Union members in low-wage occupations on average earn a great deal more than nonunion workers in the same occupations, often lifting their earnings above the official poverty guidelines. For example, union cashiers in 2009 earned an average wage of $11.76 per hour, which is over 29 percent higher than the average hourly wage for nonunion cashiers. Over a year’s time, having a union card translates on average into more than $5,500 in additional pay for such a low wage worker. While the nonunion cashier’s earnings, on average, leaves a worker $3,184 below the poverty guideline for a family of four, the union cashier’s earnings, on average, brings the worker $2,411 above the poverty guideline for a family of four.
average hourly earnings of union and nonunion workers in selected occupations, 2009
Union
Nonunion
Hourly Wage ($)
Annualized Earnings ($)
Amount Above Poverty Line ($)
Hourly Wage ($)
Annualized Earnings ($)
Amount Above Poverty Line ($)
Union Wage Advantage (%)
Union Difference Annualized ($)
Union Difference Hourly ($)
Nonunion Wage per Dollar of Union Wage ($)
Union Wage per Dollar of Nonunion Wage ($)
Cashiers
$11.76
$24,461
$2,411
$9.07
$18,866
-$3,184
29.7%
$5,595
$2.69
$0.77
$1.30
Child care workers
$11.97
$24,898
$2,848
$9.65
$20,072
-$1,978
24.0%
$4,826
$2.32
$0.81
$1.24
Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
$14.77
$30,722
$8,672
$10.28
$21,382
-$668
43.7%
$9,339
$4.49
$0.70
$1.44
Combined food preparation & serving workers, inc. fast food
$11.36
$23,629
$1,579
$8.60
$17,888
-$4,162
32.1%
$5,741
$2.76
$0.76
$1.32
Cooks
$13.22
$27,498
$5,448
$9.54
$19,843
-$2,207
38.6%
$7,654
$3.68
$0.72
$1.39
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
$12.15
$25,272
$3,222
$9.22
$19,178
-$2,872
31.8%
$6,094
$2.93
$0.76
$1.32
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
$17.87
$37,170
$15,120
$10.19
$21,195
-$855
75.4%
$15,974
$7.68
$0.57
$1.75
Food preparation workers
$10.75
$22,360
$310
$8.96
$18,637
-$3,413
20.0%
$3,723
$1.79
$0.83
$1.20
Food servers, nonrestaurant
$14.92
$31,034
$8,984
$10.13
$21,070
-$980
47.3%
$9,963
$4.79
$0.68
$1.47
Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
$12.20
$25,376
$3,326
$9.49
$19,739
-$2,311
28.6%
$5,637
$2.71
$0.78
$1.29
Maids and housekeeping cleaners
$14.51
$30,181
$8,131
$9.65
$20,072
-$1,978
50.4%
$10,109
$4.86
$0.67
$1.50
Miscellaneous entertainment attendants and related workers
$16.95
$35,256
$13,206
$9.90
$20,592
-$1,458
71.2%
$14,664
$7.05
$0.58
$1.71
Packers and packagers, hand
$12.32
$25,626
$3,576
$10.12
$21,050
-$1,000
21.7%
$4,576
$2.20
$0.82
$1.22
Refuse and recyclable material collectors
$20.29
$42,203
$20,153
$10.54
$21,923
-$127
92.5%
$20,280
$9.75
$0.52
$1.93
Waiters and waitresses
$16.81
$34,965
$12,915
$10.56
$21,965
-$85
59.2%
$13,000
$6.25
$0.63
$1.59
The poverty guideline in 2009 for a family of four was $22,050. To surpass the poverty guideline for a family of four, a worker needs to earn an hourly wage of at least $10.60 (full-time, year round).
Source: Barry T. Hirsch and David A. MacPherson, Union Membership and Earnings Data Book, BNA, 2010; The 2009 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia, Federal Register, Vol. 74, No. 14, January 23, 2009, pp. 4199–4201. Prepared by the AFL-CIO.
