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 |
86,230 |
$21.19 |
$44,070 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
14,280 |
$14.83 |
$30,840 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
8,910 |
$28.90 |
$60,120 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
8,430 |
$9.57 |
$19,910 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,570 |
$16.23 |
$33,760 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
6,590 |
$38.31 |
$79,680 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
6,360 |
$20.44 |
$42,510 |
| Management occupations |
5,310 |
$41.55 |
$86,430 |
| Production occupations |
4,240 |
$17.13 |
$35,640 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,110 |
$15.33 |
$31,890 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
3,480 |
$13.56 |
$28,210 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,910 |
$20.77 |
$43,200 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,790 |
$30.35 |
$63,120 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,530 |
$24.85 |
$51,690 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,300 |
$10.63 |
$22,120 |
| Cashiers |
2,180 |
$8.90 |
$18,510 |
| Customer service representatives |
2,040 |
$12.80 |
$26,630 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
2,040 |
$9.56 |
$19,880 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,950 |
$11.95 |
$24,850 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,730 |
$8.63 |
$17,960 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,720 |
$14.64 |
$30,450 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,690 |
$12.19 |
$25,350 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,620 |
$12.70 |
$26,410 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,470 |
$12.17 |
$25,310 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
1,330 |
$16.08 |
$33,450 |
| Managers, all other |
1,270 |
$37.21 |
$77,390 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,270 |
$19.23 |
$40,000 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
1,030 |
$20.50 |
$42,650 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
1,000 |
$18.18 |
$37,820 |
| Computer systems analysts |
950 |
$44.76 |
$93,090 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
940 |
$10.10 |
$21,010 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
920 |
Not available |
$52,270 |
| Team assemblers |
900 |
$21.46 |
$44,630 |
| Community and social services occupations |
830 |
$19.32 |
$40,190 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
830 |
$18.12 |
$37,700 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
830 |
$13.84 |
$28,790 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
810 |
$14.61 |
$30,400 |
| Registered nurses |
800 |
$25.61 |
$53,260 |
| Management analysts |
790 |
$36.54 |
$76,000 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
770 |
$11.62 |
$24,160 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
760 |
Not available |
$26,220 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
680 |
$20.27 |
$42,170 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
670 |
$11.06 |
$23,010 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
650 |
$11.12 |
$23,120 |
| Security guards |
650 |
$11.31 |
$23,520 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
640 |
$18.44 |
$38,360 |
| Teacher assistants |
640 |
Not available |
$20,930 |
| Food preparation workers |
620 |
$8.76 |
$18,230 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
620 |
$13.44 |
$27,950 |
| Accountants and auditors |
610 |
$28.20 |
$58,650 |
| Legal occupations |
610 |
$51.67 |
$107,480 |
| Bartenders |
590 |
$8.54 |
$17,770 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
580 |
Not available |
$51,180 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
580 |
$11.60 |
$24,120 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
550 |
$23.40 |
$48,670 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
540 |
$31.71 |
$65,950 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
540 |
$9.45 |
$19,660 |
| Cooks, fast food |
500 |
$9.05 |
$18,820 |
| Financial analysts |
480 |
$35.30 |
$73,420 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
470 |
$14.79 |
$30,760 |
| All other information and record clerks |
460 |
$12.22 |
$25,420 |
| Financial managers |
460 |
$47.43 |
$98,650 |
| Carpenters |
450 |
$26.31 |
$54,720 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
420 |
$19.83 |
$41,240 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
420 |
$8.59 |
$17,860 |
| Home health aides |
410 |
$9.94 |
$20,670 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
410 |
$10.25 |
$21,320 |
| Helpers--production workers |
400 |
$13.54 |
$28,160 |
| Construction laborers |
390 |
$22.25 |
$46,280 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
380 |
$8.39 |
$17,440 |
| Lawyers |
380 |
$67.06 |
$139,490 |
| Dishwashers |
360 |
$8.37 |
$17,420 |
| Child care workers |
350 |
$9.05 |
$18,810 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
350 |
$42.63 |
$88,670 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
350 |
$11.13 |
$23,150 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
330 |
$24.30 |
$50,540 |
| Production workers, all other |
320 |
$15.38 |
$32,000 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
300 |
$11.52 |
$23,970 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
290 |
$30.20 |
$62,810 |
| Electricians |
280 |
$31.87 |
$66,290 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
280 |
$31.11 |
$64,720 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
280 |
$21.19 |
$44,070 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
270 |
$18.65 |
$38,800 |
| Marketing managers |
270 |
$52.93 |
$110,100 |
| Tellers |
270 |
$11.35 |
$23,610 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
260 |
$18.94 |
$39,390 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
240 |
$9.56 |
$19,890 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
240 |
$12.82 |
$26,660 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
230 |
$19.71 |
$40,990 |
| Personal and home care aides |
230 |
$8.26 |
$17,170 |
| Coaches and scouts |
220 |
Not available |
$28,430 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
220 |
$14.17 |
$29,480 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
220 |
$26.03 |
$54,150 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
