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 |
59,880 |
$16.11 |
$33,510 |
| Production occupations |
8,710 |
$12.30 |
$25,580 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
8,430 |
$14.25 |
$29,650 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,360 |
$13.43 |
$27,930 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,560 |
$9.03 |
$18,770 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,760 |
$12.67 |
$26,360 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,650 |
$18.43 |
$38,330 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,060 |
$27.20 |
$56,580 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,890 |
$17.18 |
$35,740 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,830 |
$15.43 |
$32,100 |
| Management occupations |
2,470 |
$43.61 |
$90,710 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,360 |
$10.11 |
$21,030 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,150 |
$11.16 |
$23,220 |
| Cashiers |
2,040 |
$8.21 |
$17,080 |
| Team assemblers |
1,910 |
$10.76 |
$22,380 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,740 |
$7.75 |
$16,110 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,580 |
$10.58 |
$22,010 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,560 |
$26.06 |
$54,210 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,470 |
$8.72 |
$18,130 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,310 |
$9.78 |
$20,350 |
| Home health aides |
1,140 |
$9.49 |
$19,730 |
| Registered nurses |
1,070 |
$26.06 |
$54,200 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
980 |
$17.37 |
$36,130 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
920 |
$28.65 |
$59,600 |
| Customer service representatives |
910 |
$14.83 |
$30,850 |
| General and operations managers |
910 |
$52.45 |
$109,100 |
| Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders |
900 |
$11.17 |
$23,240 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
890 |
$10.77 |
$22,400 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
850 |
$14.61 |
$30,380 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
850 |
$10.40 |
$21,620 |
| Protective service occupations |
830 |
$17.42 |
$36,230 |
| Office clerks, general |
800 |
$11.50 |
$23,920 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
790 |
$17.12 |
$35,610 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
780 |
$16.89 |
$35,130 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
770 |
$14.03 |
$29,180 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
760 |
$10.07 |
$20,940 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
690 |
$10.28 |
$21,390 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
680 |
$20.59 |
$42,830 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
610 |
$18.64 |
$38,780 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
610 |
$21.60 |
$44,920 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
600 |
$11.77 |
$24,490 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
580 |
$9.71 |
$20,210 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
520 |
$17.18 |
$35,730 |
| Community and social services occupations |
520 |
$18.90 |
$39,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
510 |
$19.93 |
$41,460 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
460 |
$9.88 |
$20,560 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
440 |
$16.63 |
$34,590 |
| Teacher assistants |
440 |
Not available |
$18,330 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
430 |
Not available |
$40,700 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
430 |
$11.84 |
$24,630 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
410 |
$20.91 |
$43,490 |
| Food preparation workers |
400 |
$8.75 |
$18,200 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
400 |
$11.33 |
$23,560 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
400 |
$12.11 |
$25,180 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
390 |
$27.83 |
$57,880 |
| Sewing machine operators |
370 |
$10.51 |
$21,860 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
370 |
$13.89 |
$28,890 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
350 |
$10.49 |
$21,830 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
340 |
$18.11 |
$37,670 |
| Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders |
340 |
$9.72 |
$20,230 |
| Helpers--production workers |
330 |
$9.74 |
$20,250 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
330 |
$8.30 |
$17,260 |
| Accountants and auditors |
320 |
$27.80 |
$57,830 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
320 |
$14.87 |
$30,920 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
310 |
$25.18 |
$52,380 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
310 |
$11.71 |
$24,370 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
300 |
$9.96 |
$20,710 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
280 |
$23.97 |
$49,850 |
| Machinists |
280 |
$12.28 |
$25,540 |
| Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders |
280 |
$10.90 |
$22,680 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
270 |
$26.29 |
$54,690 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
270 |
$17.52 |
$36,450 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
250 |
$7.76 |
$16,150 |
| Construction laborers |
240 |
$11.66 |
$24,260 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
240 |
$9.35 |
$19,440 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
230 |
$34.28 |
$71,310 |
| Computer support specialists |
230 |
$21.65 |
$45,030 |
| Electricians |
230 |
$18.76 |
