Using Occupational Characteristics Information from O*NET to Identify Occupations for Compensation Comparisons with K-12 Teaching
WCER Working Paper No. 2008-4
Anthony Milanowski
June 2008, 31 pp.
ABSTRACT: Discussions about teacher pay in comparison to pay in other occupations have used a variety of bases to identify comparable occupations, ranging from educational level to tested literacy level. This paper reports on the results of a study using information from the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET occupational information database to identify occupations comparable to K–12 teaching. Using the generalized work activities and basic and cross-functional skills domains and the education level scales of the O*NET database and employing a variety of cluster analysis methods, occupations with comparable skills and work activities were identified. In general, the closest comparison occupations to K–12 teaching were health services, social services, and other teaching occupations. Salary comparisons with these occupations are made based on salary information collected by the U.S. Department of Labor, and implications for policy makers concerned with the competitiveness of teacher salaries are drawn.
keywords: Teacher Pay; Pay Comparisons; Occupational Skill Comparisons; O*NET
