Wages and Benefits
Average hourly wage rates in Etowah County are:
| Category | Mean Wage | Entry Wage | Experienced Wage |
| Management | |||
| Chief executives | 71.75 | 48.82 | 83.22 |
| Human resources specialist | 18.80 | 8.20 | 24.09 |
| Industrial production managers | 32.97 | 27.19 | 35.87 |
| Sales managers | 43.42 | 26.66 | 51.78 |
| Administrative support | |||
| Accountants and auditors | 29.00 | 18.21 | 34.40 |
| Administrative assistants | 20.06 | 16.46 | 21.86 |
| Accounting clerks | 15.77 | 11.28 | 18.02 |
| Data entry keyers | 11.07 | 9.71 | 11.75 |
| Drafters | 20.28 | 15.17 | 22.84 |
| Industrial engineers | 31.69 | 25.10 | 34.99 |
| Mechanical engineers | 29.37 | 22.01 | 33.05 |
| Purchasing agents | 22.22 | 13.99 | 26.34 |
| Production | |||
| CNC machine operators | 17.10 | 15.08 | 18.11 |
| Coating and painting | 10.77 | 8.21 | 12.05 |
| Production workers, all other* | 12.55 | 8.55 | 14.54 |
| Lathe and turning operators | 11.22 | 7.99 | 12.83 |
| Machinist | 15.78 | 12.15 | 17.60 |
| Packaging and filling | 9.14 | 8.12 | 9.65 |
| Production helper | 9.81 | 8.11 | 10.66 |
| Supervisors | 21.43 | 14.93 | 24.68 |
| Tool and die makers | 15.00 | 8.36 | 18.33 |
| Welders and cutters | 13.57 | 9.59 | 15.56 |
| Maintenance | |||
| Maintenance repair workers | 15.56 | 11.15 | 17.77 |
| Machinery repair workers | 24.11 | 21.21 | 25.55 |
| Maintenance/repair helpers | 9.49 | 8.11 |
10.18 |
| Material handling | |||
| Industrial truck operators | 14.78 | 10.54 | 16.90 |
| Material handlers/laborers | 8.94 | 8.14 | 9.33 |
| Packagers | 9.05 | 8.40 | 9.38 |
| Tractor trailer drivers | 14.80 | 9.47 | 17.46 |
Click here to view Etowah County wage data on more occupational categories
Fringe benefits typically paid by Gadsden area manufacturers are depicted below. The average cost of benefits is 32% of payroll.
| Health insurance | Employers pay an average of 75% of premium |
| Life Insurance | Employers pay premium |
| Accidental death or disability | Approximately half of employers pay premium |
| Retirement | Approximately half of employers offer a 401k plan |
| Vacation days after 1 yr. | Average is 1 week |
| Vacation days after 5 yrs. | Average is 2 weeks |
| Vacation days after 15 yrs. | Average is 3 weeks |
| Paid holidays per year | 6 to 8 |
