Labor Day 2023: How much do Lebanon County workers earn? Check out wages by occupation

For some, Labor Day week represents the end of the summer, the last weekend of the year dedicated to visiting the shore ― and for those not yet old enough for work, the beginning of the school year.

But since 1894, the first Monday of September has been a national holiday celebrating the achievements of the American labor movement, a reminder of the progress made: safer working conditions, the 40-hour workweek and better wages.

In Lebanon, here's a look at some of the biggest industries and their wages.

Lebanon County wages at a glance

Compared to the rest of the state, employees of all kinds are making, on average, less in Lebanon County. The average yearly wage for all occupations in Lebanon is $50,220 compared to the state average of $58,470.

For those just starting their careers in Lebanon, the wage gap is much smaller, as the average entry-level wage is $26,780, compared to the rest of Pennsylvania at $27,980.

As noted during the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce's state of the county address, manufacturing, and transportation and warehousing, are the two largest industries in the county, both roughly double the national average of industry jobs.

According to the 2022 quarterly census of employment and wages, manufacturing accounts for 18% of Lebanon County's labor force, compared to just 9.6% in the rest of the state.

Transportation and warehousing makeup 8.4% of jobs in the county.

According to that data, the second-largest industry is health care and social assistance, with 16.9% of all jobs being in that field, slightly lower than the Pennsylvania rate of 18.1%.

While Lebanon County residents could be making slightly less than those around the rest of the state on average, their average cost of living could be higher as well.

According to unitedforalice.org, a research center that tracks Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed households across the nation, just under 30% of households in the county lived in the A.L.I.C.E. threshold as of 2021.

According to that research, a survival household budget, which reflects the minimum cost to live and work in the modern economy, is $61,104 in Lebanon County for a family of two adults and two school-aged children.

The average for all of Pennsylvania is $60,240.

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How do Lebanon County's largest industries stack up?

Production occupations in Lebanon County, which include everything from machinists to butchers and meat cutters, make an average annual wage of $41,820, or just a bit over $20 an hour

The state average yearly wage for production occupations is $45,620.

Production and operating worker supervisors in the county make an average of $63,830, while slaughterers and meat packers make $37,760.

Transportation and material moving occupations in Lebanon earn an average yearly wage of $38,470 compared to the rest of Pennsylvania at $42,490.

In transportation and material moving, like all occupation groups, wages vary greatly from job to job. For example, the average wage of a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver in Lebanon county is $50,270 per year, while light truck or delivery services drivers make an average of $26,390 a year.

Wages in the healthcare industry can be a bit of a mixed bag, depending on the occupation.

Registered nurses in Lebanon County are making an average of $80,660, nurse practitioners are making $110,520 and family medicine physicians are making an average of $232,490.

On the other end, paramedics make an average of $48,470 and emergency medical technicians make an average of $33,740.

One of Lebanon's highest-paying jobs, personal financial advisor, pays an average of $182,360 a year.

On the lower end, restaurant hosts and hostesses make an average of $23,350 a year.

Daniel Larlham Jr. is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at DLarlham@LDNews.com or on X, formerly twitter @djlarlham

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Labor Day 2023: How much do Lebanon County Pa. workers earn?