High-tech toy designers and Santa's sleigh-traffic controllers are among the highest paid North Pole hourly jobs listed in the newly released 2006 Elf-Wage index (EWI). The EWI, which was commissioned by SnagAJob.com, is a ranking of elfin employment in St. Nick's labor pool.

So what are Santa's helpers earning these days?

According to the index, which is tied to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, getting Santa off the ground tops the list. Sleigh traffic controllers are the North Pole's highest hourly wage earners ($50.88 per hour), followed by "Santa's list keepers" ($30.41). These elves keep track of who's been naughty and who's been nice, not to mention logging all those toy requests, using sophisticated global database management tools. Making certain children have visions of dancing sugar plums during the holiday season, candy-making elves come in earning a sweet hourly wage ($10.82).

"This year's EWI underscores just how much Santa and the entire holiday season relies on the hourly worker to make the yuletide special," said Shawn Boyer, founder and CEO of SnagAJob.com. The breakdown of other elf hourly wages according to the 2006 EWI includes:

ï Reindeer handler - $14.19

ï Basic toy maker - $14.37

ï Hi-tech toy maker - $15.41