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 |
58,680 |
$15.86 |
$32,980 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
9,900 |
$13.09 |
$27,220 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,850 |
$12.79 |
$26,610 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,470 |
$9.41 |
$19,580 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
5,220 |
$13.39 |
$27,840 |
| Production occupations |
5,020 |
$15.65 |
$32,550 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,130 |
$28.47 |
$59,220 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,290 |
$18.88 |
$39,280 |
| Retail salespersons |
3,200 |
$10.34 |
$21,500 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,550 |
$17.01 |
$35,370 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,340 |
$16.28 |
$33,860 |
| Cashiers |
2,120 |
$8.13 |
$16,920 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,070 |
$11.73 |
$24,400 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,860 |
$10.98 |
$22,850 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,800 |
$9.60 |
$19,970 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,670 |
$10.76 |
$22,380 |
| Management occupations |
1,590 |
$34.62 |
$72,020 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,510 |
$8.36 |
$17,400 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,440 |
$24.58 |
$51,130 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,360 |
$10.93 |
$22,740 |
| Registered nurses |
1,350 |
$24.91 |
$51,820 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,320 |
$17.10 |
$35,560 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,050 |
$16.92 |
$35,200 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,040 |
$11.41 |
$23,730 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
990 |
$8.78 |
$18,250 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
960 |
$22.82 |
$47,460 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
880 |
Not available |
$45,060 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
850 |
$10.90 |
$22,680 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
840 |
$12.15 |
$25,270 |
| Protective service occupations |
840 |
$15.78 |
$32,820 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
800 |
$13.07 |
$27,190 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
790 |
$10.84 |
$22,540 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
770 |
$16.45 |
$34,210 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
760 |
$13.00 |
$27,040 |
| Teacher assistants |
740 |
Not available |
$17,940 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
730 |
$26.88 |
$55,910 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
710 |
$28.51 |
$59,300 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
700 |
$17.11 |
$35,590 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
690 |
$14.69 |
$30,550 |
| Customer service representatives |
610 |
$12.84 |
$26,710 |
| Carpenters |
600 |
$14.05 |
$29,220 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
580 |
$9.98 |
$20,750 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
540 |
$14.26 |
$29,650 |
| Home health aides |
520 |
$9.72 |
$20,210 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
490 |
$20.97 |
$43,620 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
490 |
$10.02 |
$20,850 |
| Personal and home care aides |
450 |
$8.38 |
$17,430 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
440 |
$9.81 |
$20,410 |
| Food preparation workers |
430 |
$8.89 |
$18,490 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
430 |
Not available |
$45,270 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
420 |
$12.66 |
$26,340 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
420 |
$20.03 |
$41,670 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
390 |
$9.04 |
$18,790 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
390 |
$15.25 |
$31,710 |
| Bartenders |
380 |
$8.37 |
$17,410 |
| Construction laborers |
380 |
$11.77 |
$24,480 |
| Team assemblers |
370 |
$13.38 |
$27,830 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
330 |
$19.81 |
$41,210 |
| General and operations managers |
320 |
$37.33 |
$77,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
310 |
$23.73 |
$49,360 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
310 |
$10.12 |
$21,040 |
| Medical secretaries |
310 |
$12.87 |
$26,770 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
300 |
$9.48 |
$19,720 |
| Helpers--production workers |
300 |
$11.60 |
$24,130 |
| Medical assistants |
300 |
$11.45 |
$23,810 |
| Security guards |
280 |
$9.67 |
$20,110 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
270 |
$10.39 |
$21,600 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
270 |
$12.48 |
$25,960 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
270 |
Not available |
$47,260 |
| Tellers |
270 |
$10.87 |
$22,600 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
260 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
250 |
$11.16 |
$23,220 |
| Accountants and auditors |
240 |
$26.82 |
$55,790 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
240 |
$20.71 |
$43,070 |
| Child care workers |
230 |
$8.53 |
$17,740 |
| Dishwashers |
230 |
$7.86 |
$16,340 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
200 |
$8.50 |
$17,670 |
| Parts salespersons |
200 |
$13.52 |
$28,120 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
200 |
$12.38 |
$25,750 |
| Driver/sales workers |
190 |
$11.27 |
$23,430 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
180 |
$12.90 |
$26,840 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
180 |
$15.95 |
$33,180 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
180 |
$23.00 |
$47,850 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
180 |
$21.15 |
$43,980 |
| Computer systems analysts |
170 |
$39.27 |
$81,690 |
