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 |
72,200 |
$18.89 |
$39,290 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
12,860 |
$14.76 |
$30,700 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,990 |
$15.17 |
$31,550 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
7,430 |
$9.62 |
$20,000 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
6,450 |
$28.02 |
$58,280 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,560 |
$33.85 |
$70,410 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,530 |
$14.09 |
$29,300 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
3,350 |
$12.45 |
$25,900 |
| Production occupations |
3,250 |
$15.24 |
$31,700 |
| Retail salespersons |
3,070 |
$11.63 |
$24,190 |
| Management occupations |
3,040 |
$38.63 |
$80,350 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,980 |
$20.24 |
$42,100 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,690 |
$19.15 |
$39,840 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
2,520 |
$11.26 |
$23,420 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
2,410 |
$26.47 |
$55,060 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,300 |
$11.88 |
$24,710 |
| Office clerks, general |
2,260 |
$13.13 |
$27,320 |
| Cashiers |
2,050 |
$11.22 |
$23,340 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,740 |
$9.24 |
$19,220 |
| Registered nurses |
1,640 |
$38.60 |
$80,290 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,570 |
$20.10 |
$41,800 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,410 |
$21.83 |
$45,410 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
1,210 |
$10.96 |
$22,800 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
1,060 |
$15.80 |
$32,860 |
| General and operations managers |
1,050 |
$41.43 |
$86,180 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
1,030 |
Not available |
$60,760 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
1,020 |
$8.88 |
$18,460 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,000 |
$11.20 |
$23,300 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
990 |
$9.68 |
$20,140 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
980 |
$14.76 |
$30,690 |
| Teacher assistants |
980 |
Not available |
$25,520 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
940 |
$11.03 |
$22,930 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
930 |
$24.52 |
$51,000 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
900 |
$20.96 |
$43,610 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
890 |
$11.47 |
$23,850 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
840 |
$20.76 |
$43,190 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
840 |
$17.15 |
$35,670 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
810 |
$18.28 |
$38,020 |
| Construction laborers |
790 |
$16.67 |
$34,680 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
770 |
$21.57 |
$44,860 |
| Medical secretaries |
770 |
$12.76 |
$26,540 |
| Cooks, fast food |
670 |
$8.53 |
$17,740 |
| Personal and home care aides |
650 |
$9.49 |
$19,740 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
640 |
$29.02 |
$60,360 |
| Customer service representatives |
640 |
$14.19 |
$29,510 |
| Home health aides |
620 |
$9.82 |
$20,410 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
610 |
$17.28 |
$35,930 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
570 |
$12.45 |
$25,900 |
| Medical assistants |
560 |
$13.69 |
$28,480 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
550 |
$15.51 |
$32,270 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
540 |
$30.06 |
$62,510 |
| Food preparation workers |
530 |
$9.83 |
$20,440 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
510 |
$11.37 |
$23,650 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
510 |
$13.80 |
$28,710 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
480 |
$13.31 |
$27,690 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
470 |
$10.81 |
$22,480 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
460 |
$25.74 |
$53,530 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
430 |
$10.68 |
$22,220 |
| Legal occupations |
430 |
$40.90 |
$85,070 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
430 |
$9.21 |
$19,160 |
| Dishwashers |
420 |
$8.56 |
$17,800 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
410 |
$17.60 |
$36,600 |
| Carpenters |
400 |
$19.54 |
$40,650 |
| Recreation workers |
400 |
$10.92 |
$22,710 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
380 |
$9.34 |
$19,430 |
| Social and human service assistants |
370 |
$12.62 |
$26,250 |
| Tellers |
360 |
$11.41 |
$23,720 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
350 |
$16.06 |
$33,400 |
| Dental assistants |
330 |
$13.29 |
$27,640 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
330 |
$10.13 |
$21,060 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
330 |
$21.28 |
$44,260 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
320 |
$15.80 |
$32,850 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
310 |
$16.85 |
$35,040 |
| Fire fighters |
300 |
$18.08 |
$37,600 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
300 |
$32.42 |
