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 |
74,450 |
$16.24 |
$33,790 |
| Production occupations |
20,810 |
$12.84 |
$26,710 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
12,210 |
$14.36 |
$29,870 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
9,260 |
$13.10 |
$27,250 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,110 |
$14.90 |
$30,980 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
4,410 |
$16.65 |
$34,620 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,050 |
$8.36 |
$17,380 |
| Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders |
3,900 |
$12.12 |
$25,210 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,590 |
$20.15 |
$41,910 |
| Management occupations |
3,130 |
$44.83 |
$93,240 |
| Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders |
2,340 |
$12.69 |
$26,390 |
| Customer service representatives |
2,320 |
$14.88 |
$30,950 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,310 |
$11.40 |
$23,710 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
2,270 |
$12.90 |
$26,840 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,090 |
$27.63 |
$57,460 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
2,040 |
$10.79 |
$22,450 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,640 |
$7.29 |
$15,170 |
| Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
1,590 |
$12.47 |
$25,940 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,580 |
$17.31 |
$36,010 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
1,560 |
$29.30 |
$60,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
1,450 |
$21.57 |
$44,860 |
| Helpers--production workers |
1,420 |
$10.00 |
$20,800 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,400 |
$15.01 |
$31,220 |
| Team assemblers |
1,360 |
$11.65 |
$24,240 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
1,290 |
$13.35 |
$27,760 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,250 |
$28.68 |
$59,650 |
| General and operations managers |
1,230 |
$44.25 |
$92,040 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
1,220 |
$15.37 |
$31,960 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,220 |
$11.73 |
$24,390 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,150 |
$10.85 |
$22,560 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
1,130 |
$13.81 |
$28,730 |
| Cashiers |
1,080 |
$8.02 |
$16,680 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
1,040 |
$27.95 |
$58,130 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,030 |
$11.22 |
$23,340 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
1,010 |
Not available |
$51,100 |
| Teacher assistants |
910 |
Not available |
$16,610 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
890 |
$22.12 |
$46,010 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
890 |
$13.94 |
$28,990 |
| Production workers, all other |
880 |
$9.77 |
$20,330 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
810 |
$14.26 |
$29,660 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
800 |
$18.68 |
$38,860 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
770 |
$15.19 |
$31,590 |
| Protective service occupations |
760 |
$15.66 |
$32,570 |
| Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders |
760 |
$13.03 |
$27,090 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
730 |
$11.45 |
$23,820 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
720 |
$16.88 |
$35,100 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
670 |
$11.62 |
$24,180 |
| Registered nurses |
670 |
$25.03 |
$52,050 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
660 |
$12.17 |
$25,310 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
640 |
$10.05 |
$20,910 |
| Sewing machine operators |
610 |
$12.06 |
$25,090 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
600 |
$7.50 |
$15,600 |
| Computer systems analysts |
590 |
$30.68 |
$63,820 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
580 |
$11.08 |
$23,060 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
540 |
$10.29 |
$21,400 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
520 |
$9.94 |
$20,670 |
| Community and social services occupations |
470 |
$17.58 |
$36,570 |
| Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers, all other |
460 |
$14.14 |
$29,410 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
450 |
$11.49 |
$23,900 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
410 |
Not available |
$51,650 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
400 |
$21.83 |
$45,410 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
400 |
$14.04 |
$29,210 |
| Cooks, fast food |
400 |
$7.65 |
$15,900 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
390 |
$14.76 |
$30,710 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
390 |
$16.58 |
$34,490 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
380 |
$29.92 |
$62,240 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
360 |
$14.09 |
$29,310 |
| Parts salespersons |
360 |
$10.13 |
$21,060 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
350 |
$24.11 |
