NASEO-EFI: Energy workers’ hourly wages about 34 percent higher than median national average

Building on annual United States Energy and Employment Reports and the five-Year Energy and Employment Report, the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) released a new report this week showcasing massive median wage gains for energy workers over the national average.

Currently, the Wages, Benefits, and Change report found, the median hourly wage for U.S. energy workers is $25.60, more than $6 higher/hour than the national median of $19.14. Few pay below that median, at a time when the energy sectors are experiencing massive growth. By the end of 2019, the industry at large employed more than 8.27 million workers, representing 5.4 percent of all U.S. jobs. Between 2015 and 2019, that industry accounted for almost 11 percent of all employment growth in the United States, with the addition of 915,000 new jobs.

“Overall, the energy jobs sector grows faster, pays higher wages and benefits, and has been more resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ernest Moniz, former U.S. Secretary of Energy and founder of EFI, said. “As the U.S. continues its transition to a low carbon economy, this report together with the rest of the growing portfolio of the U.S. Energy and Employment Reports can inform policies to ensure a just transition for all workers.”

While the energy sector was hit by COVID-19, much like every other segment of the economy, the report noted that it lost fewer jobs comparatively. Another trend analyzed by the report was the nature of U.S. energy production, confirming that the nation has continued to trend away from coal over the last 20 years. In terms of employment changes, the coal industry declined by 18 percent, whereas employment by the petroleum and natural gas fuels industries grew almost 9 percent, and solar and wind power generation employment increased by 22 percent over that period.

“Wages, Benefits, and Change is important because it spotlights the experience of workers, from the wages and benefits they earn to the economic, policy, and technology transitions that affect how energy is produced, distributed, and consumed across the country,” David Terry, Executive director of NASEO, said. “I am eager to see NASEO’s 56 State and Territory Energy Office members put these data to good use in their work developing policies and investments to benefit the economy and environment.”