The coronavirus pandemic has transformed the professional lives of nearly every American. Many workers, for instance, work their jobs remotely. Data from a Gallup Panel noted that 62% of employed Americans currently work from home. 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.
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Of course, these challenges pale in comparison to those who are out of jobs entirely. And although unemployment has since dropped down below 10%, it's still much higher than it was before the pandemic.
One could argue that it's the nation's essential workers who have it the worst. These workers have been forced into situations that compromise their health and that of their loved ones with little additional compensation. 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: Sept. 27, 2021
Stockers and Order Fillers
- Median annual wage: $27,380
- Median hourly wage: $13.16
- Median overtime wage: $19.74
- Essential status: Generally essential
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Library Assistants, Clerical
- Median annual wage: $27,490
- Median hourly wage: $13.22
- Median overtime wage: $19.83
- Essential status: Generally not essential
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Tour and Travel Guides
- Median annual wage: $27,600
- Median hourly wage: $13.27
- Median overtime wage: $19.91
- Essential status: Generally not essential
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Pharmacy Aides
- Median annual wage: $27,850
- Median hourly wage: $13.39
- Median overtime wage: $20.09
- Essential status: Generally essential
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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.