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 |
59,720 |
$15.83 |
$32,920 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
9,590 |
$12.75 |
$26,520 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,710 |
$12.38 |
$25,760 |
| Production occupations |
6,030 |
$12.49 |
$25,970 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
5,520 |
$13.77 |
$28,630 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,990 |
$8.09 |
$16,830 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,830 |
$28.50 |
$59,280 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,990 |
$18.34 |
$38,140 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,870 |
$16.82 |
$34,990 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,680 |
$15.81 |
$32,880 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,540 |
$10.36 |
$21,550 |
| Management occupations |
2,460 |
$37.08 |
$77,130 |
| Cashiers |
2,090 |
$7.68 |
$15,980 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,990 |
$10.86 |
$22,590 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,600 |
$9.36 |
$19,470 |
| Registered nurses |
1,540 |
$25.11 |
$52,240 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,520 |
$19.88 |
$41,350 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,480 |
$12.27 |
$25,520 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,420 |
$9.81 |
$20,410 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,380 |
$13.44 |
$27,950 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,330 |
$25.60 |
$53,240 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,230 |
$7.20 |
$14,980 |
| General and operations managers |
1,090 |
$38.89 |
$80,880 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,050 |
$7.99 |
$16,610 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,030 |
$10.21 |
$21,250 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
1,000 |
$17.14 |
$35,660 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
1,000 |
$9.54 |
$19,840 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
990 |
$13.82 |
$28,740 |
| Office clerks, general |
960 |
$9.79 |
$20,370 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
950 |
$15.79 |
$32,840 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
810 |
$9.70 |
$20,170 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
770 |
$20.12 |
$41,850 |
| Team assemblers |
750 |
$9.41 |
$19,580 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
710 |
Not available |
$45,680 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
670 |
$21.02 |
$43,730 |
| Customer service representatives |
640 |
$11.67 |
$24,280 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
640 |
$8.57 |
$17,830 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
620 |
$28.79 |
$59,890 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
570 |
$13.39 |
$27,850 |
| Community and social services occupations |
530 |
$17.32 |
$36,040 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
530 |
Not available |
$43,670 |
| Security guards |
530 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
520 |
$22.01 |
$45,770 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
500 |
$12.67 |
$26,360 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
500 |
$10.57 |
$21,980 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
480 |
$8.85 |
$18,420 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
480 |
$11.20 |
$23,300 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
460 |
$7.98 |
$16,600 |
| Construction laborers |
450 |
$9.81 |
$20,390 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
440 |
$26.16 |
$54,400 |
| Sewing machine operators |
440 |
$10.06 |
$20,920 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
430 |
$15.36 |
$31,940 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
400 |
$9.74 |
$20,270 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
390 |
$12.45 |
$25,900 |
| Cooks, fast food |
380 |
$7.01 |
$14,590 |
| Food preparation workers |
370 |
$8.19 |
$17,030 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
360 |
$9.87 |
$20,530 |
| Tellers |
360 |
$10.17 |
$21,140 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
340 |
Not available |
$45,700 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
330 |
$12.44 |
$25,870 |
| Accountants and auditors |
320 |
$31.70 |
$65,930 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
320 |
$14.81 |
$30,800 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
320 |
$22.82 |
$47,460 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
320 |
$12.36 |
$25,700 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
310 |
$24.39 |
$50,720 |
| Medical assistants |
310 |
$12.44 |
$25,880 |
| Carpenters |
300 |
$16.48 |
$34,280 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
300 |
$17.31 |
$36,010 |
| Bus drivers, school |
270 |
$6.83 |
$14,200 |
| Legal occupations |
270 |
$40.32 |
$83,870 |
| Parts salespersons |
270 |
$11.79 |
$24,530 |
| Child care workers |
260 |
$7.30 |
$15,170 |
| Teacher assistants |
260 |
Not available |
$17,800 |
| Electricians |
250 |
$14.63 |
$30,430 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
250 |
$13.48 |
$28,040 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
250 |
$11.78 |
$24,500 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
240 |
$8.20 |
$17,050 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
240 |
$19.01 |
$39,530 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
240 |
$12.44 |
$25,870 |
| Pharmacists |
230 |
$50.98 |
$106,030 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
230 |
$11.70 |
$24,340 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
220 |
$10.09 |
$20,990 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
210 |
$9.83 |
$20,440 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
200 |
$12.45 |
$25,900 |
| Driver/sales workers |
200 |
$14.67 |
$30,510 |
| Home health aides |
200 |
$8.57 |
$17,830 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
