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 |
58,340 |
$16.48 |
$34,290 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
9,380 |
$12.94 |
$26,910 |
| Production occupations |
7,730 |
$15.10 |
$31,400 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,730 |
$13.31 |
$27,690 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,570 |
$8.17 |
$17,000 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,240 |
$12.93 |
$26,900 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,900 |
$22.73 |
$47,280 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,180 |
$31.53 |
$65,590 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,740 |
$15.86 |
$32,990 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,540 |
$9.73 |
$20,240 |
| Management occupations |
2,300 |
$37.50 |
$78,010 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,270 |
$16.78 |
$34,900 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
2,130 |
$7.10 |
$14,760 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,780 |
$10.34 |
$21,500 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,680 |
$25.37 |
$52,770 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,380 |
$11.49 |
$23,910 |
| Cashiers |
1,330 |
$8.05 |
$16,740 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,300 |
$9.86 |
$20,500 |
| Customer service representatives |
1,270 |
$11.53 |
$23,990 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,130 |
$10.80 |
$22,470 |
| Registered nurses |
1,100 |
$27.51 |
$57,210 |
| Team assemblers |
1,060 |
$13.83 |
$28,770 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,030 |
$7.34 |
$15,270 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,020 |
$10.38 |
$21,600 |
| Helpers--production workers |
860 |
$12.56 |
$26,120 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
850 |
$10.71 |
$22,280 |
| Community and social services occupations |
820 |
$17.22 |
$35,820 |
| Office clerks, general |
810 |
$10.84 |
$22,550 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
790 |
$13.58 |
$28,240 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
770 |
$16.25 |
$33,790 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
750 |
$15.11 |
$31,430 |
| Protective service occupations |
720 |
$17.82 |
$37,070 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
700 |
$10.31 |
$21,450 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
680 |
$17.52 |
$36,450 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
650 |
Not available |
$41,970 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
650 |
$16.27 |
$33,850 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
640 |
$11.26 |
$23,410 |
| Teacher assistants |
640 |
Not available |
$19,910 |
| General and operations managers |
630 |
$38.98 |
$81,080 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
610 |
$14.22 |
$29,580 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
590 |
$26.98 |
$56,110 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
580 |
$17.69 |
$36,800 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
560 |
$9.64 |
$20,060 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
560 |
$21.36 |
$44,420 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
550 |
$25.19 |
$52,390 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
510 |
$11.54 |
$24,010 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
500 |
$12.85 |
$26,740 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
490 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
490 |
$19.71 |
$41,000 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
490 |
$9.59 |
$19,940 |
| Child care workers |
470 |
$7.54 |
$15,680 |
| Driver/sales workers |
470 |
$11.34 |
$23,590 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
450 |
$8.15 |
$16,950 |
| Construction laborers |
440 |
$12.98 |
$26,990 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
430 |
$22.16 |
$46,100 |
| Electricians |
400 |
$17.44 |
$36,260 |
| Machinists |
360 |
$14.60 |
$30,360 |
| Legal occupations |
350 |
$28.70 |
$59,700 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
350 |
Not available |
$47,090 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
340 |
$13.52 |
$28,110 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
340 |
$16.51 |
$34,340 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
330 |
$9.75 |
$20,280 |
| Accountants and auditors |
320 |
$24.48 |
$50,920 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
320 |
$9.99 |
$20,790 |
| Bus drivers, school |
310 |
$13.82 |
$28,740 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
310 |
$21.23 |
$44,160 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
300 |
$10.11 |
$21,040 |
| Carpenters |
290 |
$15.83 |
$32,920 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
290 |
$10.78 |
$22,420 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
290 |
$13.81 |
$28,720 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
280 |
$13.09 |
$27,230 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
280 |
$10.91 |
$22,690 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
250 |
$14.25 |
$29,640 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
240 |
$15.83 |
$32,930 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
240 |
$18.61 |
$38,710 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
230 |
$11.81 |
$24,550 |
| Financial managers |
230 |
$38.17 |
$79,390 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
230 |
$22.66 |
$47,140 |
| Food preparation workers |
230 |
$9.78 |
$20,350 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
230 |
$16.42 |
$34,150 |
| Medical assistants |
230 |
$11.51 |
$23,940 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
220 |
$21.95 |
$45,660 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
220 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
210 |
$27.57 |
$57,350 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
210 |
$16.61 |
$34,550 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
210 |
$19.47 |
