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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Section 2 - Wage and Benefit Data." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14163.
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Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

This section presents specific compensation data collected in the survey research and selected supporting industry data on regional differences. This section also includes an analysis of the compensation data in relation to various system, service, and service area characteristics. Survey Data As described in Section 1, the research team collected compensation data from 360 rural and small urban transit systems across the country. Data were collected on wage levels by job cate- gory. Data also were collected on which benefits are offered, which types of employees are offered the benefits, and whether or not the offered benefits are subsidized by the employer. The TCRP project panel decided not to collect information on the cost of providing employee benefits because of how difficult it would be for respondents to report this information. Further, it was decided that we did not need to collect information on legally required benefits (e.g., payroll taxes such as FICA/Medicare), only on optional benefits. The data were used to establish peer groups that will allow you to compare compensation levels at your system with groups of peers (see Section 3). Peer groups were developed by con- sidering how certain variables appear to affect compensation levels, namely • Transit organizational characteristics; • Transit service characteristics; • Service area characteristics (i.e., region of the country and proximity to urban areas); and • Employee characteristics. Detailed analysis of the survey data is presented below. Table 2-1 summarizes the descriptive data collected on the transit agencies, including • Service Area Characteristics – Urban-rural (e.g., urbanized area in service area and proximity to nearest urban area); – Service area size (i.e., single municipality, multi-town, single county, multi-county, or Indian tribal reservation); – APTA and BLS regions; and – Unemployment rate. • Transit Organizational Characteristics – Organization type (i.e., transit authority, county or city government, and private non- profit); and – Public transit service delivery method (i.e., direct operation, contract, combination, and brokerage). 8 S E C T I O N 2 Wage and Benefit Data

Wage and Benefit Data 9 Number of Respondents: 360 Number of States: 45 SERVICE AREA CHARACTERISTICS Which term best describes the public transit service area? Single municipal service area 76 21% Multi-town service area 49 14% Single county service area 134 37% Multi-county service area 98 27% Indian tribal reservation service area 3 Is there an urbanized area within your primary service area? No 179 50% Yes 181 50% If No, estimate how close is the nearest urbanized area to where the majority of your employees are based? 5 - 20 miles 20 13% 21 - 50 miles 69 45% 51 - 100 miles 43 28% > 100 miles 20 13% 1% ORGANIZATIONAL/AGENCY CHARACTERISTICS Which of the following best describes your organization/agency? Transit Authority 50 15% Department of City or County government 122 37% Private nonprofit agency - transportation only 46 14% Private nonprofit agency - multi-purpose 82 25% All other responses 30 9% Table 2-1. Summary of survey responses. (continued on next page) • Transit Service Characteristics – Type of transit services (e.g., fixed-route/deviated fixed-route, paratransit, and subscription); – Number of revenue passenger vehicles; – Percentage of vehicles requiring a CDL; and – Number of annual one-way passenger trips. • Funding Characteristics – Annual operating budget, – Federal grant funding sources, and – Local funding sources. • Staff Characteristics – Number of employees (full-time, part-time, volunteers); – Percentage of staff who are part-time; – Use of volunteers; – Employee turnover; – Staff shortage; and – Union. • Wages and Benefits – Overtime wages (whether provided, at what rate, percentage of overtime wages to total wages); – Benefits offered to employees; – Benefits transit system contributes to; – Which employees receive benefits; and – Comparability of wages and benefits with those of local labor market. Compensation data (wages and benefits) were analyzed to explore which of the system and service characteristics explain differences in wages or benefits among the systems.