190 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
180 |
$19.30 |
$40,140 |
| Bill and account collectors |
170 |
$13.05 |
$27,140 |
| Dishwashers |
170 |
$7.58 |
$15,770 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
170 |
$28.51 |
$59,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
160 |
$26.13 |
$54,340 |
| Loan officers |
160 |
$27.49 |
$57,180 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
160 |
$10.23 |
$21,280 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
160 |
$87.05 |
$181,060 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
150 |
$18.45 |
$38,380 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
150 |
$22.84 |
$47,510 |
| Food service managers |
150 |
$20.19 |
$41,980 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
150 |
$16.69 |
$34,720 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
150 |
$13.35 |
$27,760 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
150 |
$10.38 |
$21,590 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
150 |
$9.75 |
$20,280 |
| Advertising sales agents |
140 |
$18.44 |
$38,350 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
140 |
$17.43 |
$36,240 |
| Dental hygienists |
140 |
$20.20 |
$42,020 |
| Farmworkers, farm and ranch animals |
140 |
$11.71 |
$24,350 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
140 |
$10.59 |
$22,030 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
140 |
$22.91 |
$47,650 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
140 |
$18.74 |
$38,970 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
130 |
$7.29 |
$15,160 |
| Financial managers |
130 |
$38.39 |
$79,850 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
130 |
$11.24 |
$23,380 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
130 |
$7.68 |
$15,980 |
| Legislators |
130 |
Not available |
$15,360 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
130 |
$13.18 |
$27,420 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
130 |
$9.51 |
$19,780 |
| Chief executives |
120 |
$80.75 |
$167,950 |
| Dental assistants |
120 |
$13.19 |
$27,440 |
| Dental laboratory technicians |
120 |
$12.48 |
$25,970 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
120 |
$7.43 |
$15,450 |
| Lawyers |
120 |
$68.16 |
$141,770 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
120 |
$12.17 |
$25,310 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
120 |
$23.58 |
$49,050 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
120 |
$17.75 |
$36,920 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
120 |
$13.34 |
$27,740 |
| Insurance sales agents |
110 |
$18.41 |
$38,290 |
| Medical and health services managers |
110 |
$47.48 |
$98,760 |
| Medical secretaries |
110 |
$12.71 |
$26,430 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
110 |
$19.73 |
$41,040 |
| Cost estimators |
100 |
$23.24 |
$48,330 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
100 |
$7.69 |
$16,000 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$70,510 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
100 |
$16.81 |
$34,960 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
100 |
$8.09 |
$16,830 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
100 |
$20.74 |
$43,130 |
| Helpers--production workers |
100 |
$10.38 |
$21,580 |
| Legal secretaries |
100 |
$11.35 |
$23,620 |
| Machinists |
100 |
$16.47 |
$34,250 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
100 |
$12.49 |
$25,980 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials |
100 |
$9.81 |
$20,410 |
| Sheet metal workers |
100 |
$14.18 |
$29,490 |
| Surgical technologists |
100 |
$16.12 |
$33,540 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
90 |
$9.53 |
$19,820 |
| Computer support specialists |
90 |
$17.04 |
$35,430 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
90 |
$22.16 |
$46,100 |
| File clerks |
90 |
$9.52 |
$19,810 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
90 |
$12.48 |
$25,950 |
| Industrial production managers |
90 |
$31.97 |
$66,500 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
90 |
$8.55 |
$17,770 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
90 |
$12.57 |
$26,140 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
90 |
$16.65 |
$34,630 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
90 |
$20.57 |
$42,780 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
90 |
$12.67 |
$26,350 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
90 |
$21.46 |
$44,640 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
90 |
$13.20 |
$27,450 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
80 |
$9.57 |
$19,900 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
80 |
$12.79 |
$26,610 |
| Helpers--electricians |
80 |
$11.56 |
$24,040 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
80 |
$12.30 |
$25,570 |
| Librarians |
80 |
$20.58 |
$42,800 |
| Logging equipment operators |
80 |
$11.99 |
$24,940 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$14.21 |
$29,560 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
80 |
$15.54 |
$32,330 |
| Pest control workers |
80 |
$13.58 |
$28,260 |
| Sales managers |
80 |
$48.79 |
$101,490 |
| Social and human service assistants |
80 |
$11.41 |
$23,730 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
70 |
$12.49 |
$25,980 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
70 |
$13.55 |
$28,180 |
| Construction managers |
70 |
$30.03 |
$62,460 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
70 |
$17.16 |
$35,690 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
70 |
$18.39 |
$38,250 |
| Graphic designers |
70 |
$12.77 |
$26,550 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
70 |
Not available |
$40,190 |
| Order clerks |
70 |
$10.86 |
$22,590 |
| Pipelayers |
70 |
$13.90 |
$28,920 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
70 |
$19.54 |
$40,640 |
| Psychiatric technicians |
70 |
$9.29 |
$19,320 |
| Public relations specialists |
70 |
$19.54 |
