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 |
35,870 |
$17.66 |
$36,740 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
5,110 |
$13.91 |
$28,940 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,980 |
$12.55 |
$26,110 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,210 |
$8.69 |
$18,070 |
| Production occupations |
2,820 |
$18.12 |
$37,690 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,340 |
$26.46 |
$55,030 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,270 |
$30.06 |
$62,530 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,100 |
$14.47 |
$30,090 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,830 |
$10.75 |
$22,370 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,790 |
$11.96 |
$24,880 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,710 |
$20.53 |
$42,690 |
| Cashiers |
1,490 |
$8.64 |
$17,970 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,310 |
$12.03 |
$25,020 |
| Management occupations |
1,080 |
$42.77 |
$88,950 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,030 |
$19.38 |
$40,320 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,000 |
$8.01 |
$16,660 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
940 |
$27.89 |
$58,010 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
870 |
$10.45 |
$21,730 |
| Office clerks, general |
820 |
$10.73 |
$22,320 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
810 |
$8.26 |
$17,190 |
| Community and social services occupations |
780 |
$18.60 |
$38,690 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
770 |
$12.18 |
$25,330 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
730 |
Not available |
$61,960 |
| Registered nurses |
720 |
$30.61 |
$63,660 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
700 |
$11.98 |
$24,930 |
| Home health aides |
620 |
$10.60 |
$22,050 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
550 |
$12.98 |
$27,010 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
550 |
$18.36 |
$38,200 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
520 |
$8.67 |
$18,020 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
500 |
$15.52 |
$32,280 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
500 |
$10.78 |
$22,410 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
470 |
Not available |
$61,660 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
460 |
$9.01 |
$18,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
420 |
$16.76 |
$34,850 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
420 |
$11.95 |
$24,850 |
| Protective service occupations |
410 |
$19.64 |
$40,850 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
390 |
$30.10 |
$62,610 |
| Bartenders |
380 |
$8.21 |
$17,080 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
360 |
$17.35 |
$36,080 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
350 |
$21.05 |
$43,790 |
| Tellers |
310 |
$11.39 |
$23,690 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
300 |
$19.56 |
$40,690 |
| Food preparation workers |
290 |
$8.98 |
$18,670 |
| General and operations managers |
290 |
$48.22 |
$100,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
270 |
$12.17 |
$25,310 |
| Teacher assistants |
270 |
Not available |
$22,530 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
250 |
$9.88 |
$20,550 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
250 |
$10.41 |
$21,650 |
| Machinists |
240 |
$17.90 |
$37,230 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
240 |
$10.60 |
$22,050 |
| Accountants and auditors |
230 |
$27.60 |
$57,400 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
210 |
$15.91 |
$33,100 |
| Customer service representatives |
210 |
$15.01 |
$31,230 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
210 |
$30.54 |
$63,510 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
210 |
$17.78 |
$36,980 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
200 |
$18.78 |
$39,060 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
200 |
$10.99 |
$22,860 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
190 |
$34.98 |
$72,750 |
| Cooks, fast food |
190 |
$8.35 |
$17,370 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
190 |
$28.65 |
$59,580 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
190 |
$28.13 |
$58,510 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
180 |
$21.03 |
$43,750 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
170 |
$23.33 |
$48,520 |
| Construction laborers |
170 |
$15.28 |
$31,770 |
| Bus drivers, school |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Child care workers |
160 |
$9.78 |
$20,350 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
160 |
$8.31 |
$17,290 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
160 |
$9.56 |
$19,890 |
| Carpenters |
150 |
$17.60 |
$36,610 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
150 |
$8.01 |
$16,650 |
| Electricians |
150 |
$28.63 |
$59,550 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
150 |
$10.95 |
$22,770 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
150 |
$16.15 |
$33,600 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
150 |
$13.22 |
$27,490 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
140 |
$27.25 |
$56,680 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
140 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Cooks, short order |
130 |
$9.38 |
$19,520 |
| Dishwashers |
130 |
$8.33 |
$17,330 |
| Legal occupations |
130 |
$34.95 |
$72,700 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
130 |
$23.62 |
$49,130 |
| Medical secretaries |
110 |
$13.70 |
$28,500 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
110 |
$13.61 |
$28,310 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
110 |
$20.06 |
$41,730 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
100 |
$15.92 |
$33,120 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
100 |
$10.12 |
$21,040 |
| Dental hygienists |
100 |
$28.55 |
$59,390 |
| Helpers--production workers |
100 |
$8.55 |
$17,790 |
| Medical and health services managers |
100 |
$49.71 |
$103,390 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
100 |
$20.27 |
$42,160 |
| Pharmacists |
100 |
$49.58 |
$103,130 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
100 |
$19.77 |
$41,120 |
| Social and human service assistants |
100 |
$15.24 |
$31,690 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
90 |
$24.53 |
$51,030 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Mechanical engineers |
90 |
$30.17 |
$62,760 |
| Medical assistants |
90 |
$11.38 |
$23,680 |