$39,020 |
| Personal and home care aides |
230 |
$9.05 |
$18,830 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
230 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
220 |
$7.69 |
$16,000 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
220 |
$12.86 |
$26,740 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
220 |
$18.72 |
$38,940 |
| Driver/sales workers |
210 |
$10.73 |
$22,320 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
210 |
$32.35 |
$67,290 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
210 |
$11.96 |
$24,870 |
| Carpenters |
200 |
$13.62 |
$28,320 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
200 |
$21.21 |
$44,120 |
| Tellers |
200 |
$12.07 |
$25,100 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
190 |
$28.84 |
$59,980 |
| Recreation workers |
190 |
$11.33 |
$23,570 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
180 |
$14.27 |
$29,680 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
180 |
$15.24 |
$31,700 |
| Dishwashers |
180 |
$7.80 |
$16,220 |
| Medical assistants |
180 |
$14.72 |
$30,610 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
180 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Tire repairers and changers |
180 |
$10.50 |
$21,840 |
| Computer systems analysts |
170 |
$34.13 |
$70,980 |
| Industrial production managers |
170 |
$36.00 |
$74,890 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
160 |
$7.71 |
$16,050 |
| Financial managers |
160 |
$40.13 |
$83,460 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
160 |
$10.28 |
$21,380 |
| Parts salespersons |
160 |
$11.73 |
$24,390 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials |
160 |
$8.13 |
$16,910 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
150 |
Not available |
$41,910 |
| Bill and account collectors |
140 |
$14.04 |
$29,210 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
140 |
$15.24 |
$31,710 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
140 |
$15.58 |
$32,410 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
140 |
$13.67 |
$28,440 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
140 |
$48.44 |
$100,750 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
140 |
$7.60 |
$15,820 |
| Fire fighters |
140 |
$16.90 |
$35,140 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
140 |
$22.92 |
$47,670 |
| Legal occupations |
140 |
$34.45 |
$71,650 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
140 |
$12.99 |
$27,020 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
140 |
$12.04 |
$25,040 |
| Child care workers |
130 |
$8.86 |
$18,420 |
| Coaches and scouts |
130 |
Not available |
$36,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
130 |
$23.71 |
$49,320 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
130 |
$10.29 |
$21,410 |
| Insurance underwriters |
130 |
$25.08 |
$52,170 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
120 |
$18.84 |
$39,190 |
| Construction managers |
120 |
$38.93 |
$80,970 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
120 |
$10.41 |
$21,640 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
120 |
$11.49 |
$23,910 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
120 |
$8.89 |
$18,500 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
120 |
$14.70 |
$30,580 |
| Sales managers |
120 |
$40.59 |
$84,430 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
110 |
$15.47 |
$32,180 |
| Helpers--electricians |
110 |
$12.02 |
$25,000 |
| Loan officers |
110 |
$20.80 |
$43,260 |
| Printing machine operators |
110 |
$12.34 |
$25,670 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
110 |
$22.84 |
$47,500 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
110 |
$23.61 |
$49,120 |
| Data entry keyers |
100 |
$11.12 |
$23,130 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
100 |
$7.57 |
$15,750 |
| Food service managers |
100 |
$28.56 |
$59,400 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
100 |
$13.70 |
$28,490 |
| Pharmacists |
100 |
$50.00 |
$104,000 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
100 |
$16.48 |
$34,280 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
90 |
$21.57 |
$44,860 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
90 |
$15.50 |
$32,250 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
90 |
$22.40 |
$46,580 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
90 |
$16.32 |
$33,950 |
| Managers, all other |
90 |
$34.39 |
$71,530 |
| Medical and health services managers |
90 |
$47.50 |
$98,790 |
| Medical secretaries |
90 |
$12.70 |
$26,420 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
90 |
$9.49 |
$19,740 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
90 |
$24.31 |
$50,570 |
| Security guards |
90 |
$16.93 |
$35,220 |
| Bartenders |
80 |
$9.45 |
$19,650 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
80 |
$23.55 |
$48,980 |
| Cost estimators |
80 |
$22.72 |
$47,260 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
80 |
Not available |
$60,880 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
80 |
$23.01 |
$47,860 |
| Lawyers |
80 |
$41.69 |
$86,720 |
| Mechanical engineers |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Order clerks |
80 |
$13.51 |
$28,090 |
| Real estate brokers |
80 |
$20.73 |
$43,110 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
80 |
$12.01 |
$24,980 |
| Computer programmers |
70 |
$23.68 |
$49,260 |
| Graphic designers |
70 |
$18.30 |
$38,070 |
| Industrial engineers |
70 |
$29.48 |
$61,320 |
| Insurance sales agents |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Job printers |
