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 |
61,570 |
$16.21 |
$33,720 |
| Production occupations |
10,210 |
$14.43 |
$30,020 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
8,410 |
$13.37 |
$27,810 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
6,670 |
$8.30 |
$17,260 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,070 |
$12.90 |
$26,830 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,670 |
$12.39 |
$25,770 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,790 |
$20.59 |
$42,830 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,450 |
$30.45 |
$63,340 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
3,310 |
$14.81 |
$30,800 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,830 |
$17.57 |
$36,540 |
| Management occupations |
2,530 |
$40.62 |
$84,480 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,190 |
$10.82 |
$22,500 |
| Cashiers |
1,850 |
$8.11 |
$16,870 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,820 |
$9.87 |
$20,520 |
| Team assemblers |
1,780 |
$12.94 |
$26,920 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,730 |
$11.27 |
$23,440 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,460 |
$7.40 |
$15,400 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,360 |
$11.11 |
$23,110 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,230 |
$29.70 |
$61,780 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,040 |
$24.30 |
$50,540 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,040 |
$7.44 |
$15,470 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
990 |
$9.13 |
$19,000 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
990 |
$12.86 |
$26,740 |
| Protective service occupations |
930 |
$15.50 |
$32,250 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
920 |
$9.62 |
$20,010 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
910 |
$10.51 |
$21,860 |
| Cooks, fast food |
860 |
$7.33 |
$15,250 |
| General and operations managers |
860 |
$43.40 |
$90,280 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
860 |
Not available |
$46,400 |
| Community and social services occupations |
820 |
$17.75 |
$36,920 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
810 |
$16.80 |
$34,930 |
| Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders |
760 |
$12.57 |
$26,140 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
730 |
$14.32 |
$29,790 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
710 |
$10.13 |
$21,060 |
| Helpers--production workers |
710 |
$9.69 |
$20,160 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
700 |
$9.51 |
$19,770 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
700 |
$10.21 |
$21,240 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
670 |
Not available |
$43,260 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
670 |
$16.50 |
$34,310 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
610 |
$24.87 |
$51,730 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
590 |
$15.68 |
$32,610 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
580 |
$11.18 |
$23,260 |
| Customer service representatives |
570 |
$12.58 |
$26,170 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
570 |
$19.40 |
$40,340 |
| Construction laborers |
560 |
$9.77 |
$20,310 |
| Bus drivers, school |
520 |
$8.90 |
$18,500 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
510 |
$13.51 |
$28,100 |
| Food preparation workers |
480 |
$8.08 |
$16,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
470 |
$13.24 |
$27,540 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
460 |
$13.24 |
$27,530 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
460 |
$23.18 |
$48,220 |
| Machinists |
440 |
$15.21 |
$31,640 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
420 |
$13.89 |
$28,900 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
420 |
$11.57 |
$24,070 |
| Electricians |
410 |
$16.03 |
$33,340 |
| Teacher assistants |
410 |
Not available |
$17,090 |
| Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders |
410 |
$12.23 |
$25,440 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
400 |
$24.16 |
$50,250 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
390 |
$9.42 |
$19,590 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
380 |
$25.88 |
$53,840 |
| Industrial engineers |
380 |
$35.65 |
$74,150 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
370 |
$20.25 |
$42,120 |
| Medical assistants |
370 |
$12.91 |
$26,850 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
360 |
$13.14 |
$27,330 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
350 |
$19.21 |
$39,960 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
340 |
$12.01 |
$24,980 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
330 |
Not available |
$46,210 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
330 |
$13.22 |
$27,510 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
320 |
$17.85 |
$37,140 |
| Child care workers |
320 |
$7.28 |
$15,150 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
310 |
$14.64 |
$30,440 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
300 |
$23.77 |
$49,440 |
| Dishwashers |
300 |
$8.32 |
$17,300 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
290 |
$7.35 |
$15,280 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
280 |
$7.23 |
$15,030 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
280 |
$16.75 |
$34,840 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
280 |
$17.33 |
$36,040 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
270 |
$8.46 |
$17,590 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
270 |
$23.80 |
$49,510 |
| Tellers |
270 |
$11.47 |
$23,850 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
250 |
$18.35 |
$38,170 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
