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 |
47,810 |
$16.23 |
$33,760 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
6,710 |
$13.40 |
$27,870 |
| Production occupations |
6,170 |
$14.73 |
$30,630 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,730 |
$12.66 |
$26,340 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,690 |
$8.02 |
$16,680 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
4,110 |
$19.02 |
$39,570 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,090 |
$13.00 |
$27,040 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,710 |
$18.80 |
$39,110 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,590 |
$28.86 |
$60,030 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,900 |
$15.74 |
$32,750 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,700 |
$11.34 |
$23,590 |
| Cashiers |
1,700 |
$7.66 |
$15,940 |
| Management occupations |
1,480 |
$38.83 |
$80,760 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,450 |
$10.92 |
$22,720 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,360 |
$26.89 |
$55,930 |
| Team assemblers |
1,250 |
$11.99 |
$24,930 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,230 |
$10.52 |
$21,870 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,190 |
$10.94 |
$22,760 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,190 |
$13.30 |
$27,670 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,100 |
$7.46 |
$15,510 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,030 |
$16.45 |
$34,220 |
| Registered nurses |
1,030 |
$29.61 |
$61,590 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
970 |
$6.82 |
$14,190 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
960 |
$8.69 |
$18,080 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
910 |
$20.86 |
$43,380 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
750 |
$10.99 |
$22,850 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
710 |
$18.09 |
$37,620 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
680 |
$18.10 |
$37,650 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
660 |
$29.99 |
$62,390 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
650 |
$9.66 |
$20,080 |
| General and operations managers |
640 |
$38.58 |
$80,250 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
610 |
$15.04 |
$31,280 |
| Office clerks, general |
610 |
$9.89 |
$20,580 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
540 |
$21.97 |
$45,690 |
| Machinists |
530 |
$18.25 |
$37,960 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
530 |
$9.92 |
$20,640 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
530 |
$19.03 |
$39,590 |
| Community and social services occupations |
510 |
$16.74 |
$34,830 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
510 |
Not available |
$43,330 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
480 |
$13.00 |
$27,050 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
460 |
Not available |
$44,370 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
460 |
$12.41 |
$25,820 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
450 |
$29.42 |
$61,200 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
420 |
$32.82 |
$68,260 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
420 |
$19.71 |
$41,000 |
| Security guards |
420 |
$14.21 |
$29,550 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
410 |
$14.89 |
$30,970 |
| Cooks, fast food |
390 |
$7.42 |
$15,440 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
390 |
$25.79 |
$53,650 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
360 |
$18.04 |
$37,520 |
| Food preparation workers |
360 |
$7.85 |
$16,340 |
| Teacher assistants |
360 |
Not available |
$16,150 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
350 |
$8.95 |
$18,620 |
| Customer service representatives |
350 |
$14.80 |
$30,790 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
350 |
$13.93 |
$28,970 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
350 |
$13.51 |
$28,090 |
| Sewing machine operators |
350 |
$10.52 |
$21,880 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
340 |
$15.67 |
$32,590 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
310 |
$25.10 |
$52,210 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
310 |
$9.78 |
$20,350 |
| Helpers--production workers |
290 |
$9.28 |
$19,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
270 |
$25.37 |
$52,770 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
270 |
$18.32 |
$38,100 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
270 |
$12.69 |
$26,390 |
| Tellers |
250 |
$9.70 |
$20,190 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
240 |
$14.12 |
$29,370 |
| Construction laborers |
240 |
$11.00 |
$22,870 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
240 |
$12.29 |
$25,560 |
| Medical assistants |
240 |
$12.08 |
$25,140 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
240 |
$18.97 |
$39,460 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
230 |
Not available |
$43,340 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
220 |
$13.35 |
$27,770 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
210 |
$18.65 |
$38,780 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
210 |
$14.07 |
$29,270 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
200 |
$21.43 |
