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Wage and Benefit Data 11
Table 2-1. (Continued).
Number of Respondents: 360 Number of States: 45
COMPENSATION - WAGES
Do you provide overtime pay for your employees?
No 52 18%
Yes 235 82%
Estimate the percentage of overtime wages to total wages. 6.2% Average
COMPENSATION - BENEFITS
Please tell us about the benefits your organization or agency offers for employees
Health Insurance - employee 247 88%
Health Insurance - family members 176 63%
Disability Insurance 147 52%
Life Insurance 204 73%
Retirement Plan 219 78%
Vacation 266 95%
Sick Leave 250 89%
Compensatory Time for Overtime Hours 136 48%
Educational Opportunities 115 41%
Wellness Program 75 27%
Total 281 100%
Are these benefits available for?
All employees 51 18%
Full-time employees only 181 65%
Part-time employees 46 17%
System and Service Types in Relation
to Compensation Levels
To understand how your system compares with the systems surveyed, it is important to under-
stand how similar your system is to other systems in the database of survey responses. The
research project explored whether any or all of the factors described above can be used to explain
differences in compensation both wage levels and benefits. These data are explored in the
following sections. More detail on the survey wage and benefit data, including ranges and stan-
dard deviations2 for salary levels, can be found in the appendixes:
· Appendix B disaggregated by service area descriptors
· Appendix C disaggregated by system size descriptors
· Appendix D disaggregated by organizational descriptors
· Appendix E disaggregated by transit service descriptors
· Appendix F disaggregated by selected employee characteristics
Detailed information was collected on benefits provided by the systems surveyed, including
which benefits are offered and which are subsidized by the transit operator. These detailed results
are included in the appendixes. However, to explore the relationship between benefits and
system/service characteristics, the research team assessed the overall level of benefits provided by
each respondent categorizing them as follows:
· Poor/fair (generally providing few if any benefits and no transit system subsidy);
· Moderate (generally providing some benefits, but few transit system subsidies); and
2
The standard deviation is a statistic that tells you how tightly all the various examples cluster around the mean
in a set of data. When the data are tightly bunched, the standard deviation is small. When the standard deviation
is relatively large, the data are spread apart. One standard deviation away from the mean in either direction (plus
or minus) accounts for somewhere around 68 percent of the data in a particular group. Two standard deviations
away from the mean account for roughly 95 percent of the data.
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12 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas
· Good/excellent (generally providing a wide range of benefits with the transit system partici-
pating in the cost).
This benefit rating scheme was used in the following analysis.
Service Area Proximity to Urban Areas in Relation to Compensation
The researchers postulated that there would be a clear link between how close a system is to
an urban area and wage and benefit levels. In fact, the research indicates that systems serving an
urbanized area as part of their primary service area have higher wages. Although benefit levels
are only slightly better at systems serving an urban area, small urban systems receiving S.5307
funds offer significantly better benefits than systems serving non-urbanized areas and receiving
S.5311 funds.
Wages
Wages are highly correlated with whether a transit system serves an urbanized area as part of
its core service area. As indicated in Table 2-2, transit systems serving urbanized areas consis-
tently pay higher salaries for most jobs. Another measure of the urban/rural nature of a system's
service area can be seen in the type of federal funding it receives. Table 2-3 includes wage rates
for systems receiving S.5311 (non-urban) versus S.5307 (small urban) funding. These data also
indicate that systems serving non-urbanized areas have lower wage rates than systems serving
small urban areas. These sets of data reflect the influence that urban area proximity has on wage
rates and the higher overall wage rates in urban areas (probably linked to higher cost of living
and greater competition for the labor pool). For those transit systems that do not serve an urban-
ized area regularly, the distance to the nearest urban area is not a major factor. For those systems
that do not have an urbanized area in their primary service area, there does not appear to be a
correlation between wage levels and distance to the nearest urban area.
Table 2-2. Survey wage data by rural-urban area served.
Service Area
No Urban Area Includes Urban
Job Category Served Area
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $42,121 $54,815
Administrative Assistant $25,468 $30,549
Transit Planner $27,892 $39,822
Finance Clerk $26,716 $32,743
Marketing Specialist $29,150 $39,374
Computer Operator $21,573 $43,199
Safety and Training Manager $30,260 $35,324
Rideshare Coordinator $31,962 $28,479
Trainer $26,072 $31,698
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support $9.83 $12.09
Operations Supervisor $15.26 $19.32
Street Supervisor $14.60 $16.91
Scheduler/Call taker $10.86 $11.96
Dispatcher $10.56 $12.55
Maintenance Manager $15.07 $20.48
Maintenance Clerk $11.45 $13.96
Mechanic $14.22 $16.85
Mechanic Assistant $10.21 $12.49
Utility Worker $10.05 $12.19
Driver - CDL $10.17 $12.05
Driver - Non-CDL $8.58 $9.46
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Wage and Benefit Data 13
Table 2-3. Survey wage data by federal funding source.
Federal Funding
S.5311 Non-Urban S.5307 Small Urban Both S.5311 and
Job Category Only Only S.5307
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $43,175 $58,242 $62,278
Administrative Assistant $25,848 $33,225 $35,256
Transit Planner $28,366 $45,020 $42,082
Finance Clerk $28,494 $33,405 $32,335
Marketing Specialist $29,057 $41,133 $40,383
Computer Operator $26,667 $39,980 $43,956
Safety and Training Manager $28,864 $36,438 $37,922
Rideshare Coordinator $27,207 $36,356 $19,452
Trainer $25,876 $33,249 $40,187
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support $9.91 $12.32 $11.72
Operations Supervisor $15.81 $20.28 $20.27
Street Supervisor $14.57 $18.13 $16.96
Scheduler/Call taker $10.65 $11.70 $12.01
Dispatcher $10.50 $14.68 $13.20
Maintenance Manager $16.67 $21.16 $18.66
Maintenance Clerk $10.32 $14.78 $15.31
Mechanic $14.69 $16.86 $17.14
Mechanic Assistant $10.26 $12.74 $11.37
Utility Worker $10.22 $12.29 $12.93
Driver - CDL $10.27 $13.35 $12.88
Driver - Non-CDL $8.65 $12.61 $10.81
Table 2-4. Overall benefit level by rural-
urban area served.