$50,150 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
340 |
$16.54 |
$34,410 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
340 |
$9.60 |
$19,960 |
| Extruding and forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, synthetic and glass fibers |
330 |
$15.00 |
$31,210 |
| Accountants and auditors |
320 |
$33.16 |
$68,980 |
| Construction laborers |
320 |
$11.71 |
$24,350 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
300 |
$14.22 |
$29,580 |
| Printing machine operators |
300 |
$15.25 |
$31,730 |
| Chief executives |
290 |
$69.50 |
$144,550 |
| Order clerks |
280 |
$14.07 |
$29,270 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
270 |
$14.04 |
$29,210 |
| Bus drivers, school |
260 |
$7.34 |
$15,270 |
| Computer programmers |
250 |
$24.74 |
$51,460 |
| Sales managers |
250 |
$48.20 |
$100,250 |
| Carpenters |
240 |
$14.74 |
$30,660 |
| Computer support specialists |
240 |
$16.68 |
$34,690 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
230 |
$11.81 |
$24,570 |
| Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
220 |
$15.13 |
$31,470 |
| Machinists |
220 |
$16.42 |
$34,160 |
| Tellers |
220 |
$11.78 |
$24,510 |
| Administrative services managers |
210 |
$36.14 |
$75,170 |
| Bill and account collectors |
210 |
$13.60 |
$28,280 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
210 |
$12.38 |
$25,750 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
210 |
$8.91 |
$18,540 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
210 |
$12.07 |
$25,110 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
200 |
$20.24 |
$42,100 |
| Industrial production managers |
200 |
$37.58 |
$78,170 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
190 |
Not available |
$47,800 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
180 |
$49.42 |
$102,780 |
| Dishwashers |
180 |
$7.37 |
$15,320 |
| Bindery workers |
170 |
$11.25 |
$23,400 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
170 |
$48.42 |
$100,700 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
170 |
$8.13 |
$16,920 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
170 |
$17.23 |
$35,840 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
170 |
Not available |
$49,630 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
170 |
$24.42 |
$50,790 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
160 |
$8.29 |
$17,250 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
160 |
$17.24 |
$35,850 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
160 |
$19.29 |
$40,120 |
| Graphic designers |
160 |
$28.72 |
$59,740 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
150 |
$8.77 |
$18,240 |
| Management analysts |
150 |
$38.95 |
$81,010 |
| Security guards |
150 |
$12.20 |
$25,370 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
140 |
$12.59 |
$26,180 |
| Cutters and trimmers, hand |
140 |
$8.75 |
$18,200 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
140 |
$11.23 |
$23,350 |
| Electricians |
140 |
$18.79 |
$39,080 |
| Fire fighters |
140 |
$14.42 |
$30,000 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
140 |
$7.65 |
$15,920 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
140 |
$15.05 |
$31,310 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
140 |
$16.61 |
$34,540 |
| Food preparation workers |
130 |
$8.59 |
$17,870 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
130 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Social and human service assistants |
130 |
$11.43 |
$23,780 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
120 |
$16.14 |
$33,570 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
120 |
$8.22 |
$17,090 |
| Data entry keyers |
120 |
$12.35 |
$25,680 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
120 |
Not available |
$82,500 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
120 |
$14.72 |
$30,630 |
| Insurance sales agents |
120 |
$23.68 |
$49,240 |
| Medical assistants |
120 |
$13.05 |
$27,140 |
| Medical secretaries |
120 |
$13.32 |
$27,710 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
120 |
$18.61 |
$38,710 |
| Financial managers |
110 |
$41.12 |
$85,520 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
110 |
$23.51 |
$48,900 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
110 |
$16.08 |
$33,440 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
110 |
$12.27 |
$25,510 |
| Mechanical engineers |
100 |
$36.62 |
$76,160 |
| Medical and health services managers |
100 |
$36.59 |
$76,120 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
100 |
$14.64 |
$30,440 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
100 |
$12.81 |
$26,640 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
100 |
$12.59 |
$26,180 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
100 |
$13.14 |
$27,330 |
| Managers, all other |
90 |
$53.66 |
$111,620 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
90 |
$13.87 |
$28,840 |
| Pharmacists |
90 |
$47.33 |
$98,450 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
90 |
$12.10 |
