Out & About

If you were a carpenter…

It’s helpful, going into a job interview or pitching for a raise, if you know what the going rate of pay is for what you do. The California Employment Development Department uses surveys to come up with very specific labor market information for areas, including Chico-Paradise. You can find the results at http://www.calmis.ca.gov.

The mean hourly wage here is $15.15, which translates to $31,510 a year. That’s around the typical salary of a social worker, mechanical drafter or paralegal.

Chief executives, of which there are an estimated 310 here, bring in an average of $93,621 year—or $45.01 an hour. A preschool teacher can expect to make $20,453 a year—$9.83 an hour.

The survey lists hundreds of jobs, many of them very specific. Who knew there were 220 security guards ($19,132) and 50 editors ($34,201) in town? Most city- or visitors’-bureau-generated lists pick common jobs, like retail clerk. We threw in some fun ones.

Job Annual wage

legislator $52,663

sales manager $77,101

funeral director $53,522

computer support specialist $44,839

civil engineer $59,133

wildlife biologist $42,631

marriage and family therapist $44,074

clergy $38,490

lawyer $77,120

elementary-school teacher $45,309

librarian $55,954

graphic designer $34,671

news reporter $29,515

public-relations specialist $34,876

optometrist $113,106

registered nurse $49,805

veterinarian $74,891

home health aide $17,413

firefighter $36,411

bartender $15,388

maid $16,049

hairstylist $17,041

aerobics instructor $24,359

carpenter $34,811

electrician $42,020

motocycle mechanic $28,658

baker $22,191

truck driver $27,729