Urban/Rural
Service Area
No Urban Includes Urban
Benefit Level Area Served Area
Poor/Fair 29% 34%
Moderate 21% 15%
Good/Excellent 50% 51%
Benefits
Unlike wages, differences in the level of benefits provided to employees of transit systems that
operate in urban areas and those that do not serve an urban area are not significant (Table 2-4).
As shown in Table 2-5 however, benefit levels at transit systems funded under the S.5307 (small
urban) program are significantly higher than at transit systems funded under the S.5311 (non-
urban) program. This phenomenon probably is attributable to the fact that systems funded
Table 2-5. Overall benefit level by federal funding
source.
Federal Funding
S.5311 Non- S.5307 Small Both S.5311 and
Benefit Level Urban Only Urban Only S.5307
Poor/Fair 27% 25% 11%
Moderate 22% 5% 18%
Good/Excellent 51% 70% 71%
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14 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas
under S.5307 are more likely to be unionized and/or operated by governmental units, both
having better benefits.
Service Area Size in Relation to Compensation
Wages
Table 2-6 presents wage rates by service area characteristics. There seems to be an inverse corre-
lation between the size of the area served and wage rates--systems serving larger areas have lower
Table 2-6. Survey wage data by service area (Average 2006-2007).
Service Area
Single Municipal Multi-Town Single County Multi-County
Job Category Service Area Service Area Service Area Service Area
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $52,119 $49,305 $45,987 $48,537
Administrative Assistant $29,669 $29,943 $27,791 $27,631
Transit Planner $43,055 $25,981 $35,297 $41,331
Finance Clerk $29,858 $34,682 $29,269 $29,394
Marketing Specialist $37,400 $46,216 $32,480 $35,292
Computer Operator $50,000 $20,000 $38,221 $39,476
Safety and Training Manager $33,308 $34,439 $37,233 $32,636
Rideshare Coordinator $24,211 $45,548 $26,780 $24,579
Trainer $35,922 $29,120 $31,092 $26,381
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support $12.10 $12.23 $10.63 $10.60
Operations Supervisor $17.85 $20.73 $16.74 $17.24
Street Supervisor $17.74 $20.55 $15.39 $14.27
Scheduler/Call taker $13.18 $9.30 $11.91 $11.06
Dispatcher $13.01 $12.83 $11.12 $10.91
Maintenance Manager $20.44 $22.49 $17.62 $16.29
Maintenance Clerk $15.29 $16.15 $11.35 $11.64
Mechanic $16.54 $17.99 $15.84 $13.93
Mechanic Assistant $13.51 $10.55 $10.74 $11.36
Utility Worker $12.12 $12.19 $11.52 $9.39
Driver - CDL $12.02 $12.70 $10.65 $10.35
Driver - Non-CDL $9.79 $8.46 $8.86 $8.89
Table 2-7. Service area characteristics.
Service Area
Single Municipal Multi-Town Single County Multi-County
Urban/Rural Classification Service Area Service Area Service Area Service Area
No. % No. % No. % No. %
Urban/Rural
No Urban Area Served 27 36% 21 43% 73 54% 57 58%
Service Area includes
Urban Area 49 64% 28 57% 61 46% 41 42%
Federal Funding
Sources
S.5311 Non-Urban Only 36 55% 25 60% 99 88% 73 87%
S.5307 Small Urban Only 23 35% 14 33% 3 3% 3 4%
Both S.5311 and S.5307 7 11% 3 7% 10 9% 8 10%
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Wage and Benefit Data 15
wage rates. This is probably related more to the fact that systems serving single municipalities and
multi-towns tend to be small urban systems, influenced by the urban labor market, whereas county-
based systems tend to operate in more rural setting (Table 2-7). Among survey respondents, over
73% of the systems not serving an urban area are county-based. This pattern also can be seen when
looking at federal funding sources. For the survey respondents that receive only S.5311 funds, almost
74% serve counties, while only 26% serve towns/municipalities. For systems receiving S.5307 funds,
over 85% serve towns/municipalities, and only 15% are county-based.
Benefits
As with wages, transit systems serving counties or groups of counties provide lower overall
benefits to employees than transit systems serving smaller geographic areas (Table 2-8). Again,
this probably reflects the higher benefits provided by small urban operators, because small urban
providers service smaller geographical areas than do their rural counterparts.
Transit System Location in Relation to Compensation--Regional
Differences
One of the most important compensation obstacles you face as the manager of a transit sys-
tem is whether you can offer salaries/wages that are at or above "market rates" for your area. The
region of the country that you operate in has a significant effect on whether your wages are com-
petitive with other employers in your area. Although the market rates for transit employees will
be specific to your local community, comparison with national, regional, and state-specific data
is also informative.
Regional Differences in Wages
To explain regional and state differences in wages, in addition to the survey data, the research team
reviewed various national datasets on wages. These included an in-depth review of the BLS national
data on wage levels (by job, region, and sector) and the APTA data on driver and mechanic wages.
This subsection reports on national transit worker data from the BLS, data from APTA on oper-
ator and maintenance worker wages, and a comparison of wage rates by region from the survey data.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS maintains and provides access to a comprehensive
array of labor-related information. Information concerning industry-specific wages, earnings,
and benefits can be found through the BLS website (www.bls.gov).3 The research team attempted
Table 2-8. Overall benefit level by service area.
Service Area
Single Single Multi-
Municipal County County
Service Multi-Town Service Service
Benefit Level Area Service Area Area Area
Poor/Fair 33% 29% 33% 30%
Moderate 5% 12% 26% 19%
Good/Excellent 62% 59% 41% 51%
3
Information concerning industry-specific wages, earnings, and benefits can be found through the BLS website
by choosing "Bus Drivers, Transit, and Intercity." Once the major category has been chosen, an industry profile
is provided. The profile includes wage information for employment in the following bus industry segments: local
government, urban transit systems, charter bus industry, interurban and rural bus transportation, and other
ground transportation. Information on other job titles within the sub-industry can be accessed by choosing
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation, which then provides information on a number of non-driver posi-
tions that can be found in the rural bus industry. For the broader category of Bus Drivers, Transit, and Intercity,
a brief job description as well as national estimates for the occupation, an industry profile, state profiles, and met-
ropolitan profiles are included.
