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 |
74,430 |
$16.55 |
$34,420 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
11,040 |
$13.75 |
$28,600 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
8,610 |
$8.67 |
$18,040 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,920 |
$13.00 |
$27,040 |
| Production occupations |
7,000 |
$14.14 |
$29,410 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
6,960 |
$20.04 |
$41,690 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,980 |
$25.84 |
$53,740 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,790 |
$12.67 |
$26,350 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
3,340 |
$20.44 |
$42,520 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,820 |
$17.36 |
$36,110 |
| Team assemblers |
2,590 |
$12.58 |
$26,170 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,560 |
$10.50 |
$21,850 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,530 |
$11.93 |
$24,810 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
2,470 |
$7.49 |
$15,590 |
| Management occupations |
2,280 |
$38.87 |
$80,840 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
2,120 |
$27.98 |
$58,210 |
| Cashiers |
1,920 |
$8.18 |
$17,010 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,840 |
$12.09 |
$25,150 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,830 |
$8.49 |
$17,660 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
1,730 |
$25.25 |
$52,530 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,590 |
$12.55 |
$26,110 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,500 |
$25.86 |
$53,790 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,500 |
$14.12 |
$29,370 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,370 |
$11.67 |
$24,270 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,310 |
$9.58 |
$19,930 |
| Registered nurses |
1,220 |
$25.60 |
$53,260 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,180 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
1,160 |
$19.41 |
$40,370 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
1,090 |
$14.26 |
$29,670 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,090 |
$10.54 |
$21,920 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
990 |
$10.68 |
$22,210 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
880 |
$16.52 |
$34,360 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
840 |
$13.18 |
$27,420 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
770 |
$10.85 |
$22,570 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
700 |
Not available |
$49,460 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
700 |
Not available |
$24,160 |
| Telemarketers |
700 |
$9.24 |
$19,220 |
| Security guards |
690 |
$10.53 |
$21,900 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
670 |
$14.57 |
$30,300 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
670 |
$11.55 |
$24,030 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
660 |
$9.37 |
$19,500 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
650 |
$18.20 |
$37,860 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
620 |
$13.46 |
$28,000 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
610 |
$19.71 |
$40,990 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
600 |
$16.01 |
$33,300 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
600 |
$16.52 |
$34,360 |
| Teacher assistants |
580 |
Not available |
$20,220 |
| Food preparation workers |
570 |
$8.88 |
$18,470 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
540 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Carpenters |
530 |
$18.91 |
$39,320 |
| Customer service representatives |
510 |
$11.67 |
$24,270 |
| Child care workers |
490 |
$8.72 |
$18,150 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
490 |
$19.91 |
$41,410 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
480 |
$23.13 |
$48,120 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
460 |
$10.82 |
$22,510 |
| General and operations managers |
460 |
$46.19 |
$96,080 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
460 |
$11.91 |
$24,770 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
430 |
$10.67 |
$22,200 |
| Accountants and auditors |
420 |
$23.63 |
$49,140 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
410 |
$24.20 |
$50,340 |
| Construction laborers |
400 |
$17.16 |
$35,690 |
| Legal occupations |
390 |
$26.96 |
$56,070 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
370 |
$7.73 |
$16,080 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
350 |
$25.98 |
$54,030 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
350 |
$25.89 |
$53,840 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
330 |
$7.61 |
$15,830 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
330 |
Not available |
$49,150 |
| Cooks, fast food |
320 |
$7.40 |
$15,390 |
| Dishwashers |
320 |
$7.60 |
$15,820 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
320 |
$9.69 |
$20,150 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
300 |
$16.63 |
$34,600 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
280 |
$16.76 |
$34,870 |
| Bartenders |
280 |
$7.90 |
$16,440 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
280 |
$7.84 |
$16,310 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
270 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production workers, all other |
270 |
$9.45 |
$19,660 |
| Tellers |
270 |
$11.07 |
$23,020 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
260 |
$30.62 |
$63,700 |
| Fire fighters |
260 |
$17.29 |
$35,960 |
| Helpers--production workers |
260 |
$13.59 |
$28,260 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
260 |
$20.47 |
$42,570 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
250 |
$14.53 |
$30,230 |
| Medical assistants |
250 |
$12.92 |
$26,870 |
| Public relations specialists |
250 |
$22.47 |
$46,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
230 |
$27.56 |
$57,320 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
230 |
$12.84 |
$26,710 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
220 |
$7.78 |
$16,170 |
| Bus drivers, school |
210 |
$15.62 |
$32,480 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
210 |
$19.88 |
$41,350 |
| Electricians |
210 |
$22.76 |
$47,330 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
210 |
