Study: Reno-area wages lag U.S.

Workers in the Reno-Sparks area earn 6 percent less than the national average, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said last week.

The federal researchers said the average worker in Reno earned $20.69 an hour in May 2012, which compares with a national average of $22.01.

On the other hand, the researchers found that average wages in healthcare occupations in the Reno area were about 11 percent above the national average

Legal occupations in the area earned the highest wages — an average of $48.80 an hour — followed by management occupations at $46.52.

The five common occupations in the region, the federal researchers said include:

Retail sales persons (7,270)

General office clerks (4,650)

Cashiers (4,560)

Laborers and freight handlers (4,470)

Food workers, including fast food (4,470)

(The full study, including extensive data on occupation-by-occupation wages in the Reno-Sparks area, is available at www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_39900.htm.)