Postal clerks, clergy among highest-paid holiday workers
SnagAJob.com releases 2007 Holiday-Wage Index
RICHMOND, Va. – During this time of giving, two perennial deliverers – one of good tidings and the other of seasonal inspiration – top the list of highest-paid holiday workers, according to the 2007 SnagAJob.com Holiday-Wage Index. SnagAJob.com, the No. 1 source for hourly employment, examined holiday-related wages as workers – including postal workers and the clergy – get set to help Americans prepare for celebrations such as Christmas and Hanukkah.
Postal clerks pocket an average of $21.13 an hour, and clergy earn $20.70 an hour, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Labor. Meanwhile, floral designers earn $11.08 an hour creating the centerpieces that grace our festive tables; ticket takers and ushers earn $8.41 an hour getting us to our seats before the show goes on.
"A closer look at those working to support the holiday season shows us that they probably don't earn enough for their patience, time and hard work," said Cathy McCarthy, senior vice president, marketing, for SnagAJob.com. "Obviously clergy are driven by higher motivations than their salaries, but even their workloads stretch them to the limit this time of year. Whether a clergy or a ticket taker at the movies, we'd like to say thank you to workers – especially those paid by the hour – that help us all prepare for the holidays."
Below is the 2007 Holiday-Wage Index, an informal survey of holiday-related wages conducted by SnagAJob.com and based on U.S. Department of Labor data. To be included in the Index, a DOL profession must experience an increase of customer volume because of the holiday season.
| U.S. Department of Labor Category |
Relation to the Index |
Mean Hourly Wage / Mean Annual Salary * |
No. Employed |
Postal Clerks
|
They supplement the work of Santa's elves, delivering presents across the country. In 2006, the U.S. Postal Service expected it would deliver 20 billion cards, letters and packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
|
$21.13 / $43,950
|
81,670
|
Clergy
|
Clergy nationwide lead celebrations for Christmas, Hanukkah and other seasonal holidays. According to a Gallup Poll, roughly six in 10 Americans report that religion is very important to them in their own lives, a figure that has not changed significantly from during polling from 1992 – 2003.
|
$20.70 / $43,060
|
37,820
|
Fallers
|
These workers use axes or chainsaws to fell trees. The gross earnings of Christmas tree farmers in 2006 was $512 million, according to the USDA Economic Research Service.
|
$15.84 / $32,960
|
8,790
|
Food Batchmakers
|
This group includes the candy makers who satisfy our holiday sweet tooth. The average person spent $91.20 on food and candy for the holidays last year, according to the National Retail Federation.
|
$11.92 / $24,790
|
92,590
|
Retail Salespeople
|
This sales force sells the toys, clothes and other gift items on our holiday wish lists. According to the U.S. Census, retail sales by the nation's department stores alone was $31.4 billion in December 2006, a 44 percent jump from the previous month.
|
$11.51 / $23,940
|
4,374,230
|
Floral Designers
|
Florists are busy filling orders to decorate our tables and homes as the average person last year spent $18.28 on flowers for the holidays, according to the NRF.
|
$11.08 / $23,040
|
61,320
|
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
|
More than 60 million Americans typically travel in the last week of December, according to recent annual surveys from Travel Industry Association and the AAA.
|
$9.37 / $19,480
|
214,110
|
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
|
This group guides us to our "feature presentations," movies this season ranging from Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium to Charlie Wilson's War.
|
$8.41 / $17,500
|
101,530
|
* The Department of Labor calculates annual salaries based by "multiplying the hourly mean wage by a ‘year-round, full-time' hours figure of 2,080 hours."
About SnagAJob.com:
SnagAJob.com, America's largest hourly job Web site, has helped connect hourly workers with quality full-time and part-time jobs in a wide range of industries since 2000. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., SnagAJob.com also provides both job seekers and employers with valued insights and a cutting-edge interface that are unique to hourly employment. That, combined with more than 120 million annual searches, 8 million registered job seekers and 100,000 active job postings, makes SnagAJob.com exceptionally qualified to share the experiences of the hourly workforce with the rest of the country. Current clients include The Home Depot®, Target®, FedEx®, Boston Market®, Chick-fil-A®, Bed Bath & Beyond®, T-Mobile®, Michaels® and Jiffy Lube®. Learn more about the No. 1 source for hourly employment at www.SnagAJob.com.