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16 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas
to compare wages at urban and rural organizations, but found that BLS data are only reported
by state and metropolitan areas. Thus, the data presented below compare wage rates for com-
mon transit jobs by state and BLS region.
Table 2-9 provides 2006 medium hourly salary rates for Intercity/Transit Drivers and
Mechanics by BLS region4 while Table 2-10 includes median wage rates for various transit-
related jobs for each state. These data are based on information collected through the BLS
National Compensation Survey, which produces information on wage rates by occupation for a
number of cities, regions, and nationally. Appendix G provides the BLS job definitions consid-
ered in this research and includes, by job category, a series of tables presenting the mean and
median wages by state.
Table 2-9. Median hourly salaries for drivers and mechanics by BLS region.
MEDIAN HOURLY WAGES ($) FOR MEDIAN SALARY ($) FOR BUS AND
INTERCITY AND TRANSIT DRIVERS TRUCK MECHANICS
Pacific* 16.87 Pacific 20.80
Middle Atlantic* 16.32 Middle Atlantic* 20.00
East North Central* 15.42 New England 18.66
New England 14.19 East North Central* 18.40
Mountain 12.67 Mountain 18.02
West South Central* 12.36 South Atlantic 17.89
South Atlantic* 12.20 West North Central* 17.09
West North Central* 11.67 West South Central* 15.71
East South Central 10.62 East South Central* 15.59
* No data from Delaware, Washington, D.C., Illinois, * PMSA and CMSA data not included
Louisiana, Missouri, or Oregon. Primary Metropolitan
Statistical Area (PMSA) and Consolidated Metropolitan
Statistical Area (CMSA) data not included.
The nine BLS Census divisions are made up by the following states:
New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Also includes the New York-Northern New
Jersey-Long Island CMSA (which consists of parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania)
and the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City PMSA (which consists of parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Delaware, and Maryland).
East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Also includes the Cincinnati-Hamilton
PMSA (which consists of parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana).
West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Also
includes the St. Louis MSA (which consists of parts of Missouri and Illinois) and the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA
(which includes parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin).
South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Virginia, and West Virginia.
East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Also includes the Louisville MSA (which
consists of parts of Kentucky and Indiana) and the Memphis MSA (which consists of parts of Tennessee,
Arkansas, and Mississippi).
West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, 2006.
4 BLS data are aggregated for nine BLS regions called Regional Census Divisions. Regional data include mean
hourly and weekly earnings, are published by job type and level, and are broken down by private industry and
state and local government.
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Wage and Benefit Data 17
Table 2-10. Median hourly wages for selected job categories.
First-Line
Intercity Bus and Truck First-Line Managers of
Dispatcher (not Supervisors/Managers of
and School Bus Mechanic (Diesel Office and
State Police, Fire, or Transportation and
Transit Drivers Engine Administrative Support
Ambulance) Material-Moving Machine
Drivers Specialists) Workers
and Vehicle Operators
Alabama 7.76 6.42 14.17 15.56 18.02 18.02
Alaska 13.98 14.22 18.82 23.57 21.64 21.64
Arizona 12.70 10.88 14.73 17.19 20.38 20.38
Arkansas 10.19 8.76 14.83 15.65 16.64 16.64
California 16.88 14.36 16.34 20.46 22.78 22.78
Colorado 14.10 13.47 15.90 19.49 21.71 21.71
Connecticut 12.92 12.89 16.41 21.13 22.97 22.97
Delaware na 12.27 15.09 20.20 22.14 22.14
D.C. na na 16.21 20.99 27.12 27.12
Florida 11.45 11.45 13.95 17.28 19.81 19.81
Georgia 13.46 7.05 15.93 18.25 19.80 19.80
Hawaii 16.31 14.41 14.37 20.59 19.97 19.97
Idaho 10.96 11.50 14.70 16.26 17.50 17.50
Illinois na 12.37 16.88 19.84 21.57 21.57
Indiana 12.52 12.53 15.23 17.45 19.56 19.56
Iowa 10.69 12.54 15.04 16.18 19.94 19.94
Kansas 10.57 10.84 15.06 16.47 18.08 18.08
Kentucky 15.04 12.67 14.67 15.74 17.77 17.77
Louisiana na 6.90 13.91 15.46 15.76 15.76
Maine 14.48 12.64 15.05 15.85 17.75 17.75
Maryland 16.50 12.72 15.57 20.3 21.93 21.93
Massachusetts 14.10 14.35 17.48 20.95 23.74 23.74
Michigan 14.06 14.69 16.94 19.24 21.54 21.54
Minnesota 15.43 13.77 17.69 18.94 21.17 21.17
Mississippi 8.71 6.68 12.83 14.43 18.17 18.17
Missouri na 11.46 14.28 17.53 20.82 20.82
Montana 12.16 11.81 13.82 16.11 16.68 16.68
Nebraska 12.31 11.63 15.77 18.75 19.48 19.48
Nevada 13.41 14.28 13.95 20.41 19.11 19.11
New Hampshire 15.16 11.79 15.42 18.88 20.54 20.54
New Jersey 14.86 13.07 17.91 21.13 23.43 23.43
New Mexico 11.73 9.28 14.46 15.97 17.31 17.31
New York 21.08 14.70 14.56 21.48 23.48 23.48
North Carolina 12.04 10.75 14.84 17.11 19.23 19.23
North Dakota 10.41 13.13 16.34 16.67 18.09 18.09
Ohio 18.43 13.22 15.82 17.38 20.13 20.13
Oklahoma 11.57 7.80 13.90 15.58 17.25 17.25
Oregon na 12.55 15.42 18.94 20.64 20.64
Pennsylvania 13.02 10.85 15.19 17.40 21.41 21.41
Rhode Island 15.49 12.57 14.26 20.02 21.98 21.98
South Carolina 8.79 8.08 14.12 15.66 18.58 18.58
South Dakota 10.60 11.22 12.28 15.11 18.83 18.83
Tennessee 10.98 7.27 15.76 16.64 18.51 18.51
Texas 15.33 9.49 15.06 16.14 20.07 20.07
Utah 14.83 13.43 15.27 18.86 18.21 18.21
Vermont 12.99 12.80 16.14 16.51 21.58 21.58
Virginia 12.52 11.57 15.21 17.61 22.26 22.26
Washington 19.66 15.46 18.28 20.46 23.59 23.59
West Virginia 10.64 10.14 12.75 13.61 16.32 16.32
Wisconsin 16.68 11.52 16.09 18.11 20.51 20.51
Wyoming 11.45 10.15 16.19 19.84 17.31 17.31
Source: BLS National Compensation Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2006.