$67,430 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
290 |
$9.89 |
$20,580 |
| Security guards |
290 |
$10.81 |
$22,490 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
270 |
$13.44 |
$27,960 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
270 |
$17.52 |
$36,450 |
| Child care workers |
260 |
$10.15 |
$21,120 |
| Accountants and auditors |
250 |
$27.63 |
$57,480 |
| Financial managers |
250 |
$39.46 |
$82,080 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
250 |
$17.40 |
$36,180 |
| Data entry keyers |
240 |
$11.07 |
$23,030 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
240 |
$29.35 |
$61,040 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
240 |
$8.54 |
$17,760 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
240 |
$14.60 |
$30,380 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
230 |
$9.16 |
$19,060 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
230 |
$11.70 |
$24,340 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
230 |
$25.52 |
$53,080 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
220 |
$21.00 |
$43,670 |
| Computer support specialists |
220 |
$19.52 |
$40,600 |
| Electricians |
220 |
$25.20 |
$52,410 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
220 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Bartenders |
210 |
$8.87 |
$18,440 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
210 |
$8.58 |
$17,850 |
| Lawyers |
210 |
$59.90 |
$124,600 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
200 |
$13.87 |
$28,860 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
200 |
$13.37 |
$27,800 |
| Sales managers |
200 |
$37.95 |
$78,930 |
| Agricultural workers, all other |
190 |
$17.46 |
$36,310 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
190 |
$26.14 |
$54,360 |
| Food service managers |
190 |
$19.62 |
$40,800 |
| Bill and account collectors |
180 |
$13.93 |
$28,970 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
180 |
$16.59 |
$34,500 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
180 |
$29.96 |
$62,310 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
170 |
$30.35 |
$63,120 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
170 |
$25.12 |
$52,250 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
170 |
$9.89 |
$20,570 |
| Loan officers |
170 |
$27.82 |
$57,860 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
160 |
$9.79 |
$20,360 |
| Insurance sales agents |
160 |
$23.11 |
$48,080 |
| Management analysts |
160 |
$26.42 |
$54,960 |
| Medical and health services managers |
160 |
$41.49 |
$86,290 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
160 |
Not available |
$59,810 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
150 |
$19.34 |
$40,220 |
| Legal secretaries |
150 |
$22.45 |
$46,710 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
150 |
$23.01 |
$47,860 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
150 |
$22.67 |
$47,150 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
140 |
Not available |
$99,040 |
| Pest control workers |
140 |
$11.66 |
$24,260 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
140 |
$16.82 |
$34,980 |
| Civil engineers |
130 |
$33.75 |
$70,210 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
130 |
$14.63 |
$30,420 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
130 |
$16.56 |
$34,450 |
| Order clerks |
130 |
$12.36 |
$25,710 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
130 |
$27.30 |
$56,790 |
| Team assemblers |
130 |
$10.98 |
$22,830 |
| Advertising sales agents |
120 |
$23.63 |
$49,160 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
120 |
$12.70 |
$26,410 |
| Cooks, short order |
120 |
$10.16 |
$21,130 |
| File clerks |
120 |
$10.54 |
$21,930 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
120 |
$15.93 |
$33,140 |
| Graders and sorters, agricultural products |
120 |
$9.42 |
$19,590 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
120 |
Not available |
$58,280 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
120 |
$9.49 |
$19,730 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
120 |
$19.54 |
$40,640 |
| Pharmacists |
120 |
$59.86 |
$124,510 |
| Physical therapists |
120 |
$40.38 |
$83,990 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
110 |
$17.75 |
$36,910 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
110 |
$12.40 |
$25,790 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
110 |
$9.86 |
$20,520 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
110 |
$17.36 |
$36,100 |
| Photographic process workers |
110 |
$10.59 |
$22,030 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
110 |
$15.05 |
$31,310 |
| Roofers |
110 |
$19.89 |
$41,370 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
110 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Tire repairers and changers |
110 |
$12.51 |
$26,010 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
110 |
$10.82 |
$22,510 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
110 |
$11.68 |
$24,300 |
| Construction managers |
100 |
$48.75 |
$101,400 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
100 |
$16.91 |
$35,180 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
100 |
$18.85 |