10 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas STAFF CHARACTERISTICS Number of systems with Full-Time Employees 280 92% Part-Time Employees 277 91% Volunteers 46 15% Percentage of Staff that are Part-Time (301 respondents) 44% Average Number of Systems that Use Volunteers (all in conjunction with paid employees) 46 15% Number of Employees 0 Employees 57 16% 1-9 Employees 69 19% 10-24 Employees 106 29% 25-49 Employees 68 19% 50+ Employees 60 17% What is the employee turnover rate? (283 respondents) 11% Average Does your organization/agency currently have a shortage of staff? No 163 57% Yes 121 43% Number of Respondents: 360 Number of States: 45 What term best describes the method of public transit service delivery utilized by your organization/agency? Direct operation ONLY 245 72% Contract operation ONLY 25 7% Combination 65 19% Brokerage 6 2% TRANSIT SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS What type(s) of public transit services are provided by your agency or organization? Fixed-route/deviated fixed-route only 51 15% Paratransit/dial-a-ride/subscription only 131 38% Fixed-route/paratransit/subscription mix 163 47% Number of Revenue Passenger Service Vehicles (321 respondents) 24 Average Percentage of Vehicles Requiring a CDL (321 respondents) 55% Average Number of Annual One-Way Transit Passenger Trips (269 respondents) 264,600 Average FUNDING CHARACTERISTICS What was your agency/organization's annual operating budget for public transportation in the most recent fiscal year? Less than $100,000 52 16% $100,001-$500,000 88 27% $500,001-$1,000,000 56 17% $1,000,000-$1,500,000 38 12% Greater than $1,500,000 88 27% Which Federal grant funding does your organization or agency receive? Section 5311 (rural public program) Only 235 73% Section 5307 (small urban program) Only 43 13% Sections 5307 and S.5311 28 9% All other answers 17 5% What local funding sources do you use to support public transportation? Local general funds 211 69% Specific local source 65 21% Contract revenue - Public or Nonprofit Agency 162 53% Contract revenue - Private Agency 55 18% Other (please specify) 99 32% If shortages, which positions (121 respondents) Drivers Only 101 83% Drivers Plus other Staff 13 11% Other Staff Only 7 6% Table 2-1. (Continued).

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 Wage and Benefit Data 11 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% Table 2-1. (Continued). 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.

• 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. 12 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas Job Category No Urban Area Served Service Area Includes Urban 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 Table 2-2. Survey wage data by rural-urban area served.

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 Wage and Benefit Data 13 Table 2-3. Survey wage data by federal funding source. Table 2-4. Overall benefit level by rural- urban area served. Job Category S.5311 Non-Urban Onl y S.5307 Small Urban Only Both S.5311 and S.5307 Administration (Annual) Transit Director $43,175 $58,242 $62,278 Administrative Assistan t $25,848 $33,225 $35,256 Transit Planner $28,366 $45,020 $42,082 Finance Clerk $28,494 $33,405 $32,335 Marketing Specialis t $29,057 $41,133 $40,383 Computer Operator $26,667 $39,980 $43,956 Safety and Training Manage r $28,864 $36,438 $37,922 Rideshare Coordinator $27,207 $36,356 $19,452 Trainer $25,876 $33,249 $40,187 Operations (Hourly) Administrative Suppor t $9.91 $12.32 $11.72 Operations Supervisor $15.81 $20.28 $20.27 Street Supervisor $14.57 $18.13 $16.96 Scheduler/Call take r $10.65 $11.70 $12.01 Dispatche r $10.50 $14.68 $13.20 Maintenance Manage r $16.67 $21.16 $18.66 Maintenance Cler k $10.32 $14.78 $15.31 Mechanic $14.69 $16.86 $17.14 Mechanic Assistan t $10.26 $12.74 $11.37 Utility Worke r $10.22 $12.29 $12.93 Driver - CDL $10.27 $13.35 $12.88 Driver - Non-CDL $8.65 $12.61 $10.81 Federal Funding Service Area No Urban Includes Urban Benefit Level Area Served Area Poor/Fair 29% 34% Moderate 21% 15% Good/Excellent 50% 51% Urban/Rural Table 2-5. Overall benefit level by federal funding source. Benefit Level S.5311 Non- Urban Only S.5307 Small Urban Only Both S.5311 and S.5307 Poor/Fair 27% 25% 11% Moderate 22% 5% 18% Good/Excellent 51% 70% 71% Federal Funding

