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 |
54,950 |
$19.10 |
$39,740 |
| Production occupations |
8,940 |
$15.97 |
$33,230 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,610 |
$14.82 |
$30,820 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,980 |
$14.59 |
$30,340 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,920 |
$9.26 |
$19,260 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,460 |
$13.85 |
$28,810 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,260 |
$33.38 |
$69,430 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,160 |
$23.23 |
$48,310 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
2,670 |
$29.87 |
$62,130 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,620 |
$20.87 |
$43,400 |
| Management occupations |
2,320 |
$43.04 |
$89,520 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,030 |
$11.26 |
$23,430 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,790 |
$12.95 |
$26,940 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,780 |
$20.58 |
$42,800 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,430 |
$13.03 |
$27,110 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,420 |
$10.03 |
$20,850 |
| Cashiers |
1,370 |
$8.97 |
$18,650 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,300 |
$13.35 |
$27,770 |
| Team assemblers |
1,250 |
$11.65 |
$24,230 |
| Registered nurses |
1,230 |
$29.60 |
$61,560 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,150 |
$8.11 |
$16,870 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,100 |
$31.41 |
$65,330 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,060 |
$17.24 |
$35,860 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,010 |
$21.07 |
$43,820 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
870 |
$8.52 |
$17,720 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
790 |
$13.13 |
$27,300 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
760 |
$13.88 |
$28,880 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
740 |
$11.92 |
$24,790 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
730 |
$32.18 |
$66,930 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
700 |
$14.99 |
$31,170 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
650 |
Not available |
$50,040 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
640 |
$14.54 |
$30,240 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
560 |
$20.44 |
$42,520 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
550 |
$29.93 |
$62,250 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
540 |
$25.00 |
$52,000 |
| Food preparation workers |
540 |
$8.87 |
$18,450 |
| Customer service representatives |
500 |
$14.60 |
$30,360 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
500 |
$19.02 |
$39,570 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
480 |
$11.51 |
$23,950 |
| Teacher assistants |
470 |
Not available |
$22,030 |
| General and operations managers |
430 |
$41.78 |
$86,900 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
430 |
$35.49 |
$73,820 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
410 |
$22.40 |
$46,590 |
| Home health aides |
390 |
$9.47 |
$19,700 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
380 |
$20.78 |
$43,220 |
| Industrial engineers |
360 |
$34.24 |
$71,220 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
360 |
$27.08 |
$56,320 |
| Bus drivers, school |
330 |
$13.73 |
$28,550 |
| Child care workers |
330 |
$8.94 |
$18,590 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
330 |
Not available |
$57,690 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
320 |
$12.91 |
$26,860 |
| Helpers--production workers |
320 |
$12.90 |
$26,830 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
320 |
$15.89 |
$33,040 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
300 |
$17.49 |
$36,380 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
290 |
$20.02 |
$41,650 |
| Accountants and auditors |
280 |
$29.82 |
$62,030 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
280 |
$18.41 |
$38,290 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
280 |
$13.43 |
$27,940 |
| Carpenters |
280 |
$19.56 |
$40,690 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
280 |
$18.03 |
$37,500 |
| Logisticians |
280 |
$32.70 |
$68,020 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
280 |
Not available |
$50,740 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
260 |
$22.76 |
$47,350 |
| Management analysts |
260 |
$34.26 |
$71,270 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
260 |
$19.41 |
$40,370 |
| Mechanical engineers |
250 |
$34.52 |
$71,790 |
| Medical assistants |
250 |
$14.01 |
$29,140 |
| Electricians |
240 |
$25.52 |
$53,080 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
240 |
$12.54 |
$26,080 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
230 |
$33.93 |
$70,580 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
230 |
$12.31 |
$25,610 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
230 |
$20.46 |
$42,550 |
| Construction laborers |
220 |
$16.04 |
$33,370 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
220 |
$16.63 |
$34,590 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
220 |
$18.11 |
$37,680 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
220 |
$14.97 |
$31,130 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
210 |
$14.97 |
$31,150 |
| Bartenders |
200 |
$8.27 |
$17,200 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
200 |
$16.32 |
$33,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
200 |
$27.50 |
$57,200 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
200 |