$44,580 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
200 |
$15.18 |
$31,580 |
| Electricians |
190 |
$18.43 |
$38,340 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
190 |
$13.22 |
$27,500 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
190 |
$7.54 |
$15,690 |
| Fire fighters |
180 |
$17.60 |
$36,600 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
180 |
$22.53 |
$46,860 |
| Tree trimmers and pruners |
180 |
$14.36 |
$29,870 |
| Accountants and auditors |
170 |
$25.07 |
$52,150 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
170 |
$10.06 |
$20,920 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
170 |
$19.83 |
$41,260 |
| Carpenters |
140 |
$15.53 |
$32,300 |
| Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door |
140 |
$21.11 |
$43,920 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
140 |
$7.85 |
$16,330 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
130 |
$14.02 |
$29,150 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
130 |
$17.48 |
$36,350 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
130 |
$8.57 |
$17,830 |
| Driver/sales workers |
130 |
$13.68 |
$28,450 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
130 |
$25.24 |
$52,510 |
| Home health aides |
130 |
$8.56 |
$17,810 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
130 |
$7.45 |
$15,490 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
130 |
$16.25 |
$33,790 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
130 |
$13.10 |
$27,250 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
130 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Procurement clerks |
130 |
$17.56 |
$36,530 |
| Bus drivers, school |
120 |
$6.97 |
$14,500 |
| Cooks, short order |
120 |
$7.80 |
$16,220 |
| Legal occupations |
120 |
$23.92 |
$49,760 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
120 |
$10.76 |
$22,390 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
120 |
$25.76 |
$53,590 |
| Bartenders |
110 |
$7.13 |
$14,840 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
110 |
$8.71 |
$18,120 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
110 |
$12.07 |
$25,110 |
| Child care workers |
100 |
$6.89 |
$14,340 |
| Dental hygienists |
100 |
$18.87 |
$39,260 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
100 |
$20.07 |
$41,750 |
| Management analysts |
100 |
$39.34 |
$81,830 |
| Mechanical engineers |
100 |
$34.85 |
$72,480 |
| Bill and account collectors |
90 |
$11.69 |
$24,320 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
90 |
$9.89 |
$20,580 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
90 |
$14.67 |
$30,510 |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
90 |
$16.21 |
$33,710 |
| Dishwashers |
90 |
$7.56 |
$15,730 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
90 |
$11.50 |
$23,920 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
90 |
$8.65 |
$17,990 |
| Industrial engineers |
90 |
$30.80 |
$64,060 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
90 |
$10.27 |
$21,360 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
90 |
Not available |
$42,850 |
| Librarians |
90 |
$21.93 |
$45,620 |
| Medical secretaries |
90 |
$12.06 |
$25,080 |
| Painters, transportation equipment |
90 |
$16.95 |
$35,250 |
| Parts salespersons |
90 |
$14.35 |
$29,840 |
| Pharmacists |
90 |
$55.10 |
$114,610 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
80 |
$14.62 |
$30,410 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
80 |
Not available |
$70,800 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
80 |
$20.66 |
$42,980 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
80 |
$20.56 |
$42,760 |
| Insurance sales agents |
80 |
$21.87 |
$45,500 |
| Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders |
80 |
$15.77 |
$32,800 |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other |
80 |
$17.38 |
$36,150 |
| Photographers |
80 |
$9.40 |
$19,560 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
80 |
$18.91 |
$39,330 |
| Social and human service assistants |
80 |
$9.47 |
$19,710 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
80 |
Not available |
$40,950 |
| Dental assistants |
70 |
$15.42 |
$32,080 |
| Financial managers |
70 |
$40.28 |
$83,770 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
70 |
$20.99 |
$43,670 |
| Lawyers |
70 |
$30.02 |
$62,440 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
70 |
$13.31 |
$27,690 |
| Loan officers |
70 |
$20.06 |
$41,730 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
70 |
$18.01 |
$37,450 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
70 |
$12.73 |
$26,480 |
| Sales managers |
70 |
$38.99 |
$81,090 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
70 |
$18.14 |
$37,730 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
70 |
Not available |
$47,650 |
| Advertising sales agents |
60 |
$32.73 |
$68,090 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
60 |
$16.26 |
$33,830 |
| Chief executives |
60 |
$72.61 |
$151,030 |
| Computer support specialists |
60 |
$19.65 |
$40,880 |
| Construction managers |
60 |
$30.95 |
$64,370 |
| Crane and tower operators |
60 |
$19.27 |
$40,080 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
60 |
$8.14 |
$16,920 |
| Food service managers |
60 |
$20.46 |
$42,560 |
| Library technicians |
60 |
$10.62 |
$22,100 |
| Materials engineers |
60 |
$23.93 |