$40,630 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
70 |
Not available |
$44,860 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
70 |
$18.73 |
$38,950 |
| All other information and record clerks |
60 |
$12.96 |
$26,950 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
60 |
$18.72 |
$38,940 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
60 |
$23.08 |
$48,010 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
60 |
$10.66 |
$22,170 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$15.41 |
$32,060 |
| Managers, all other |
60 |
$37.17 |
$77,320 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
60 |
$14.80 |
$30,790 |
| Printing machine operators |
60 |
$12.48 |
$25,960 |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
60 |
$11.98 |
$24,930 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
60 |
$13.08 |
$27,210 |
| Surgeons |
60 |
$100.28 |
$208,590 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
50 |
$15.76 |
$32,780 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$20.68 |
$43,020 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
50 |
$13.79 |
$28,690 |
| Civil engineers |
50 |
$34.97 |
$72,730 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
50 |
$18.95 |
$39,430 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
50 |
$16.44 |
$34,200 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
50 |
$12.33 |
$25,640 |
| Data entry keyers |
50 |
$9.76 |
$20,300 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
50 |
$24.61 |
$51,190 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
50 |
$13.25 |
$27,560 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
50 |
$27.43 |
$57,050 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
50 |
$27.82 |
$57,860 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
50 |
$23.29 |
$48,450 |
| Physical therapists |
50 |
$38.22 |
$79,490 |
| Roofers |
50 |
$9.26 |
$19,270 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
50 |
$30.90 |
$64,260 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
50 |
$9.59 |
$19,950 |
| Agricultural equipment operators |
40 |
$9.69 |
$20,160 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
40 |
$27.02 |
$56,210 |
| Computer programmers |
40 |
$20.20 |
$42,020 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
40 |
$25.67 |
$53,400 |
| Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders |
40 |
$12.45 |
$25,900 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
40 |
$11.11 |
$23,100 |
| Home appliance repairers |
40 |
$11.26 |
$23,420 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
40 |
$11.16 |
$23,210 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
40 |
$19.01 |
$39,550 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
40 |
$29.48 |
$61,330 |
| Plasterers and stucco masons |
40 |
$14.44 |
$30,030 |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$11.98 |
$24,920 |
| Production workers, all other |
40 |
$8.78 |
$18,270 |
| Security and fire alarm systems installers |
40 |
$13.75 |
$28,600 |
| Social and community service managers |
40 |
$23.40 |
$48,670 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
40 |
Not available |
$46,360 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
40 |
Not available |
$43,440 |
| Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents |
40 |
$22.84 |
$47,510 |
| Training and development specialists |
40 |
$25.00 |
$52,000 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
40 |
$36.02 |
$74,910 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$47,050 |
| Administrative services managers |
30 |
$35.71 |
$74,280 |
| Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door |
30 |
$17.82 |
$37,070 |
| Dentists, general |
30 |
$77.66 |
$161,540 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
30 |
$15.41 |
$32,060 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of farming, fishing, and forestry workers |
30 |
$21.72 |
$45,180 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
30 |
$18.98 |
$39,470 |
| Funeral directors |
30 |
$19.53 |
$40,630 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
30 |
$14.89 |
$30,960 |
| Lodging managers |
30 |
$19.41 |
$40,370 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
30 |
$8.51 |
$17,710 |
| Personal financial advisors |
30 |
$36.71 |
$76,350 |
| Postal service clerks |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
30 |
$21.21 |
$44,120 |
| Audiologists |
Not available |
$27.61 |
$57,430 |
| Bartenders |
Not available |
$7.40 |
$15,390 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
Not available |
$16.86 |
$35,080 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$8.05 |
$16,740 |
| Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks |
Not available |
$11.00 |
$22,880 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
Not available |
$6.92 |
$14,390 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
Not available |
$14.15 |
$29,430 |
| Family and general practitioners |
Not available |
$75.65 |
$157,350 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
Not available |
$7.71 |
$16,050 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
Not available |
$7.15 |
$14,880 |
| Motorcycle mechanics |
Not available |
$9.61 |
$20,000 |
| Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics |
Not available |
$10.40 |
$21,620 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$15.31 |
$31,830 |
| Personal care and service workers, all other |
Not available |
$10.23 |
$21,280 |
| Physician assistants |
Not available |
$40.60 |
$84,440 |
| Recreation workers |
Not available |
$8.94 |
$18,600 |
| Residential advisors |
Not available |
$8.14 |
$16,920 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
Not available |
$7.69 |
$15,990 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$24,620 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$14.49 |
$30,140 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
Not available |
$21.95 |
$45,650 |