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 14 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas Job Category Single Municipal Service Area Multi-Town Service Area Single County Service Area Multi-County 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 Service Area Urban/Rural Classification No. % Urban/Rural No Urban Area Served 57 58% Service Area includes Urban Area 41 42% Federal Funding Sources S.5311 Non-Urban Only 73 87% S.5307 Small Urban Only 3 8 4% Both S.5311 and S.5307 10% No. % 73 54% 61 46% 99 88% 3 10 3% 9% No. % 21 43% 28 57% 25 60% 14 3 33% 7% No. % 27 36% 49 64% 36 55% 23 7 35% 11% Service Area Multi-County Service Area Single County Service Area Multi-Town Service Area Single Municipal Service Area Table 2-6. Survey wage data by service area (Average 2006-2007). Table 2-7. Service area characteristics.

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 Wage and Benefit Data 15 Benefit Level Single Municipal Service Area Poor/Fair Moderate Good/Excellent 33% 5% 62% Multi-Town Service Area 29% 12% 59% Single County Service Area 33% 26% 41% Multi- County Service Area 30% 19% 51% Service Area Table 2-8. Overall benefit level by service area. 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.

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. 16 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas 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, Louisiana, Missouri, or Oregon. Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) and Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) data not included. MEDIAN HOURLY WAGES ($) FOR INTERCITY AND TRANSIT DRIVERS MEDIAN SALARY ($) FOR BUS AND TRUCK MECHANICS * PMSA and 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. Table 2-9. Median hourly salaries for drivers and mechanics by BLS region. 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.

Wage and Benefit Data 17 State Intercity and Transit Drivers School Bus Drivers Dispatcher (not Police, Fire, or Ambulance) Bus and Truck Mechanic (Diesel Engine Specialists) First-Line Managers of Office and Administrative Support Workers First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Transportation and Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators Alabam a 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 Geor g ia 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 Iow a 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 Kentuck y 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 Ma r y lan d 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 Michi g an 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 Mississi pp i 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 Oklahom a 11.57 7.80 13.90 15.58 17.25 17.25 Or e g on na 12.55 15.42 18.94 20.64 20.64 Penns y lvania 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 Vi r g inia 12.52 11.57 15.21 17.61 22.26 22.26 Washin g ton 19.66 15.46 18.28 20.46 23.59 23.59 West Vi r g inia 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 W y omin g 11 . 45 10 . 15 16 . 19 19 . 84 17 . 31 17 . 31 Source: BLS National Compensation Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2006. Table 2-10. Median hourly wages for selected job categories.

Bus Operators Full-Time Rates 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 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 Population Population Table 2-11. APTA top hourly wage rate summary – May 2007.

Bus Maintenance Employees Full-Time Rates 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 N ew Englan d 28.09 20.66 20.72 21.91 21.94 22.66 N orth 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 Southwes t 21.47 19.38 17.67 19.50 21.65 19.93 A verag e 20.02 16.31 16.79 19.92 20.44 21.23 19.12 Great Lakes Middle Atlantic New England North Central Pacific Southeast Southwest/ Mountain Non- Continental Illinois Delawar e Connecticu t Iow a California Florida Arizona Alask a Indiana Marylan d Massachusetts Kansas Orego n Georgi a Colorado Hawaii Michiga n N ew Jerse y Maine Minnesota Washington N orth Carolina Idaho Puerto Rico Ohio N ew Yor k N ew Hampshir e Missouri South Carolina Montana Wisconsin Pennsylvani a Rhode Islan d N orth Dakot a Virgini a N ew Mexico Urban areas of Duluth- DC Vermon t N ebrask a Alabam a N evad a Superior, Minneapolis, Virginia suburbs South Dakota Arkansas Oklahom a St. Louis and Kentucky of DC Kentuck y Texas suburbs of Cincinnati Louisianna Utah Mississippi Wyomin g Tennesee West Virginia Source: American Public Transit Association (APTA), Top Hourly Wage Rate Summary: First Quarter 2007, May 2007. Population Table 2-11. (Continued).

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 20 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas Job Category Ne w Englan d Middle Atlantic East North Central West North Central Sout h Atlantic East South Central West South 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 Region Table 2-12. Survey wage data by BLS region (Average 2006-2007).