| Machinists |
170 |
$16.60 |
$34,520 |
| Computer support specialists |
160 |
$15.67 |
$32,590 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
160 |
$15.72 |
$32,700 |
| Insurance sales agents |
160 |
$19.23 |
$40,000 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
160 |
$24.89 |
$51,770 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Social and human service assistants |
160 |
$10.92 |
$22,710 |
| Civil engineers |
150 |
$30.74 |
$63,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
150 |
$25.21 |
$52,430 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
150 |
$15.74 |
$32,740 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
150 |
$20.73 |
$43,120 |
| Cost estimators |
140 |
$27.70 |
$57,610 |
| Family and general practitioners |
140 |
$90.69 |
$188,630 |
| Bill and account collectors |
130 |
$13.30 |
$27,660 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
130 |
$18.75 |
$39,000 |
| Chief executives |
130 |
$53.81 |
$111,920 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
130 |
$19.52 |
$40,610 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
130 |
$19.59 |
$40,750 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
130 |
$15.41 |
$32,050 |
| Medical and health services managers |
130 |
$47.88 |
$99,590 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
130 |
$21.02 |
$43,720 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
120 |
$17.14 |
$35,650 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
120 |
$9.48 |
$19,720 |
| Cooks, short order |
120 |
$9.30 |
$19,330 |
| Dental assistants |
120 |
$13.10 |
$27,250 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
120 |
$24.18 |
$50,290 |
| Electricians |
120 |
$21.63 |
$44,990 |
| Financial managers |
120 |
$30.67 |
$63,790 |
| Legal occupations |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Legal secretaries |
120 |
$14.23 |
$29,600 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
120 |
$22.91 |
$47,650 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
120 |
$14.96 |
$31,110 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
120 |
$14.23 |
$29,600 |
| Pharmacists |
120 |
$44.83 |
$93,240 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
120 |
$17.31 |
$36,000 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
110 |
$18.70 |
$38,890 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
110 |
$12.45 |
$25,900 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
110 |
$15.53 |
$32,310 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
110 |
$16.99 |
$35,340 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
110 |
$10.72 |
$22,290 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
110 |
$26.90 |
$55,950 |
| Printing machine operators |
110 |
$13.71 |
$28,510 |
| Sewing machine operators |
110 |
$10.26 |
$21,350 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
100 |
$23.14 |
$48,130 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
100 |
$26.87 |
$55,890 |
| Mental health counselors |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
100 |
$17.25 |
$35,890 |
| Physician assistants |
100 |
$28.72 |
$59,730 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
100 |
$23.69 |
$49,270 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
100 |
$17.06 |
$35,490 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
100 |
$24.09 |
$50,110 |
| Word processors and typists |
100 |
$14.54 |
$30,250 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
90 |
$12.60 |
$26,210 |
| Computer programmers |
90 |
$22.58 |
$46,970 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
90 |
$8.28 |
$17,210 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$80,970 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
90 |
$21.63 |
$44,990 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
90 |
$13.70 |
$28,490 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
90 |
$22.04 |
$45,840 |
| File clerks |
90 |
$12.00 |
$24,960 |
| Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders |
90 |
$20.56 |
$42,770 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
90 |
$15.69 |
$32,630 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
90 |
$20.47 |
$42,570 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
90 |
$105.54 |
$219,530 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
90 |
$9.61 |
$19,990 |
| Recreation workers |
90 |
$10.76 |
$22,370 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
90 |
$16.93 |
$35,210 |
| Bakers |
80 |
$10.05 |
$20,890 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$16.07 |
$33,420 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
80 |
$19.07 |
$39,660 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
80 |
$34.47 |
$71,700 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
80 |
$9.06 |
$18,850 |
| Food service managers |
80 |
$22.04 |
$45,850 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
80 |
$16.04 |
$33,370 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Marketing managers |
80 |
$26.65 |
$55,440 |
| Mechanical engineers |
80 |
$33.62 |
$69,930 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
80 |
$13.53 |
$28,140 |
| Photographers |
80 |
$15.08 |
$31,360 |
| Roofers |
80 |
$10.27 |
$21,360 |
| Sales managers |
80 |
$37.18 |
$77,330 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
80 |
Not available |
$53,060 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
70 |
$18.37 |
$38,210 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
70 |
$18.92 |
$39,350 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
70 |
$15.00 |
$31,200 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
70 |
$14.57 |
$30,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
70 |
$19.59 |
$40,760 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
70 |
$13.93 |
$28,980 |
| Graphic designers |
70 |
$15.52 |
