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 | 81,590 | $17.89 | $37,200 |
| Office and administrative support occupations | 13,000 | $13.97 | $29,060 |
| Education, training, and library occupations | 10,960 | $23.19 | $48,240 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations | 8,590 | $8.46 | $17,590 |
| Sales and related occupations | 8,070 | $12.98 | $27,010 |
| Production occupations | 6,100 | $13.69 | $28,470 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations | 5,330 | $31.16 | $64,810 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations | 5,070 | $13.13 | $27,300 |
| Management occupations | 3,900 | $42.38 | $88,140 |
| Retail salespersons | 3,100 | $10.54 | $21,930 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations | 2,720 | $10.67 | $22,190 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations | 2,720 | $18.19 | $37,830 |
| Construction and extraction occupations | 2,690 | $15.74 | $32,740 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food | 2,250 | $7.46 | $15,520 |
| Business and financial operations occupations | 2,050 | $26.18 | $54,450 |
| Cashiers | 1,950 | $8.11 | $16,860 |
| Healthcare support occupations | 1,880 | $11.32 | $23,540 |
| Waiters and waitresses | 1,810 | $7.51 | $15,630 |
| Registered nurses | 1,800 | $26.92 | $56,000 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand | 1,720 | $10.74 | $22,330 |
| Personal care and service occupations | 1,670 | $10.92 | $22,700 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations | 1,490 | $26.58 | $55,280 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers | 1,470 | $19.21 | $39,950 |
| Protective service occupations | 1,390 | $18.06 | $37,570 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive | 1,390 | $12.28 | $25,550 |
| General and operations managers | 1,350 | $38.86 | $80,830 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners | 1,350 | $10.65 | $22,160 |
| Office clerks, general | 1,330 | $11.14 | $23,170 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education | 1,320 | Not available | $50,590 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers | 1,260 | $10.65 | $22,150 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks | 1,160 | $14.43 | $30,010 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations | 1,120 | $24.64 | $51,260 |
| Teacher assistants | 1,090 | Not available | $18,420 |
| Customer service representatives | 1,060 | $12.64 | $26,290 |
| Community and social services occupations | 940 | $17.75 | $36,930 |
| Team assemblers | 940 | $14.88 | $30,940 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants | 880 | $17.49 | $36,380 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers | 870 | $16.39 | $34,090 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer | 790 | $17.21 | $35,790 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations | 740 | $21.10 | $43,890 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general | 730 | $15.55 | $32,340 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants | 650 | $9.89 | $20,570 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers | 640 | $13.66 | $28,410 |
| Cooks, restaurant | 590 | $9.71 | $20,190 |
| Receptionists and information clerks | 580 | $11.69 | $24,310 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services | 570 | $15.54 | $32,320 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations | 560 | $29.11 | $60,540 |
| Cooks, fast food | 550 | $7.78 | $16,180 |
| Telemarketers | 530 | $9.52 | $19,800 |
| Food preparation workers | 520 | $9.01 | $18,740 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers | 510 | $18.49 | $38,450 |
| Packers and packagers, hand | 500 | $11.54 | $24,010 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products | 500 | $28.93 | $60,170 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education | 500 | Not available | $55,930 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners | 490 | $8.57 | $17,830 |
| Accountants and auditors | 470 | $25.38 | $52,790 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | 470 | $10.55 | $21,950 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics | 450 | $19.59 | $40,750 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop | 440 | $7.93 | $16,480 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | 440 | $19.00 | $39,510 |
| Cooks, short order | 420 | $9.25 | $19,240 |
| Computer support specialists | 410 | $17.80 | $37,020 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers | 400 | $21.23 | $44,160 |
| Medical secretaries | 390 | $13.96 | $29,040 |
| Biological technicians | 370 | $18.57 | $38,620 |
| Dishwashers | 370 | $7.31 | $15,210 |
| Carpenters | 360 | $17.17 | $35,700 |
| Legal occupations | 360 | $20.91 | $43,500 |
| Construction laborers | 350 | $12.02 | $25,000 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education | 350 | $8.54 | $17,750 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other | 350 | Not available | $19,890 |
