by Derek Teed
August 2018
Much of the data for all levels of government administration fall under NAICS 92, Public Administration. The industry spans the many upper level activities of government. It ranges from Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support to National Security. The code, however, includes only administration of government programs. What it doesn't include is activities that occur in private industry – industries like road and bridge work, any sort of retail establishments the government might run, and municipal power companies among others. These are coded to the NAICS of their industrial activity but have an ownership code that pulls them into government, so you do not find them appearing in the private industry NAICS codes.
Below are tables showing the important industries in government. Because state law does not extend unemployment insurance to elected officials, they are not included in the figures.
| Table 1. Top Employment in Minnesota Public Administration | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| NAICS | Industry Name | MN Employment in Public Administration | Average Annual Wages |
| 92 | Public Administration | 132,026 | $56,264 |
| 921110 | Executive Offices | 44,594 | $44,876 |
| 921140 | Combined Executive and Legislative Offices | 11,055 | $56,680 |
| 923130 | Administration of Human Resource Programs | 10,861 | $60,580 |
| 922140 | Correctional Institutions | 6,747 | $59,956 |
| 924120 | Administration of Conservation Programs | 6,403 | $53,092 |
In 2017 NAICS 92 made up 132,026 (4.6%) of Minnesota's 2,853,730 employees.
Public Administration jobs in the rural areas, which are usually fulltime, are a boost to the area's average income. Public Administration jobs in Northwest, Northeast, and Central Minnesota are significantly higher than the average private sector wages in those areas (see table below).
| Table 2. Wage Comparison between Minnesota Public Administration and Private Sector | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Area | Average Public Administration Wages | Average Private Sector Wages | PA Wages/Private Wages |
| Central | $48,776 | $41,652 | +17% |
| Northeast | $50,752 | $42,588 | +19% |
| Northwest | $46,280 | $38,168 | +21% |
| Southeast | $51,636 | $50,128 | +3% |
| Southwest | $41,964 | $39,884 | +5% |
| Seven County MPLS St Paul | $63,232 | $63,336 | +0% |