Wage and Benefit Data 21 Job Category New England Middle Atlantic Great Lakes North Central Southeast Southwest/ 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 Planne r $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 Specialis t $28,300 $41,118 $45,326 $20,800 $35,543 N A $43,530 Computer Operato r N A $31,490 N A N A $35,916 $48,500 $41,888 Safety and Training Manage r $39,860 $44,485 $33,831 $36,811 $26,635 $33,725 $37,341 Rideshare Coordinato r $29,120 $27,040 $55,736 $26,520 $28,842 $22,180 NA Traine r N A $38,500 $27,040 $31,200 $21,181 $31,681 $31,546 Operations (Hourly) Administrative Suppor t $11.89 $13.16 $10.72 $8.26 $10.40 $11.16 $13.49 Operations Superviso r $17.93 $23.34 $17.60 $15.27 $16.05 $17.53 $21.34 Street Superviso r $18.14 $16.35 $17.46 $13.85 $15.73 $16.69 $18.50 Scheduler/Call take r $11.40 $14.18 $10.06 $8.94 $10.43 $12.47 $14.30 Dispatche r $12.80 $14.28 $10.57 $10.95 $11.62 $11.19 $14.11 Maintenance Manage r $22.29 $22.72 $17.38 $13.74 $17.04 $17.96 $26.02 Maintenance Cler k $17.12 $15.57 $11.94 N A $12.36 $11.53 $13.63 Mechanic $16.80 $18.10 $14.77 $14.55 $14.21 $15.69 $20.79 Mechanic Assistan t $12.42 $11.15 $9.85 N A $11.12 $12.82 $13.49 Utility Worke r $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-CD L $9.72 $11.82 $8.62 $8.56 $8.70 $9.02 $14.54 APTA Region Table 2-13. Survey wage data by APTA region (Average 2006-2007). Benefit Level New England Middle Atlantic East North Central West North Central South Atlantic East South Central West South 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% BLS Region Benefit Level New England Middle Atlantic Great Lakes North Central Southeast Southwest/ 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% APTA Region Table 2-14. Overall benefit level by BLS region. Table 2-15. Overall benefit level by APTA region. 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:

• 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). 22 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas Job Category 1-9 Employees 10-24 Employees 25-49 Employees 50-99 Employees 100+ 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 Total Employee s Table 2-16. Survey wage data by total employees (Average 2006-2007).

Job Category Less than $50,000 $50,000 to $100,000 $100,000 to $250,000 $250,000 to $500,000 $500,000 to $750,000 $750,000 to $1M $1M to $1.25M $1.25M to $1.5M More than $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 $16.6 8 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 Operating Costs Table 2-17. Survey wage data by total operating costs (Average 2006-2007).

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). 24 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas Benefit Level 1-9 Employees 10-24 Employees 25-49 Employees 50-99 Employees 100+ Employees Poor/Fair 29% 23% 15% 14% 12% Moderate 25% 21% 16% 18% 13% Good/Excellent 46% 56% 69% 68% 75% Total Employees Table 2-18. Overall benefit level by total number of employees. Benefit Level Less than $50,000 $50,000 to $100,000 $100,000 to $250,000 $250,000 to $500,000 $500,000 to $750,000 $750,000 to $1M $1M to $1.25M $1.25M to $1.5M More than $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% Operating Costs Table 2-19. Overall benefit level by operating costs.

Job Category Transit Authority County Department City Department Private Non-Profit (Transportation Only) Private Non- Profit (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 $10.4 4 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 $16.6 4 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. Type of Organization* Table 2-20. Survey wage data by organizational type (Average 2006-2007). Job Category Direct Operation Combination Direct 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. Operation Type* Table 2-21. Survey wage data by type of operation (Average 2006-2007).

26 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas Benefit Level Direct Operation Combination Direct Operation and 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. Operation Type* Table 2-23. Overall benefit level by type of operation. Job Category Fixed-Route / Deviated Fixed-Route Paratransit / Subscription Fixed-Route / Paratransit / Subscription Mi x 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 Service Type Table 2-24. Survey wage data by service types (Average 2006-2007). Benefit Level Transit Authority County Department City Department Private Non-Profit (Transportation Only) Private Non-Profit (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% Organization Type Table 2-22. Overall benefit level by organization type.