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Table 2-11. APTA top hourly wage rate summary May 2007.
Bus Operators
Full-Time Rates
Population
Geographical Area 2 Million and over 500,000 to 1,999,999 250,000 to 499,999 100,000 to 249,999 50,000 to 99,999 Under 50,000 Average
Great Lakes 18.93 18.94 17.28 17.92 15.15 13.63 16.98
Middle Atlantic 21.70 19.07 16.67 17.51 15.71 12.95 17.27
New England 26.55 19.88 18.68 19.54 15.60 20.05
North Central 18.56 16.29 14.30 16.99 17.09 16.65
Pacific 21.40 23.54 19.51 19.92 19.77 17.75 20.32
Southeast 17.27 17.60 14.90 14.84 13.19 15.56
Southwest 17.63 16.29 14.22 14.72 18.05 16.18
Average 17.64 14.88 14.69 16.96 16.35 15.36 15.98
Part-Time Rates
Population
Geographical Area 2 Million and over 500,000 to 1,999,999 250,000 to 499,999 100,000 to 249,999 50,000 to 99,999 Under 50,000 Average
Great Lakes 20.81 16.59 15.94 14.25 13.14 13.63 15.73
Middle Atlantic 22.41 12.81 16.42 17.64 13.71 12.95 15.99
New England 26.55 11.07 18.36 20.08 19.02
North Central 19.44 12.71 12.26 17.82 13.57 15.16
Pacific 19.47 18.78 17.24 18.98 18.62
Southeast 12.09 14.90 14.93 8.70 12.00 8.00 11.77
Southwest 14.38 14.53 12.68 14.01 14.44 14.01
Average 16.53 15.45 15.47 15.13 14.22 12.04 14.81
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Table 2-11. (Continued).
Bus Maintenance Employees
Full-Time Rates
Population
Geographical Area 2 Million and over 500,000 to 1,999,999 250,000 to 499,999 100,000 to 249,999 50,000 to 99,999 Under 50,000 Average
Great Lakes 21.05 21.87 19.13 19.25 18.63 16.86 19.47
Middle Atlantic 25.08 19.82 18.12 18.48 17.28 29.40 21.36
New England 28.09 20.66 20.72 21.91 21.94 22.66
North Central 20.49 17.83 18.74 23.04 22.59 20.54
Pacific 25.87 26.36 22.92 25.10 23.83 21.80 24.31
Southeast 18.61 18.19 17.95 16.44 16.74 15.50 17.24
Southwest 21.47 19.38 17.67 19.50 21.65 19.93
Average 20.02 16.31 16.79 19.92 20.44 21.23 19.12
Southwest/ Non-
Great Lakes Middle Atlantic New England North Central Pacific Southeast Mountain Continental
Illinois Delaware Connecticut Iowa California Florida Arizona Alaska
Indiana Maryland Massachusetts Kansas Oregon Georgia Colorado Hawaii
Michigan New Jersey Maine Minnesota Washington North Carolina Idaho Puerto Rico
Ohio New York New Hampshire Missouri South Carolina Montana
Wisconsin Pennsylvania Rhode Island North Dakota Virginia New Mexico
Urban areas of Duluth- DC Vermont Nebraska Alabama Nevada
Superior, Minneapolis, Virginia suburbs South Dakota Arkansas Oklahoma
St. Louis and Kentucky of DC Kentucky Texas
suburbs of Cincinnati Louisianna Utah
Mississippi Wyoming
Tennesee
West Virginia
Source: American Public Transit Association (APTA), Top Hourly Wage Rate Summary: First Quarter 2007, May 2007.
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20 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas
APTA Wage Data. APTA collects information on the top hourly wages of the two labor cat-
egories representing the highest wages (drivers and maintenance workers). Table 2-11 summa-
rizes by region the top hourly wages (May 2007).
Survey Data on Wages by Region. Table 2-12 presents survey data on the wages by the same
regions used by the BLS. Similarly, Table 2-13 presents wage data from the survey presented by
APTA regions. As shown, while the Pacific region is the highest, the Middle Atlantic and New
England are also higher than other regions.
Benefits
Tables 2-14 and 2-15 present overall benefit levels from the survey disaggregated by BLS and
APTA regions. As shown, no pattern can be seen in benefit levels among the regions.
Cost-of-Living Comparison
One factor contributing to lower wage rates in rural and small urban areas is that the cost of
living in these areas is lower than in larger urban areas. Unfortunately, cost-of-living data among
labor markets are not readily available in any consistent and reliable form. Few data are available
on the relative cost of living in rural and urban areas; cost-of-living data are available only for
specific metropolitan areas (although some state comparisons do exist). Specific studies (gener-
ally confined to one state) have shown that the cost of living in rural areas can be 6% to 13%
lower than in urban areas. Generally, it will cost more to live in rural areas with resorts or sig-
nificant tourist activity.
Some online tools can be used to make cost-of-living comparisons among various urbanized
areas. www.salary.com allows users to choose a job category, a state, and a metropolitan area.
Once this information is entered, the minimum, mean, and maximum salaries are displayed,
along with benefits. This site is used primarily by jobseekers and employers. Cost-of-living cal-
culators provided by www.money.cnn.com and www.cityrating.com allow users to type in one
Table 2-12. Survey wage data by BLS region (Average 2006-2007).
