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 |
43,270 |
$16.75 |
$34,840 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,370 |
$13.46 |
$27,990 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,590 |
$8.55 |
$17,790 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,790 |
$11.90 |
$24,750 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,140 |
$12.99 |
$27,020 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,980 |
$18.82 |
$39,140 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,260 |
$18.42 |
$38,320 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,240 |
$14.94 |
$31,070 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,240 |
$30.56 |
$63,570 |
| Management occupations |
2,150 |
$39.57 |
$82,310 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,120 |
$9.96 |
$20,720 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,910 |
$10.67 |
$22,190 |
| Production occupations |
1,820 |
$15.36 |
$31,950 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,520 |
$7.46 |
$15,510 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,510 |
$31.18 |
$64,850 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,330 |
$21.94 |
$45,640 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,170 |
$7.50 |
$15,600 |
| Cashiers |
1,120 |
$8.29 |
$17,240 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,050 |
$11.19 |
$23,270 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,010 |
$11.12 |
$23,120 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
990 |
$10.78 |
$22,430 |
| Registered nurses |
850 |
$26.14 |
$54,360 |
| General and operations managers |
830 |
$37.44 |
$77,880 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
730 |
$13.58 |
$28,240 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
700 |
$11.10 |
$23,100 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
690 |
$10.35 |
$21,520 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
660 |
$14.19 |
$29,510 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
640 |
$18.77 |
$39,040 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
630 |
$9.10 |
$18,920 |
| Teacher assistants |
610 |
Not available |
$16,920 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
600 |
$22.68 |
$47,180 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
590 |
$10.14 |
$21,100 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
560 |
$18.80 |
$39,100 |
| Customer service representatives |
540 |
$12.35 |
$25,680 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
540 |
$9.63 |
$20,040 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
530 |
$15.33 |
$31,890 |
| Construction laborers |
520 |
$10.30 |
$21,410 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
520 |
Not available |
$48,880 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
520 |
$15.15 |
$31,510 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
500 |
$38.54 |
$80,160 |
| Community and social services occupations |
480 |
$17.76 |
$36,940 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
470 |
$17.63 |
$36,660 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
450 |
$10.27 |
$21,370 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
420 |
$13.57 |
$28,220 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
360 |
$15.86 |
$32,990 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
360 |
Not available |
$48,720 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
350 |
$35.65 |
$74,150 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
350 |
$12.19 |
$25,350 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
340 |
$8.22 |
$17,100 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
320 |
$9.35 |
$19,450 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
320 |
$10.94 |
$22,760 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
310 |
$7.60 |
$15,800 |
| Security guards |
310 |
$13.44 |
$27,960 |
| Carpenters |
300 |
$18.04 |
$37,520 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
300 |
$25.37 |
$52,760 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
290 |
$26.62 |
$55,380 |
| Cooks, fast food |
280 |
$7.74 |
$16,090 |
| Managers, all other |
260 |
$47.51 |
$98,820 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
250 |
$17.63 |
$36,670 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
240 |
$13.05 |
$27,140 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
240 |
$15.90 |
$33,070 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
240 |
$10.79 |
$22,430 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
230 |
$10.12 |
$21,050 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
210 |
$12.70 |
$26,420 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
210 |
$12.51 |
$26,020 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
200 |
$28.52 |
$59,330 |
| Dishwashers |
200 |
$7.67 |
$15,950 |
| Legal occupations |
200 |
$39.61 |
$82,380 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
200 |
$24.72 |
$51,420 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
190 |
$16.32 |
$33,940 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
190 |
$14.73 |
$30,640 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
190 |
$13.43 |
$27,940 |
| Bill and account collectors |
170 |
$11.53 |
$23,980 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
170 |
$25.46 |
$52,950 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
170 |
$24.85 |
$51,690 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
170 |
$23.43 |
$48,740 |
| Recreation workers |
170 |
$11.80 |
$24,540 |
| Accountants and auditors |
160 |
$30.92 |
$64,310 |
| Production workers, all other |
160 |
$13.41 |
$27,890 |
| Tellers |
160 |
$10.63 |
$22,110 |
| Chief executives |
150 |
$69.46 |
$144,480 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
150 |
$22.04 |
$45,850 |
| Food preparation workers |
150 |
$9.68 |
$20,140 |
| Millwrights |
150 |
$27.48 |
$57,160 |
| Bartenders |
140 |
$9.36 |
$19,470 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
140 |
$30.16 |
$62,730 |
| Electricians |
140 |
$17.66 |
$36,730 |
| Management analysts |
130 |
$28.45 |
$59,180 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
130 |
$15.94 |
$33,150 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
120 |
$7.33 |
$15,240 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
120 |
$16.56 |
$34,440 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
120 |
$19.33 |
$40,210 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
120 |
$8.80 |
$18,300 |
| Medical secretaries |
120 |
$12.07 |
$25,100 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
110 |
$17.49 |
$36,370 |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
110 |
$14.54 |
$30,250 |
| Real estate sales agents |
110 |
$15.87 |
$33,010 |
| Administrative services managers |
100 |
$30.59 |
$63,630 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
100 |
$13.17 |