$40,490 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
200 |
$7.63 |
$15,860 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
200 |
Not available |
$45,620 |
| Tellers |
200 |
$10.25 |
$21,320 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
180 |
$11.21 |
$23,310 |
| Recreation workers |
180 |
$9.33 |
$19,400 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
180 |
$19.20 |
$39,950 |
| Medical secretaries |
170 |
$11.26 |
$23,430 |
| Social and human service assistants |
170 |
$12.63 |
$26,280 |
| Dental assistants |
160 |
$14.78 |
$30,740 |
| Insurance sales agents |
160 |
$27.24 |
$56,670 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
160 |
$16.27 |
$33,840 |
| Physical therapists |
150 |
$38.23 |
$79,520 |
| Computer support specialists |
140 |
$16.47 |
$34,250 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
140 |
$8.15 |
$16,940 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
140 |
$11.83 |
$24,610 |
| Lawyers |
140 |
$43.71 |
$90,910 |
| Loan officers |
140 |
$27.69 |
$57,600 |
| Printing machine operators |
140 |
$14.49 |
$30,140 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
140 |
$17.47 |
$36,340 |
| Sales managers |
140 |
$54.22 |
$112,780 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
140 |
$39.92 |
$83,040 |
| Bill and account collectors |
130 |
$13.56 |
$28,210 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
130 |
$18.68 |
$38,860 |
| Industrial engineers |
130 |
$32.94 |
$68,500 |
| Parts salespersons |
130 |
$11.99 |
$24,930 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
130 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
130 |
$10.91 |
$22,700 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
130 |
$20.84 |
$43,360 |
| Real estate sales agents |
130 |
$12.21 |
$25,390 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
120 |
$7.20 |
$14,970 |
| Dishwashers |
120 |
$7.70 |
$16,010 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
120 |
$10.63 |
$22,100 |
| Medical and health services managers |
120 |
$38.29 |
$79,640 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
120 |
$15.26 |
$31,740 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
120 |
$22.98 |
$47,800 |
| Bartenders |
110 |
$7.79 |
$16,200 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
110 |
$21.61 |
$44,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
110 |
$14.67 |
$30,520 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
110 |
$20.68 |
$43,010 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
110 |
$8.24 |
$17,130 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
110 |
$14.30 |
$29,740 |
| Public relations specialists |
110 |
$16.87 |
$35,090 |
| Tool and die makers |
110 |
$23.98 |
$49,890 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
110 |
$9.86 |
$20,520 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
100 |
$30.08 |
$62,570 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
100 |
$8.69 |
$18,080 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
100 |
$17.81 |
$37,050 |
| Managers, all other |
100 |
$32.29 |
$67,170 |
| Pharmacists |
100 |
$49.80 |
$103,580 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
100 |
$24.59 |
$51,150 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Surgical technologists |
100 |
$16.96 |
$35,280 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
90 |
$14.76 |
$30,700 |
| Construction managers |
90 |
$28.66 |
$59,620 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
90 |
$18.12 |
$37,700 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
90 |
$16.30 |
$33,900 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
90 |
$18.88 |
$39,260 |
| Management analysts |
90 |
$38.73 |
$80,550 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
90 |
$22.75 |
$47,320 |
| Respiratory therapists |
90 |
$22.98 |
$47,800 |
| All other information and record clerks |
80 |
$14.06 |
$29,240 |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
80 |
$15.28 |
$31,780 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
80 |
Not available |
$73,330 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
80 |
$11.96 |
$24,880 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
80 |
$15.39 |
$32,020 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
80 |
$22.90 |
$47,640 |
| Industrial production managers |
80 |
$35.34 |
$73,500 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
80 |
$14.67 |
$30,510 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
80 |
$17.16 |
$35,680 |
| Order clerks |
80 |
$12.34 |
$25,670 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
80 |
$14.55 |
$30,260 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials |
80 |
$8.22 |
$17,100 |
| Residential advisors |
80 |
$9.93 |
$20,650 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
80 |
$10.48 |
$21,790 |
| Social and community service managers |
80 |
$28.29 |
$58,840 |
| Chief executives |
70 |
$74.92 |
$155,830 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
70 |
$15.70 |
$32,660 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
70 |
$13.35 |
$27,760 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
70 |
$11.63 |
$24,180 |
| Legal secretaries |
70 |
$14.29 |
$29,720 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
70 |
$20.72 |
$43,100 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
70 |
$8.51 |
$17,700 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
70 |
$16.69 |
$34,710 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
70 |
Not available |
$31,640 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
70 |
$13.75 |
$28,610 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
60 |
$17.33 |
$36,050 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
60 |
$35.87 |
$74,600 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$24.11 |
$50,150 |
| Dental hygienists |
60 |
$22.48 |
$46,760 |
| Food service managers |
60 |
$20.21 |
$42,040 |
| Instructional coordinators |
60 |
$22.13 |
$46,030 |
| Librarians |
60 |
$24.22 |