Region
New Middle East North West North South East South West South
Job Category England Atlantic Central Central Atlantic Central Central Mountain Pacific
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $58,621 $69,698 $44,390 $36,684 $50,960 $52,185 $44,384 $48,572 $76,507
Administrative Assistant $29,638 $25,209 $26,644 $27,190 $29,354 $27,632 $26,981 $28,788 $36,978
Transit Planner $34,261 $48,950 $36,640 $26,500 $52,949 $46,350 $24,331 $22,708 $47,183
Finance Clerk $31,913 $34,875 $30,872 $26,838 $28,412 $29,073 $24,084 $27,747 $40,908
Marketing Specialist $28,300 $36,824 $45,326 $20,800 $46,871 $38,453 $31,990 NA $43,530
Computer Operator NA $31,490 NA NA $35,916 NA NA $48,500 $41,888
Safety and Training Manager $39,860 $44,485 $33,831 $36,811 $34,411 $24,403 $22,678 $41,513 $37,394
Rideshare Coordinator $29,120 $27,040 $55,736 $26,520 $29,120 $28,565 $19,452 $23,545 NA
Trainer NA $30,750 $27,040 $31,200 $31,977 NA $27,434 $35,402 $31,546
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support $11.89 $12.53 $10.72 $8.26 $11.05 $10.79 $10.52 $11.74 $13.49
Operations Supervisor $17.93 $22.92 $17.60 $15.27 $17.95 $16.26 $15.04 $19.19 $21.34
Street Supervisor $18.14 $14.75 $17.46 $13.85 $16.16 $16.36 $16.11 $17.24 $18.50
Scheduler/Call taker $11.40 $15.12 $10.06 $8.94 $11.52 NA $10.35 $13.04 $15.32
Dispatcher $12.80 $14.21 $10.54 $10.95 $12.16 $9.59 $10.32 $12.31 $14.10
Maintenance Manager $22.29 $22.61 $17.38 $13.74 $17.86 $17.71 $15.56 $21.43 $23.82
Maintenance Clerk $17.12 $9.99 $11.94 NA $16.33 $8.86 $11.04 NA $13.63
Mechanic $16.80 $17.48 $14.77 $15.55 $14.99 $13.71 $14.08 $17.72 $20.79
Mechanic Assistant $12.42 $11.15 $9.85 NA $13.42 $7.95 $10.98 $13.90 $13.49
Utility Worker $13.46 $10.69 $14.90 $11.83 $10.42 $11.34 $9.93 $12.24 $11.13
Driver - CDL $12.40 $13.51 $11.31 $9.75 $11.67 $9.58 $9.59 $11.93 $13.19
Driver - Non-CDL $9.72 $10.85 $8.62 $8.56 $9.18 $8.98 $8.29 $9.29 $13.27
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Wage and Benefit Data 21
Table 2-13. Survey wage data by APTA region (Average 2006-2007).
APTA Region
Middle Southwest/
Job Category New England Atlantic Great Lakes North Central Southeast Mountain Pacific
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $58,621 $67,450 $44,390 $36,684 $48,562 $46,683 $79,884
Administrative Assistant $29,638 $28,210 $26,644 $27,190 $28,043 $27,919 $38,288
Transit Planner $34,261 $48,950 $36,640 $26,500 $35,298 $28,573 $47,183
Finance Clerk $31,914 $33,030 $30,872 $26,838 $28,841 $23,495 $41,559
Marketing Specialist $28,300 $41,118 $45,326 $20,800 $35,543 NA $43,530
Computer Operator NA $31,490 NA NA $35,916 $48,500 $41,888
Safety and Training Manager $39,860 $44,485 $33,831 $36,811 $26,635 $33,725 $37,341
Rideshare Coordinator $29,120 $27,040 $55,736 $26,520 $28,842 $22,180 NA
Trainer NA $38,500 $27,040 $31,200 $21,181 $31,681 $31,546
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support $11.89 $13.16 $10.72 $8.26 $10.40 $11.16 $13.49
Operations Supervisor $17.93 $23.34 $17.60 $15.27 $16.05 $17.53 $21.34
Street Supervisor $18.14 $16.35 $17.46 $13.85 $15.73 $16.69 $18.50
Scheduler/Call taker $11.40 $14.18 $10.06 $8.94 $10.43 $12.47 $14.30
Dispatcher $12.80 $14.28 $10.57 $10.95 $11.62 $11.19 $14.11
Maintenance Manager $22.29 $22.72 $17.38 $13.74 $17.04 $17.96 $26.02
Maintenance Clerk $17.12 $15.57 $11.94 NA $12.36 $11.53 $13.63
Mechanic $16.80 $18.10 $14.77 $14.55 $14.21 $15.69 $20.79
Mechanic Assistant $12.42 $11.15 $9.85 NA $11.12 $12.82 $13.49
Utility Worker $13.46 $10.91 $14.90 $11.83 $10.15 $11.57 $11.13
Driver - CDL $12.40 $13.66 $11.31 $9.76 $10.78 $10.74 $13.10
Driver - Non-CDL $9.72 $11.82 $8.62 $8.56 $8.70 $9.02 $14.54
Table 2-14. Overall benefit level by BLS region.
BLS Region
East West East West
New Middle North North South South South
Benefit Level England Atlantic Central Central Atlantic Central Central Mountain Pacific
Poor/Fair 21% 14% 33% 29% 24% 30% 29% 51% 41%
Moderate 12% 22% 17% 25% 21% 10% 22% 2% 14%
Good/Excellent 67% 64% 50% 46% 55% 60% 49% 47% 45%
Table 2-15. Overall benefit level by APTA region.
APTA Region
New Middle Great North Southwest/
Benefit Level England Atlantic Lakes Central Southeast Mountain Pacific
Poor/Fair 21% 15% 33% 29% 30% 39% 45%
Moderate 12% 25% 17% 25% 18% 11% 10%
Good/Excellent 67% 60% 50% 46% 52% 50% 45%
salary amount and two different metropolitan areas. The CNN website also breaks down the cost
of groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, and healthcare.
System Size in Relation to Compensation
The size of a transit system appears to be linked to employee compensation. In general, the
larger the system, the higher the wage rate and overall benefit levels. Several measures of system
size were considered:
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22 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas
· Number of employees,
· Operating costs, and
· Number of vehicles.
The measure of system size that appears to be most highly correlated with wage rates is the
number of employees.
Wages
As shown in Table 2-16, organizations with more employees have higher wage rates. This
trend is also evident in Table 2-17 which presents wage data related to operating costs. That larger
systems have higher wage rates probably is explained by the facts that the larger systems tend to
have
· Fewer part-time staff,
· A higher percentage of vehicles requiring CDL drivers,
· An urban area in their service area,
· A transit authority,
· A union, and
· Few, if any, volunteers.
On the other hand, larger systems have higher turnover rates (although the relationship
between turnover rates and wages is not strong).
Benefits
As a mirror to wage trends, systems with more employees and higher operating costs provide
a higher level of employee benefits (see Table 2-18 and Table 2-19, respectively).
