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 |
43,370 |
$18.06 |
$37,560 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,310 |
$14.00 |
$29,120 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,210 |
$13.44 |
$27,960 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,990 |
$14.14 |
$29,410 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
3,880 |
$8.79 |
$18,280 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,950 |
$17.53 |
$36,460 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,550 |
$30.50 |
$63,440 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,420 |
$22.30 |
$46,390 |
| Management occupations |
2,200 |
$34.52 |
$71,800 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,960 |
$27.05 |
$56,270 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,960 |
$19.93 |
$41,460 |
| Production occupations |
1,740 |
$15.68 |
$32,600 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,510 |
$11.53 |
$23,970 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,490 |
$10.44 |
$21,710 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,160 |
$10.22 |
$21,260 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,050 |
$13.28 |
$27,620 |
| Cashiers |
1,000 |
$9.58 |
$19,930 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
990 |
$12.61 |
$26,230 |
| Protective service occupations |
920 |
$19.58 |
$40,720 |
| Registered nurses |
900 |
$28.38 |
$59,030 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
870 |
$6.98 |
$14,510 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
780 |
$10.67 |
$22,190 |
| Community and social services occupations |
730 |
$20.81 |
$43,280 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
730 |
$11.15 |
$23,190 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
700 |
$14.77 |
$30,710 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
700 |
$26.65 |
$55,420 |
| General and operations managers |
700 |
$36.47 |
$75,850 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
700 |
$11.62 |
$24,180 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
700 |
$14.97 |
$31,140 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
610 |
$28.47 |
$59,210 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
580 |
$30.59 |
$63,630 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
560 |
$9.09 |
$18,900 |
| Accountants and auditors |
550 |
$24.85 |
$51,690 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
530 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
520 |
Not available |
$55,800 |
| Legal occupations |
520 |
$33.91 |
$70,530 |
| Customer service representatives |
500 |
$12.35 |
$25,700 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
500 |
$16.52 |
$34,350 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
500 |
$12.98 |
$26,990 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
480 |
$20.10 |
$41,810 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
430 |
$17.41 |
$36,220 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
410 |
$18.80 |
$39,100 |
| Driver/sales workers |
410 |
$10.50 |
$21,840 |
| Teacher assistants |
410 |
Not available |
$23,570 |
| Electricians |
350 |
$22.08 |
$45,920 |
| Food preparation workers |
350 |
$9.35 |
$19,450 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
340 |
$10.14 |
$21,080 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
340 |
$11.70 |
$24,340 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
330 |
$13.48 |
$28,030 |
| Construction laborers |
310 |
$13.07 |
$27,180 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
310 |
$17.08 |
$35,530 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
300 |
$24.89 |
$51,770 |
| Office clerks, general |
300 |
$11.90 |
$24,750 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
300 |
$20.53 |
$42,700 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
290 |
$14.44 |
$30,030 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
280 |
$8.59 |
$17,860 |
| Managers, all other |
280 |
$40.52 |
$84,280 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
280 |
$16.38 |
$34,060 |
| Lawyers |
270 |
$45.21 |
$94,030 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
260 |
$28.86 |
$60,030 |
| Medical secretaries |
260 |
$13.13 |
$27,310 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
250 |
$14.16 |
$29,450 |
| Carpenters |
250 |
$17.93 |
$37,300 |
| Child care workers |
250 |
$8.12 |
$16,880 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
250 |
$10.58 |
$22,010 |
| Bartenders |
240 |
$7.61 |
$15,830 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
240 |
$28.08 |
$58,400 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
240 |
$11.96 |
$24,880 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
230 |
$7.26 |
$15,110 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
230 |
$11.23 |
$23,360 |
| Recreation workers |
220 |
$9.97 |
$20,740 |
| Cooks, fast food |
210 |
$7.19 |
$14,960 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
200 |
$15.32 |
$31,870 |
| Dishwashers |
200 |
$8.11 |
$16,870 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
200 |
$20.66 |
$42,970 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
190 |
$19.15 |
$39,830 |
| Tellers |
190 |
$10.77 |
$22,410 |
| All other information and record clerks |
180 |
$14.94 |
$31,070 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
180 |
$12.80 |
$26,630 |
| Management analysts |
180 |
$27.73 |
$57,680 |
| Medical and health services managers |
180 |
$36.95 |
$76,860 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
170 |
$25.30 |