220 |
Not available |
$49,730 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
220 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Computer and information systems managers |
210 |
$62.23 |
$129,430 |
| Dental hygienists |
210 |
$22.81 |
$47,440 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
210 |
$11.72 |
$24,370 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
210 |
$20.90 |
$43,470 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
200 |
$25.40 |
$52,840 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
190 |
$19.33 |
$40,210 |
| Food service managers |
190 |
$19.39 |
$40,320 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
190 |
$9.67 |
$20,110 |
| Medical secretaries |
190 |
$15.00 |
$31,200 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
190 |
$44.07 |
$91,670 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
180 |
$20.57 |
$42,780 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
180 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical assistants |
180 |
$13.35 |
$27,770 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
180 |
$17.03 |
$35,420 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
170 |
$31.18 |
$64,850 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
170 |
$31.49 |
$65,490 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
170 |
$27.21 |
$56,600 |
| Industrial engineers |
170 |
$35.24 |
$73,300 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
160 |
$11.96 |
$24,880 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
160 |
$13.49 |
$28,060 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
150 |
$20.85 |
$43,370 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
150 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
150 |
$41.83 |
$87,000 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
150 |
$34.40 |
$71,540 |
| Training and development specialists |
150 |
$22.37 |
$46,520 |
| Administrative services managers |
140 |
$35.63 |
$74,110 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
140 |
$8.63 |
$17,940 |
| Bill and account collectors |
140 |
$17.18 |
$35,730 |
| Loan officers |
140 |
$26.20 |
$54,490 |
| Logisticians |
140 |
$26.06 |
$54,200 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
140 |
$24.96 |
$51,910 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
130 |
$8.68 |
$18,050 |
| File clerks |
130 |
$9.29 |
$19,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
130 |
$38.90 |
$80,910 |
| Legal secretaries |
130 |
$20.64 |
$42,940 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
130 |
$10.26 |
$21,350 |
| Market research analysts |
130 |
$34.06 |
$70,850 |
| Parts salespersons |
130 |
$16.42 |
$34,150 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
120 |
$9.98 |
$20,770 |
| Fire fighters |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
120 |
$59.65 |
$124,060 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
120 |
Not available |
$49,350 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
110 |
$22.30 |
$46,380 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
110 |
$14.58 |
$30,320 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
110 |
$10.03 |
$20,860 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
110 |
$22.18 |
$46,130 |
| Roofers |
110 |
$17.45 |
$36,290 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
110 |
$24.12 |
$50,170 |
| Sheet metal workers |
110 |
$27.51 |
$57,220 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
110 |
Not available |
$51,520 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
100 |
$13.19 |
$27,430 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
100 |
$12.69 |
$26,400 |
| Driver/sales workers |
100 |
$15.43 |
$32,100 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$81,910 |
| Graphic designers |
100 |
$17.80 |
$37,020 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
100 |
$20.79 |
$43,240 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
100 |
$16.00 |
$33,280 |
| Librarians |
100 |
$24.99 |
$51,980 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
100 |
$14.75 |
$30,670 |
| Physical therapists |
100 |
$35.05 |
$72,900 |
| Printing machine operators |
100 |
$15.80 |
$32,860 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
100 |
$25.29 |
$52,600 |
| Cost estimators |
90 |
$32.15 |
$66,870 |
| Dental assistants |
90 |
$18.33 |
$38,130 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
90 |
$35.03 |
$72,850 |
| Order clerks |
90 |
$11.76 |
$24,460 |
| Public relations managers |
90 |
$34.50 |
$71,750 |
| Data entry keyers |
80 |
$11.75 |
$24,440 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
80 |
$18.17 |
$37,780 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
80 |
$23.26 |
$48,390 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
80 |
$25.92 |
$53,900 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
80 |
$20.66 |
$42,980 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
80 |
Not available |
$41,720 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
80 |
$16.90 |
$35,160 |
| Medical and health services managers |
80 |
$35.11 |
$73,030 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
80 |
$15.36 |
$31,950 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
80 |
$21.08 |
$43,850 |
| Social and human service assistants |
80 |
$13.03 |
$27,100 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
70 |
$17.00 |
$35,350 |
| Human resources managers, all other |
70 |
$58.71 |
$122,130 |
| Library technicians |
70 |
$17.45 |
$36,300 |
| Machinists |
70 |
$14.12 |
$29,370 |
| Painters, transportation equipment |
70 |
$23.18 |
$48,220 |
| Pharmacists |
70 |
$53.79 |
$111,880 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
70 |
$23.48 |
$48,840 |
| Psychology teachers, postsecondary |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Speech-language pathologists |
70 |
$27.33 |
$56,850 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
70 |
$37.50 |
$78,000 |
| Advertising sales agents |
60 |
$18.42 |
$38,310 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
60 |
$13.97 |
$29,050 |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary |
60 |
Not available |
$62,600 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
60 |
$27.49 |
$57,190 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
60 |
$26.72 |