Table 2-16. Survey wage data by total employees (Average 2006-2007).
Total Employees
1-9 10-24 25-49 50-99 100+
Job Category Employees Employees Employees Employees Employees
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $34,067 $41,846 $53,373 $64,861 $74,179
Administrative Assistant $20,748 $25,608 $29,088 $31,154 $35,967
Transit Planner $17,769 $22,880 $38,072 $41,838 $50,723
Finance Clerk $24,514 $27,065 $29,880 $34,333 $32,401
Marketing Specialist NA $31,990 $35,520 $37,971 $38,628
Computer Operator NA $22,360 $34,440 $42,188 $43,042
Safety and Training Manager $17,069 $27,280 $31,822 $37,464 $40,363
Rideshare Coordinator $22,880 $19,452 $30,940 $34,026 $25,722
Trainer $29,120 $21,611 $32,160 $30,437 $34,975
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support $9.64 $9.31 $11.78 $11.95 $13.60
Operations Supervisor $13.17 $15.26 $17.80 $20.55 $22.52
Street Supervisor $19.64 $12.63 $16.52 $16.69 $16.69
Scheduler/Call taker $11.90 $9.56 $11.90 $12.12 $15.54
Dispatcher $9.76 $10.52 $12.29 $13.20 $13.58
Maintenance Manager $7.50 $14.01 $17.49 $22.09 $21.46
Maintenance Clerk $6.68 $14.99 $14.16 $14.77 $11.41
Mechanic $16.04 $15.01 $14.76 $17.08 $17.23
Mechanic Assistant $7.35 $11.30 $11.17 $11.70 $13.92
Utility Worker NA $10.44 $10.54 $12.79 $11.80
Driver - CDL $9.33 $10.33 $11.67 $12.79 $13.25
Driver - Non-CDL $8.44 $8.55 $9.47 $10.45 $10.33
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Table 2-17. Survey wage data by total operating costs (Average 2006-2007).
Operating Costs
Less than $50,000 to $100,000 to $250,000 to $500,000 to $750,000 to $1M to $1.25M to More than
Job Category $50,000 $100,000 $250,000 $500,000 $750,000 $1M $1.25M $1.5M $1.5M
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $27,919 $29,244 $36,097 $39,324 $44,662 $51,950 $50,814 $48,690 $65,998
Administrative Assistant $26,884 $21,840 $24,509 $23,834 $27,602 $26,534 $28,705 $23,737 $32,659
Transit Planner NA $17,531 $15,600 $23,920 $30,000 NA $55,000 NA $43,799
Finance Clerk $20,800 $18,720 $21,978 $27,089 $30,903 $33,291 $26,089 $29,693 $34,619
Marketing Specialist NA NA NA $22,880 $41,101 NA NA $17,040 $39,138
Computer Operator NA NA NA NA $22,360 $47,000 NA $20,000 $43,066
Safety and Training Manager NA $12,730 $17,680 $19,760 $26,000 $39,283 $27,040 $19,760 $37,835
Rideshare Coordinator NA NA $22,880 NA $26,520 NA NA NA $30,295
Trainer NA NA NA NA $21,611 $28,350 $27,040 $15,816 $33,682
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support NA $8.15 $9.33 $9.51 $8.61 $11.23 $10.21 $10.11 $12.54
Operations Supervisor NA $13.95 $14.07 $13.36 $16.10 $17.22 $15.89 $14.47 $21.04
Street Supervisor NA NA NA $19.64 NA $15.69 $13.15 NA $16.86
Scheduler/Call taker NA $8.38 $7.17 $11.00 $10.22 $13.03 $10.37 $10.12 $12.51
Dispatcher $7.12 $8.56 $9.45 $10.08 $11.18 $11.68 $11.50 $11.27 $14.06
Maintenance Manager NA $10.30 $7.50 $12.40 $11.16 $20.46 $17.39 $17.31 $20.83
Maintenance Clerk NA $6.68 NA NA NA $14.99 $7.05 NA $14.64
Mechanic NA $10.00 $12.13 $13.10 $16.31 $15.16 $14.98 $13.37 $16.68
Mechanic Assistant NA $7.35 $6.83 NA $10.98 $14.12 $9.37 $8.57 $12.45
Utility Worker NA $11.10 NA $9.41 $11.83 NA $8.24 $9.62 $12.28
Driver - CDL $9.28 $8.37 $9.25 $9.88 $10.80 $12.08 $10.53 $10.84 $13.07
Driver - Non-CDL $7.39 $8.18 $8.51 $9.14 $8.39 $9.43 $10.13 $8.84 $10.26
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24 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas
Table 2-18. Overall benefit level by total number of employees.
Total Employees
1-9 10-24 25-49 50-99 100+
Benefit Level Employees Employees Employees Employees Employees
Poor/Fair 29% 23% 15% 14% 12%
Moderate 25% 21% 16% 18% 13%
Good/Excellent 46% 56% 69% 68% 75%
Table 2-19. Overall benefit level by operating costs.
Operating Costs
$100,000 $250,000 $500,000 More
Less than $50,000 to to to to $750,000 $1M to $1.25M than
Benefit Level $50,000 $100,000 $250,000 $500,000 $750,000 to $1M $1.25M to $1.5M $1.5M
Poor/Fair 54% 29% 18% 24% 37% 27% 22% 6% 23%
Moderate 8% 25% 44% 26% 13% 8% 22% 27% 10%
Good/Excellent 38% 46% 38% 50% 50% 65% 56% 67% 67%
Transit Organization Type in Relation to Compensation
The type of organization and whether systems provide transportation directly or through a
contract is only somewhat significant when explaining compensation differences.
Wages
Table 2-20 presents wage data by the type of organization. Although there are no significant
differences in wage rates among the types of agencies, it appears that transit authorities and gov-
ernmental departments pay higher wages than private-nonprofit agencies. This may be because
transit systems operated by transit authorities and governmental units (particularly cities) oper-
ate in the small urban areas and tend to be larger systems.
Table 2-21 presents wage data disaggregated by those agencies that directly operate service and
those that use a contractor in addition to their own employees (wage data for services that are
only contracted out were collected through the contractor). It appears that the presence of a con-
tractor may influence wage rates (increasing them) but only slightly.