| Personal and home care aides | 340 | $8.66 | $18,000 |
| Tellers | 340 | $10.99 | $22,870 |
| Bartenders | 330 | $7.80 | $16,230 |
| Home health aides | 330 | $9.13 | $18,990 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers | 320 | $22.89 | $47,610 |
| Medical assistants | 310 | $14.02 | $29,160 |
| Security guards | 310 | $13.09 | $27,230 |
| Coil winders, tapers, and finishers | 300 | $12.66 | $26,330 |
| Administrative services managers | 290 | $36.81 | $76,570 |
| Medical and health services managers | 280 | $40.76 | $84,770 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators | 270 | $13.35 | $27,770 |
| Internists, general | 270 | $84.90 | $176,600 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers | 260 | $12.13 | $25,230 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks | 260 | $14.28 | $29,700 |
| Bill and account collectors | 250 | $13.13 | $27,300 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators | 250 | $14.47 | $30,090 |
| Chief executives | 240 | $66.89 | $139,140 |
| Production workers, all other | 240 | $10.32 | $21,470 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters | 240 | $14.27 | $29,680 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers | 240 | $14.59 | $30,350 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors | 230 | $20.91 | $43,490 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations | 230 | $14.05 | $29,210 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians | 230 | $22.77 | $47,370 |
| Electricians | 220 | $20.04 | $41,690 |
| Pharmacists | 220 | $47.10 | $97,960 |
| Pharmacy technicians | 220 | $12.16 | $25,290 |
| Recreation workers | 220 | $11.61 | $24,140 |
| Sheet metal workers | 220 | $14.27 | $29,680 |
| Counter and rental clerks | 210 | $10.64 | $22,140 |
| Financial managers | 210 | $46.16 | $96,010 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers | 210 | $23.52 | $48,910 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers | 210 | $15.14 | $31,490 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists | 210 | $20.44 | $42,510 |
| Postal service mail carriers | 210 | Not available | Not available |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school | 210 | Not available | $52,780 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers | 200 | $7.10 | $14,770 |
| Machinists | 200 | $16.53 | $34,380 |
| Dental assistants | 190 | $13.53 | $28,130 |
| Driver/sales workers | 190 | $11.33 | $23,570 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan | 190 | $12.89 | $26,820 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators | 190 | $16.01 | $33,290 |
| Computer systems analysts | 180 | $31.01 | $64,510 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters | 180 | $16.98 | $35,320 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators | 180 | Not available | Not available |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians | 180 | $14.85 | $30,890 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria | 170 | $9.96 | $20,710 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 170 | $13.52 | $28,120 |
| Graphic designers | 170 | $20.35 | $42,330 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists | 170 | $13.49 | $28,050 |
| Insurance sales agents | 170 | $24.17 | $50,280 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers | 170 | $8.63 | $17,940 |
| Management analysts | 170 | $35.28 | $73,380 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers | 170 | $19.56 | $40,680 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics | 160 | $13.10 | $27,240 |
| Training and development specialists | 160 | $24.97 | $51,930 |
| Business operations specialists, all other | 150 | $29.04 | $60,410 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers | 150 | $14.35 | $29,850 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education | 150 | Not available | $44,510 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers | 150 | $7.80 | $16,220 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders | 150 | $10.93 | $22,730 |
| Physical therapists | 150 | $29.80 | $61,990 |
| Dental hygienists | 140 | $28.82 | $59,940 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors | 140 | $16.45 | $34,210 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 140 | $10.01 | $20,810 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors | 140 | $14.64 | $30,460 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products | 140 | $26.44 | $54,990 |
| Surgical technologists | 140 | $15.94 | $33,150 |
| Child, family, and school social workers | 130 | $16.47 | $34,260 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives | 130 | $25.28 | $52,570 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant | 130 | $8.33 | $17,320 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance | 130 | $14.04 | $29,210 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks | 130 | $16.34 | $33,980 |