$16.93 |
$35,210 |
| Graphic designers |
200 |
$16.62 |
$34,570 |
| Medical secretaries |
200 |
$14.62 |
$30,410 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
200 |
$25.63 |
$53,310 |
| Coaches and scouts |
190 |
Not available |
$42,660 |
| Computer support specialists |
190 |
$16.87 |
$35,080 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
190 |
$24.42 |
$50,800 |
| Lawyers |
190 |
$39.42 |
$81,990 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
190 |
$13.09 |
$27,230 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
190 |
$12.02 |
$25,000 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
180 |
$7.96 |
$16,570 |
| Insurance sales agents |
180 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
180 |
$12.46 |
$25,910 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
180 |
$11.49 |
$23,910 |
| Dental assistants |
170 |
$17.74 |
$36,900 |
| Driver/sales workers |
170 |
$14.55 |
$30,260 |
| Mechanical engineers |
170 |
$34.41 |
$71,580 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
170 |
$9.49 |
$19,740 |
| Computer programmers |
160 |
$23.94 |
$49,790 |
| Cutters and trimmers, hand |
160 |
$16.75 |
$34,840 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
160 |
$12.53 |
$26,070 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
160 |
$15.88 |
$33,040 |
| Financial managers |
160 |
$39.68 |
$82,530 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
160 |
$17.17 |
$35,700 |
| Industrial engineers |
150 |
$32.34 |
$67,260 |
| Loan officers |
150 |
$25.42 |
$52,870 |
| Medical and health services managers |
150 |
$39.77 |
$82,720 |
| Pharmacists |
150 |
$48.47 |
$100,830 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
150 |
$22.95 |
$47,740 |
| Data entry keyers |
140 |
$12.48 |
$25,950 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
140 |
$22.07 |
$45,900 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
140 |
$10.02 |
$20,840 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
140 |
$25.72 |
$53,490 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
140 |
$32.14 |
$66,860 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
140 |
$46.07 |
$95,830 |
| Chief executives |
130 |
$65.09 |
$135,380 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
130 |
$9.09 |
$18,910 |
| Food preparation and serving related workers, all other |
130 |
$11.99 |
$24,940 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
130 |
$18.41 |
$38,300 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
130 |
$14.08 |
$29,290 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
130 |
Not available |
$50,070 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
120 |
$15.92 |
$33,110 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
120 |
$17.33 |
$36,050 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
120 |
$36.11 |
$75,110 |
| Food service managers |
120 |
$23.10 |
$48,050 |
| Librarians |
120 |
$29.49 |
$61,330 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
120 |
$11.05 |
$22,990 |
| Management analysts |
120 |
$63.81 |
$132,730 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
120 |
$14.22 |
$29,580 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
120 |
$23.59 |
$49,060 |
| Computer operators |
110 |
$14.49 |
$30,140 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
110 |
$22.36 |
$46,520 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
110 |
$12.04 |
$25,040 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
110 |
$15.19 |
$31,600 |
| Roofers |
110 |
$13.23 |
$27,510 |
| Training and development specialists |
110 |
$20.83 |
$43,320 |
| All other information and record clerks |
100 |
$13.34 |
$27,740 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
100 |
$10.45 |
$21,740 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
100 |
$19.16 |
$39,840 |
| Legal secretaries |
100 |
$13.67 |
$28,430 |
| Machinists |
100 |
$15.78 |
$32,820 |
| Managers, all other |
100 |
$35.86 |
$74,600 |
| Order clerks |
100 |
$13.32 |
$27,700 |
| Physical therapists |
100 |
$34.66 |
$72,090 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
90 |
$7.59 |
$15,780 |
| Civil engineers |
90 |
$28.82 |
$59,940 |
| Cost estimators |
90 |
$27.88 |
$57,980 |
| Dental hygienists |
90 |
$32.32 |
$67,230 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
90 |
$14.50 |
$30,160 |
| Editors |
90 |
$21.15 |
$44,000 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
90 |
$17.22 |
$35,810 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
90 |
$11.32 |
$23,550 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
90 |
$21.75 |
$45,230 |
| Industrial production managers |
90 |
$46.94 |
$97,630 |
| Mechanical engineering technicians |
90 |
$20.91 |
$43,500 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
90 |
$18.52 |
$38,520 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Printing machine operators |
90 |
$17.18 |
$35,740 |
| Sales managers |
90 |
$33.59 |
$69,860 |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
80 |
$13.22 |
$27,490 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$18.13 |
$37,710 |
| Electrical engineers |
80 |
$34.85 |
$72,480 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
80 |
$13.79 |
$28,690 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
80 |
$15.32 |
$31,870 |
| Social and community service managers |
80 |
$22.22 |
$46,210 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
80 |
Not available |
$48,190 |
| Surveyors |
80 |
$17.81 |
$37,050 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
80 |
$17.47 |
$36,340 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
70 |
$23.69 |
$49,270 |
| Bakers |
70 |
$9.69 |
$20,160 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
70 |
$17.47 |
$36,330 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
70 |
$23.91 |
$49,740 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
70 |
$20.50 |
$42,640 |
| Construction managers |
70 |
$37.00 |
$76,950 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
70 |
Not available |
$72,620 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
70 |
$9.60 |
$19,970 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
70 |
$9.12 |
$18,960 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
70 |
Not available |
$46,060 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
