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 |
32,920 |
$19.25 |
$40,030 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
4,600 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
4,580 |
$14.43 |
$30,010 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
3,900 |
$9.99 |
$20,780 |
| Sales and related occupations |
2,570 |
$14.51 |
$30,180 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
2,050 |
$12.24 |
$25,460 |
| Production occupations |
1,950 |
$18.27 |
$38,010 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
1,850 |
$39.47 |
$82,110 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,440 |
$11.29 |
$23,480 |
| Management occupations |
1,320 |
$42.44 |
$88,270 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,240 |
$32.49 |
$67,590 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
1,130 |
$13.31 |
$27,690 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,120 |
$11.19 |
$23,270 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,060 |
$9.29 |
$19,330 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,050 |
$25.46 |
$52,950 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
1,020 |
$24.25 |
$50,440 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,000 |
$13.02 |
$27,080 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
970 |
$20.61 |
$42,870 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
940 |
$12.10 |
$25,180 |
| Community and social services occupations |
790 |
$16.06 |
$33,410 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
770 |
$18.16 |
$37,780 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
750 |
$19.44 |
$40,440 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
710 |
$31.60 |
$65,730 |
| Registered nurses |
710 |
$35.30 |
$73,410 |
| Office clerks, general |
680 |
$13.74 |
$28,570 |
| Cashiers |
600 |
$9.70 |
$20,170 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
540 |
$10.25 |
$21,320 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
480 |
$11.56 |
$24,040 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
460 |
Not available |
$50,270 |
| Food preparation workers |
430 |
$9.45 |
$19,660 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
410 |
$14.87 |
$30,930 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
390 |
$29.16 |
$60,660 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
380 |
$10.45 |
$21,740 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
380 |
$15.14 |
$31,500 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
370 |
$22.48 |
$46,750 |
| Protective service occupations |
360 |
$21.44 |
$44,590 |
| Teacher assistants |
360 |
Not available |
$26,770 |
| Personal care and service workers, all other |
350 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical secretaries |
330 |
$15.50 |
$32,230 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
320 |
$10.51 |
$21,850 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
290 |
$17.43 |
$36,260 |
| General and operations managers |
290 |
$43.48 |
$90,440 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
270 |
$10.69 |
$22,230 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
260 |
$23.21 |
$48,280 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
260 |
$19.25 |
$40,040 |
| Personal and home care aides |
260 |
$9.52 |
$19,800 |
| Order clerks |
250 |
$9.54 |
$19,840 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
240 |
$11.61 |
$24,140 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
230 |
$17.24 |
$35,870 |
| Child care workers |
220 |
$10.55 |
$21,950 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
220 |
$18.76 |
$39,010 |
| Home health aides |
220 |
$9.97 |
$20,730 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
220 |
$13.13 |
$27,310 |
| Medical assistants |
220 |
$15.24 |
$31,700 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
210 |
$23.34 |
$48,540 |
| Civil engineers |
200 |
$31.40 |
$65,310 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
200 |
Not available |
$46,470 |
| Carpenters |
180 |
$20.22 |
$42,070 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
180 |
$10.88 |
$22,640 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
180 |
$15.48 |
$32,190 |
| Accountants and auditors |
170 |
$28.30 |
$58,870 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
170 |
$10.94 |
$22,750 |
| Customer service representatives |
170 |
$14.35 |
$29,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
170 |
$16.05 |
$33,380 |
| Dishwashers |
160 |
$8.88 |
$18,460 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
150 |
$32.71 |
$68,030 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
140 |
$39.64 |
$82,440 |
| Zoologists and wildlife biologists |
140 |
$24.33 |
$50,600 |
| Construction laborers |
130 |
$13.23 |
$27,520 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
130 |
$11.35 |
$23,600 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
130 |
$13.65 |
$28,400 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
130 |
$15.49 |
$32,230 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
130 |
$9.36 |
$19,460 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
130 |
$12.22 |
$25,420 |
| Tellers |
120 |
$11.06 |
$23,010 |
| Logging equipment operators |
110 |
$20.89 |
$43,460 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
110 |
$10.11 |
$21,030 |
| Service station attendants |
110 |
$9.11 |
$18,950 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
110 |
$13.23 |
$27,510 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
100 |
$13.04 |
$27,120 |
| Computer programmers |
100 |
$35.37 |
$73,570 |
| Dental hygienists |
100 |
$36.14 |
$75,160 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Recreation workers |
100 |
$10.77 |
$22,400 |
| All other information and record clerks |
90 |
$14.36 |
$29,860 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
90 |
$20.05 |
$41,700 |
| Computer support specialists |
90 |
$21.63 |
$44,980 |
| Electricians |
90 |
$28.85 |
$60,010 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
90 |
$13.62 |
$28,330 |
| Loan officers |
90 |
$22.62 |
$47,050 |
| Logging workers, all other |
90 |
$16.15 |
$33,590 |
| Medical and health services managers |
90 |
$46.74 |
$97,220 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
90 |
$14.45 |
$30,050 |
| Musicians and singers |
90 |
$26.42 |
Not available |
| Pharmacists |
90 |
$50.34 |
$104,720 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
90 |
$26.50 |
$55,120 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
90 |
$27.33 |
$56,850 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
90 |
$13.18 |
$27,420 |
| Dental assistants |
80 |
$17.84 |
$37,100 |
| Financial managers |
80 |
$43.56 |
$90,610 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
