Somerset County Econcomic Development Commission

Oystermen: A Tradition Of Hard Work & Integrity

Somerset County, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, is the State’s southernmost county. The Chesapeake Bay forms its western boundary, Virginia its southern. The County is located approximately 100 miles from the Baltimore/Washington, Wilmington/Philadelphia, as well as the Norfolk/Hampton Roads metropolitan areas. A water-oriented County, rural Somerset attracts fisherman, hunters, tourists, and water sports enthusiasts.

Somerset’s 410 businesses employ 4,100 workers. Crisfield and Princess Anne are the two major business and industrial centers of the County. Major employers are Lankford/Sysco Food Services, McCready Hospital, John T. Handy Co., Inc., Mountaire Farms, Peninsula Bank, Perdue Inc., Rubberset, Eastern Correctional Institute, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Somerset is a major seafood processor and poultry producer, and provides a rich agricultural harvest including soybeans, corn, tomatoes, and wheat. Princess Anne is the County Seat and the site of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, with undergraduate programs, including doctoral programs in marine, estuarine, and environmental sciences.

The County has a 711- acre Enterprise Zone located within the City of Crisfield, and a 1,297-acre Zone in the Town of Princess Anne. In addition, Somerset is participating in the One Maryland Program, which offers significant tax credits for capital investments that create jobs. The County’s EDC is working on developing services in and around Princess Anne to assist the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and commercial interests in the waterfront of Crisfield. Also, plans and studies are still moving forward with a ferry service, a hotel conference center and developing industrial projects such as a Wal-Mart Distribution Center, Bio Diesel Facility, Oddi Atlantic Manufacturing and an Ethanol Plant.

Selected Employers
Firm	Employment ( Seasonal)*
Eastern Correctional Institution	979
University of Maryland Eastern Shore	950
Lankford/SYSCO Foods	750
McCready Hospital	275
PNC	250
Manokin Manor	165
Rubberset Company	160
Somerset County Developmental Center	150
Custom Pak	132
Southern Connection	120*
Three Lower Counties Community Services	105
Austin Cox Mechanical	85
Food Lion	75
ODDI Atlantic	65
Tidewater Express	55
John T. Handy Co., Inc.	50*
Metompkin Bay Oyster	50*
Mountaire Farms of Delmarva, Inc.	50
McDonald’s	40
Peaky’s Restaurant	25
Green Light Bio Fuels	15

Labor Availability
By place of residence	Somerset County
*Civilian Labor Force (2003 annual averages):**

Total Civilian Labor Force	11,209

Employment	10,503

Unemployment	706

Unemployment Rate	6.3%

Residents commuting outside the County to work (2000)**	3,837	42.2%
Employment in selected occupations (2000):
Management, Professional & Related	2,321	24.8%

Service	1,983	21.2%

Sales & Office	2,201	23.5%

Production, transp.,& material moving	1,414	15.1%
Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Office of Labor Market Analysis and Information; Maryland Department of Planning in conjunction with U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Employment (by place of work)

Industry	2004 Annual Average Employment	%	Average Weekly Wage

Federal Government	69	1.0	$761

State Government	1,918	27.6	687

Local Government	855	12.3	629

Private Employment	4,111	59.1	528

Nat'l Resources & Mining	377	5.4	451

Construction	347	5.0	465

Manufacturing	259	3.7	444
Trade & Transportation, Utilities	1,420	20.4	746

Information	20	0.3	612

Finacial Activities	189	2.7	453

Prof. & Business Services	167	2.4	534

Education & Health Services	762	11.0	461

Leisure & Hospitality	445	6.4	179

Other Service	124	1.8	378

Unclassified	1	0.0	240

Total	6,953	100.0	587

Note: Percentages may not add due to rounding. Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Office of Labor Market Analysis and Information.

Hourly wage rates

(2004) Selected Occupations:	Median	Entry	Experienced

Accountants	$21.75	$15.75	$29.50

Bookkeeping/accounting clerks	12.75	9.75	15.00

Computer systems analysts	27.25	17.25	33.25

Customer service representatives	12.00	8.75	14.25

Electrical engineers	35.50	27.75	41.25

Electronic engineering technicians	19.50	13.75	23.75

Freight, stock & material movers, hand	9.25	7.25	11.00

Industrial truck operators	12.00	9.50	13.50

Machinists	15.75	11.75	17.75

Mixing & blending machine operators	18.25	9.75	19.25

Network administrators	22.75	16.00	27.75

Packaging & filling machine operators	9.50	7.75	10.50

Packers & packagers, hand	6.75	6.00	8.25

Secretaries	12.75	9.50	14.50

Shipping/receiving clerks	11.25	8.75	13.50

Team assemblers	11.25	7.50	14.25

Note: These wages are an estimate of what workers might expect to receive on the Lower Eastern Shore (Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties). Wages may vary by industry, employer, and locality. Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Office of Labor Market Analysis and Information. Click here for a printable PDF file with all the facts and figures contained in this website and more. (You will need Acrobat Reader to read this file.)