Washington, D.C. (April 6, 2021) – the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) today publishes
Wages, Benefits, and Change: A Supplemental Report to the Annual U.S. Energy & Employment Report.
A key finding of the report is that the median hourly wage for all energy workers in the United States is $25.60 – 34 percent higher than the national median hourly wage for all workers in the U.S. economy, which is $19.14.
In general, energy sector employees across all energy technology sectors and nearly all energy industry segments earn higher hourly wages compared to the national median and other sectors of the economy. Furthermore, while the energy sector was impacted by COVID-19-induced job losses, it lost fewer jobs compared to the other sectors of the economy, such as Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation, Information and Communications, Retail, and Building and Design.
As a supplement to NASEO and EFI’s annual U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER), Wages, Benefits, and Change covers wages and benefits for various energy occupations across an array of energy sources and technologies, such as coal, oil, natural gas, energy efficiency, solar, and wind, as well as industry segments, such as mining, construction, manufacturing, utilities, wholesale trade, and professional services. The report also explores current and emerging impacts of changes in the energy sector, including the geographic distribution of energy employment, the demographic composition of the workforce, and impacts on wages, employment benefits, and accessibility. A special section, “Energy Jobs and Transition: Challenges and Opportunities,” spotlights examples where technology and economic trends impact energy jobs and often the communities that depend upon them to help inform policies.
Wages, Benefits, and Change and the Fact Sheet with key takeaways from the report are available for download at http://www.usenergyjobs.org/. A virtual public briefing will take place Tuesday, April 6th, 2021 from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM EDT. Register here: https://bit.ly/3cylnF3.
“Wages, Benefits, and Change sheds new light on the role of energy jobs in the U.S. economy,” said Ernest Moniz, former U.S. Secretary of Energy and founder of EFI. “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. 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.”
“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,” said David Terry, Executive Director of NASEO. “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.”
“Over the years, the USEER reports have tracked employment changes in the energy industry,” said Sarah Lehmann, Project Manager at BW Research Partnership and lead author of the report. “This latest report highlights how energy jobs also pay above-average wages and are more likely to include healthcare and retirement benefits for workers across the United States. We are excited to see these new data put to good use by policy and decisionmakers across the country.”
Wages, Benefits, and Change adds new data and analyses to the portfolio of annual U.S. Energy & Employment Reports (USEERs) and the 5-Year Energy & Employment Report (5-Year Report). The analyses presented in the Wage Report synthesize data from the 2020 USEER, the 5-Year Report, the 2018 and 2019 supplemental wage surveys, and research and analysis by BW Research Partnership on the impacts of COVID-19 on energy sector employment.
Webinar Recording
About the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)
The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) is the only national non-profit association for the governor-designated energy officials from each of the 56 states and territories. Formed by the states in 1986, NASEO facilitates peer learning among state energy officials, serves as a resource for and about state energy offices, and advocates for the interests of the state energy offices to Congress and federal agencies.
www.naseo.org.
About the Energy Futures Initiative
The Energy Futures Initiative advances technically-grounded solutions to the climate crisis through science-based analysis, thought leadership, and coalition-building. Under the leadership of Ernest J. Moniz, the 13th U.S. Secretary of Energy, EFI conducts rigorous research to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy through innovation in technology, policy, and business models. EFI maintains editorial independence from its public and private sponsors. EFI’s reports are available for download at www.energyfuturesinitiative.org.
About BW Research Partnership
BW Research is a full-service applied research firm and a national leader in economic and workforce impact research. BW Research has substantial experience developing customized research projects and a deep understanding of the energy sector and its employers, workforce, and supply chain dynamics. The firm has designed and conducted more than 500 studies for public, private, and not-for-profit organizations globally that have directly impacted federal, state, and local initiatives. For more information on BW Research or to view other reports and publications, please visit https://bwresearch.com/.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
David Ellis, ddellis@energyfuturesinitiative.org, (202) 688-0042
Natalie Volk, nmvolk@energyfuturesinitiative.org, (571) 730-9475
Jordan Gallagher, jgallagher@energyfuturesinitiative.org, (850) 544-0504
Phil Jordan, pjordan@bwresearch.com, (508) 384-2471
Sandy Fazeli, sfazeli@naseo.org, (703) 299-8800 x 117