$22.05 |
$45,860 |
| Machinists |
200 |
$17.28 |
$35,940 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
200 |
$10.09 |
$20,980 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
190 |
Not available |
$52,970 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
180 |
$23.15 |
$48,160 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
180 |
$10.08 |
$20,960 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
180 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
170 |
$10.20 |
$21,220 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
170 |
$32.29 |
$67,170 |
| Financial managers |
170 |
$43.74 |
$90,980 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
170 |
$15.15 |
$31,500 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
170 |
$21.07 |
$43,830 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
170 |
$11.97 |
$24,900 |
| Legal occupations |
160 |
$32.43 |
$67,450 |
| Managers, all other |
160 |
$46.95 |
$97,660 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
160 |
$12.32 |
$25,630 |
| All other information and record clerks |
150 |
$18.00 |
$37,450 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
150 |
$7.91 |
$16,450 |
| Chief executives |
150 |
$66.02 |
$137,320 |
| Industrial production managers |
150 |
$42.43 |
$88,260 |
| Millwrights |
150 |
$30.40 |
$63,220 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
150 |
$19.93 |
$41,460 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
150 |
$26.41 |
$54,920 |
| Dishwashers |
140 |
$8.36 |
$17,380 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
140 |
$14.85 |
$30,880 |
| Social and human service assistants |
140 |
$15.79 |
$32,830 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
130 |
$25.54 |
$53,120 |
| Financial analysts |
130 |
$27.17 |
$56,500 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
130 |
$24.12 |
$50,180 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
130 |
$17.81 |
$37,050 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
120 |
$19.31 |
$40,170 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
120 |
$8.59 |
$17,860 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
120 |
$13.23 |
$27,530 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
120 |
$25.56 |
$53,160 |
| Marketing managers |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
120 |
$8.16 |
$16,980 |
| Pharmacists |
120 |
$53.17 |
$110,590 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
120 |
$83.18 |
$173,020 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
110 |
Not available |
$79,480 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
110 |
$15.90 |
$33,080 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
110 |
$13.62 |
$28,340 |
| Administrative services managers |
100 |
$37.35 |
$77,690 |
| Computer support specialists |
100 |
$19.47 |
$40,510 |
| Engineering managers |
100 |
$54.87 |
$114,130 |
| Engineers, all other |
100 |
$36.28 |
$75,460 |
| Fire fighters |
100 |
$17.99 |
$37,420 |
| Medical and health services managers |
100 |
$40.64 |
$84,520 |
| Physical therapists |
100 |
$41.92 |
$87,200 |
| Sales managers |
100 |
$38.19 |
$79,430 |
| Bill and account collectors |
90 |
$13.81 |
$28,730 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
90 |
$10.28 |
$21,370 |
| Dental assistants |
90 |
$15.02 |
$31,250 |
| Food service managers |
90 |
$22.07 |
$45,900 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
90 |
$9.94 |
$20,680 |
| Lawyers |
90 |
$40.37 |
$83,980 |
| Medical secretaries |
90 |
$16.25 |
$33,810 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
90 |
$28.10 |
$58,440 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
90 |
$14.54 |
$30,250 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
90 |
$25.82 |
$53,710 |
| Surgeons |
90 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
90 |
$13.84 |
$28,790 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
80 |
$17.80 |
$37,030 |
| Cost estimators |
80 |
$23.79 |
$49,490 |
| Dental hygienists |
80 |
$26.57 |
$55,260 |
| Insurance sales agents |
80 |
$26.47 |
$55,060 |
| Occupational therapists |
80 |
$31.16 |
$64,800 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
80 |
$25.02 |
$52,030 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
80 |
$40.51 |
$84,270 |
| Construction managers |
70 |
$31.83 |
$66,210 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
70 |
$27.91 |
$58,050 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
70 |
$29.17 |
$60,680 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
70 |
$33.56 |
$69,800 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
70 |
$22.19 |
$46,140 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
70 |
$16.75 |
$34,850 |
| Mental health counselors |
70 |
$21.58 |
$44,880 |
| Painters, transportation equipment |
70 |
$16.99 |
$35,350 |
| Respiratory therapists |
70 |
$24.95 |
$51,910 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
70 |
$35.98 |
$74,840 |
| Sheet metal workers |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
70 |
Not available |
$46,310 |
| Civil engineers |
60 |
$30.87 |
$64,200 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
60 |
$27.08 |
$56,330 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$9.01 |
$18,750 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$17.77 |
$36,950 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
60 |
$18.66 |
$38,800 |
| Librarians |
60 |
$23.20 |
$48,250 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
60 |
$23.25 |
$48,370 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
60 |
$8.88 |
$18,470 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
