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 |
12,790 |
$10.64 |
$22,140 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
2,020 |
$9.27 |
$19,290 |
| Sales and related occupations |
1,790 |
$8.78 |
$18,260 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
1,650 |
$7.31 |
$15,200 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
1,230 |
$13.45 |
$27,970 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
770 |
$7.70 |
$16,010 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
750 |
$8.33 |
$17,320 |
| Retail salespersons |
740 |
$8.62 |
$17,930 |
| Cashiers |
660 |
$7.26 |
$15,110 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
620 |
$13.16 |
$27,380 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
590 |
$12.52 |
$26,040 |
| Protective service occupations |
480 |
$7.71 |
$16,040 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
450 |
Not available |
$27,910 |
| Production workers, all other |
440 |
$8.62 |
$17,930 |
| Management occupations |
400 |
$29.06 |
$60,440 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
340 |
$6.87 |
$14,290 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
330 |
$13.92 |
$28,950 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
330 |
$7.38 |
$15,350 |
| Security guards |
320 |
$7.18 |
$14,940 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
300 |
$8.07 |
$16,780 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
290 |
$6.87 |
$14,280 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
270 |
$8.37 |
$17,410 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
250 |
$9.39 |
$19,530 |
| Office clerks, general |
250 |
$7.41 |
$15,410 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
250 |
$8.13 |
$16,910 |
| Registered nurses |
250 |
$13.93 |
$28,970 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
230 |
$14.78 |
$30,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
230 |
$12.29 |
$25,570 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
200 |
$8.85 |
$18,410 |
| Bartenders |
170 |
$7.46 |
$15,520 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
160 |
$15.95 |
$33,170 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
140 |
$8.92 |
$18,550 |
| Cooks, fast food |
140 |
$6.59 |
$13,720 |
| Customer service representatives |
140 |
$9.43 |
$19,610 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
140 |
$7.40 |
$15,400 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
140 |
$10.32 |
$21,460 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
130 |
$27.74 |
$57,700 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
130 |
$8.10 |
$16,840 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
120 |
Not available |
$22,230 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
110 |
$11.21 |
$23,310 |
| Community and social services occupations |
100 |
$13.26 |
$27,580 |
| Medical secretaries |
100 |
$7.62 |
$15,850 |
| Food preparation workers |
90 |
$6.82 |
$14,190 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
80 |
$12.04 |
$25,050 |
| Dishwashers |
80 |
$6.90 |
$14,360 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
80 |
$8.29 |
$17,240 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
80 |
$7.72 |
$16,050 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
70 |
$14.91 |
$31,000 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
70 |
$10.39 |
$21,620 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
70 |
$16.32 |
$33,940 |
| Managers, all other |
70 |
$23.28 |
$48,430 |
| Accountants and auditors |
60 |
$14.95 |
$31,110 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
60 |
$9.88 |
$20,550 |
| Carpenters |
60 |
$12.07 |
$25,110 |
| Industrial engineers |
60 |
$34.88 |
$72,540 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
60 |
$7.21 |
$15,000 |
| Tellers |
60 |
$8.71 |
$18,110 |
| Bill and account collectors |
50 |
$7.74 |
$16,100 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
50 |
$7.02 |
$14,610 |
| Data entry keyers |
50 |
$8.12 |
$16,900 |
| Driver/sales workers |
50 |
$6.72 |
$13,980 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
50 |
$10.11 |
$21,020 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
50 |
$7.02 |
$14,600 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
50 |
$24.29 |
$50,530 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$12.67 |
$26,350 |
| Computer support specialists |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Construction laborers |
40 |
$6.92 |
$14,390 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
40 |
$7.28 |
$15,140 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$36,140 |
| Financial managers |
40 |
$30.39 |
$63,210 |
| General and operations managers |
40 |
$33.78 |
$70,260 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
40 |
$6.94 |
$14,440 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
40 |
$12.82 |
$26,660 |
| Pharmacy aides |
40 |
$7.14 |
$14,840 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
40 |
$9.05 |
$18,820 |
| Recreation workers |
40 |
$7.49 |
$15,580 |
| Team assemblers |
40 |
$7.24 |
$15,050 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
40 |
$7.52 |
$15,650 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
30 |
$7.45 |
$15,510 |
| Dental assistants |
30 |
$7.48 |
$15,570 |
| Food service managers |
30 |
$18.24 |
$37,930 |
| Industrial production managers |
30 |
$54.61 |
$113,590 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
30 |
$6.90 |
$14,360 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
30 |
$8.28 |
$17,230 |
| Parts salespersons |
30 |
$8.51 |
$17,700 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
30 |
$7.09 |
$14,740 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
30 |
$9.43 |
$19,620 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
Not available |
$7.07 |
$14,710 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
Not available |
$8.23 |
$17,110 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
Not available |
$21.45 |
$44,620 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
Not available |
$23.67 |
$49,240 |
| Parking lot attendants |
Not available |
$6.64 |
$13,820 |
| Production occupations |
Not available |
$10.70 |
$22,270 |