70 |
$19.38 |
$40,300 |
| Legal secretaries |
70 |
$17.55 |
$36,510 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
70 |
$30.20 |
$62,820 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
70 |
$13.78 |
$28,660 |
| Pipelayers |
70 |
$13.52 |
$28,120 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
70 |
$18.43 |
$38,340 |
| Social and human service assistants |
70 |
$12.00 |
$24,970 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
60 |
$18.25 |
$37,950 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
60 |
$12.89 |
$26,820 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$16.63 |
$34,580 |
| Librarians |
60 |
$23.08 |
$48,010 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
60 |
$14.47 |
$30,100 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$14.07 |
$29,270 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
60 |
$13.61 |
$28,300 |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$25.85 |
$53,780 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
60 |
$10.89 |
$22,650 |
| Administrative services managers |
50 |
$32.03 |
$66,620 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
50 |
$15.24 |
$31,690 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
50 |
$11.79 |
$24,530 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
50 |
$18.95 |
$39,410 |
| File clerks |
50 |
$10.21 |
$21,230 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
50 |
$18.45 |
$38,370 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
50 |
Not available |
$38,760 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
50 |
$8.52 |
$17,720 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
50 |
$14.45 |
$30,060 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
50 |
$25.30 |
$52,620 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production workers, all other |
50 |
$11.40 |
$23,720 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
50 |
$15.24 |
$31,710 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
40 |
$16.37 |
$34,050 |
| Civil engineers |
40 |
$39.00 |
$81,120 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
40 |
$13.85 |
$28,810 |
| Funeral directors |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$23.22 |
$48,290 |
| Marketing managers |
40 |
$58.34 |
$121,350 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
40 |
$21.50 |
$44,720 |
| Physical therapists |
40 |
$35.51 |
$73,860 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Public relations specialists |
40 |
$21.21 |
$44,130 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Speech-language pathologists |
40 |
$26.05 |
$54,190 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
40 |
$14.82 |
$30,830 |
| Veterinarians |
40 |
$36.14 |
$75,170 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
40 |
$11.07 |
$23,030 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
40 |
$15.17 |
$31,560 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
30 |
$18.51 |
$38,490 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
30 |
$21.04 |
$43,770 |
| Database administrators |
30 |
$28.08 |
$58,400 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
30 |
$21.31 |
$44,330 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
30 |
$12.72 |
$26,460 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
30 |
$16.63 |
$34,600 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
30 |
$23.43 |
$48,730 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
30 |
$17.09 |
$35,540 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
30 |
$17.46 |
$36,310 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
30 |
$15.15 |
$31,510 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
30 |
$28.10 |
$58,460 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
30 |
$13.41 |
$27,890 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
30 |
$16.43 |
$34,180 |
| Bus drivers, school |
Not available |
$10.08 |
$20,970 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
Not available |
$23.14 |
$48,130 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$7.36 |
$15,310 |
| Dental assistants |
Not available |
$17.15 |
$35,680 |
| Dental hygienists |
Not available |
$27.36 |
$56,910 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
Not available |
$15.23 |
$31,680 |
| Family and general practitioners |
Not available |
$87.58 |
$182,170 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
Not available |
$29.26 |
$60,870 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
Not available |
$7.43 |
$15,460 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$18.35 |
$38,170 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
Not available |
$11.26 |
$23,420 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$10.45 |
$21,730 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
Not available |
$8.71 |
$18,130 |
| Mental health counselors |
Not available |
$17.78 |
$36,980 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
Not available |
Not available |
$34,840 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
Not available |
$13.56 |
$28,200 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
Not available |
Not available |
$40,100 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
Not available |
$18.20 |
$37,850 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$9.01 |
$18,740 |
| Social and community service managers |
Not available |
$22.25 |
$46,280 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$22,550 |
| Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$12.40 |
$25,790 |