Benefits
As with wages, it appears that transit authorities and governmental departments have better
benefits than private-nonprofit agencies (Table 2-22). There are little or no differences in bene-
fits if the transit system contracts for part of its services (Table 2-23).
Transit Service Type in Relation to Compensation
Wages
Fixed-route services, or those systems that have a mix of fixed-route and paratransit, have
higher wage rates than systems that only operate demand-responsive or subscription services
(Table 2-24). These differences probably result from the fact that fixed-route operations tend to
be in small urban areas, are somewhat larger systems, are less likely to use volunteers, and are
more likely to have a union (see below).
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Table 2-20. Survey wage data by organizational type (Average 2006-2007).
Type of Organization*
Private Non-Profit Private Non-
Transit County City (Transportation Profit
Job Category Authority Department Department Only) (Multipurpose) Other
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $55,419 $46,584 $52,793 $46,567 $41,162 $55,967
Administrative Assistant $31,369 $29,667 $29,474 $28,978 $22,471 $30,540
Transit Planner $33,603 $36,682 $43,340 $44,240 $32,539 $37,594
Finance Clerk $34,236 $27,015 $36,345 $30,156 $25,593 $33,480
Marketing Specialist $40,116 $35,000 $42,808 $28,080 $27,006 $43,680
Computer Operator $38,689 $29,350 NA $47,000 $39,720 NA
Safety and Training Manager $37,456 $41,866 $33,866 $38,125 $24,448 $31,180
Rideshare Coordinator $25,204 NA $39,973 $28,253 $25,722 NA
Trainer $24,752 $27,000 $34,659 $34,975 $24,771 $32,760
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support $11.88 $12.56 $11.71 $11.40 $9.54 $10.54
Operations Supervisor $18.33 $18.81 $19.59 $16.70 $15.16 $17.64
Street Supervisor $15.76 $16.00 $18.35 $13.81 $16.75 $12.25
Scheduler/Call taker $11.94 $10.87 $12.77 $11.96 $10.51 $11.02
Dispatcher $11.94 $12.75 $12.93 $11.29 $9.48 $10.44
Maintenance Manager $20.21 $16.24 $22.23 $16.91 $16.17 $17.81
Maintenance Clerk $14.15 $16.18 $15.70 $8.94 $7.77 $15.89
Mechanic $15.75 $16.09 $17.12 $15.78 $13.45 $16.64
Mechanic Assistant $11.30 NA $13.27 $13.41 $7.62 $12.02
Utility Worker $10.73 $13.29 $12.80 $10.75 $9.66 NA
Driver - CDL $12.39 $11.77 $12.56 $10.54 $9.15 $9.61
Driver - Non-CDL $9.97 $9.19 $9.78 $9.64 $8.44 $8.94
* There were too few Private-for-Profit operators to report on accurately.
Table 2-21. Survey wage data by type of operation (Average 2006-2007).
Operation Type*
Combination Direct
Job Category Direct Operation Operation and Contract Brokerage
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $46,447 $54,544 $48,985
Administrative Assistant $27,862 $30,178 $26,740
Transit Planner $34,581 $40,413 NA
Finance Clerk $28,803 $33,923 NA
Marketing Specialist $36,039 $41,658 NA
Computer Operator $39,382 $37,202 NA
Safety and Training Manager $33,610 $32,107 NA
Rideshare Coordinator $29,875 $22,880 NA
Trainer $31,601 $29,440 NA
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support $10.84 $11.80 NA
Operations Supervisor $17.32 $18.95 $16.27
Street Supervisor $16.63 $15.43 NA
Scheduler/Call taker $10.94 $12.16 $8.75
Dispatcher $11.44 $12.17 $12.23
Maintenance Manager $18.28 $20.93 $16.25
Maintenance Clerk $13.37 NA NA
Mechanic $15.59 $17.02 $11.50
Mechanic Assistant $11.41 $12.90 NA
Utility Worker $11.60 $11.36 NA
Driver - CDL $11.06 $11.64 $10.98
Driver - Non-CDL $8.74 $9.56 $10.46
*Wages were not reported for systems that only contract for service.
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26 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas
Table 2-22. Overall benefit level by organization type.
Organization Type
Private Non-Profit Private
Transit County City (Transportation Non-Profit
Benefit Level Authority Department Department Only) (Multipurpose) Other
Poor/Fair 21% 23% 31% 28% 30% 7%
Moderate 10% 20% 4% 30% 28% 29%
Good/Excellent 69% 57% 65% 42% 42% 64%
Table 2-23. Overall benefit level by type
of operation.
Operation Type*
Combination Direct
Direct Operation and
Benefit Level Operation Contract Brokerage
Poor/Fair 21% 20% 40%
Moderate 19% 24% 40%
Good/Excellent 60% 56% 20%
*Wages were not reported for systems that only contract for service.
Table 2-24. Survey wage data by service types (Average 2006-2007).
Service Type
Fixed-Route / Deviated Paratransit / Fixed-Route / Paratransit /
Job Category Fixed-Route Subscription Subscription Mix
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $48,066 $40,393 $54,019
Administrative Assistant $26,758 $24,640 $30,425
Transit Planner $23,027 $29,584 $41,171
Finance Clerk $33,041 $25,009 $32,649
Marketing Specialist $40,000 $29,070 $39,080
Computer Operator $34,360 $38,909
Safety and Training Manager $26,690 $29,937 $34,618
Rideshare Coordinator $35,360 $22,951 $31,259
Trainer $31,200 $23,696 $33,668
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support $11.92 $9.63 $11.62
Operations Supervisor $19.52 $15.37 $18.61
Street Supervisor $18.04 $16.16 $16.08
Scheduler/Call taker $11.84 $10.53 $11.88
Dispatcher $13.51 $10.09 $12.37
Maintenance Manager $16.98 $15.40 $19.93
Maintenance Clerk $18.29 $7.05 $13.47
Mechanic $17.29 $14.44 $15.93
Mechanic Assistant $10.55 $8.80 $11.99
Utility Worker $11.86 $10.82 $11.64
Driver - CDL $11.70 $9.51 $11.94
Driver - Non-CDL $9.07 $8.49 $9.51
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Wage and Benefit Data 27
Table 2-25. Overall benefit level by service type.
