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 |
56,090 |
$21.53 |
$44,780 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,820 |
$14.57 |
$30,310 |
| Production occupations |
5,110 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,810 |
$14.36 |
$29,860 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,670 |
$9.51 |
$19,770 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,200 |
$17.23 |
$35,840 |
| Management occupations |
3,850 |
$47.10 |
$97,970 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
3,640 |
$35.79 |
$74,440 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,370 |
$29.54 |
$61,450 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,100 |
$17.34 |
$36,070 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
3,080 |
$23.87 |
$49,650 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,850 |
$18.30 |
$38,070 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
1,810 |
$20.57 |
$42,790 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,540 |
$11.46 |
$23,840 |
| Engineers, all other |
1,460 |
$44.44 |
$92,430 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,450 |
$11.16 |
$23,220 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,420 |
$13.05 |
$27,130 |
| Cashiers |
1,390 |
$8.78 |
$18,260 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,210 |
$10.17 |
$21,160 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
1,180 |
$25.20 |
$52,410 |
| Customer service representatives |
930 |
$11.78 |
$24,490 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
920 |
$8.36 |
$17,390 |
| Office clerks, general |
910 |
$10.97 |
$22,810 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
900 |
$9.08 |
$18,890 |
| Community and social services occupations |
780 |
$20.39 |
$42,410 |
| Protective service occupations |
730 |
$20.45 |
$42,530 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
710 |
$12.07 |
$25,100 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
690 |
$12.83 |
$26,680 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
690 |
$19.81 |
$41,190 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
680 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
650 |
$13.98 |
$29,080 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
640 |
$10.93 |
$22,730 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
630 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
610 |
$12.61 |
$26,240 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
590 |
$19.57 |
$40,700 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
590 |
$10.60 |
$22,040 |
| Managers, all other |
580 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
570 |
$16.57 |
$34,470 |
| Construction laborers |
550 |
$22.36 |
$46,510 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
530 |
$10.04 |
$20,890 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
530 |
$16.99 |
$35,340 |
| Industrial engineers |
470 |
$31.35 |
$65,220 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
460 |
$33.61 |
$69,920 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
460 |
$28.88 |
$60,060 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
450 |
$16.54 |
$34,400 |
| Carpenters |
430 |
$19.86 |
$41,310 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
430 |
$26.66 |
$55,440 |
| Engineering managers |
400 |
$67.92 |
$141,270 |
| General and operations managers |
400 |
$48.89 |
$101,690 |
| Accountants and auditors |
390 |
$29.44 |
$61,230 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
390 |
$10.12 |
$21,050 |
| Tellers |
390 |
$10.57 |
$21,990 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
380 |
Not available |
$44,390 |
| Food preparation workers |
380 |
$9.39 |
$19,530 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
380 |
$8.90 |
$18,520 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
380 |
$17.34 |
$36,080 |
| Cooks, fast food |
370 |
$8.55 |
$17,780 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
350 |
$17.27 |
$35,920 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
330 |
$16.33 |
$33,970 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
330 |
Not available |
$51,720 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
320 |
$14.57 |
$30,300 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
300 |
$10.87 |
$22,600 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
280 |
$32.00 |
$66,560 |
| Dishwashers |
270 |
$8.24 |
$17,140 |
| Financial managers |
270 |
$36.56 |
$76,050 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
270 |
$10.65 |
$22,140 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
240 |
$31.62 |
$65,770 |
| Personal and home care aides |
240 |
$8.62 |
$17,930 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
240 |
$10.48 |
$21,800 |
| Teacher assistants |
210 |
Not available |
$17,980 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
200 |
$8.39 |
$17,460 |
| Legal occupations |
190 |
$37.46 |
$77,920 |
| Market research analysts |
190 |
$34.77 |
$72,320 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
180 |
