Twice a year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics compiles occupational employment and wage estimates by surveying employers nationwide. Current data was released May 1, 2009.
| Occupation |
Total employment |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage |
| All Occupations |
41,880 |
$9.56 |
$19,890 |
| Production occupations |
7,160 |
$8.17 |
$16,980 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
6,240 |
$8.17 |
$17,000 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,360 |
$7.84 |
$16,310 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
3,460 |
$7.92 |
$16,460 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
2,910 |
$7.13 |
$14,820 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,700 |
$7.46 |
$15,510 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,350 |
$7.09 |
$14,740 |
| Team assemblers |
2,120 |
$7.80 |
$16,220 |
| Cashiers |
2,020 |
$6.78 |
$14,110 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
1,740 |
$11.07 |
$23,030 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,510 |
$7.15 |
$14,870 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,350 |
$7.48 |
$15,560 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,120 |
$9.61 |
$19,990 |
| Management occupations |
1,080 |
$23.98 |
$49,870 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
840 |
$6.99 |
$14,530 |
| Construction laborers |
820 |
$6.91 |
$14,360 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
820 |
$7.04 |
$14,640 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
780 |
$7.03 |
$14,620 |
| Office clerks, general |
760 |
$7.37 |
$15,340 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
740 |
$12.78 |
$26,570 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
740 |
$7.09 |
$14,750 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
720 |
$7.69 |
$16,000 |
| Protective service occupations |
680 |
$7.42 |
$15,430 |
| Registered nurses |
660 |
$11.47 |
$23,850 |
| Food preparation workers |
640 |
$6.76 |
$14,050 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
610 |
$19.95 |
$41,490 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
590 |
$6.74 |
$14,010 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
530 |
$6.84 |
$14,220 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
500 |
$10.75 |
$22,350 |
| Cooks, fast food |
480 |
$6.80 |
$14,140 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
480 |
$7.34 |
$15,280 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
440 |
$12.83 |
$26,690 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
430 |
$8.41 |
$17,490 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
420 |
Not available |
$24,480 |
| Community and social services occupations |
410 |
$13.16 |
$27,360 |
| Carpenters |
400 |
$7.95 |
$16,540 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
340 |
$6.84 |
$14,220 |
| Security guards |
340 |
$7.15 |
$14,880 |
| Production workers, all other |
330 |
$8.94 |
$18,590 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
320 |
$8.69 |
$18,080 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
310 |
$8.64 |
$17,970 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
300 |
$8.45 |
$17,570 |
| Pharmacy aides |
300 |
$7.93 |
$16,500 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
290 |
$6.81 |
$14,170 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
270 |
$9.41 |
$19,580 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
260 |
$9.86 |
$20,510 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
260 |
$8.05 |
$16,750 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
250 |
$7.69 |
$16,000 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
250 |
$12.05 |
$25,060 |
| Tellers |
250 |
$7.86 |
$16,340 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
240 |
$19.02 |
$39,550 |
| Customer service representatives |
240 |
$7.59 |
$15,790 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
240 |
$15.46 |
$32,150 |
| Medical secretaries |
240 |
$6.92 |
$14,390 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
230 |
$7.80 |
$16,220 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
230 |
$14.33 |
$29,810 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
230 |
$6.86 |
$14,270 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
220 |
$6.97 |
$14,500 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
220 |
$7.35 |
$15,300 |
| Accountants and auditors |
210 |
$12.51 |
$26,010 |
| Helpers--electricians |
210 |
$7.21 |
$14,990 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
200 |
$6.86 |
$14,260 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
200 |
$6.82 |
$14,190 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
190 |
$6.86 |
$14,260 |
| Legal secretaries |
190 |
$7.14 |
$14,840 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
180 |
$6.96 |
$14,470 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
170 |
$7.07 |
$14,710 |
| Helpers--production workers |
170 |
$7.22 |
$15,020 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
160 |
$10.67 |
$22,190 |
| Managers, all other |
160 |
$17.90 |
$37,240 |
| Bakers |
150 |
$7.29 |
$15,160 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
150 |
$7.39 |
$15,380 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
150 |
$7.84 |
$16,310 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
150 |
$6.96 |
$14,480 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
140 |
$9.19 |
$19,120 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
140 |
$7.17 |
$14,920 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
130 |
$7.67 |
$15,960 |
| Electricians |
130 |
$11.17 |