$52,620 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
170 |
$19.34 |
$40,220 |
| Computer systems analysts |
160 |
$23.32 |
$48,510 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
160 |
$14.13 |
$29,400 |
| Team assemblers |
160 |
$12.94 |
$26,910 |
| Bus drivers, school |
150 |
$12.52 |
$26,030 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
150 |
$9.46 |
$19,670 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
150 |
$10.02 |
$20,840 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
140 |
$22.14 |
$46,050 |
| Civil engineers |
140 |
$30.51 |
$63,450 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
140 |
$13.56 |
$28,200 |
| Health educators |
140 |
$26.12 |
$54,320 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
140 |
$15.31 |
$31,840 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
140 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
140 |
$15.79 |
$32,840 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
140 |
$20.25 |
$42,110 |
| Security guards |
140 |
$12.39 |
$25,770 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
130 |
$19.37 |
$40,290 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
130 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
130 |
$7.31 |
$15,200 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
130 |
$24.42 |
$50,780 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
120 |
$27.83 |
$57,880 |
| Computer support specialists |
120 |
$18.86 |
$39,220 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
120 |
$23.85 |
$49,620 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
120 |
$11.28 |
$23,450 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
120 |
$9.10 |
$18,920 |
| Loan officers |
120 |
$21.61 |
$44,950 |
| Order clerks |
120 |
$10.68 |
$22,210 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
120 |
$19.21 |
$39,960 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
120 |
$11.03 |
$22,950 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
120 |
$17.79 |
$37,000 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
110 |
$21.62 |
$44,960 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
110 |
$30.77 |
$64,000 |
| Food service managers |
110 |
$20.41 |
$42,460 |
| Instructional coordinators |
110 |
$25.20 |
$52,420 |
| Pharmacists |
110 |
$46.73 |
$97,210 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
110 |
$14.36 |
$29,870 |
| Training and development specialists |
110 |
$21.93 |
$45,620 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
100 |
$18.71 |
$38,910 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
100 |
$23.13 |
$48,110 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
100 |
$9.08 |
$18,890 |
| Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers |
100 |
$27.33 |
$56,850 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
90 |
$24.64 |
$51,260 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
90 |
$28.62 |
$59,530 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
90 |
$24.95 |
$51,890 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
90 |
$22.51 |
$46,820 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
90 |
$14.23 |
$29,600 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
90 |
$15.03 |
$31,260 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
90 |
$24.64 |
$51,240 |
| Dental assistants |
80 |
$14.37 |
$29,890 |
| Financial managers |
80 |
$38.82 |
$80,740 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
80 |
$17.74 |
$36,890 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
80 |
$10.19 |
$21,190 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
80 |
$17.05 |
$35,470 |
| Insurance sales agents |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Mechanical engineers |
80 |
$34.58 |
$71,920 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
80 |
$15.92 |
$33,110 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
80 |
$21.53 |
$44,770 |
| Parts salespersons |
80 |
$11.96 |
$24,880 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
80 |
$74.67 |
$155,320 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
80 |
$18.97 |
$39,450 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
80 |
$29.78 |
$61,940 |
| Administrative services managers |
70 |
$30.85 |
$64,170 |
| Bill and account collectors |
70 |
$14.47 |
$30,100 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
70 |
$13.71 |
$28,510 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
70 |
$9.57 |
$19,910 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
70 |
Not available |
$83,270 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
70 |
$14.30 |
$29,750 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
70 |
$27.57 |
$57,340 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
70 |
$8.53 |
$17,730 |
| Market research analysts |
70 |
$21.03 |
$43,750 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
70 |
$25.67 |
$53,400 |
| Medical assistants |
70 |
$14.03 |
$29,190 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
70 |
$16.26 |
$33,810 |
| Production workers, all other |
70 |
$13.28 |
$27,620 |
| Public relations specialists |
70 |
$21.71 |
$45,150 |
| Roofers |
70 |
$14.04 |
$29,210 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
60 |
$26.33 |
$54,760 |
| Choreographers |
60 |
$21.70 |
$45,140 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
60 |
$35.74 |
$74,340 |
| Data entry keyers |
60 |
$10.41 |
$21,660 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
60 |
$8.37 |
$17,410 |
| Family and general practitioners |
60 |
$81.06 |
$168,590 |
