WGS 200 - Salary Report Assignment  

This guide will help you find the library resources you need for your assignments in WGS 200.

Use the tabs above to navigate this guide. If you need help, feel free to contact your WGS librarian, Mary O'Kelly.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1.   DEPARTMENT OF LABOR: 

• First, visit the Women's Bureau on the Department of Labor web site (http://www.dol.gov/wb/)
• Click on "Data & Statistics"
• Click on each of the reports listed
• As you find answers for your assignment, be sure to write down which report or web site where you found the information

2.   BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS:  

• To find a nice comparison of men's wages to women's wages, follow this path: 
  • www.bls.gov > Subject Areas > Employment > Worker Characteristics > Demographics > Women > Annual Report: Highlight of Women's Earnings > 2011
  • On that same page, also look at Women in the Labor Force: A Databook, 2011 edition
  • Use CTRL F to "find" a word or phrase in these PDF reports. For example, press the keys CTRL and the letter F at the same time, then type teacher into the little search box that opens. Use the forward and back arrows next to the search box to click through each page that has your search word on it. This can be done in all PDF reports and an all the web pages (sometimes you'll see "previous" and "next" instead of forward and back arrows.)

• Note than many of the statistics cited on the Women's Bureau site come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Women Workers (http://www.bls.gov/bls/cpswomendata.htm). Use this Women Workers page to get familiar with the data available. Many of the reports and tables on this page can help you with your assignment.

•  Here are some very interesting statistics about women at work: http://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2011/women/

3.   OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS:  There are two places to find detailed salary information for your occupation, including salaries by state and ranges of salaries for entry level to advanced workers

• Search the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics web site (http://www.bls.gov) for information about education background, skills, work environment, and similar occupations.

• Scroll down and look for the "Career Information" box. Search the "Occupational Outlook Handbook" for your profession. If you're not finding it, try a more generic term. For example, if you're having trouble finding "cardiologist," try "physician" or "surgeon" instead.
• When you get to the web page for your occupation, be sure to click on all the tabs across the top.
• If you find this interesting and want to see more job information, try these
• On the main bls.gov home page, click on "Occupational Outlook Quarterly"
• Also try mousing over the "Subject Areas" tab at the top of the screen -- look for "Earnings by Industry," "Employment Projections," and "Unemployment." There are a lot of ways to get at the data!

• Go to the Occupational Employment Statistics on the Bureau of Labor Statistics web site (http://www.bls.gov/oes) to find employment by state, wages by state, and the industries a person with this job might work in.
• Type your occupation name in the Search OES search box on the left side of the screen.
• Open your occupation from the list of results.
• Scroll through all the different salary data, paying close attention to differences by state, and differences between the bottom 10% of pay (usually for entry level workers) to the top 10% of pay.

4.   A FEW MORE TIPS:

• To find reports by family, parenting, and marital status, follow the path above until you reach > Demographics. Instead of selecting Women, select Families.
• U.S. CENSUS:  Look through the "Labor Force, Employment, and Earnings" section of the 2011 Statistical Abstract of the U.S. Census (http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/labor_force_employment_earnings.html). Many of the data sets can be downloaded to your computer.
• Try a few of the links in the boxes below.