Nearly one-third of New York’s workforce is considered essential during the coronavirus crisis — and is among the best-paid in the nation, a new study says.
The new survey by Joblist found 31.5 percent of the Empire State’s workers are considered essential employees — the 10th-highest share in the nation — and they are the fifth-best-paid in the country with an average annual salary of $53,522.
Massachusetts came in at No. 1 for best-paid essential workers, with an average salary of $56,229, followed by Washington, Hawaii and Connecticut.
Researchers used data from the US Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to conduct the survey.
They noted that “essential” workers aren’t just hospital employees.
“The terms ‘frontline worker’ or ‘essential employee’ may conjure images of doctors, nurses, or other medical professionals directly engaging the global health crisis,” the Joblist report says. “But that doesn’t paint the entire picture.”
“Many forget essential members of the workforce include bus drivers keeping public transportation in motion, restaurant workers preparing our delivery meals, and grocery store clerks helping ensure everyone gets their toilet paper and sanitary wipes.”
The numbers show that most workers deemed essential during the virus crisis are in lower-paying industries, with a national average salary of $46,639 for front-line workers compared to an average of $55,990 for employees in other industries.
Almost 5 percent of New York essential workers live beneath the poverty line, the study said.
Nationwide, nearly 57 percent of essential workers are women, but they are paid on average almost $12,000 less than men in front-line jobs, the study found.
The majority of front-line workers, 62.4 percent, are white, while 20.6 percent are black and 13.6 percent are Asian.