| Graphic designers |
60 |
$18.64 |
$38,770 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
60 |
$9.11 |
$18,960 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
60 |
Not available |
$52,040 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
60 |
$14.09 |
$29,310 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
60 |
$29.41 |
$61,180 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
60 |
$10.35 |
$21,530 |
| Physical therapists |
60 |
$31.02 |
$64,520 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
60 |
$17.36 |
$36,120 |
| Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks |
60 |
$7.63 |
$15,880 |
| Social and community service managers |
60 |
$27.13 |
$56,420 |
| Social and human service assistants |
60 |
$13.56 |
$28,210 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
60 |
$14.27 |
$29,680 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$19.82 |
$41,220 |
| Chief executives |
50 |
$48.14 |
$100,120 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
50 |
$31.30 |
$65,100 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
50 |
$13.61 |
$28,300 |
| Cost estimators |
50 |
$21.86 |
$45,470 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
50 |
$18.24 |
$37,930 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
50 |
$20.59 |
$42,830 |
| Engineering managers |
50 |
$40.76 |
$84,780 |
| First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers, all other |
50 |
$22.17 |
$46,120 |
| Helpers--production workers |
50 |
$8.73 |
$18,160 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
50 |
$15.59 |
$32,420 |
| Mental health counselors |
50 |
$20.69 |
$43,040 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
50 |
$27.87 |
$57,980 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
50 |
$23.22 |
$48,290 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
50 |
$16.68 |
$34,700 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
50 |
$15.72 |
$32,690 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
50 |
$22.36 |
$46,500 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
50 |
$9.00 |
$18,730 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
50 |
Not available |
$36,410 |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers |
50 |
$22.62 |
$47,050 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
50 |
$14.96 |
$31,120 |
| Advertising sales agents |
40 |
$23.31 |
$48,490 |
| Bakers |
40 |
$10.19 |
$21,200 |
| Bus drivers, transit and intercity |
40 |
$9.74 |
$20,260 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
40 |
$25.96 |
$53,990 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
40 |
$15.11 |
$31,430 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
40 |
$26.76 |
$55,650 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
40 |
$24.13 |
$50,200 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
40 |
$24.11 |
$50,140 |
| Entertainment attendants and related workers, all other |
40 |
$8.65 |
$17,990 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
40 |
$25.72 |
$53,500 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
40 |
$14.41 |
$29,970 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
40 |
$11.53 |
$23,990 |
| Sales managers |
40 |
$26.19 |
$54,470 |
| Transportation workers, all other |
40 |
$12.70 |
$26,410 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
40 |
$34.97 |
$72,740 |
| Travel agents |
40 |
$12.75 |
$26,520 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
30 |
$13.96 |
$29,030 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
30 |
$15.15 |
$31,510 |
| Financial analysts |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
30 |
$20.57 |
$42,790 |
| Human resources managers, all other |
30 |
$33.03 |
$68,700 |
| Mechanical drafters |
30 |
$20.71 |
$43,080 |
| Occupational therapists |
30 |
$31.50 |
$65,520 |
| Physician assistants |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Social workers, all other |
30 |
$25.56 |
$53,160 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
30 |
$32.35 |
$67,290 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
Not available |
$18.12 |
$37,680 |
| Budget analysts |
Not available |
$37.02 |
$77,000 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
Not available |
$16.50 |
$34,320 |
| Construction managers |
Not available |
$30.47 |
$63,380 |
| Dental hygienists |
Not available |
$29.06 |
$60,440 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
Not available |
$16.49 |
$34,310 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
Not available |
$28.53 |
$59,340 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.90 |
$28,910 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
Not available |
$11.61 |
$24,140 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$14.15 |
$29,430 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
Not available |
$11.29 |
$23,490 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
Not available |
$17.45 |
$36,300 |
| Medical equipment repairers |
Not available |
$17.39 |
$36,170 |
| Personal financial advisors |
Not available |
$82.49 |
$171,580 |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$47,510 |
| Real estate sales agents |
Not available |
$35.46 |
$73,770 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$10.52 |
$21,880 |
| Sheet metal workers |
Not available |
$20.39 |
$42,410 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
Not available |
$15.80 |
$32,870 |
| Telemarketers |
Not available |
$15.57 |
$32,380 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$8.90 |
$18,500 |
