Workers in Honolulu's construction, health care and food preparation industries earn significantly more than their Mainland counterparts, according to a report released yesterday by a federal agency.

The report did not make any adjustments for Honolulu's cost of living.

The report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics analyzed 22 major occupational groups in May 2008 and found that workers in Honolulu earned more than the national average in 11 categories, and less than the national average in 11 categories. The average wage for all occupations in Honolulu was $20.54, slightly higher than the national average of $20.32.

In construction, workers in Honolulu earned an average of $27.34 an hour, 34.3 percent more than the national average, according to the report. Construction workers made up 5.5 percent of the workforce, higher than the national average of 4.8 percent.

Workers in a wide-ranging category titled "health care practitioner and technical," which includes physicians, dentists, lab technicians, paramedics, pharmacists and athletic trainers, earned an average of $39.48 an hour, 21 percent higher than the national average. Those workers comprised 4.4 percent of Honolulu's workforce compared with 5.2 percent nationally.

The average wage among Honolulu's food preparers and servers was $11.24 an hour, 15.6 percent higher than the national average. Food preparation and serving jobs accounted for 9.7 percent of Honolulu's workforce compared with 10.5 percent nationally.

Categories where Honolulu workers earned less than the national average included management; business and financial operations; computer and mathematical science; and art design, entertainment, sports and media.