| Sales managers | 130 | $53.74 | $111,780 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants | 120 | $7.80 | $16,230 |
| Law clerks | 120 | $12.35 | $25,680 |
| Lawyers | 120 | $30.89 | $64,240 |
| Librarians | 120 | $26.25 | $54,600 |
| Social and human service assistants | 120 | $11.45 | $23,820 |
| All other information and record clerks | 110 | $16.66 | $34,660 |
| Automotive body and related repairers | 110 | $19.92 | $41,440 |
| Data entry keyers | 110 | $10.80 | $22,460 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school | 110 | Not available | $86,850 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics | 110 | $19.26 | $40,050 |
| Managers, all other | 110 | $55.76 | $115,990 |
| Physician assistants | 110 | $38.50 | $80,080 |
| Real estate sales agents | 110 | Not available | Not available |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters | 100 | $13.65 | $28,400 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other | 100 | $15.98 | $33,230 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks | 100 | $8.46 | $17,590 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products | 100 | $24.74 | $51,460 |
| Bakers | 90 | $9.16 | $19,060 |
| Cost estimators | 90 | $21.68 | $45,090 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists | 90 | $19.47 | $40,490 |
| Family and general practitioners | 90 | $92.46 | $192,320 |
| Financial analysts | 90 | $26.33 | $54,760 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand | 90 | $21.60 | $44,930 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers | 90 | $15.29 | $31,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers | 90 | $27.68 | $57,570 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators | 90 | $23.82 | $49,540 |
| Instructional coordinators | 90 | $28.58 | $59,450 |
| Mechanical engineers | 90 | $30.86 | $64,190 |
| Medical and public health social workers | 90 | $20.97 | $43,610 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants | 90 | $17.52 | $36,440 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers | 90 | $13.04 | $27,110 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers | 90 | $11.13 | $23,150 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators | 90 | $16.14 | $33,570 |
| Butchers and meat cutters | 80 | $12.46 | $25,920 |
| Child care workers | 80 | $8.44 | $17,550 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation | 80 | $23.67 | $49,230 |
| Computer programmers | 80 | $26.50 | $55,130 |
| Computer software engineers, applications | 80 | Not available | Not available |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers | 80 | $17.33 | $36,040 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks | 80 | $15.26 | $31,740 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse | 80 | $10.38 | $21,590 |
| Highway maintenance workers | 80 | $13.49 | $28,070 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping | 80 | $15.06 | $31,330 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service | 80 | $11.30 | $23,510 |
| Parts salespersons | 80 | $17.58 | $36,560 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other | 80 | $15.54 | $32,320 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers | 80 | $18.49 | $38,460 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping | 80 | $15.16 | $31,530 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic | 70 | $16.99 | $35,330 |
| File clerks | 70 | $13.08 | $27,200 |
| Health educators | 70 | $15.95 | $33,180 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other | 70 | $15.94 | $33,150 |
| Helpers--carpenters | 70 | $11.82 | $24,580 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks | 70 | $14.19 | $29,520 |
| Pharmacy aides | 70 | $9.33 | $19,400 |
| Public relations specialists | 70 | $20.75 | $43,150 |
| Social and community service managers | 70 | $21.44 | $44,590 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service | 70 | $10.26 | $21,330 |
| Tire repairers and changers | 70 | $10.23 | $21,270 |
| Veterinarians | 70 | $34.23 | $71,200 |
| Agricultural inspectors | 60 | $19.71 | $40,990 |
| Bus drivers, transit and intercity | 60 | $14.37 | $29,880 |
| Construction and building inspectors | 60 | $20.07 | $41,750 |
| Construction managers | 60 | $29.01 | $60,350 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop | 60 | $8.39 | $17,450 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance | 60 | $15.44 | $32,120 |
| Editors | 60 | $26.37 | $54,840 |
| Electrical engineers | 60 | $35.93 | $74,730 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers | 60 | $26.46 | $55,030 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers | 60 | $20.00 | $41,590 |
| Food service managers | 60 | $24.35 | $50,650 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other | 60 | $24.79 | $51,560 |
| Marketing managers | 60 | $50.97 | $106,010 |