$15.00 |
$31,210 |
| Child care workers |
180 |
$9.95 |
$20,700 |
| Bartenders |
170 |
$11.26 |
$23,420 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
170 |
$16.77 |
$34,870 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
170 |
$10.79 |
$22,450 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
170 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales managers |
170 |
$50.27 |
$104,560 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Pharmacy technicians |
160 |
$13.34 |
$27,750 |
| Recreation workers |
160 |
$11.89 |
$24,740 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
160 |
$20.53 |
$42,700 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
160 |
$13.64 |
$28,370 |
| Chief executives |
150 |
$69.26 |
$144,070 |
| Cost estimators |
150 |
$33.06 |
$68,760 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
150 |
$11.62 |
$24,170 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
150 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Administrative services managers |
140 |
$28.37 |
$59,000 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
140 |
$26.08 |
$54,250 |
| Dental assistants |
140 |
$14.31 |
$29,770 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
140 |
$33.53 |
$69,740 |
| Home health aides |
140 |
$9.64 |
$20,060 |
| Logisticians |
140 |
$22.09 |
$45,940 |
| Security guards |
140 |
$12.86 |
$26,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
130 |
$26.08 |
$54,240 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
130 |
$9.94 |
$20,680 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
130 |
$10.69 |
$22,230 |
| Machinists |
130 |
$19.04 |
$39,600 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
120 |
$9.36 |
$19,460 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
120 |
$12.14 |
$25,260 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
120 |
$8.44 |
$17,560 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
120 |
$24.58 |
$51,120 |
| Insurance sales agents |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical assistants |
120 |
$13.63 |
$28,360 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
120 |
$15.52 |
$32,280 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
110 |
$49.60 |
$103,160 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
110 |
$19.19 |
$39,920 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
110 |
$11.36 |
$23,630 |
| Medical secretaries |
110 |
$15.53 |
$32,310 |
| Bill and account collectors |
100 |
$16.28 |
$33,860 |
| Bus drivers, school |
100 |
$12.78 |
$26,580 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$86,900 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
100 |
$49.76 |
$103,500 |
| Helpers--production workers |
100 |
$11.40 |
$23,710 |
| Lawyers |
100 |
$49.82 |
$103,630 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
100 |
$8.87 |
$18,450 |
| Pharmacists |
100 |
$53.81 |
$111,910 |
| Social and human service assistants |
100 |
$11.08 |
$23,040 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
90 |
$25.87 |
$53,800 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
90 |
$10.46 |
$21,750 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
90 |
Not available |
$42,340 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
90 |
$15.86 |
$32,990 |
| Roofers |
90 |
$20.25 |
$42,110 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
90 |
$30.10 |
$62,600 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
90 |
$19.03 |
$39,590 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
80 |
$10.92 |
$22,710 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$19.25 |
$40,050 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
80 |
$25.88 |
$53,830 |
| Computer support specialists |
80 |
$22.42 |
$46,640 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
80 |
$17.37 |
$36,130 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
80 |
$24.08 |
$50,090 |
| File clerks |
80 |
$9.51 |
$19,780 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
80 |
$16.73 |
$34,810 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
80 |
$8.40 |
$17,480 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
80 |
$26.11 |
$54,310 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials |
80 |
$10.58 |
$22,010 |
| Sheet metal workers |
80 |
$22.71 |
$47,240 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
80 |
$25.26 |
$52,550 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
70 |
$27.37 |
$56,940 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
70 |
$16.00 |
$33,280 |
| Librarians |
70 |
$21.24 |
$44,180 |
| Loan officers |
70 |
$26.30 |
$54,710 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
70 |
$13.53 |
$28,140 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
70 |
$18.39 |
$38,250 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
70 |
$40.47 |
$84,180 |
| Dental hygienists |
60 |
$28.18 |
$58,610 |
| Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
60 |
$21.46 |
$44,640 |
| Graphic designers |
60 |
$12.64 |
