elitest are on top again. Gosh, I wonder if any clever high school only educated locals (at whatever level they left high school) get the gist of the story and why they are being left behind? (21% college education attainment is a joke!) Oh wait, the General Assembly and the unions did it in a conspiracy partnered with elitest colleges. Silly me. I almost forgot.