The PayScale Index (US): Trends in Compensation

2012: After increasing very little in 2011, wages for administrative and clerical workers grew a full percent in Q1 2012. This jump allowed them to beat their Q4 2008 peak wage levels by 0.8 percent.

2007-2011: These key support roles missed the boom in wages that many other jobs enjoyed in 2007, trending up more slowly than the national average. However, they participated fully in the downturn, with flat wage growth in 2008 and then a drop in 2009. From the second half of 2009 through 2010, wages for these jobs basically did not change, as small increases in one quarter were generally given back in the next. Wages for administrative and clerical workers then collected three consecutive quarters of increases in 2011, bringing them within half a percent of their previous, Q4 2008 peak levels and enjoying a modest half percent increase year-over-year by Q4 2011.

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Administrative and clerical (SOC Codes 11-3010.00 Administrative Services Managers; 43-000.00 Office and Administrative Support Occupations) jobs make sure that the administration of businesses runs smoothly. This group of jobs includes receptionists and couriers, who deal with information flow, as well as administrative assistants and clerks of all types, who make sure information is recorded correctly and schedules are kept. These jobs are found in nearly all industries.

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) system is used by Federal statistical agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The PayScale Index tracks quarterly changes in total cash compensation for full-time, private industry employees in the United States. In addition to a national index, it includes separate indices for specific industries, metropolitan areas, job categories, and company sizes. The PayScale Index uses 2006 average total cash compensation as a baseline.

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