250 |
$17.52 |
$36,440 |
| Carpenters |
240 |
$14.04 |
$29,200 |
| Driver/sales workers |
240 |
$14.00 |
$29,120 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
240 |
$15.90 |
$33,080 |
| Accountants and auditors |
230 |
$25.71 |
$53,480 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
220 |
$7.29 |
$15,160 |
| Home health aides |
210 |
$9.15 |
$19,020 |
| Legal occupations |
210 |
$33.13 |
$68,910 |
| Engine and other machine assemblers |
200 |
$9.16 |
$19,050 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
200 |
$8.04 |
$16,720 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
200 |
$7.90 |
$16,440 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
200 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Extruding and forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, synthetic and glass fibers |
190 |
$17.84 |
$37,120 |
| Social and human service assistants |
190 |
$12.68 |
$26,380 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
180 |
$17.16 |
$35,690 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
180 |
$12.70 |
$26,420 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
180 |
$12.68 |
$26,380 |
| Sheet metal workers |
180 |
$16.71 |
$34,760 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
170 |
$14.88 |
$30,950 |
| Pharmacists |
170 |
$50.92 |
$105,910 |
| Dental hygienists |
160 |
$26.26 |
$54,610 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
160 |
$16.46 |
$34,240 |
| Bartenders |
150 |
$8.11 |
$16,860 |
| Bill and account collectors |
150 |
$12.55 |
$26,100 |
| Chief executives |
150 |
$78.96 |
$164,240 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
150 |
$9.31 |
$19,370 |
| Construction managers |
150 |
$38.13 |
$79,310 |
| Medical and health services managers |
150 |
$37.14 |
$77,260 |
| Sewing machine operators |
150 |
$12.12 |
$25,220 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
140 |
$9.86 |
$20,500 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
140 |
$9.40 |
$19,540 |
| Industrial production managers |
140 |
$37.02 |
$76,990 |
| Parts salespersons |
140 |
$13.99 |
$29,110 |
| Security guards |
140 |
$13.25 |
$27,550 |
| Social workers, all other |
140 |
$15.46 |
$32,160 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
130 |
$15.23 |
$31,690 |
| Dental assistants |
130 |
$15.54 |
$32,320 |
| Insurance sales agents |
130 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Mechanical engineers |
130 |
$36.93 |
$76,820 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
130 |
$18.69 |
$38,870 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
130 |
$11.30 |
$23,500 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
120 |
$11.74 |
$24,420 |
| Helpers--electricians |
120 |
$12.70 |
$26,420 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
120 |
$89.72 |
$186,630 |
| Sales managers |
120 |
$44.08 |
$91,680 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
120 |
$16.23 |
$33,760 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
120 |
$11.52 |
$23,960 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
110 |
Not available |
$75,790 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
110 |
$27.38 |
$56,950 |
| Financial managers |
110 |
$44.25 |
$92,030 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
110 |
$29.56 |
$61,490 |
| Food service managers |
110 |
$20.26 |
$42,150 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
110 |
$7.78 |
$16,180 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
110 |
$10.67 |
$22,190 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
110 |
$25.17 |
$52,360 |
| Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians |
100 |
$8.59 |
$17,870 |
| Engineering managers |
100 |
$46.84 |
$97,430 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
100 |
$9.27 |
$19,280 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
100 |
$15.16 |
$31,530 |
| Medical secretaries |
100 |
$12.79 |
$26,610 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
100 |
$32.81 |
$68,250 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
100 |
Not available |
$45,460 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
90 |
$11.42 |
$23,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
90 |
$14.86 |
$30,900 |
| Recreation workers |
90 |
$10.53 |
$21,900 |
| Administrative services managers |
80 |
$26.96 |
$56,070 |
| Computer programmers |
80 |
$23.72 |
$49,330 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
80 |
$15.26 |
$31,730 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
80 |
$23.95 |
$49,830 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
80 |
$15.45 |
$32,130 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
80 |
$10.28 |
$21,390 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
80 |
$14.59 |
$30,340 |
| Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
80 |
$17.45 |
$36,290 |
| Lawyers |
80 |
$55.05 |
$114,490 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
80 |
$15.33 |
$31,880 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
80 |
$16.47 |
$34,270 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
80 |
$14.48 |
$30,120 |
| Printing machine operators |
80 |
$13.05 |
$27,140 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
80 |
$10.25 |
$21,330 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
70 |
$7.36 |
$15,300 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
70 |
$25.53 |
$53,110 |
| Computer support specialists |
70 |
$17.50 |
$36,390 |
| Cost estimators |
70 |
$24.82 |
$51,620 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
70 |
$23.33 |
$48,520 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
70 |
$12.54 |
$26,090 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
70 |
$9.69 |
