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These Hourly Workers Benefit the Most From Overtime

These Hourly Workers Benefit the Most From Overtime

The coronavirus pandemic has transformed the professional lives of nearly every American. Many workers, for instance, have started doing their jobs remotely. Data from a recent Gallup Panel noted that 62% of employed Americans currently work from home, and that figure has doubled since mid-March. But while working from home is becoming increasingly common, it also comes with its own set of challenges: homeschooling kids, barking dogs and spouses who wander willy-nilly in and out of frame during Zoom meetings.

Of course, these challenges pale in comparison to those who are out of jobs entirely. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics said in a May 8 press release that unemployment had hit 14.7%, but disclosed that due to a recording error, the figure was likely closer to 20%. This is alarmingly close to the estimated 25% unemployment rate during the Great Depression.

That said, one could argue that it’s the nation’s essential workers who have it the worst. Policymakers have been pushing for essential employees to receive anything from hazard pay to double time to student loan relief, but nothing has been finalized. In turn, these workers have been forced into situations that compromise their health and that of their loved ones with no additional compensation.

Evidence shows that hourly workers, in particular, have been hit hardest by the pandemic. If they haven’t lost their jobs entirely, many have to endure gruelingly long hours for wages well below the national average. Some hourly workers need overtime to make ends meet, while others, such as nursing assistants, may have no choice in the matter.

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So, now the guy who stocks shelves at the grocery store and just wants to pay his bills is risking death while keeping society from devolving into complete chaos — all for $13 an hour. And that’s not even $20 an hour pretax for overtime. It begs the question: does working overtime really pay off?

GOBankingRates looked at the median annual and hourly wage of 50 nonexempt occupations, meaning those eligible for overtime pay. Each job’s overtime wage was calculated as 1.5 times their regular wage. Of course, if you have a higher-paying job, your overtime will be correlatively higher, and vice versa. However, when you consider which jobs are essential, which can be done remotely and which are likely out of work right now, it puts the devastation of hourly workers into a whole new light.

Last updated: May 18, 2020

Stockers and Order Fillers

  • Median annual wage: $27,380

  • Median hourly wage: $13.16

  • Median overtime wage: $19.74

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Related: The 50 Most Dangerous Jobs for Contracting COVID-19

Library Assistants, Clerical

  • Median annual wage: $27,490

  • Median hourly wage: $13.22

  • Median overtime wage: $19.83

  • Essential status: Generally not essential

Tour and Travel Guides

  • Median annual wage: $27,600

  • Median hourly wage: $13.27

  • Median overtime wage: $19.91

  • Essential status: Generally not essential

Pharmacy Aides

  • Median annual wage: $27,850

  • Median hourly wage: $13.39

  • Median overtime wage: $20.09

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Slaughterers and Meat Packers

  • Median annual wage: $29,230

  • Median hourly wage: $14.05

  • Median overtime wage: $21.08

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Food Processing Workers

  • Median annual wage: $29,320

  • Median hourly wage: $14.09

  • Median overtime wage: $21.14

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Nursing Assistants

  • Median annual wage: $29,660

  • Median hourly wage: $14.26

  • Median overtime wage: $21.39

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Security Guards

  • Median annual wage: $29,680

  • Median hourly wage: $14.27

  • Median overtime wage: $21.41

  • Essential status: Essential in certain states and situations

Couriers and Messengers

  • Median annual wage: $29,690

  • Median hourly wage: $14.28

  • Median overtime wage: $21.42

  • Essential status: Generally not essential

Crossing Guards and Flaggers

  • Median annual wage: $29,760

  • Median hourly wage: $14.31

  • Median overtime wage: $21.47

  • Essential status: Essential in some states and situations

Receptionists and Information Clerks

  • Median annual wage: $30,050

  • Median hourly wage: $14.45

  • Median overtime wage: $21.68

  • Essential status: Essential in some states and situations

Grounds Maintenance Workers

  • Median annual wage: $30,890

  • Median hourly wage: $14.85

  • Median overtime wage: $22.28

  • Essential status: Essential in some states and situations

Tellers

  • Median annual wage: $31,230

  • Median hourly wage: $15.02

  • Median overtime wage: $22.53

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Concierges

  • Median annual wage: $31,390

  • Median hourly wage: $15.09

  • Median overtime wage: $22.64

  • Essential status: Generally not essential

Data Entry Keyers

  • Median annual wage: $33,490

  • Median hourly wage: $16.10

  • Median overtime wage: $24.15

  • Essential status: Work can often be done remotely

Assemblers and Fabricators

  • Median annual wage: $33,710

  • Median hourly wage: $16.21

  • Median overtime wage: $24.32

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Shipping, Receiving and Inventory Clerks

  • Median annual wage: $34,190

  • Median hourly wage: $16.44

  • Median overtime wage: $24.66

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Customer Service Representatives

  • Median annual wage: $34,710

  • Median hourly wage: $16.69

  • Median overtime wage: $25.04

  • Essential status: Essential in some states and situations

Light Truck Drivers

  • Median annual wage: $34,730

  • Median hourly wage: $16.70

  • Median overtime wage: $25.05

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Medical Assistants

  • Median annual wage: $34,800

  • Median hourly wage: $16.73

  • Median overtime wage: $25.10

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Phlebotomists

  • Median annual wage: $35,510

  • Median hourly wage: $17.07

  • Median overtime wage: $25.61

  • Essential status: Generally essential

See: Before It Became the Norm, Which States Had the Most Remote Workers?

