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 |
39,840 |
$15.51 |
$32,250 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,270 |
$12.47 |
$25,940 |
| Production occupations |
6,350 |
$15.40 |
$32,030 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,170 |
$11.70 |
$24,330 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
3,580 |
$8.82 |
$18,340 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,220 |
$14.03 |
$29,190 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,880 |
$20.81 |
$43,290 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,050 |
$17.68 |
$36,780 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,910 |
$15.83 |
$32,920 |
| Cashiers |
1,570 |
$7.76 |
$16,140 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,500 |
$7.50 |
$15,600 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
1,380 |
$30.82 |
$64,100 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,380 |
$11.17 |
$23,230 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,190 |
$9.67 |
$20,120 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,030 |
$11.90 |
$24,740 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,030 |
$11.55 |
$24,020 |
| Protective service occupations |
940 |
$16.94 |
$35,230 |
| Management occupations |
930 |
$38.68 |
$80,450 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
880 |
$9.95 |
$20,690 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
810 |
$22.83 |
$47,480 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
750 |
$11.51 |
$23,940 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
630 |
$13.58 |
$28,240 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
630 |
$9.33 |
$19,410 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
630 |
$9.46 |
$19,680 |
| Teacher assistants |
630 |
Not available |
$19,000 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
590 |
$8.66 |
$18,020 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
520 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
500 |
$17.99 |
$37,420 |
| Community and social services occupations |
440 |
$21.39 |
$44,490 |
| Registered nurses |
440 |
$31.40 |
$65,310 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
430 |
$18.61 |
$38,710 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
430 |
$15.77 |
$32,790 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
430 |
$11.29 |
$23,470 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
410 |
$19.61 |
$40,790 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
400 |
$22.97 |
$47,790 |
| Team assemblers |
390 |
$10.73 |
$22,310 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
370 |
$28.15 |
$58,550 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
370 |
$14.97 |
$31,140 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
340 |
$15.00 |
$31,200 |
| Carpenters |
330 |
$16.13 |
$33,550 |
| General and operations managers |
320 |
$43.94 |
$91,390 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
310 |
$14.42 |
$29,980 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
300 |
$10.70 |
$22,250 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
280 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
270 |
$20.72 |
$43,100 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
270 |
$10.24 |
$21,310 |
| Home health aides |
260 |
$8.99 |
$18,700 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
260 |
$9.41 |
$19,570 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
260 |
$18.26 |
$37,980 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
260 |
$17.53 |
$36,470 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
250 |
$9.17 |
$19,070 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
250 |
$20.81 |
$43,280 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
240 |
$10.53 |
$21,890 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
240 |
$17.78 |
$36,990 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
230 |
$17.44 |
$36,280 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
220 |
$13.27 |
$27,600 |
| Electricians |
220 |
$18.15 |
$37,750 |
| Tellers |
220 |
$11.26 |
$23,420 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
220 |
$16.42 |
$34,150 |
| Construction laborers |
210 |
$11.75 |
$24,440 |
| Cooks, fast food |
200 |
$7.40 |
$15,390 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
190 |
$12.44 |
$25,880 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
180 |
$7.81 |
$16,230 |
| Accountants and auditors |
170 |
$26.61 |
$55,360 |
| Bill and account collectors |
170 |
$13.09 |
$27,220 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
170 |
$21.30 |
$44,310 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
170 |
$9.74 |
$20,260 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
170 |
$27.31 |
$56,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
160 |
$24.74 |
$51,450 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
160 |
$27.85 |
$57,920 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
160 |
$12.15 |
$25,270 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
150 |
$19.87 |
$41,320 |
| Dishwashers |
150 |
$7.81 |
$16,240 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
140 |
$12.10 |
$25,160 |
| Child care workers |
140 |
$8.10 |
$16,850 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
140 |
$19.52 |
$40,610 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
140 |
$7.19 |
$14,940 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
140 |
$14.51 |
$30,190 |
| Business teachers, postsecondary |
130 |
Not available |
$46,970 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
130 |
$16.20 |
$33,710 |
| Legal occupations |
130 |
$23.64 |
$49,170 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
130 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Printing machine operators |
130 |
$15.28 |
$31,790 |
| Driver/sales workers |
120 |
$14.58 |
$30,320 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
120 |
$12.14 |
$25,250 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
120 |
$16.22 |
$33,730 |
| Recreation workers |
120 |
$9.47 |
$19,710 |
| Sheet metal workers |
120 |
$12.76 |
$26,540 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
110 |
Not available |
$69,750 |
| Food preparation workers |
110 |
$8.78 |
$18,250 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
110 |
$13.14 |
$27,320 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
100 |
$30.09 |
$62,580 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
100 |
$12.96 |
$26,950 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
90 |
$8.33 |
$17,330 |
| Medical secretaries |
90 |
$14.51 |
$30,170 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
90 |
$14.38 |
$29,910 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