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 Wage and Benefit Data 27 Benefit Level Fixed-Route/ Deviated Fixed- Route Paratransit / Subscription Fixed- Route/Paratransit/ Subscription Mix Poor/Fair 29% 31% 27% Moderate 12% 25% 15% Good/Excellent 59% 44% 58% Service Type Table 2-25. Overall benefit level by service type. 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 Use Volunteers Table 2-26. Survey wage data by volunteer use (Average 2006-2007).

28 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas 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 Labor Union Table 2-27. Survey wage data by labor union (Average 2006-2007). Job Category No Shortage Driver Shortage Only Short Drivers Plus Other Staff 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 Staff Shortage Table 2-28. Survey wage data by staff shortage (Average 2006-2007).

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). Wage and Benefit Data 29 Wage Levels No Shortages Driver Shortages Above Market 15% 12% About Market 57% 52% Below Market 28% 37% Staff Shortages Benefit Level No Yes Poor/Fair 21% 13% Moderate 25% 5% Good/Excellent 55% 82% Labor Union Use Volunteers Benefit Level Yes w/Paid Staff No Volunteers Poor/Fair 24% 19% Moderate 24% 20% Good/Excellent 52% 61% Benefit Level No Shortage Driver Shortage Only Short Drivers Plus Other Staff Other Staff Shortage Only Poor/Fair 14% 12% 8% 29% Moderate 23% 20% 23% 43% Good/Excellent 63% 68% 69% 29% Staff Shortage Table 2-29. Wage levels and staff shortages. Table 2-30. Overall benefit level by labor union. Table 2-31. Overall benefit level by volunteer use. Table 2-32. Overall benefit level by staff shortage.

Compensation in Relation to Unemployment Rates Although it was postulated that unemployment rates would influence wage rates (i.e., higher unemployment would mean lower wages), the survey data do not substantiate this except in a few job categories (namely operations supervisors, maintenance clerks, and CDL drivers). Unemployment rates may influence hiring decisions in other ways because systems operating in areas with higher unemployment rates tend to have a lower percentage of part-time staff. The weak relationship between unemployment rates and wages may be affected by the fact that unemployment rates do not vary consistently with system size or by the urban/rural nature of the service area (the two main factors that appear to explain wage levels). Summary of Compensation Factors Wages are most highly correlated with the following key variables: • The rural or urban nature of the service area. Inclusion of an urbanized area and proximity to the nearest urban area means higher wages (whether the service area includes an urbanized area is the better descriptor). • The region of the country (BLS, APTA). The BLS regions are the better descriptors of rural and small urban transit wages. • The size of the system. Larger systems, in terms of number of employees, operating costs, and total number of vehicles, pay higher wages (the total number of employees is the best variable describing system size). Although wages vary consistently with the type of service (e.g., fixed-route systems pay more) and the type of organization (e.g., governmental units pay more), these differences are not as sig- nificant. Further variations are co-dependent with the rural/urban nature of the service area and size of the system. Overall, systems with higher wages have better benefits. However, benefits are most highly cor- related with five other key variables: • Urban/Rural. Small urban systems (S.5307) have better benefits than rural systems (S.5311). • Type of Organization. Governmental units have better benefits. • Size of System. Larger systems, in terms of the number of employees, operating costs and total number of vehicles, have better overall benefit levels (again, the total number of employees is the best variable describing system size). • Type of Service. Systems operating fixed-route services have better benefits. • Staff Characteristics. Systems have better benefits if they don’t use volunteers, have unions, and have fewer part-time staff. 30 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas

Next: Section 3 - Guide to Compensation Decisions »
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TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 127, Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas explores salary and benefit characteristics of transit systems in rural and small urban areas. An interactive computer tool, produced as part of this project, is available online and is designed to allow transit managers to quickly and easily obtain compensation and benefit data from comparable transit systems.

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