$25,160 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
90 |
$11.67 |
$24,270 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
90 |
$22.29 |
$46,370 |
| Recreation workers |
90 |
$11.55 |
$24,030 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
90 |
$35.24 |
$73,290 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
90 |
$15.47 |
$32,170 |
| Training and development specialists |
90 |
$17.94 |
$37,310 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
80 |
$24.56 |
$51,080 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
80 |
$11.95 |
$24,870 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
80 |
$8.53 |
$17,740 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
80 |
$16.38 |
$34,070 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
80 |
Not available |
$51,470 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
70 |
$16.86 |
$35,080 |
| Child care workers |
70 |
$8.63 |
$17,950 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
70 |
$30.02 |
$62,440 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
70 |
$14.37 |
$29,880 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
70 |
$12.11 |
$25,190 |
| Lawyers |
70 |
$29.46 |
$61,280 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
70 |
$25.10 |
$52,200 |
| Cooks, short order |
60 |
$8.58 |
$17,840 |
| Dental assistants |
60 |
$15.67 |
$32,590 |
| Dental hygienists |
60 |
$27.61 |
$57,420 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
60 |
$13.70 |
$28,500 |
| File clerks |
60 |
$10.62 |
$22,100 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
60 |
$19.72 |
$41,020 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$8.27 |
$17,200 |
| Industrial engineers |
60 |
$34.04 |
$70,790 |
| Legal secretaries |
60 |
$14.81 |
$30,810 |
| Loan officers |
60 |
$32.87 |
$68,360 |
| Market research analysts |
60 |
$25.43 |
$52,900 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
60 |
$11.30 |
$23,510 |
| Procurement clerks |
60 |
$13.76 |
$28,620 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
50 |
$14.46 |
$30,070 |
| Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door |
50 |
$14.88 |
$30,950 |
| Librarians |
50 |
$28.78 |
$59,860 |
| Marketing managers |
50 |
$48.83 |
$101,570 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
50 |
$14.10 |
$29,330 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
50 |
$18.87 |
$39,260 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
50 |
$16.35 |
$34,010 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
50 |
$19.88 |
$41,340 |
| Surgical technologists |
50 |
$15.02 |
$31,240 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
50 |
$29.47 |
$61,300 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
40 |
$11.53 |
$23,980 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$20.81 |
$43,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
40 |
$13.80 |
$28,710 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
40 |
$32.78 |
$68,190 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
40 |
$23.53 |
$48,940 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$31.68 |
$65,890 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
40 |
$27.07 |
$56,310 |
| Personal and home care aides |
40 |
$8.98 |
$18,680 |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists |
40 |
$18.71 |
$38,910 |
| Respiratory therapists |
40 |
$19.26 |
$40,050 |
| All other information and record clerks |
30 |
$15.16 |
$31,540 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
30 |
$14.74 |
$30,660 |
| Bartenders |
Not available |
$8.44 |
$17,550 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
Not available |
$12.99 |
$27,010 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
Not available |
$12.43 |
$25,860 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
Not available |
$15.74 |
$32,750 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
Not available |
$11.35 |
$23,600 |
| Cost estimators |
Not available |
$22.97 |
$47,770 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$12.11 |
$25,180 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
Not available |
$12.31 |
$25,610 |
| Food service managers |
Not available |
$35.18 |
$73,180 |
| Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders |
Not available |
$13.60 |
$28,280 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.27 |
$27,600 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$15.64 |
$32,530 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
Not available |
$16.29 |
$33,880 |
| Legal occupations |
Not available |
$25.07 |
$52,140 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
Not available |
$21.93 |
$45,610 |
| Painting, coating, and decorating workers |
Not available |
$11.16 |
$23,210 |
| Pediatricians, general |
Not available |
$70.08 |
$145,760 |
| Sewers, hand |
Not available |
$7.64 |
$15,880 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$18.61 |
$38,710 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$12.72 |
$26,460 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
Not available |
$32.31 |
$67,210 |