$23,240 |
| General and operations managers |
130 |
$25.32 |
$52,650 |
| Industrial engineers |
130 |
$27.78 |
$57,790 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
130 |
$8.92 |
$18,550 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
120 |
$7.58 |
$15,770 |
| Dental assistants |
120 |
$7.11 |
$14,780 |
| Financial managers |
120 |
$25.18 |
$52,380 |
| Civil engineers |
110 |
$25.62 |
$53,280 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
110 |
$13.30 |
$27,660 |
| Personal and home care aides |
110 |
$6.87 |
$14,290 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
110 |
$6.89 |
$14,320 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
100 |
$9.50 |
$19,760 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
100 |
$6.84 |
$14,240 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
100 |
$10.69 |
$22,240 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
100 |
$11.19 |
$23,270 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
100 |
$6.96 |
$14,470 |
| Teacher assistants |
100 |
Not available |
$14,030 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
90 |
$6.79 |
$14,120 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
90 |
$7.66 |
$15,940 |
| Bill and account collectors |
80 |
$9.15 |
$19,030 |
| Data entry keyers |
70 |
$7.60 |
$15,800 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
70 |
$10.35 |
$21,530 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
70 |
$6.82 |
$14,180 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
70 |
$13.99 |
$29,110 |
| Recreation workers |
70 |
$7.34 |
$15,260 |
| Social and human service assistants |
70 |
$9.11 |
$18,950 |
| Word processors and typists |
70 |
$7.61 |
$15,840 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
60 |
$8.90 |
$18,520 |
| Bus drivers, school |
60 |
$6.99 |
$14,540 |
| Computer support specialists |
60 |
$12.34 |
$25,660 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$9.43 |
$19,610 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
60 |
$13.52 |
$28,120 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
60 |
$7.36 |
$15,300 |
| Industrial production managers |
60 |
$40.33 |
$83,890 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
60 |
$14.41 |
$29,970 |
| Loan officers |
60 |
$15.34 |
$31,910 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
60 |
$8.84 |
$18,390 |
| Pharmacists |
60 |
$28.24 |
$58,740 |
| All other information and record clerks |
50 |
$9.65 |
$20,060 |
| Chief executives |
50 |
$40.67 |
$84,600 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
50 |
$9.21 |
$19,160 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
50 |
$7.01 |
$14,590 |
| Home health aides |
50 |
$6.89 |
$14,330 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
50 |
$8.60 |
$17,890 |
| Physical therapists |
50 |
$11.42 |
$23,740 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$14.14 |
$29,410 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
50 |
$10.66 |
$22,180 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
50 |
$7.44 |
$15,470 |
| Bartenders |
40 |
$6.99 |
$14,550 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
40 |
$7.09 |
$14,750 |
| Computer programmers |
40 |
$14.36 |
$29,860 |
| Couriers and messengers |
40 |
$7.47 |
$15,530 |
| Dishwashers |
40 |
$7.20 |
$14,980 |
| Education administrators, postsecondary |
40 |
$22.55 |
$46,900 |
| Engineers, all other |
40 |
$23.58 |
$49,050 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
40 |
$7.89 |
$16,420 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
40 |
$11.43 |
$23,770 |
| Food service managers |
40 |
$17.48 |
$36,360 |
| Helpers, construction trades, all other |
40 |
$7.89 |
$16,420 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
40 |
$6.83 |
$14,210 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
40 |
$9.66 |
$20,090 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
40 |
$7.25 |
$15,090 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
40 |
$8.38 |
$17,430 |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$7.23 |
$15,040 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
40 |
$7.14 |
$14,840 |
| Sales managers |
40 |
$17.26 |
$35,900 |
| Surgical technologists |
40 |
$7.02 |
$14,590 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
40 |
$8.73 |
$18,160 |
| Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians |
30 |
$6.84 |
$14,230 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
30 |
$8.91 |
$18,540 |
| Computer systems analysts |
30 |
$24.01 |
$49,930 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
30 |
$13.11 |
$27,270 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
30 |
$9.37 |
$19,480 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
30 |
$9.36 |
$19,480 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
30 |
$6.84 |
$14,230 |
| Child care workers |
Not available |
$6.71 |
$13,960 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$7.63 |
$15,880 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
Not available |
$7.76 |
$16,140 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
Not available |
$10.48 |
$21,790 |
| New accounts clerks |
Not available |
$9.36 |
$19,470 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
Not available |
$8.27 |
$17,200 |
| Order clerks |
Not available |
$8.37 |
$17,410 |
| Parts salespersons |
Not available |
$6.62 |
$13,770 |
| Pipelayers |
Not available |
$8.13 |
$16,910 |
| Security and fire alarm systems installers |
Not available |
$18.82 |
$39,150 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$6.90 |
$14,350 |
| Tool and die makers |
Not available |
$13.99 |
$29,090 |