$39,210 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
100 |
$10.05 |
$20,910 |
| Helpers--production workers |
100 |
$10.52 |
$21,890 |
| Managers, all other |
100 |
$39.40 |
$81,950 |
| Physician assistants |
100 |
$38.91 |
$80,920 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
100 |
$74.93 |
$155,850 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
100 |
$19.48 |
$40,530 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
100 |
$40.33 |
$83,890 |
| Bakers |
90 |
$13.97 |
$29,060 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
90 |
$18.45 |
$38,370 |
| Chief executives |
90 |
$69.51 |
$144,580 |
| Computer systems analysts |
90 |
$38.50 |
$80,080 |
| Cost estimators |
90 |
$28.84 |
$59,990 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
90 |
$17.32 |
$36,020 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
90 |
$24.18 |
$50,300 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
90 |
$15.50 |
$32,230 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
90 |
$36.07 |
$75,030 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
90 |
$13.73 |
$28,560 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
90 |
$16.60 |
$34,540 |
| Parts salespersons |
90 |
$13.01 |
$27,070 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
90 |
$11.71 |
$24,350 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
90 |
$9.26 |
$19,260 |
| Word processors and typists |
90 |
$16.84 |
$35,020 |
| Administrative services managers |
80 |
$43.96 |
$91,430 |
| All other information and record clerks |
80 |
$17.46 |
$36,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of farming, fishing, and forestry workers |
80 |
$24.25 |
$50,430 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
80 |
$9.46 |
$19,680 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
80 |
$15.03 |
$31,270 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
80 |
$28.31 |
$58,880 |
| Physical therapist aides |
80 |
$11.70 |
$24,330 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
70 |
$21.79 |
$45,310 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
70 |
$32.90 |
$68,430 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
70 |
$38.79 |
$80,680 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
70 |
$26.32 |
$54,750 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
70 |
$17.92 |
$37,280 |
| Dental laboratory technicians |
70 |
$17.94 |
$37,310 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of fire fighting and prevention workers |
70 |
$30.77 |
$64,000 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
70 |
$17.05 |
$35,460 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
70 |
$15.23 |
$31,690 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
70 |
$22.32 |
$46,420 |
| Occupational therapists |
70 |
$40.69 |
$84,640 |
| Power plant operators |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Printing machine operators |
70 |
$13.05 |
$27,150 |
| Public relations specialists |
70 |
$14.29 |
$29,720 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
70 |
$51.49 |
$107,100 |
| Social and community service managers |
70 |
$40.59 |
$84,420 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
70 |
$25.83 |
$53,720 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
60 |
$19.45 |
$40,460 |
| Budget analysts |
60 |
$31.25 |
$64,990 |
| Engineers, all other |
60 |
$33.49 |
$69,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
60 |
$21.85 |
$45,440 |
| Graphic designers |
60 |
$16.79 |
$34,930 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
60 |
$11.49 |
$23,890 |
| Library technicians |
60 |
$19.09 |
$39,700 |
| Machinists |
60 |
$15.57 |
$32,390 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
60 |
$13.83 |
$28,760 |
| Meter readers, utilities |
60 |
$22.79 |
$47,400 |
| Pharmacy aides |
60 |
$10.39 |
$21,610 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
60 |
$20.87 |
$43,410 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
60 |
$16.92 |
$35,200 |
| Sewing machine operators |
60 |
$9.32 |
$19,380 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
60 |
$21.70 |
$45,140 |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$23.52 |
$48,920 |
| Computer operators |
50 |
$12.39 |
$25,770 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
50 |
$44.23 |
$92,010 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
50 |
$22.14 |
$46,050 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
50 |
$16.62 |
$34,570 |
| Family and general practitioners |
50 |
$85.14 |
$177,090 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
50 |
$41.19 |
$85,680 |
| Health educators |
50 |
$19.54 |
$40,630 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
50 |
$13.06 |
$27,160 |
| Librarians |
50 |
$36.10 |
$75,090 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
50 |
$17.65 |
$36,720 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
50 |
$22.97 |
$47,780 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
50 |
$30.80 |
$64,060 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
50 |
$14.37 |
$29,890 |
| Plasterers and stucco masons |
50 |
$21.66 |
$45,050 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
50 |