Construction Laborers

  • Median annual wage: $36,860

  • Median hourly wage: $17.72

  • Median overtime wage: $26.58

  • Essential status: Essential in some states and situations

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

  • Median annual wage: $37,840

  • Median hourly wage: $18.19

  • Median overtime wage: $27.29

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Financial Clerks

  • Median annual wage: $38,510

  • Median hourly wage: $18.52

  • Median overtime wage: $27.78

  • Essential status: Work can often be done remotely

Court, Municipal and License Clerks

  • Median annual wage: $39,380

  • Median hourly wage: $18.93

  • Median overtime wage: $28.40

  • Essential status: Essential in some states and situations

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

  • Median annual wage: $39,850

  • Median hourly wage: $19.16

  • Median overtime wage: $28.74

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Tree Trimmers and Pruners

  • Median annual wage: $39,980

  • Median hourly wage: $19.22

  • Median overtime wage: $28.83

  • Essential status: Essential in some states and situations

Dental Assisstants

  • Median annual wage: $40,080

  • Median hourly wage: $19.27

  • Median overtime wage: $28.91

  • Essential status: Essential in some states and situations

Painters and Paperhangers

  • Median annual wage: $40,280

  • Median hourly wage: $19.37

  • Median overtime wage: $29.06

  • Essential status: Generally not essential

Word Processors and Typists

  • Median annual wage: $40,340

  • Median hourly wage: $19.39

  • Median overtime wage: $29.09

  • Essential status: Essential in some states and situations

Proofreaders and Copy Markers

  • Median annual wage: $40,630

  • Median hourly wage: $19.54

  • Median overtime wage: $29.31

  • Essential status: Work can often be done remotely

Highway Maintenance Workers

  • Median annual wage: $40,730

  • Median hourly wage: $19.58

  • Median overtime wage: $29.37

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Bookkeeping, Accounting and Auditing Clerks

  • Median annual wage: $41,230

  • Median hourly wage: $19.82

  • Median overtime wage: $29.73

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Carpet, Floor and Tile Installers and Finishers

  • Median annual wage: $42,050

  • Median hourly wage: $20.22

  • Median overtime wage: $30.33

  • Essential status: Generally not essential

Roofers

  • Median annual wage: $42,100

  • Median hourly wage: $20.24

  • Median overtime wage: $30.36

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Automotive Technicians and Repairers

  • Median annual wage: $42,150

  • Median hourly wage: $20.26

  • Median overtime wage: $30.39

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Check Out: The 20 Industries That Will Never Be the Same After the Coronavirus

Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians

  • Median annual wage: $42,200

  • Median hourly wage: $20.29

  • Median overtime wage: $30.44

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Welders, Cutters, Solderers and Brazers

  • Median annual wage: $42,490

  • Median hourly wage: $20.43

  • Median overtime wage: $30.65

  • Essential status: Essential in some states and situations

Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

  • Median annual wage: $43,900

  • Median hourly wage: $21.11

  • Median overtime wage: $31.67

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Engine and Other Machine Assemblers

  • Median annual wage: $45,660

  • Median hourly wage: $21.95

  • Median overtime wage: $32.93

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Social Science Research Assistants

  • Median annual wage: $47,510

  • Median hourly wage: $22.84

  • Median overtime wage: $34.26

  • Essential status: Work can often be done remotely

Construction Equipment Operators

  • Median annual wage: $48,160

  • Median hourly wage: $23.16

  • Median overtime wage: $34.74

  • Essential status: Essential in some states and situations

Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

  • Median annual wage: $48,730

  • Median hourly wage: $23.43

  • Median overtime wage: $35.15

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Statistical Assistants

  • Median annual wage: $49,870

  • Median hourly wage: $23.97

  • Median overtime wage: $35.96

  • Essential status: Work can often be done remotely

Meeting, Convention and Event Planners

  • Median annual wage: $50,600

  • Median hourly wage: $24.33

  • Median overtime wage: $36.50

  • Essential status: Generally not essential

Paralegals and Legal Assistants

  • Median annual wage: $51,740

  • Median hourly wage: $24.87

  • Median overtime wage: $37.31

  • Essential status: Essential in some states and situations

Look: How Much These 15 Essential Jobs Pay in Every State

Graphic Designers

  • Median annual wage: $52,110

  • Median hourly wage: $25.05

  • Median overtime wage: $37.58

  • Essential status: Work can often be done remotely

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Mechanics, Installers and Repairers

  • Median annual wage: $52,570

  • Median hourly wage: $25.28

  • Median overtime wage: $37.92

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Plumbers, Pipefitters and Steamfitters

  • Median annual wage: $55,160

  • Median hourly wage: $26.52

  • Median overtime wage: $39.78

  • Essential status: Generally essential

Millwrights

  • Median annual wage: $55,560

  • Median hourly wage: $26.71

  • Median overtime wage: $40.07

  • Essential status: Generally essential

More From GOBankingRates

Methodology: In order to find which hourly workers benefit the most from overtime, GOBankingRates selected a sample of 75 occupations identified in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ occupational wage and employment data which are commonly associated with hourly compensation and the possibility of overtime pay. GOBankingRates pulled BLS data on the May 2019 (1) median annual wage and (2) median hourly wage of each occupation. Then, assuming that overtime compensation would be 1.5x the regular hourly pay rate for each occupation, GOBankingRates provided estimates of the (3) median hourly overtime pay rate for each occupation. The 50 occupations with the highest estimated overtime rate were then ranked on factor No. 3, with No. 1 being the occupation with the highest overtime rate and No. 50 being the occupation with the lowest. All data was collected on and up to date as of May 6, 2020.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: These Hourly Workers Benefit the Most From Overtime