$32,270 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
70 |
$12.42 |
$25,840 |
| Industrial engineers |
70 |
$33.38 |
$69,430 |
| Industrial production managers |
70 |
$33.93 |
$70,570 |
| Loan officers |
70 |
$17.58 |
$36,570 |
| Occupational therapists |
70 |
$25.24 |
$52,490 |
| Public relations specialists |
70 |
$19.21 |
$39,950 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
70 |
$25.10 |
$52,210 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
70 |
$24.94 |
$51,880 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
70 |
$9.38 |
$19,510 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
70 |
$10.05 |
$20,900 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
60 |
$21.10 |
$43,890 |
| Dental hygienists |
60 |
$24.66 |
$51,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
60 |
$20.42 |
$42,480 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
60 |
$30.92 |
$64,310 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
60 |
$10.27 |
$21,360 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$9.43 |
$19,620 |
| Legislators |
60 |
Not available |
$23,910 |
| Market research analysts |
60 |
$25.85 |
$53,760 |
| Ophthalmic laboratory technicians |
60 |
$11.43 |
$23,770 |
| Order clerks |
60 |
$13.91 |
$28,930 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
60 |
$16.17 |
$33,640 |
| Physical therapists |
60 |
$34.04 |
$70,800 |
| Real estate sales agents |
60 |
$16.52 |
$34,370 |
| Social and community service managers |
60 |
$21.93 |
$45,620 |
| Stationary engineers and boiler operators |
60 |
$20.74 |
$43,140 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
60 |
$11.63 |
$24,190 |
| Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents |
60 |
$22.43 |
$46,660 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
50 |
$13.93 |
$28,970 |
| Computer operators |
50 |
$13.66 |
$28,410 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
50 |
$36.02 |
$74,910 |
| Crossing guards |
50 |
$10.52 |
$21,890 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
50 |
$21.69 |
$45,110 |
| Food batchmakers |
50 |
$9.42 |
$19,600 |
| Home appliance repairers |
50 |
$13.68 |
$28,460 |
| Lawyers |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Librarians |
50 |
$22.82 |
$47,460 |
| Logisticians |
50 |
$20.79 |
$43,240 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
50 |
$13.71 |
$28,510 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
50 |
$31.84 |
$66,220 |
| Surgical technologists |
50 |
$18.67 |
$38,820 |
| Tax preparers |
50 |
$11.75 |
$24,450 |
| Training and development specialists |
50 |
$18.73 |
$38,960 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Administrative services managers |
40 |
$35.01 |
$72,820 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
40 |
$25.15 |
$52,310 |
| Construction managers |
40 |
$25.03 |
$52,050 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
40 |
$15.15 |
$31,510 |
| Data entry keyers |
40 |
$10.81 |
$22,490 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
40 |
$20.48 |
$42,600 |
| Engineering managers |
40 |
$43.09 |
$89,630 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Funeral directors |
40 |
$21.17 |
$44,030 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
40 |
$9.59 |
$19,950 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
40 |
$11.64 |
$24,200 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
40 |
$19.99 |
$41,570 |
| Photographic processing machine operators |
40 |
$10.03 |
$20,870 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
40 |
$19.60 |
$40,760 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
40 |
$18.69 |
$38,880 |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$15.36 |
$31,940 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$50,780 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
40 |
$20.76 |
$43,170 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
40 |
$10.25 |
$21,330 |
| Tool and die makers |
40 |
$17.79 |
$37,000 |
| Advertising sales agents |
30 |
$23.57 |
$49,020 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
30 |
$17.83 |
$37,090 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
30 |
$41.26 |
$85,810 |
| Dentists, general |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
30 |
$16.68 |
$34,690 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
30 |
$13.19 |
$27,430 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
30 |
$15.02 |
$31,240 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
30 |
$7.77 |
$16,160 |
| Management analysts |
30 |
$40.09 |
$83,380 |
| Personal financial advisors |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
30 |
$10.48 |
$21,800 |
| Transportation attendants, except flight attendants and baggage porters |
30 |
$10.20 |
$21,210 |
| Veterinarians |
30 |
$30.30 |
$63,020 |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
Not available |
$17.64 |
$36,680 |
| Architects, except landscape and naval |
Not available |
$30.25 |
$62,920 |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
Not available |
$21.70 |
$45,130 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$7.92 |
$16,480 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$7.68 |
$15,970 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
Not available |
$12.52 |
$26,050 |
| Electronics engineers, except computer |
Not available |
$27.14 |
$56,450 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$10.14 |
$21,080 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
Not available |
$14.22 |
$29,580 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
Not available |
$9.73 |
$20,240 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$13.83 |
$28,760 |
| Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers |
Not available |
$23.69 |
$49,270 |
| Respiratory therapists |
Not available |
$24.15 |
$50,230 |