$19.16 |
$39,850 |
| Postal service clerks |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Service station attendants |
50 |
$10.00 |
$20,800 |
| Telemarketers |
50 |
$12.19 |
$25,360 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
50 |
$14.71 |
$30,600 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
40 |
$24.67 |
$51,320 |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
40 |
$12.04 |
$25,040 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
40 |
$46.73 |
$97,190 |
| Computer programmers |
40 |
$27.30 |
$56,780 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
40 |
$44.80 |
$93,190 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
40 |
$29.52 |
$61,390 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
40 |
$11.14 |
$23,180 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
40 |
$24.24 |
$50,410 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
40 |
$29.01 |
$60,340 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
40 |
$35.31 |
$73,440 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
40 |
$29.39 |
$61,140 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
40 |
$24.07 |
$50,060 |
| Funeral attendants |
40 |
$12.11 |
$25,190 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
40 |
$10.32 |
$21,460 |
| Market research analysts |
40 |
$21.11 |
$43,900 |
| Medical equipment preparers |
40 |
$11.65 |
$24,230 |
| Personal financial advisors |
40 |
$33.65 |
$69,990 |
| Photographers |
40 |
$12.45 |
$25,890 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Real estate sales agents |
40 |
$26.84 |
$55,820 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$63,500 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
40 |
$21.82 |
$45,380 |
| Surveyors |
40 |
$25.67 |
$53,400 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
40 |
$17.51 |
$36,430 |
| Brokerage clerks |
30 |
$16.37 |
$34,060 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
30 |
$27.81 |
$57,840 |
| Couriers and messengers |
30 |
$12.10 |
$25,170 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
30 |
$16.11 |
$33,510 |
| Engineering managers |
30 |
$49.03 |
$101,990 |
| Industrial production managers |
30 |
$35.67 |
$74,190 |
| Legislators |
30 |
Not available |
$39,960 |
| Marketing managers |
30 |
$49.70 |
$103,380 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers |
30 |
$13.42 |
$27,910 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
30 |
Not available |
$56,890 |
| Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents |
30 |
$25.81 |
$53,670 |
| Urban and regional planners |
30 |
$31.95 |
$66,450 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
30 |
$15.95 |
$33,180 |
| Writers and authors |
30 |
$17.28 |
$35,940 |
| Agricultural equipment operators |
Not available |
$13.48 |
$28,040 |
| Agricultural inspectors |
Not available |
$13.07 |
$27,190 |
| Animal control workers |
Not available |
$13.13 |
$27,310 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
Not available |
$24.67 |
$51,320 |
| Bus drivers, school |
Not available |
$15.61 |
$32,470 |
| Coaches and scouts |
Not available |
Not available |
$40,940 |
| Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
Not available |
$15.28 |
$31,790 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
Not available |
$21.08 |
$43,850 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
Not available |
$23.92 |
$49,760 |
| Demonstrators and product promoters |
Not available |
$8.92 |
$18,560 |
| Dental hygienists |
Not available |
$43.80 |
$91,100 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$17.75 |
$36,930 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
Not available |
$22.79 |
$47,400 |
| Farmworkers, farm and ranch animals |
Not available |
$12.73 |
$26,480 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
Not available |
$13.44 |
$27,950 |
| Interpreters and translators |
Not available |
$22.46 |
$46,710 |
| Job printers |
Not available |
$14.65 |
$30,480 |
| Massage therapists |
Not available |
$37.01 |
$76,980 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
Not available |
$17.96 |
$37,350 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
Not available |
$22.31 |
$46,400 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
Not available |
$15.59 |
$32,420 |
| Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics |
Not available |
$14.32 |
$29,790 |
| Photographic processing machine operators |
Not available |
$10.88 |
$22,640 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials |
Not available |
$10.87 |
$22,600 |
| Production workers, all other |
Not available |
$10.10 |
$21,010 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
Not available |
$47.35 |
$98,490 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
Not available |
Not available |
$64,370 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
Not available |
Not available |
$63,300 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
Not available |
$15.84 |
$32,950 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$55,260 |
| Tile and marble setters |
Not available |
$29.42 |
$61,200 |
| Tree trimmers and pruners |
Not available |
$14.17 |
$29,460 |
