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 |
36,590 |
$16.79 |
$34,920 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
5,490 |
$13.25 |
$27,560 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,310 |
$12.31 |
$25,610 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
3,620 |
$8.48 |
$17,650 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,130 |
$29.87 |
$62,130 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,970 |
$22.79 |
$47,400 |
| Production occupations |
2,890 |
$15.07 |
$31,350 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,120 |
$13.02 |
$27,080 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,770 |
$17.47 |
$36,350 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,550 |
$11.40 |
$23,700 |
| Cashiers |
1,540 |
$8.58 |
$17,840 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,540 |
$18.96 |
$39,430 |
| Registered nurses |
1,400 |
$26.37 |
$54,850 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,370 |
$16.32 |
$33,950 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,140 |
$10.52 |
$21,880 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,140 |
$9.79 |
$20,370 |
| Management occupations |
1,120 |
$36.02 |
$74,930 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,050 |
$7.43 |
$15,460 |
| Office clerks, general |
980 |
$10.70 |
$22,260 |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
900 |
$20.82 |
$43,290 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
850 |
$10.91 |
$22,690 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
830 |
$24.66 |
$51,290 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
800 |
$11.88 |
$24,720 |
| Community and social services occupations |
690 |
$18.70 |
$38,900 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
690 |
Not available |
$57,240 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
640 |
$13.48 |
$28,030 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
620 |
$7.39 |
$15,380 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
530 |
$11.08 |
$23,050 |
| Customer service representatives |
520 |
$10.99 |
$22,850 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
520 |
$10.07 |
$20,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
440 |
$15.66 |
$32,570 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
440 |
$14.79 |
$30,760 |
| Food preparation workers |
430 |
$8.65 |
$17,990 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
420 |
$11.69 |
$24,320 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
410 |
$29.51 |
$61,380 |
| General and operations managers |
400 |
$35.19 |
$73,200 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
390 |
$13.64 |
$28,370 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
380 |
$11.30 |
$23,510 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
340 |
$14.35 |
$29,840 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
330 |
Not available |
$53,800 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
330 |
$15.85 |
$32,960 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
320 |
$9.19 |
$19,110 |
| Construction laborers |
310 |
$15.22 |
$31,660 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
310 |
$19.38 |
$40,300 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
310 |
$18.33 |
$38,130 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
300 |
$8.46 |
$17,600 |
| Home health aides |
300 |
$8.97 |
$18,650 |
| Electricians |
280 |
$20.66 |
$42,970 |
| Carpenters |
270 |
$15.84 |
$32,940 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
250 |
$14.14 |
$29,410 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
250 |
$26.71 |
$55,550 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
250 |
$13.29 |
$27,640 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
240 |
$22.53 |
$46,860 |
| Team assemblers |
240 |
$11.61 |
$24,150 |
| Security guards |
230 |
$10.86 |
$22,580 |
| Bartenders |
200 |
$8.03 |
$16,710 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
200 |
$11.02 |
$22,920 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
200 |
$19.96 |
$41,510 |
| Bus drivers, school |
190 |
$11.65 |
$24,220 |
| Data entry keyers |
180 |
$9.35 |
$19,440 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
180 |
$18.00 |
$37,450 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
180 |
$23.16 |
$48,160 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
170 |
$26.46 |
$55,040 |
| Teacher assistants |
170 |
Not available |
$27,030 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
160 |
$8.89 |
$18,500 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
160 |
$19.72 |
$41,020 |
| Machinists |
160 |
$20.58 |
$42,800 |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists |
160 |
$22.78 |
$47,380 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
150 |
$9.82 |
$20,420 |
| Driver/sales workers |
150 |
$11.99 |
$24,940 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
150 |
$25.11 |
$52,220 |
| Medical secretaries |
150 |
$13.58 |
$28,250 |
| Accountants and auditors |
140 |
$23.61 |
$49,100 |
| Child care workers |
140 |
$8.65 |
$17,990 |
| Residential advisors |
140 |
$16.66 |
$34,660 |
| Tellers |
140 |
$10.57 |
$21,980 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
130 |
$22.56 |
$46,930 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
130 |
$18.12 |
$37,680 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
130 |
$12.55 |
$26,110 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
130 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Bill and account collectors |
120 |
$13.13 |
$27,310 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
120 |
$22.26 |
$46,300 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
120 |
$10.74 |
$22,350 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
120 |
$9.40 |
$19,560 |
| Personal and home care aides |
120 |
$7.39 |
$15,370 |
| Pharmacists |
120 |
$47.84 |
$99,520 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
110 |
$12.31 |
$25,590 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
110 |
$15.08 |
$31,370 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
110 |
$29.90 |
$62,190 |
| Dishwashers |
110 |
$7.88 |
$16,400 |
| Legal occupations |
110 |
$22.80 |
$47,430 |
| Cooks, fast food |
100 |
$8.77 |
$18,250 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$87,370 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
100 |
$24.03 |
$49,990 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
100 |
$10.50 |
$21,840 |
| Physical therapists |
100 |
$34.94 |
$72,680 |
| Sewing machine operators |
100 |
$8.68 |
$18,050 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