$27,390 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
100 |
$8.57 |
$17,830 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
100 |
$16.46 |
$34,240 |
| Helpers--electricians |
100 |
$10.39 |
$21,620 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
100 |
$9.49 |
$19,740 |
| Lawyers |
100 |
$56.38 |
$117,260 |
| Sales managers |
100 |
$47.19 |
$98,160 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
90 |
$17.14 |
$35,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
90 |
$15.65 |
$32,560 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
90 |
$14.20 |
$29,530 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
90 |
$14.07 |
$29,260 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
90 |
$13.63 |
$28,350 |
| Social and human service assistants |
90 |
$11.89 |
$24,730 |
| Construction managers |
80 |
$41.89 |
$87,120 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
80 |
Not available |
$70,840 |
| Financial managers |
80 |
$40.40 |
$84,040 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
80 |
$20.75 |
$43,170 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
80 |
$12.49 |
$25,970 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
80 |
Not available |
$53,280 |
| Loan officers |
80 |
$33.25 |
$69,150 |
| Parts salespersons |
80 |
$11.25 |
$23,390 |
| Pharmacists |
80 |
$46.94 |
$97,630 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
80 |
$13.19 |
$27,430 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
80 |
$26.55 |
$55,230 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
80 |
$12.48 |
$25,960 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
80 |
$17.42 |
$36,220 |
| Dental assistants |
70 |
$15.81 |
$32,870 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
70 |
$25.44 |
$52,920 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
70 |
$11.85 |
$24,650 |
| Insurance sales agents |
70 |
$14.05 |
$29,220 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
70 |
$14.55 |
$30,250 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
70 |
$13.81 |
$28,730 |
| Medical assistants |
70 |
$11.96 |
$24,870 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
70 |
$12.24 |
$25,450 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
70 |
$18.79 |
$39,070 |
| Advertising sales agents |
60 |
$19.78 |
$41,150 |
| Computer support specialists |
60 |
$18.99 |
$39,500 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
60 |
$7.39 |
$15,370 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
60 |
$13.37 |
$27,800 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
60 |
$24.30 |
$50,540 |
| Instructional coordinators |
60 |
$25.81 |
$53,690 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
60 |
$14.34 |
$29,820 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
60 |
$10.07 |
$20,940 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
60 |
$7.45 |
$15,490 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
60 |
$13.76 |
$28,620 |
| Roofers |
60 |
$14.46 |
$30,080 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
60 |
Not available |
$49,030 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
60 |
Not available |
$45,880 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
60 |
$11.37 |
$23,650 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
50 |
$36.01 |
$74,890 |
| Data entry keyers |
50 |
$12.91 |
$26,860 |
| File clerks |
50 |
$10.25 |
$21,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
50 |
$19.19 |
$39,910 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
50 |
$20.92 |
$43,500 |
| Food service managers |
50 |
$26.68 |
$55,490 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$23.22 |
$48,300 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
50 |
$10.04 |
$20,880 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
50 |
$34.65 |
$72,080 |
| Lodging managers |
50 |
$19.19 |
$39,910 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
50 |
$21.51 |
$44,740 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
50 |
$27.33 |
$56,850 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
50 |
$29.56 |
$61,480 |
| Social and community service managers |
50 |
$22.65 |
$47,120 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
50 |
$46.95 |
$97,660 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
50 |
Not available |
$56,150 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
40 |
$18.54 |
$38,560 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
40 |
$13.24 |
$27,530 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Cost estimators |
40 |
$23.59 |
$49,080 |
| Dental hygienists |
40 |
$30.95 |
$64,380 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
40 |
$15.02 |
$31,230 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
40 |
$15.77 |
$32,790 |
| Interior designers |
40 |
$23.58 |
$49,050 |
| Librarians |
40 |
$28.17 |
$58,590 |
| Marketing managers |
40 |
$42.10 |
$87,570 |
| Medical and health services managers |
40 |
$36.37 |
$75,650 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Pest control workers |
40 |
$13.85 |
$28,800 |
| Public relations specialists |
40 |
$19.55 |
$40,670 |
| Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks |
40 |
$12.17 |
$25,310 |
| Sheet metal workers |
40 |
$15.39 |
$32,020 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
40 |
$14.37 |
$29,890 |
| Team assemblers |
40 |
$12.25 |
$25,480 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
40 |
$25.42 |
$52,880 |
| Legislators |
30 |
Not available |
$13,960 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
30 |
$21.13 |
$43,950 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
30 |
$11.46 |
$23,850 |
| Child care workers |
Not available |
$7.66 |
$15,940 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$9.55 |
$19,870 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
Not available |
$7.33 |
$15,250 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$11.07 |
$23,020 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
Not available |
$14.18 |
$29,490 |
| Engineers, all other |
Not available |
$29.46 |
$61,280 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$11.67 |
$24,280 |
| Helpers--production workers |
Not available |
$10.95 |
$22,770 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
Not available |
$11.20 |
$23,290 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$15.87 |
$33,010 |
| Logging equipment operators |
Not available |
$20.37 |
$42,380 |
| New accounts clerks |
Not available |
$16.34 |
$34,000 |
| Occupational therapists |
Not available |
$37.45 |
$77,900 |
| Physical therapist aides |
Not available |
$9.85 |
$20,490 |
| Physical therapists |
Not available |
$36.52 |
$75,960 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
Not available |
$13.65 |
$28,390 |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers |
Not available |
$14.08 |
$29,280 |