$55,580 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$20.04 |
$41,690 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
60 |
$9.82 |
$20,420 |
| Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary |
60 |
Not available |
$51,750 |
| Legislators |
60 |
Not available |
$26,440 |
| Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary |
60 |
Not available |
$54,600 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
60 |
$15.47 |
$32,170 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
60 |
$10.13 |
$21,070 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
60 |
$89.76 |
$186,710 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
60 |
$19.01 |
$39,540 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
60 |
$10.79 |
$22,440 |
| Tool and die makers |
60 |
$25.68 |
$53,420 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
50 |
$40.51 |
$84,260 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
50 |
$22.36 |
$46,500 |
| Job printers |
50 |
$13.78 |
$28,670 |
| Meeting and convention planners |
50 |
$18.69 |
$38,880 |
| Social and community service managers |
50 |
$22.25 |
$46,280 |
| Bakers |
40 |
$9.51 |
$19,780 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
40 |
$14.21 |
$29,550 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
40 |
$18.37 |
$38,200 |
| Civil engineers |
40 |
$40.15 |
$83,510 |
| Dentists, general |
40 |
$93.87 |
$195,240 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
40 |
$10.90 |
$22,680 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
40 |
$17.28 |
$35,950 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$21.47 |
$44,660 |
| Occupational therapist assistants |
40 |
$22.00 |
$45,760 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
40 |
$11.93 |
$24,820 |
| Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
30 |
$16.27 |
$33,840 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
30 |
$19.32 |
$40,180 |
| Demonstrators and product promoters |
30 |
$10.64 |
$22,140 |
| Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers |
30 |
$12.66 |
$26,340 |
| Engineering managers |
30 |
$47.16 |
$98,090 |
| Occupational therapists |
30 |
$29.77 |
$61,910 |
| Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary |
30 |
Not available |
$57,110 |
| Postal service clerks |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Real estate sales agents |
30 |
$20.42 |
$42,480 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
30 |
$12.19 |
$25,350 |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
Not available |
$16.25 |
$33,790 |
| Architects, except landscape and naval |
Not available |
$29.89 |
$62,180 |
| Athletic trainers |
Not available |
Not available |
$40,180 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
Not available |
$27.79 |
$57,800 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
Not available |
$22.62 |
$47,050 |
| Chief executives |
Not available |
$70.44 |
$146,500 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
Not available |
$30.16 |
$62,740 |
| Computer operators |
Not available |
$17.74 |
$36,910 |
| Computer programmers |
Not available |
$37.04 |
$77,050 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
Not available |
$43.85 |
$91,220 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
Not available |
$39.88 |
$82,940 |
| Computer support specialists |
Not available |
$25.08 |
$52,170 |
| Construction and related workers, all other |
Not available |
$21.41 |
$44,540 |
| Construction managers |
Not available |
$45.10 |
$93,800 |
| Couriers and messengers |
Not available |
$10.15 |
$21,100 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
Not available |
$12.19 |
$25,350 |
| Credit analysts |
Not available |
$25.89 |
$53,840 |
| Database administrators |
Not available |
$43.55 |
$90,580 |
| Drafters, all other |
Not available |
$19.93 |
$41,450 |
| Engineers, all other |
Not available |
$44.68 |
$92,940 |
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary |
Not available |
Not available |
$51,350 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
Not available |
$10.90 |
$22,670 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
Not available |
$10.72 |
$22,300 |
| General and operations managers |
Not available |
$40.89 |
$85,050 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
Not available |
$19.59 |
$40,740 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$15.38 |
$31,980 |
| History teachers, postsecondary |
Not available |
Not available |
$44,150 |
| Home appliance repairers |
Not available |
$15.24 |
$31,700 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
Not available |
$30.28 |
$62,990 |
| Industrial production managers |
Not available |
$46.51 |
$96,730 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
Not available |
$19.47 |
$40,500 |
| Insurance sales agents |
Not available |
$28.82 |
$59,940 |
| Insurance underwriters |
Not available |
$35.89 |
$74,660 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
Not available |
$13.69 |
$28,470 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
Not available |
$8.72 |
$18,130 |
| Massage therapists |
Not available |
$12.34 |
$25,660 |
| Meter readers, utilities |
Not available |
$17.03 |
$35,430 |
| Personal care and service workers, all other |
Not available |
$8.91 |
$18,530 |
| Personal financial advisors |
Not available |
$21.38 |
$44,470 |
| Physician assistants |
Not available |
$39.84 |
$82,870 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
Not available |
$17.97 |
$37,380 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
Not available |
$27.32 |
$56,820 |
| Purchasing managers |
Not available |
$50.76 |
$105,570 |
| Radio and television announcers |
Not available |
$25.84 |
$53,750 |
| Recreation workers |
Not available |
$11.26 |
$23,430 |
| Residential advisors |
Not available |
$13.66 |
$28,400 |
| Sales managers |
Not available |
$49.59 |
$103,140 |
| Security and fire alarm systems installers |
Not available |
$27.89 |
$58,010 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
Not available |
$10.63 |
$22,110 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
Not available |
Not available |
$54,320 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
Not available |
$16.88 |
$35,110 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
Not available |
$16.28 |
$33,870 |