70 |
$7.86 |
$16,350 |
| Mechanical drafters |
70 |
$20.89 |
$43,460 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
70 |
$25.69 |
$53,430 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
70 |
$11.81 |
$24,570 |
| Parts salespersons |
70 |
$12.28 |
$25,540 |
| Personal financial advisors |
70 |
$43.63 |
$90,750 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
70 |
$13.51 |
$28,100 |
| Respiratory therapists |
70 |
$25.00 |
$51,990 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
70 |
$25.08 |
$52,170 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
60 |
$23.96 |
$49,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
60 |
$21.84 |
$45,430 |
| Floral designers |
60 |
$11.70 |
$24,340 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$15.18 |
$31,570 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
60 |
$23.06 |
$47,960 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
60 |
$15.85 |
$32,970 |
| Occupational therapists |
60 |
$29.21 |
$60,760 |
| Recreation workers |
60 |
$12.42 |
$25,830 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
60 |
$11.65 |
$24,240 |
| Service station attendants |
60 |
$8.30 |
$17,270 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
60 |
$26.15 |
$54,390 |
| Tax preparers |
60 |
$18.36 |
$38,200 |
| Travel agents |
60 |
$10.95 |
$22,770 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
60 |
$17.92 |
$37,270 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
50 |
$19.44 |
$40,430 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
50 |
$13.11 |
$27,260 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
50 |
$40.76 |
$84,790 |
| Engineering managers |
50 |
$43.99 |
$91,490 |
| Engineers, all other |
50 |
$32.80 |
$68,220 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
50 |
$16.66 |
$34,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
50 |
$13.26 |
$27,580 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other |
50 |
$15.63 |
$32,520 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
50 |
$10.57 |
$21,990 |
| Legislators |
50 |
Not available |
$133,230 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
50 |
$10.88 |
$22,640 |
| Photographers |
50 |
$13.96 |
$29,030 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$18.53 |
$38,530 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
50 |
$17.65 |
$36,710 |
| Surgical technologists |
50 |
$16.97 |
$35,300 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
50 |
$12.58 |
$26,160 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
50 |
$9.44 |
$19,640 |
| Bill and account collectors |
40 |
$15.05 |
$31,300 |
| Biological technicians |
40 |
$14.78 |
$30,740 |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
40 |
$20.84 |
$43,350 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
40 |
$23.34 |
$48,560 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
40 |
$17.24 |
$35,860 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
40 |
$21.08 |
$43,850 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
40 |
$12.53 |
$26,070 |
| File clerks |
40 |
$10.63 |
$22,120 |
| Health educators |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
40 |
$16.05 |
$33,390 |
| Market research analysts |
40 |
$27.86 |
$57,950 |
| Pest control workers |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
40 |
$14.38 |
$29,910 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
40 |
$18.73 |
$38,950 |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$15.07 |
$31,340 |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
40 |
$10.95 |
$22,770 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$47,700 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
40 |
$15.70 |
$32,650 |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers |
40 |
$13.01 |
$27,070 |
| Veterinarians |
40 |
$34.00 |
$70,730 |
| Writers and authors |
40 |
$18.38 |
$38,230 |
| Administrative services managers |
30 |
$32.97 |
$68,570 |
| Dentists, general |
30 |
$106.29 |
$221,090 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
30 |
$24.14 |
$50,200 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
30 |
$24.85 |
$51,700 |
| Financial analysts |
30 |
$30.59 |
$63,630 |
| Human resources managers, all other |
30 |
$40.81 |
$84,890 |
| Microbiologists |
30 |
$24.85 |
$51,700 |
| Natural sciences managers |
30 |
$35.15 |
$73,110 |
| New accounts clerks |
30 |
$14.42 |
$29,990 |
| Photographic processing machine operators |
30 |
$9.45 |
$19,650 |
| Producers and directors |
30 |
$29.17 |
$60,680 |
| Advertising sales agents |
Not available |
$16.79 |
$34,930 |
| Bindery workers |
Not available |
$10.38 |
$21,590 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
Not available |
$19.19 |
$39,910 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$8.67 |
$18,040 |
| Couriers and messengers |
Not available |
$9.90 |
$20,590 |
| Dental laboratory technicians |
Not available |
$12.26 |
$25,500 |
| Electronic home entertainment equipment installers and repairers |
Not available |
$14.08 |
$29,280 |
| Family and general practitioners |
Not available |
$59.35 |
$123,450 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
Not available |
$10.97 |
$22,810 |
| Helpers, construction trades, all other |
Not available |
$9.26 |
$19,270 |
| Instructional coordinators |
Not available |
$32.11 |
$66,790 |
| Massage therapists |
Not available |
$20.73 |
$43,110 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
Not available |
$17.20 |
$35,780 |
| Office machine operators, except computer |
Not available |
$13.36 |
$27,790 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$12.52 |
$26,030 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
Not available |
$7.80 |
$16,230 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$15.03 |
$31,250 |
| Personal and home care aides |
Not available |
$9.17 |
$19,080 |
| Pharmacy aides |
Not available |
$9.75 |
$20,270 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
$94.66 |
$196,900 |
| Skin care specialists |
Not available |
$8.24 |
$17,130 |
| Social and human service assistants |
Not available |
$11.64 |
$24,210 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$25.08 |
$52,170 |
| Telephone operators |
Not available |
$17.83 |
$37,090 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$10.38 |
$21,590 |