| Meeting and convention planners | 60 | $15.65 | $32,540 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers | 60 | $18.94 | $39,390 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs | 60 | $7.94 | $16,520 |
| Advertising sales agents | 50 | $13.62 | $28,330 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons | 50 | $16.36 | $34,030 |
| Civil engineers | 50 | $28.79 | $59,890 |
| Computer specialists, all other | 50 | $30.51 | $63,470 |
| Dentists, general | 50 | $93.37 | $194,220 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers | 50 | $10.67 | $22,200 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks | 50 | $10.89 | $22,660 |
| Medical records and health information technicians | 50 | $14.49 | $30,130 |
| Physical therapist assistants | 50 | $13.78 | $28,660 |
| Postal service clerks | 50 | Not available | Not available |
| Printing machine operators | 50 | $14.36 | $29,870 |
| Procurement clerks | 50 | $14.14 | $29,420 |
| Shampooers | 50 | $9.02 | $18,770 |
| Speech-language pathologists | 50 | $34.81 | $72,400 |
| Athletic trainers | 40 | Not available | $46,320 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators | 40 | $29.03 | $60,380 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists | 40 | $30.88 | $64,220 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders | 40 | $13.15 | $27,350 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists | 40 | $21.16 | $44,020 |
| Computer operators | 40 | $15.69 | $32,630 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators | 40 | $22.12 | $46,000 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers | 40 | $20.57 | $42,780 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment | 40 | $18.95 | $39,410 |
| Engineering managers | 40 | $45.01 | $93,620 |
| Helpers--production workers | 40 | $9.98 | $20,760 |
| Industrial engineers | 40 | $36.33 | $75,570 |
| Industrial production managers | 40 | $41.67 | $86,660 |
| Legislators | 40 | Not available | $15,040 |
| Locksmiths and safe repairers | 40 | $13.76 | $28,620 |
| Market research analysts | 40 | $17.92 | $37,280 |
| Medical transcriptionists | 40 | $15.35 | $31,920 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | 40 | $18.52 | $38,520 |
| Meter readers, utilities | 40 | $15.56 | $32,370 |
| Motorboat mechanics | 40 | $12.41 | $25,810 |
| Occupational therapists | 40 | $31.03 | $64,540 |
| Order clerks | 40 | $12.03 | $25,020 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials | 40 | $8.31 | $17,290 |
| Purchasing managers | 40 | $46.31 | $96,330 |
| Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents | 40 | $18.80 | $39,110 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists | 30 | $18.62 | $38,740 |
| Chefs and head cooks | 30 | $23.68 | $49,260 |
| Couriers and messengers | 30 | $9.47 | $19,700 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders | 30 | $18.26 | $37,970 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists | 30 | $17.67 | $36,740 |
| Engineers, all other | 30 | $32.70 | $68,010 |
| Financial specialists, all other | 30 | $20.94 | $43,560 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of correctional officers | 30 | $24.76 | $51,510 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers | 30 | $7.96 | $16,560 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines | 30 | $18.33 | $38,120 |
| Pediatricians, general | 30 | $89.08 | $185,280 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents | 30 | $47.83 | $99,480 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products | 30 | $26.70 | $55,530 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate | Not available | $16.80 | $34,950 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other | Not available | $11.03 | $22,950 |
| Bus drivers, school | Not available | $6.77 | $14,070 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment | Not available | $9.66 | $20,100 |
| Computer and information systems managers | Not available | $35.02 | $72,840 |
| Food preparation and serving related workers, all other | Not available | $9.43 | $19,620 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers | Not available | $18.59 | $38,670 |
| Helpers--electricians | Not available | $11.60 | $24,140 |
| Insurance underwriters | Not available | $29.66 | $61,700 |
| Interior designers | Not available | $12.17 | $25,310 |
| Loan officers | Not available | $37.02 | $77,000 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians | Not available | $12.74 | $26,490 |
| Network and computer systems administrators | Not available | $21.45 | $44,610 |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation | Not available | $11.29 | $23,490 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school | Not available | Not available | $52,950 |
| Surgeons | Not available | $75.00 | More than $145,600 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school | Not available | Not available | $50,040 |