| Roofers |
90 |
$14.24 |
$29,610 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
90 |
$11.35 |
$23,600 |
| Team assemblers |
90 |
$12.26 |
$25,510 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
80 |
$9.73 |
$20,240 |
| Dental assistants |
80 |
$15.02 |
$31,250 |
| Food service managers |
80 |
$21.98 |
$45,710 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
80 |
$12.44 |
$25,870 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
80 |
$9.04 |
$18,810 |
| Sewing machine operators |
80 |
$10.55 |
$21,940 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
70 |
$13.18 |
$27,410 |
| Chief executives |
70 |
$79.10 |
$164,530 |
| Computer systems analysts |
70 |
$35.37 |
$73,580 |
| Financial managers |
70 |
$32.62 |
$67,850 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
70 |
$36.38 |
$75,660 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
70 |
$21.99 |
$45,730 |
| Lawyers |
70 |
$42.50 |
$88,400 |
| Legal secretaries |
70 |
$14.57 |
$30,310 |
| Pharmacy aides |
70 |
$10.36 |
$21,540 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
70 |
$20.99 |
$43,660 |
| Sales managers |
70 |
$43.60 |
$90,700 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
60 |
$8.24 |
$17,130 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
60 |
$20.33 |
$42,300 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$24.06 |
$50,050 |
| Driver/sales workers |
60 |
$13.75 |
$28,610 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
60 |
$20.54 |
$42,730 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
60 |
$9.01 |
$18,750 |
| Loan officers |
60 |
$16.89 |
$35,140 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$15.95 |
$33,180 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
60 |
$12.82 |
$26,670 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
60 |
$18.25 |
$37,950 |
| Physical therapists |
60 |
$34.95 |
$72,700 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
60 |
$24.16 |
$50,250 |
| Public relations specialists |
60 |
$26.02 |
$54,130 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
60 |
$24.95 |
$51,890 |
| Security guards |
60 |
$11.03 |
$22,950 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
50 |
$30.35 |
$63,130 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
50 |
$13.09 |
$27,230 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
50 |
Not available |
$79,660 |
| Industrial production managers |
50 |
$46.40 |
$96,510 |
| Insurance sales agents |
50 |
$17.07 |
$35,510 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
50 |
$9.68 |
$20,130 |
| Parts salespersons |
50 |
$11.62 |
$24,180 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
50 |
$18.10 |
$37,640 |
| Production workers, all other |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$17.76 |
$36,930 |
| Recreation workers |
50 |
$13.30 |
$27,660 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
50 |
$17.99 |
$37,410 |
| Social and community service managers |
50 |
$31.71 |
$65,950 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
50 |
$42.50 |
$88,390 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
50 |
$9.01 |
$18,730 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
50 |
$11.80 |
$24,540 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
50 |
$21.77 |
$45,270 |
| Computer programmers |
40 |
$30.34 |
$63,100 |
| Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
40 |
$16.43 |
$34,180 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
40 |
$11.95 |
$24,850 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
40 |
$20.72 |
$43,090 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
40 |
$32.53 |
$67,660 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
40 |
$21.07 |
$43,820 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
40 |
$19.83 |
$41,240 |
| Funeral attendants |
40 |
$9.22 |
$19,180 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
40 |
$9.97 |
$20,730 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
40 |
$8.08 |
$16,810 |
| Industrial engineers |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical and public health social workers |
40 |
$22.16 |
$46,100 |
| Occupational therapists |
40 |
$25.31 |
$52,650 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
40 |
$24.73 |
$51,430 |
| Sales engineers |
40 |
$32.29 |
$67,170 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
40 |
$30.02 |
$62,440 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
40 |
$17.04 |
$35,440 |
| Training and development specialists |
40 |
$29.07 |
$60,470 |
| Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
30 |
$10.65 |
$22,160 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
30 |
$43.12 |
$89,690 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
30 |
$22.21 |
$46,200 |
| Dental laboratory technicians |
30 |
$15.67 |
$32,600 |
| Dentists, general |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Electrical engineers |
30 |
$35.84 |
$74,540 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
30 |
$29.88 |
$62,160 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
30 |
$17.48 |
$36,360 |
| Librarians |
30 |
$36.40 |
$75,710 |
| Office machine operators, except computer |
30 |
$14.97 |
$31,150 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
30 |
$17.67 |
$36,750 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
30 |
$15.54 |
$32,330 |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation |
30 |
$11.73 |
$24,410 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
Not available |
$27.44 |
$57,070 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
Not available |
$25.67 |
$53,400 |
| Computer support specialists |
Not available |
$15.51 |
$32,270 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$17.35 |
$36,100 |
| Family and general practitioners |
Not available |
$72.51 |
$150,820 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
Not available |
$19.71 |
$40,990 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
Not available |
$16.85 |
$35,050 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
Not available |
$31.90 |
$66,360 |
| New accounts clerks |
Not available |
$14.83 |
$30,840 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$15.02 |
$31,240 |
| Personal and home care aides |
Not available |
$9.80 |
$20,390 |
| Printing machine operators |
Not available |
$19.16 |
$39,850 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
Not available |
Not available |
$50,700 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$27.88 |
$57,980 |
| Tool and die makers |
Not available |
$18.67 |
$38,830 |