Service Type
Fixed-Route/ Fixed-
Deviated Fixed- Paratransit / Route/Paratransit/
Benefit Level Route Subscription Subscription Mix
Poor/Fair 29% 31% 27%
Moderate 12% 25% 15%
Good/Excellent 59% 44% 58%
Benefits
Transit systems that operate fixed-route services or those systems that have a mix of fixed-
route and paratransit have better overall benefits than systems that only operate demand-
responsive or subscription services (Table 2-25).
Employee Characteristics in Relation to Compensation
Wages
The data indicate that systems with more part-time drivers have lower compensation rates
(wages and benefits). Further, systems that do not use volunteers (Table 2-26) and systems with
unions (Table 2-27) have higher wages. Again, this is probably linked to the higher use of part-
time employees and fewer unions in rural areas.
According to the survey data, systems with staff shortages (primarily drivers) do not pay
higher wages (Table 2-28), nor does there appear to be any consistent explanation for why driver
shortages occur (e.g., even unemployment rates do not explain shortages). The only indicator
Table 2-26. Survey wage data by volunteer use (Average
2006-2007).
Use Volunteers
Job Category Yes w/Paid Staff No Volunteers
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $45,904 $48,789
Administrative Assistant $26,833 $28,592
Transit Planner $40,975 $35,274
Finance Clerk $27,097 $30,625
Marketing Specialist $24,400 $39,626
Computer Operator $43,490 $37,248
Safety and Training Manager $26,229 $34,832
Rideshare Coordinator $24,700 $30,295
Trainer $38,750 $30,290
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support $10.50 $11.32
Operations Supervisor $17.43 $17.73
Street Supervisor $18.63 $16.41
Scheduler/Call taker $11.96 $11.63
Dispatcher $10.27 $11.82
Maintenance Manager $18.70 $18.65
Maintenance Clerk $6.68 $13.79
Mechanic $14.88 $16.02
Mechanic Assistant $12.20 $11.68
Utility Worker $11.10 $11.65
Driver - CDL $10.05 $11.39
Driver - Non-CDL $9.21 $8.91
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28 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas
Table 2-27. Survey wage data by labor union
(Average 2006-2007).
Labor Union
No Yes
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $44,805 $62,673
Administrative Assistant $26,865 $32,078
Transit Planner $34,703 $39,409
Finance Clerk $28,294 $34,683
Marketing Specialist $31,046 $41,713
Computer Operator $34,720 $40,389
Safety and Training Manager $28,301 $42,232
Rideshare Coordinator $26,396 $35,662
Trainer $27,592 $35,740
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support $10.06 $13.26
Operations Supervisor $16.31 $21.20
Street Supervisor $15.17 $17.96
Scheduler/Call taker $10.78 $14.34
Dispatcher $10.78 $14.42
Maintenance Manager $16.22 $23.72
Maintenance Clerk $11.63 $14.32
Mechanic $14.62 $17.48
Mechanic Assistant $10.72 $13.48
Utility Worker $10.66 $12.34
Driver - CDL $10.29 $13.73
Driver - Non-CDL $8.71 $11.92
Table 2-28. Survey wage data by staff shortage (Average 2006-2007).
Staff Shortage
Driver Shortage Short Drivers Other Staff
Job Category No Shortage Only Plus Other Staff Shortage Only
Administration (Annual)
Transit Director $48,640 $48,468 $44,379 $50,254
Administrative Assistant $29,592 $26,116 $26,098 $31,103
Transit Planner $36,327 $35,504 $37,876 $45,685
Finance Clerk $29,285 $31,539 $23,727 $30,160
Marketing Specialist $38,596 $37,111 NA $22,880
Computer Operator $34,142 $40,310 $50,000 NA
Safety and Training Manager $32,571 $37,494 $32,750 NA
Rideshare Coordinator $27,554 $31,609 NA NA
Trainer $30,150 $29,778 $37,317 NA
Operations (Hourly)
Administrative Support $11.32 $11.11 $10.31 $11.61
Operations Supervisor $17.38 $17.97 $17.00 $22.04
Street Supervisor $14.54 $19.18 $14.46 $20.84
Scheduler/Call taker $11.65 $11.44 $11.82 $13.46
Dispatcher $12.09 $11.13 $10.66 $12.28
Maintenance Manager $17.79 $19.51 $25.81 $20.31
Maintenance Clerk $12.98 $13.85 NA $16.18
Mechanic $15.76 $16.69 $14.06 $14.94
Mechanic Assistant $11.23 $12.23 $13.14 $12.45
Utility Worker $10.91 $12.45 $11.40 $16.95
Driver - CDL $11.29 $11.09 $10.21 $12.20
Driver - Non-CDL $8.96 $8.87 $9.15 $11.06
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Wage and Benefit Data 29
that may explain shortages is whether the system wages are at or above the "going market" lev-
els for the area (expressed as an opinion by survey respondents).
Respondents that have staff shortages (Table 2-29) are more likely to have the opinion that
their wage rates are below the market rate for their area. As will be discussed in Section 4, most
systems with driver shortages attribute this situation to low pay and/or benefits.
Benefits
The benefits at transit systems with unions are far better than at systems without unions (Table
2-30). The data also indicate that systems that do not use volunteers (Table 2-31) and systems
with a lower percentage of part-time staff offer better benefits. Systems with staff shortages (pri-
marily drivers) do not have significantly poorer benefits (Table 2-32).
Table 2-29. Wage levels and
staff shortages.
Staff Shortages
No Driver
Wage Levels Shortages Shortages
Above Market 15% 12%
About Market 57% 52%
Below Market 28% 37%
Table 2-30. Overall benefit level by labor
union.
Labor Union
Benefit Level No Yes
Poor/Fair 21% 13%
Moderate 25% 5%
Good/Excellent 55% 82%
Table 2-31. Overall benefit level by volunteer
use.
Use Volunteers
Benefit Level Yes w/Paid Staff No Volunteers
Poor/Fair 24% 19%
Moderate 24% 20%
Good/Excellent 52% 61%
Table 2-32. Overall benefit level by staff shortage.
Staff Shortage
Short Drivers
No Driver Plus Other Other Staff
Benefit Level Shortage Shortage Only Staff Shortage Only
Poor/Fair 14% 12% 8% 29%
Moderate 23% 20% 23% 43%
Good/Excellent 63% 68% 69% 29%