100 |
$14.24 |
$29,620 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
100 |
$13.86 |
$28,840 |
| Cooks, short order |
90 |
$9.06 |
$18,850 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
90 |
$11.57 |
$24,060 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
90 |
$9.73 |
$20,240 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
90 |
$16.15 |
$33,600 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
90 |
Not available |
$52,480 |
| Medical assistants |
90 |
$10.23 |
$21,270 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
90 |
$21.72 |
$45,170 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
80 |
$8.05 |
$16,740 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
80 |
$25.22 |
$52,450 |
| Helpers--electricians |
80 |
$12.49 |
$25,970 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
80 |
$14.29 |
$29,730 |
| Printing machine operators |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Respiratory therapists |
80 |
$20.85 |
$43,370 |
| Social and human service assistants |
80 |
$12.24 |
$25,460 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
70 |
$14.64 |
$30,450 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
70 |
$7.47 |
$15,550 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Recreation workers |
70 |
$11.99 |
$24,950 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
60 |
$9.37 |
$19,490 |
| Computer support specialists |
60 |
$18.18 |
$37,820 |
| Dental assistants |
60 |
$13.99 |
$29,090 |
| Dental hygienists |
60 |
$26.85 |
$55,850 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
60 |
$20.10 |
$41,810 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$8.70 |
$18,090 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
60 |
$13.26 |
$27,590 |
| Legal secretaries |
60 |
$15.94 |
$33,150 |
| Library technicians |
60 |
$14.24 |
$29,630 |
| Loan officers |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical and health services managers |
60 |
$30.96 |
$64,400 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
60 |
$13.25 |
$27,570 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
60 |
$26.97 |
$56,100 |
| Occupational therapists |
60 |
$34.67 |
$72,110 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
60 |
$10.45 |
$21,740 |
| Parts salespersons |
60 |
$12.46 |
$25,910 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
60 |
$27.32 |
$56,830 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
60 |
$37.55 |
$78,100 |
| Stationary engineers and boiler operators |
60 |
$22.89 |
$47,610 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$13.73 |
$28,560 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
50 |
$12.44 |
$25,880 |
| Coaches and scouts |
50 |
Not available |
$33,340 |
| Computer programmers |
50 |
$30.37 |
$63,180 |
| Cost estimators |
50 |
$19.02 |
$39,560 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
50 |
$10.92 |
$22,710 |
| Financial managers |
50 |
$31.90 |
$66,350 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
50 |
$17.03 |
$35,420 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
50 |
$14.88 |
$30,960 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
50 |
$8.40 |
$17,480 |
| Librarians |
50 |
$31.39 |
$65,280 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
50 |
$18.09 |
$37,630 |
| Occupational therapist assistants |
50 |
$18.11 |
$37,660 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$23.98 |
$49,870 |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
50 |
$10.04 |
$20,880 |
| Surgical technologists |
50 |
$18.27 |
$38,010 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
50 |
$7.95 |
$16,540 |
| Education administrators, postsecondary |
40 |
$46.07 |
$95,830 |
| File clerks |
40 |
$9.44 |
$19,620 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
40 |
$18.47 |
$38,410 |
| Graphic designers |
40 |
$16.80 |
$34,940 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
40 |
$12.39 |
$25,770 |
| Lawyers |
40 |
$37.02 |
$77,000 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
40 |
$8.84 |
$18,400 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
40 |
$18.68 |
$38,850 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
40 |
$13.16 |
$27,360 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
40 |
$14.46 |
$30,070 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
40 |
$15.33 |
$31,880 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
40 |
$13.50 |
$28,070 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
40 |
$20.36 |
$42,350 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
40 |
$10.09 |
$20,980 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
40 |
$9.57 |
$19,900 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
40 |
$28.20 |
$58,650 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
40 |
$17.70 |
$36,820 |
| Administrative services managers |
30 |
$27.69 |
$57,600 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
30 |
$18.52 |
$38,520 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
30 |
$17.19 |
$35,750 |
| Construction managers |
30 |
$34.20 |
$71,130 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
30 |
$17.60 |
$36,600 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
30 |
$30.13 |
$62,670 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
30 |
$20.62 |
$42,900 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
30 |
$14.85 |
$30,890 |
| Insurance sales agents |
30 |
$39.54 |
$82,240 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
30 |
$15.44 |
$32,110 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
30 |
$22.14 |
$46,050 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
30 |
$18.52 |
$38,510 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
30 |
$39.78 |
$82,730 |
| Training and development specialists |
30 |
$22.33 |
$46,440 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$17.14 |
$35,640 |
| Helpers--production workers |
Not available |
$13.46 |
$28,000 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
Not available |
$22.09 |
$45,950 |
| Managers, all other |
Not available |
$41.06 |
$85,410 |
| Millwrights |
Not available |
$24.15 |
$50,240 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$14.20 |
$29,540 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
Not available |
$14.73 |
$30,630 |
| Sales managers |
Not available |
$36.71 |
$76,360 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
Not available |
Not available |
$45,410 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
Not available |
$14.98 |
$31,170 |
| Tax preparers |
Not available |
$11.85 |
$24,660 |