60 |
$18.91 |
$39,330 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
60 |
$24.01 |
$49,950 |
| Public relations specialists |
60 |
$26.43 |
$54,980 |
| Purchasing managers |
60 |
$47.09 |
$97,950 |
| Social and community service managers |
60 |
$24.73 |
$51,440 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
60 |
$30.78 |
$64,030 |
| Upholsterers |
60 |
$13.13 |
$27,300 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$58,120 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
50 |
$15.01 |
$31,210 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
50 |
$35.62 |
$74,090 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
50 |
$19.85 |
$41,290 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
50 |
$27.52 |
$57,250 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
50 |
$42.30 |
$87,980 |
| Computer programmers |
50 |
$35.45 |
$73,750 |
| Construction and related workers, all other |
50 |
$18.96 |
$39,430 |
| Cooks, short order |
50 |
$9.48 |
$19,710 |
| Couriers and messengers |
50 |
$13.84 |
$28,780 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
50 |
$18.75 |
$39,010 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
50 |
$15.34 |
$31,920 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
50 |
$28.80 |
$59,900 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
50 |
$10.01 |
$20,820 |
| Human resources managers, all other |
50 |
$55.29 |
$115,000 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
50 |
$8.88 |
$18,470 |
| Loan officers |
50 |
$21.86 |
$45,470 |
| Market research analysts |
50 |
$29.47 |
$61,300 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
50 |
$26.87 |
$55,890 |
| Parts salespersons |
50 |
$14.48 |
$30,110 |
| Physician assistants |
50 |
$35.87 |
$74,610 |
| Procurement clerks |
50 |
$19.04 |
$39,600 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
50 |
$12.72 |
$26,450 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
50 |
$19.77 |
$41,120 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
40 |
$13.86 |
$28,830 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Construction and building inspectors |
40 |
$21.22 |
$44,130 |
| Data entry keyers |
40 |
$15.17 |
$31,540 |
| Dentists, general |
40 |
$68.26 |
$141,990 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
40 |
$25.88 |
$53,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
40 |
$18.88 |
$39,280 |
| Graphic designers |
40 |
$16.63 |
$34,590 |
| Helpers, construction trades, all other |
40 |
$14.08 |
$29,290 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$20.63 |
$42,900 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
40 |
$17.26 |
$35,900 |
| Legal secretaries |
40 |
$16.31 |
$33,930 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
40 |
$13.38 |
$27,830 |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other |
40 |
$13.47 |
$28,020 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
40 |
$19.44 |
$40,430 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
40 |
Not available |
$45,560 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$56,260 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
40 |
$9.18 |
$19,100 |
| Tool and die makers |
40 |
$22.31 |
$46,410 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
30 |
$14.67 |
$30,510 |
| Bakers |
30 |
$9.28 |
$19,310 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
30 |
$19.34 |
$40,230 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
30 |
$25.52 |
$53,080 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
30 |
$25.51 |
$53,050 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
30 |
$30.29 |
$63,000 |
| Order clerks |
30 |
$14.78 |
$30,750 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Tire repairers and changers |
30 |
$11.31 |
$23,520 |
| Veterinarians |
30 |
$35.53 |
$73,900 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
30 |
$11.78 |
$24,500 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
30 |
$30.75 |
$63,950 |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
Not available |
$17.38 |
$36,150 |
| Conveyor operators and tenders |
Not available |
$18.70 |
$38,890 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$8.14 |
$16,930 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
Not available |
$10.15 |
$21,120 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$8.17 |
$16,980 |
| Dental laboratory technicians |
Not available |
$17.93 |
$37,300 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$12.00 |
$24,950 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
Not available |
$21.37 |
$44,450 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
Not available |
$12.38 |
$25,750 |
| Food cooking machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$16.67 |
$34,680 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$8.51 |
$17,690 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
Not available |
$15.52 |
$32,270 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
Not available |
$15.92 |
$33,110 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$23.12 |
$48,090 |
| Power plant operators |
Not available |
$26.74 |
$55,620 |
| Printing machine operators |
Not available |
$10.49 |
$21,820 |
| Recreation workers |
Not available |
$9.93 |
$20,660 |
| Security guards |
Not available |
$12.71 |
$26,430 |
| Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners |
Not available |
$15.82 |
$32,910 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$22.00 |
$45,750 |
| Tellers |
Not available |
$11.61 |
$24,140 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
Not available |
$14.46 |
$30,070 |