90 |
$12.08 |
$25,120 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
90 |
Not available |
$47,870 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
80 |
$10.57 |
$21,980 |
| Dental assistants |
80 |
$12.42 |
$25,840 |
| Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$19.42 |
$40,400 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
80 |
$11.50 |
$23,930 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
80 |
$19.10 |
$39,720 |
| Security guards |
80 |
$10.62 |
$22,080 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Machinists |
70 |
$18.14 |
$37,730 |
| Physical therapists |
70 |
$41.46 |
$86,240 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
60 |
$17.05 |
$35,450 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
60 |
$14.62 |
$30,410 |
| Financial managers |
60 |
$41.01 |
$85,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$19.12 |
$39,780 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$7.48 |
$15,550 |
| Loan officers |
60 |
$20.49 |
$42,620 |
| Parts salespersons |
60 |
$12.72 |
$26,460 |
| Personal and home care aides |
60 |
$9.23 |
$19,200 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
60 |
$26.67 |
$55,470 |
| Real estate sales agents |
60 |
$14.02 |
$29,170 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
60 |
$23.67 |
$49,240 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
60 |
$7.18 |
$14,920 |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$21.13 |
$43,960 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
60 |
$16.55 |
$34,430 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
50 |
$19.25 |
$40,030 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
50 |
$21.52 |
$44,770 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
50 |
$21.57 |
$44,860 |
| Computer support specialists |
50 |
$19.03 |
$39,580 |
| Cost estimators |
50 |
$23.05 |
$47,950 |
| Dental hygienists |
50 |
$30.00 |
$62,400 |
| File clerks |
50 |
$8.13 |
$16,910 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
50 |
$16.05 |
$33,380 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
50 |
$22.68 |
$47,180 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
50 |
$8.17 |
$17,000 |
| Lawyers |
50 |
$35.90 |
$74,670 |
| Librarians |
50 |
$28.39 |
$59,060 |
| Management analysts |
50 |
$26.16 |
$54,410 |
| Managers, all other |
50 |
$32.60 |
$67,800 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
50 |
$21.41 |
$44,540 |
| Order clerks |
50 |
$11.50 |
$23,920 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
50 |
$15.26 |
$31,750 |
| Pharmacists |
50 |
$59.42 |
$123,590 |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
50 |
$11.93 |
$24,820 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
40 |
$7.05 |
$14,670 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
40 |
$13.66 |
$28,400 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
40 |
$18.25 |
$37,970 |
| Bus drivers, transit and intercity |
40 |
$13.05 |
$27,140 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
40 |
$12.89 |
$26,810 |
| Coaches and scouts |
40 |
Not available |
$37,450 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
40 |
$19.25 |
$40,040 |
| Family and general practitioners |
40 |
$97.46 |
$202,720 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
40 |
$11.78 |
$24,500 |
| Food service managers |
40 |
$24.74 |
$51,450 |
| Funeral attendants |
40 |
$7.51 |
$15,620 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
40 |
$23.04 |
$47,930 |
| Industrial engineers |
40 |
$30.07 |
$62,550 |
| Industrial production managers |
40 |
$39.68 |
$82,530 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
40 |
$7.07 |
$14,700 |
| Logging equipment operators |
40 |
$11.94 |
$24,830 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
40 |
$17.24 |
$35,850 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
40 |
$19.15 |
$39,840 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
40 |
$14.10 |
$29,320 |
| Sales managers |
40 |
$47.17 |
$98,110 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
40 |
$21.21 |
$44,120 |
| Telemarketers |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Tire repairers and changers |
40 |
$8.44 |
$17,550 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
40 |
$21.05 |
$43,780 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
30 |
$18.06 |
$37,570 |
| Data entry keyers |
30 |
$12.32 |
$25,620 |
| Education administrators, postsecondary |
30 |
$39.83 |
$82,850 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
30 |
$13.85 |
$28,800 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
30 |
$18.97 |
$39,450 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
30 |
$12.14 |
$25,240 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
30 |
$12.79 |
$26,600 |
| Medical assistants |
30 |
$11.13 |
$23,150 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$13.17 |
$27,400 |
| Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics |
30 |
$11.58 |
$24,080 |
| Painters, transportation equipment |
30 |
$16.18 |
$33,660 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
30 |
$14.93 |
$31,060 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
30 |
$25.10 |
$52,200 |
| Roofers |
30 |
$11.03 |
$22,930 |
| Social and human service assistants |
30 |
$14.09 |
$29,310 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
30 |
$9.98 |
$20,750 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
Not available |
$8.26 |
$17,180 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
Not available |
$11.56 |
$24,050 |
| Bartenders |
Not available |
$9.20 |
$19,130 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
Not available |
$27.46 |
$57,110 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
Not available |
$18.68 |
$38,850 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
Not available |
$12.03 |
$25,030 |
| Insurance sales agents |
Not available |
$14.93 |
$31,040 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
Not available |
$12.11 |
$25,190 |
| New accounts clerks |
Not available |
$13.40 |
$27,860 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
Not available |
$8.90 |
$18,520 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
Not available |
$8.43 |
$17,530 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
Not available |
$11.61 |
$24,150 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$13.98 |
$29,090 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
Not available |
$14.62 |
$30,400 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
Not available |
$12.87 |
$26,770 |
| Stationary engineers and boiler operators |
Not available |
$27.65 |
$57,500 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
Not available |
$14.42 |
$30,000 |