$20,160 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
70 |
Not available |
$44,190 |
| Librarians |
70 |
$24.15 |
$50,240 |
| Loan officers |
70 |
$26.15 |
$54,400 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
70 |
$16.13 |
$33,550 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
70 |
$12.97 |
$26,980 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
70 |
$13.60 |
$28,280 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
70 |
Not available |
$45,100 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
70 |
$11.30 |
$23,510 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
70 |
$15.94 |
$33,160 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$13.32 |
$27,700 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
60 |
$17.61 |
$36,630 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
60 |
$12.23 |
$25,440 |
| Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall |
60 |
$13.80 |
$28,700 |
| Mechanical drafters |
60 |
$24.74 |
$51,460 |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$22.41 |
$46,610 |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$12.91 |
$26,850 |
| Family and general practitioners |
50 |
$78.07 |
$162,380 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
50 |
$14.14 |
$29,410 |
| Management analysts |
50 |
$26.15 |
$54,380 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
50 |
$26.34 |
$54,780 |
| Order clerks |
50 |
$12.26 |
$25,490 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
50 |
$22.76 |
$47,340 |
| Physical therapists |
50 |
$35.58 |
$74,010 |
| Pipelayers |
50 |
$13.28 |
$27,610 |
| Production workers, all other |
50 |
$13.79 |
$28,690 |
| Public relations specialists |
50 |
$21.81 |
$45,370 |
| Roofers |
50 |
$13.72 |
$28,540 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
50 |
$19.83 |
$41,240 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
50 |
$15.57 |
$32,400 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
50 |
$13.23 |
$27,520 |
| Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
50 |
$11.77 |
$24,480 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
40 |
$13.64 |
$28,360 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
40 |
$16.39 |
$34,100 |
| Civil engineers |
40 |
$25.32 |
$52,670 |
| Education administrators, postsecondary |
40 |
$26.61 |
$55,360 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
40 |
$19.72 |
$41,020 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
40 |
$24.53 |
$51,020 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$22.15 |
$46,080 |
| Legislators |
40 |
Not available |
$18,680 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
40 |
$13.73 |
$28,560 |
| Logisticians |
40 |
$28.65 |
$59,590 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
40 |
$13.25 |
$27,570 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
40 |
$9.86 |
$20,520 |
| Personal financial advisors |
40 |
$27.46 |
$57,110 |
| Pest control workers |
40 |
$13.84 |
$28,790 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
40 |
$15.52 |
$32,280 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials |
40 |
$8.71 |
$18,120 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
40 |
$19.77 |
$41,110 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
40 |
$28.43 |
$59,130 |
| Tool and die makers |
40 |
$21.51 |
$44,750 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
40 |
$14.23 |
$29,590 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
30 |
$15.87 |
$33,010 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
30 |
$19.51 |
$40,580 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
30 |
$18.97 |
$39,460 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
30 |
$19.56 |
$40,680 |
| Data entry keyers |
30 |
$11.24 |
$23,380 |
| Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers |
30 |
$14.98 |
$31,160 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
30 |
$13.59 |
$28,260 |
| Floral designers |
30 |
$10.01 |
$20,820 |
| Graphic designers |
30 |
$15.76 |
$32,770 |
| Library technicians |
30 |
$9.76 |
$20,300 |
| Photographers |
30 |
$18.07 |
$37,590 |
| Procurement clerks |
30 |
$15.27 |
$31,760 |
| Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders |
30 |
$12.67 |
$26,350 |
| Tile and marble setters |
30 |
$17.80 |
$37,030 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
30 |
$42.91 |
$89,260 |
| Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers |
30 |
$7.30 |
$15,190 |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
Not available |
$24.36 |
$50,670 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
Not available |
$19.14 |
$39,810 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
Not available |
$11.69 |
$24,320 |
| Coaches and scouts |
Not available |
Not available |
$26,190 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
Not available |
$23.85 |
$49,600 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$7.30 |
$15,190 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
Not available |
$13.21 |
$27,480 |
| Fire fighters |
Not available |
$15.08 |
$31,370 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
Not available |
$11.89 |
$24,720 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$19.42 |
$40,390 |
| Market research analysts |
Not available |
$16.38 |
$34,080 |
| Millwrights |
Not available |
$19.05 |
$39,630 |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation |
Not available |
$14.38 |
$29,910 |
| Real estate brokers |
Not available |
$18.70 |
$38,890 |
| Real estate sales agents |
Not available |
$19.02 |
$39,560 |
| Tax preparers |
Not available |
$16.21 |
$33,710 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
Not available |
Not available |
$52,720 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
Not available |
$11.83 |
$24,610 |