$49,770 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
60 |
$13.03 |
$27,110 |
| Pharmacy aides |
60 |
$8.51 |
$17,690 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
60 |
$12.88 |
$26,800 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
60 |
$10.03 |
$20,870 |
| Coaches and scouts |
50 |
Not available |
$43,200 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
50 |
$21.58 |
$44,880 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
50 |
$19.17 |
$39,870 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
50 |
$29.81 |
$61,990 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
50 |
$16.28 |
$33,860 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$20.13 |
$41,870 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
50 |
$11.74 |
$24,410 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
50 |
$13.61 |
$28,310 |
| Industrial production managers |
50 |
$41.42 |
$86,160 |
| Managers, all other |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
50 |
$16.85 |
$35,040 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
50 |
$24.42 |
$50,790 |
| Medical and health services managers |
50 |
$39.23 |
$81,600 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
50 |
$18.70 |
$38,890 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
50 |
$13.89 |
$28,900 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials |
50 |
$9.19 |
$19,110 |
| Printing machine operators |
50 |
$14.13 |
$29,390 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
50 |
$14.16 |
$29,450 |
| Surgeons |
50 |
$102.79 |
$213,810 |
| Surgical technologists |
50 |
$14.15 |
$29,420 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
40 |
$18.81 |
$39,110 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
40 |
$16.09 |
$33,470 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
40 |
$11.11 |
$23,100 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
40 |
$11.93 |
$24,810 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$22.21 |
$46,200 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
40 |
$15.21 |
$31,630 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
40 |
$13.57 |
$28,220 |
| Education teachers, postsecondary |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Engineering managers |
40 |
$44.03 |
$91,570 |
| Engineers, all other |
40 |
$45.76 |
$95,190 |
| Environmental engineers |
40 |
$36.95 |
$76,850 |
| Family and general practitioners |
40 |
$96.11 |
$199,910 |
| File clerks |
40 |
$9.35 |
$19,440 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
40 |
$8.67 |
$18,030 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
40 |
$21.06 |
$43,800 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
40 |
$13.56 |
$28,200 |
| Legislators |
40 |
Not available |
$15,740 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
40 |
$27.98 |
$58,200 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
40 |
$18.46 |
$38,400 |
| Order clerks |
40 |
$11.64 |
$24,210 |
| Public relations specialists |
40 |
$20.46 |
$42,560 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
40 |
$17.46 |
$36,330 |
| Residential advisors |
40 |
$9.21 |
$19,150 |
| Roofers |
40 |
$9.97 |
$20,740 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
40 |
$6.90 |
$14,350 |
| Tool and die makers |
40 |
$23.98 |
$49,880 |
| Training and development specialists |
40 |
$22.60 |
$47,010 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
40 |
$19.92 |
$41,440 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
30 |
$25.20 |
$52,420 |
| Helpers, construction trades, all other |
30 |
$9.61 |
$20,000 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
30 |
$7.60 |
$15,820 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
30 |
$17.68 |
$36,770 |
| Physical therapists |
30 |
$34.07 |
$70,860 |
| Postal service clerks |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
Not available |
$8.25 |
$17,160 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$11.69 |
$24,300 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
Not available |
$40.19 |
$83,600 |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
Not available |
$13.62 |
$28,330 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
Not available |
$12.92 |
$26,870 |
| Electrical engineers |
Not available |
$41.05 |
$85,390 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
Not available |
$17.45 |
$36,310 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
Not available |
$7.31 |
$15,200 |
| Grinding and polishing workers, hand |
Not available |
$11.58 |
$24,080 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
Not available |
$17.91 |
$37,240 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$8.25 |
$17,170 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
Not available |
$7.25 |
$15,080 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
Not available |
$12.86 |
$26,740 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$14.65 |
$30,460 |
| Plating and coating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$11.63 |
$24,200 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
Not available |
$9.94 |
$20,680 |
| Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$12.58 |
$26,170 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$22,340 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
Not available |
$8.47 |
$17,630 |