80 |
$25.83 |
$53,730 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
80 |
$15.74 |
$32,750 |
| Legal occupations |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Managers, all other |
80 |
$33.11 |
$68,870 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
80 |
$26.98 |
$56,110 |
| Clergy |
70 |
$21.77 |
$45,280 |
| Cooks, fast food |
70 |
$8.78 |
$18,270 |
| Electronics engineers, except computer |
70 |
$49.55 |
$103,060 |
| Marketing managers |
70 |
$44.97 |
$93,540 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
70 |
$9.07 |
$18,860 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
70 |
$15.06 |
$31,330 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
70 |
$35.79 |
$74,450 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
70 |
$10.06 |
$20,920 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
70 |
Not available |
$48,920 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
60 |
$9.60 |
$19,970 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
60 |
$45.97 |
$95,620 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
60 |
$9.76 |
$20,310 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
60 |
$26.00 |
$54,090 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
60 |
$26.67 |
$55,470 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
60 |
$17.33 |
$36,050 |
| Food service managers |
60 |
$22.63 |
$47,070 |
| Forest and conservation technicians |
60 |
$20.90 |
$43,470 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
60 |
$19.24 |
$40,010 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
60 |
$12.67 |
$26,350 |
| Librarians |
60 |
$27.83 |
$57,890 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$13.00 |
$27,050 |
| Natural sciences managers |
60 |
$55.40 |
$115,230 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
60 |
$17.55 |
$36,500 |
| Bartenders |
50 |
$10.90 |
$22,670 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
50 |
$14.12 |
$29,360 |
| Computer hardware engineers |
50 |
$50.45 |
$104,940 |
| Computer systems analysts |
50 |
$32.46 |
$67,510 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
50 |
$24.88 |
$51,760 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
50 |
$17.19 |
$35,750 |
| Directors, religious activities and education |
50 |
$15.06 |
$31,320 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Engineering managers |
50 |
$63.20 |
$131,450 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
50 |
$21.68 |
$45,090 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$18.82 |
$39,140 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
50 |
$9.28 |
$19,310 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
50 |
$22.89 |
$47,600 |
| Mechanical engineers |
50 |
$38.09 |
$79,220 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
50 |
$28.33 |
$58,920 |
| Music directors and composers |
50 |
$28.39 |
$59,060 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
50 |
$14.23 |
$29,600 |
| Physical therapists |
50 |
$33.84 |
$70,390 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
50 |
$21.51 |
$44,740 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
50 |
$20.25 |
$42,120 |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
50 |
$15.90 |
$33,070 |
| Social and community service managers |
50 |
$24.63 |
$51,240 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
50 |
Not available |
$55,760 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
50 |
$17.55 |
$36,500 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
50 |
$14.56 |
$30,280 |
| Administrative services managers |
40 |
$27.75 |
$57,720 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
40 |
$23.93 |
$49,770 |
| Coaches and scouts |
40 |
Not available |
$62,390 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
40 |
$40.22 |
$83,670 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$78,290 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
40 |
$34.92 |
$72,630 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
40 |
$31.59 |
$65,710 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
40 |
$20.60 |
$42,850 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
40 |
$12.18 |
$25,340 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
40 |
Not available |
$32,840 |
| Lawyers |
40 |
$43.31 |
$90,070 |
| Legal secretaries |
40 |
$14.48 |
$30,120 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
40 |
$21.83 |
$45,410 |
| Medical equipment preparers |
40 |
$13.10 |
$27,240 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
40 |
$17.63 |
$36,670 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
40 |
$17.98 |
$37,390 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
40 |
$18.76 |
$39,020 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Security guards |
40 |
$12.77 |
$26,560 |
| Training and development specialists |
40 |
$27.11 |
$56,400 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
30 |
$20.97 |
$43,630 |
| Construction managers |
30 |
$42.86 |
$89,140 |
| Data entry keyers |
30 |
$11.15 |
$23,190 |
| Dentists, general |
30 |
$84.90 |
$176,590 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
30 |
$19.38 |
$40,310 |
| Helpers--production workers |
30 |
$12.51 |
$26,020 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| New accounts clerks |
30 |
$13.06 |
$27,160 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
30 |
$43.13 |
$89,720 |
| Soil and plant scientists |
30 |
$39.16 |
$81,440 |
| Surveyors |
30 |
$27.66 |
$57,540 |
| Tax preparers |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Biological technicians |
Not available |
$16.89 |
$35,130 |
| Chemical engineers |
Not available |
$56.15 |
$116,790 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
Not available |
$26.01 |
$54,110 |
| Construction and related workers, all other |
Not available |
$19.11 |
$39,740 |
| Cost estimators |
Not available |
$22.70 |
$47,210 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$9.23 |
$19,200 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
Not available |
Not available |
$46,880 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$9.85 |
$20,480 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
Not available |
$14.89 |
$30,970 |
| Mental health counselors |
Not available |
$21.05 |
$43,790 |
| Parts salespersons |
Not available |
$14.13 |
$29,380 |
| Personal financial advisors |
Not available |
$51.73 |
$107,600 |
| Psychiatrists |
Not available |
$82.69 |
$172,000 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
Not available |
$22.37 |
$46,520 |
| Social and human service assistants |
Not available |
$11.20 |
$23,300 |
| Urban and regional planners |
Not available |
$34.48 |
$71,710 |
| Veterinarians |
Not available |
$39.59 |
$82,340 |