$50,380 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
60 |
$9.34 |
$19,430 |
| Mechanical engineers |
60 |
$35.57 |
$73,990 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
60 |
$14.32 |
$29,790 |
| Service station attendants |
60 |
$9.22 |
$19,170 |
| Sheet metal workers |
60 |
$14.17 |
$29,480 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
60 |
$22.19 |
$46,160 |
| Administrative services managers |
50 |
$31.68 |
$65,900 |
| Chemical technicians |
50 |
$11.43 |
$23,760 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
50 |
$25.67 |
$53,390 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
50 |
$27.19 |
$56,550 |
| Cooks, short order |
50 |
$8.78 |
$18,260 |
| Couriers and messengers |
50 |
$8.78 |
$18,260 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
50 |
$15.53 |
$32,300 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
50 |
$24.68 |
$51,330 |
| Engineering managers |
50 |
$40.81 |
$84,880 |
| File clerks |
50 |
$9.67 |
$20,110 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$17.99 |
$37,420 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
50 |
$11.22 |
$23,330 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
50 |
$11.86 |
$24,670 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
50 |
$10.61 |
$22,070 |
| Marketing managers |
50 |
$30.96 |
$64,400 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
50 |
$13.84 |
$28,780 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
50 |
$13.90 |
$28,920 |
| Photographers |
50 |
$12.11 |
$25,180 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
50 |
$16.81 |
$34,960 |
| Public relations managers |
50 |
$33.58 |
$69,840 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
50 |
$10.54 |
$21,920 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
50 |
$16.38 |
$34,060 |
| Telemarketers |
50 |
$12.07 |
$25,110 |
| Training and development specialists |
50 |
$22.04 |
$45,850 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
40 |
$18.50 |
$38,470 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
40 |
$13.27 |
$27,600 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$20.72 |
$43,090 |
| Computer programmers |
40 |
$22.15 |
$46,060 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
40 |
$27.16 |
$56,490 |
| Home health aides |
40 |
$10.60 |
$22,050 |
| Human resources managers, all other |
40 |
$39.75 |
$82,680 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
40 |
$15.17 |
$31,540 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
40 |
$16.73 |
$34,790 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
40 |
$26.00 |
$54,070 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
40 |
$7.70 |
$16,010 |
| Security guards |
40 |
$10.86 |
$22,590 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
40 |
$15.62 |
$32,490 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
40 |
$11.94 |
$24,830 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
40 |
$35.55 |
$73,950 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
40 |
$17.74 |
$36,910 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
30 |
$15.08 |
$31,360 |
| Civil engineers |
30 |
$26.01 |
$54,090 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
30 |
$24.17 |
$50,270 |
| Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
30 |
$13.24 |
$27,530 |
| Computer operators |
30 |
$14.19 |
$29,510 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
30 |
$26.68 |
$55,500 |
| Data entry keyers |
30 |
$10.07 |
$20,950 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
30 |
$30.58 |
$63,600 |
| Electrical engineers |
30 |
$29.54 |
$61,440 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
30 |
$15.94 |
$33,150 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
30 |
$16.57 |
$34,470 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
30 |
$18.90 |
$39,310 |
| Purchasing managers |
30 |
$38.75 |
$80,600 |
| Surgeons |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
30 |
$13.36 |
$27,780 |
| Tax preparers |
30 |
$16.52 |
$34,370 |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
Not available |
$18.93 |
$39,370 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
Not available |
$16.68 |
$34,690 |
| Chemists |
Not available |
$22.17 |
$46,120 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$11.61 |
$24,150 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
Not available |
$36.60 |
$76,130 |
| Computer systems analysts |
Not available |
$33.39 |
$69,450 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$8.19 |
$17,040 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$7.00 |
$14,550 |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$10.21 |
$21,240 |
| Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles |
Not available |
$12.53 |
$26,060 |
| Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$15.39 |
$32,010 |
| Financial analysts |
Not available |
$27.16 |
$56,480 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
Not available |
$26.24 |
$54,570 |
| First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers, all other |
Not available |
$15.74 |
$32,740 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
Not available |
$8.63 |
$17,940 |
| Helpers--electricians |
Not available |
$10.74 |
$22,330 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$12.59 |
$26,180 |
| New accounts clerks |
Not available |
$15.17 |
$31,550 |
| Occupational therapists |
Not available |
$41.66 |
$86,650 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
Not available |
$15.86 |
$32,980 |
| Pediatricians, general |
Not available |
$93.04 |
$193,520 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
Not available |
$16.94 |
$35,230 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
Not available |
$15.60 |
$32,440 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
Not available |
$41.54 |
$86,400 |
| Sewing machine operators |
Not available |
$8.23 |
$17,110 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
Not available |
$42.47 |
$88,350 |
