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 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
Not available |
Not available |
$50,040 |
