ORANGE COUNTY WAGE RATES : South County Clerical Pay Soars, Surpassing North

Salaries for office workers in South Orange County have increased substantially in the past year while those in North County have remained the same or fallen, according to a recent survey of 198 executives countywide.

Starting salaries for clerical workers in nine job categories increased from 6.6% to 11.6% in South County, averaging an 8.7% increase. Workers with three years on the job commanded from an average of 7.1% more than last year. In North County, however, starting salaries were lower for workers in five of nine categories, an average decrease of 0.1%, while pay rates for workers with three years’ experience rose an average of just 1.3%.

Demand for new workers is expected to be lower countywide this year. In North County, 27% of the executives surveyed planned to increase staff this year, down from 32% last year; similarly, 40% of South County businesses planned to add clerical staff, down from 46% last year.

The Orange County survey was part of a statewide telephone poll of 1,500 business executives taken in November, 1989. Statewide, South County clerical salaries ranked fifth among 15 metropolitan regions, and North County ranked eighth.

South county workers in every clerical job category enjoyed a larger pay increase in 1989 than their counterparts in the north. Starting salaries for workers in south county increased an average 8.7%, compared to only 0.1% for north county workers.

SOUTH COUNTY STARTING SALARIES

Job Category: 1988 / 1989 Pct. Change

Administrative assistant: $1,749 / $1,906 +8.9

Secretary/shorthand skills: 1,817 / 1,903 +4.7

Secretary/machine transcription: 1,674 / 1,803 +7.7

Word processor typist: 1,596 / 1,773 +11.1

General typist: 1,340 / 1,428 +6.6

Receptionist/switchboard: 1,290 / 1,424 +10.4

Receptionist/typing: 1,294 / 1,426 +10.2

General clerk: 1,148 / 1,281 +11.6

Accounting clerk: 1,329 / 1,425 +7.2

SOUTH COUNTY THIRD-YEAR SALARIES

Job Category: 1988 / 1989 Pct. Change

Administrative assistant: $2,152 / $2,271 +5.5

Secretary/shorthand skills: 2,153 / 2,251 +4.6

Secretary/machine transcription: 1,993 / 2,137 +7.2

Word processor typist: 1,922 / 2,108 +9.7

General typist: 1,598 / 1,669 +4.4

Receptionist/switchboard: 1,515 / 1,668 +10.1

Receptionist/typing: 1,569 / 1,696 +8.1

General clerk: 1,394 / 1,526 +9.5

Accounting clerk: 1,617 / 1,696 +4.9

NORTH COUNTY STARTING SALARIES

Job Category: 1988 / 1989 Pct. Change

Administrative assistant: $1,773 / $1,775 +0.1

Secretary/shorthand skills: 1,717 / 1,723 +0.4

Secretary/machine transcription: 1,630 / 1,623 -0.4

Word processor typist: 1,671 / 1,641 -1.8

General typist: 1,393 / 1,374 -1.4

Receptionist/switchboard: 1,312 / 1,348 +2.7

Receptionist/typing: 1,364 / 1,361 -0.2

General clerk: 1,236 / 1,210 -2.1

Accounting clerk: 1,381 / 1,404 +1.7

NORTH COUNTY THIRD-YEAR SALARIES

Job Category: 1988 / 1989 Pct. Change

Administrative assistant: $2,056 / $2,116 +2.9

Secretary/shorthand skills: 1,991 / 1,952 -2.0

Secretary/machine transcription: 1,886 / 1,913 +1.4

Word processor typist: 1,923 / 1,935 +0.6

General typist: 1,593 / 1,620 +1.7

Receptionist/switchboard: 1,534 / 1,572 +1.5

Receptionist/typing: 1,581 / 1,605 +1.5

General clerk: 1,433 / 1,435 +0.1

Accounting clerk: 1,592 / 1,656 +4.0

STATEWIDE RANKING

Top 10 areas with the highest clerical salaries in California

1. Santa Clara County

2. Los Angeles

3. San Francisco/Peninsula

4. Long Beach 4

5. South Orange County

6. San Fernando Valley

7. San Gabriel Valley

8. North Orange County

9. East Bay/Oakland

10. San Diego

Source: Thomas Temporaries