$26,280 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
60 |
$15.68 |
$32,610 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
60 |
$37.69 |
$78,390 |
| Order clerks |
60 |
$12.59 |
$26,190 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
60 |
$9.36 |
$19,470 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
60 |
$17.94 |
$37,320 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
60 |
$33.42 |
$69,510 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
60 |
$15.66 |
$32,560 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
60 |
$14.80 |
$30,790 |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$19.54 |
$40,650 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$21.53 |
$44,780 |
| Computer systems analysts |
50 |
$34.56 |
$71,890 |
| Construction managers |
50 |
$44.18 |
$91,900 |
| Driver/sales workers |
50 |
$15.58 |
$32,410 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
50 |
$37.81 |
$78,640 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
50 |
$24.89 |
$51,770 |
| Food service managers |
50 |
$25.57 |
$53,190 |
| Legislators |
50 |
Not available |
$21,830 |
| Management analysts |
50 |
$38.95 |
$81,010 |
| Medical and health services managers |
50 |
$43.77 |
$91,040 |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other |
50 |
$14.03 |
$29,170 |
| Parts salespersons |
50 |
$15.79 |
$32,830 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$30.51 |
$63,470 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
50 |
$13.03 |
$27,110 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
50 |
$12.72 |
$26,450 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
40 |
$21.24 |
$44,170 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
40 |
$17.81 |
$37,040 |
| Chemists |
40 |
$30.50 |
$63,440 |
| Civil engineers |
40 |
$34.51 |
$71,780 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$30.42 |
$63,270 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
40 |
$9.97 |
$20,740 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
40 |
$18.47 |
$38,420 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
40 |
$11.19 |
$23,280 |
| Mechanical engineers |
40 |
$27.76 |
$57,740 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
40 |
$15.52 |
$32,270 |
| Social workers, all other |
40 |
$22.50 |
$46,790 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
30 |
$16.79 |
$34,920 |
| Dentists, general |
30 |
$59.97 |
$124,730 |
| Floral designers |
30 |
$9.83 |
$20,440 |
| Legal secretaries |
30 |
$16.20 |
$33,700 |
| Advertising and promotions managers |
Not available |
$27.65 |
$57,520 |
| Bakers |
Not available |
$13.38 |
$27,830 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
Not available |
$39.32 |
$81,780 |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
Not available |
$22.22 |
$46,210 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$14.28 |
$29,710 |
| Electronic home entertainment equipment installers and repairers |
Not available |
$13.60 |
$28,300 |
| Financial analysts |
Not available |
$38.73 |
$80,560 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
Not available |
$54.96 |
$114,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
Not available |
$42.74 |
$88,900 |
| Food preparation and serving related workers, all other |
Not available |
$8.45 |
$17,580 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
Not available |
$14.63 |
$30,440 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$15.64 |
$32,540 |
| Human resources managers, all other |
Not available |
$53.73 |
$111,750 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
Not available |
$17.14 |
$35,640 |
| Industrial production managers |
Not available |
$35.79 |
$74,450 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
Not available |
$13.95 |
$29,020 |
| Library technicians |
Not available |
$12.90 |
$26,840 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
Not available |
$25.60 |
$53,240 |
| Marketing managers |
Not available |
$52.30 |
$108,780 |
| Mechanical drafters |
Not available |
$22.05 |
$45,870 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
Not available |
$16.81 |
$34,950 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
Not available |
$25.02 |
$52,040 |
| Occupational therapists |
Not available |
$35.80 |
$74,470 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$17.04 |
$35,450 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
Not available |
$21.77 |
$45,280 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
Not available |
$26.48 |
$55,080 |
| Physical therapists |
Not available |
$39.45 |
$82,060 |
| Physician assistants |
Not available |
$34.25 |
$71,240 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
$71.19 |
$148,080 |
| Printing machine operators |
Not available |
$11.97 |
$24,900 |
| Purchasing managers |
Not available |
$42.44 |
$88,280 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
Not available |
$30.33 |
$63,090 |
| Registered nurses |
Not available |
$27.23 |
$56,640 |
| Team assemblers |
Not available |
$14.59 |
$30,350 |
