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 |
58,100 |
$16.56 |
$34,440 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
10,610 |
$13.43 |
$27,940 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
8,500 |
$8.99 |
$18,690 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,210 |
$12.58 |
$26,160 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
4,210 |
$18.03 |
$37,510 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
3,600 |
$10.62 |
$22,080 |
| Management occupations |
2,900 |
$36.37 |
$75,650 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,860 |
$16.76 |
$34,870 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,860 |
$32.37 |
$67,320 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,820 |
$15.18 |
$31,580 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,220 |
$17.42 |
$36,230 |
| Cashiers |
2,160 |
$9.62 |
$20,000 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,160 |
$10.08 |
$20,960 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
2,120 |
$7.98 |
$16,600 |
| Production occupations |
1,900 |
$14.54 |
$30,250 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,540 |
$24.25 |
$50,450 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,470 |
$8.63 |
$17,960 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,420 |
$8.61 |
$17,910 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,380 |
$20.63 |
$42,900 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
1,340 |
$24.78 |
$51,540 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,310 |
$11.35 |
$23,600 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,170 |
$11.24 |
$23,380 |
| Registered nurses |
1,080 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
980 |
$14.08 |
$29,290 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
920 |
$11.77 |
$24,490 |
| General and operations managers |
910 |
$41.17 |
$85,620 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
890 |
$15.12 |
$31,440 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
790 |
$16.71 |
$34,750 |
| Community and social services occupations |
770 |
$18.34 |
$38,150 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
740 |
$29.58 |
$61,520 |
| Customer service representatives |
720 |
$13.70 |
$28,500 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
710 |
$10.58 |
$22,000 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
690 |
$20.28 |
$42,180 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
630 |
$15.75 |
$32,760 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
620 |
$19.49 |
$40,550 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
620 |
$11.15 |
$23,190 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
610 |
Not available |
$38,800 |
| Cooks, fast food |
580 |
$8.16 |
$16,970 |
| Teacher assistants |
580 |
Not available |
$20,360 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
570 |
$20.87 |
$43,420 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
570 |
$8.65 |
$17,980 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
530 |
$12.05 |
$25,050 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
530 |
$11.92 |
$24,800 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
520 |
$28.73 |
$59,760 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
510 |
$14.70 |
$30,580 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
490 |
$7.65 |
$15,910 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
480 |
$10.31 |
$21,450 |
| Carpenters |
470 |
$16.25 |
$33,800 |
| Food preparation workers |
470 |
$8.69 |
$18,080 |
| Dishwashers |
450 |
$8.00 |
$16,650 |
| Bartenders |
410 |
$7.94 |
$16,520 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
410 |
$8.07 |
$16,790 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
370 |
$18.18 |
$37,820 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
360 |
Not available |
$40,230 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
350 |
$20.44 |
$42,520 |
| Accountants and auditors |
340 |
$22.63 |
$47,060 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
320 |
$13.68 |
$28,460 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
300 |
$12.77 |
$26,560 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
290 |
$18.69 |
$38,880 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
290 |
Not available |
$35,910 |
| Security guards |
290 |
$14.81 |
$30,800 |
| Home health aides |
280 |
$10.35 |
$21,520 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
280 |
$24.45 |
$50,850 |
| Legal occupations |
270 |
$32.56 |
$67,730 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
270 |
$10.06 |
$20,920 |
| Construction laborers |
260 |
$13.57 |
$28,230 |
| Cooks, short order |
260 |
$9.25 |
$19,250 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
260 |
$8.05 |
$16,740 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
260 |
$13.01 |
$27,070 |
| Tellers |
250 |
$12.02 |
$24,990 |
| All other information and record clerks |
230 |
$14.43 |
$30,010 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
230 |
$16.45 |
$34,220 |
| Bus drivers, school |
220 |
$13.22 |
$27,490 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
220 |
Not available |
$32,870 |
| Team assemblers |
220 |
$11.76 |
$24,470 |
| Electricians |
210 |
$19.25 |
$40,040 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
210 |
$25.15 |
$52,310 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
200 |
$15.54 |
$32,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
200 |
$25.32 |
$52,660 |
| Food service managers |
200 |
$17.77 |
$36,950 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
200 |
$17.01 |
$35,390 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
190 |
$17.29 |
$35,950 |
| Fire fighters |
190 |
$18.66 |
$38,800 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
190 |
$9.28 |
$19,300 |
| Management analysts |
190 |
$25.89 |
$53,860 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
190 |
$12.61 |
$26,230 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
180 |
$9.52 |
$19,810 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
180 |
$21.78 |
$45,290 |
| Recreation workers |
180 |
$10.56 |
$21,970 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
170 |
$29.90 |
$62,180 |
| Computer support specialists |
170 |
$20.48 |
$42,610 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
160 |
$15.14 |
$31,480 |
| Driver/sales workers |
160 |
$16.38 |
$34,070 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
160 |
$17.79 |
$37,000 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
150 |
$12.45 |
$25,890 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
150 |
$23.96 |
$49,830 |
| Lawyers |
150 |
$39.10 |
$81,330 |
| Medical secretaries |
150 |
$13.02 |
$27,080 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
150 |
$19.03 |
$39,580 |
| Tour guides and escorts |
150 |
$13.38 |
$27,840 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
140 |
$11.74 |
$24,420 |
| Financial managers |
140 |
$37.00 |
$76,970 |
| Managers, all other |
140 |
$30.87 |
$64,220 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
130 |
$16.72 |
$34,780 |
| Dental assistants |
130 |
$14.42 |
$29,990 |
| Insurance sales agents |
130 |
$26.70 |
$55,530 |
| Social and human service assistants |
130 |
$12.77 |
$26,560 |
| Administrative services managers |
120 |
$30.96 |
$64,390 |
| Biological technicians |
120 |
$16.18 |
$33,660 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
120 |
$16.67 |
$34,660 |
| Computer systems analysts |
120 |
$35.43 |
$73,700 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
120 |
$13.94 |
$28,990 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
120 |
$14.97 |
$31,150 |
| Medical and health services managers |
120 |
$42.13 |
$87,630 |
| Medical assistants |
120 |
$14.89 |
$30,970 |
| Training and development specialists |
120 |
$19.04 |
$39,600 |
| Bill and account collectors |
110 |
$14.72 |
$30,620 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
110 |
$13.93 |
$28,970 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
110 |
$12.64 |
$26,290 |
| Engineering managers |
110 |
$52.67 |
$109,550 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
110 |
$11.76 |
$24,460 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
110 |
$15.44 |
$32,110 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
110 |
$14.72 |
$30,620 |
| Physical therapists |
110 |
$32.60 |
$67,810 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
110 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales managers |
110 |
$36.55 |
$76,020 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
110 |
$21.91 |
$45,560 |
| Bus drivers, transit and intercity |
100 |
$13.22 |
$27,500 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
100 |
$12.57 |
$26,150 |
| Chief executives |
100 |
$48.55 |
$100,990 |
| Dental hygienists |
100 |
$33.84 |
$70,390 |
| Lodging managers |
100 |
$27.50 |
$57,200 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
100 |
$14.54 |
$30,250 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
100 |
$23.19 |
$48,240 |
| Baggage porters and bellhops |
90 |
$8.40 |
$17,470 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
90 |
$16.84 |
$35,030 |
| Computer programmers |
90 |
$25.03 |
$52,060 |
| Cost estimators |
90 |
$23.73 |
$49,350 |
| Education administrators, postsecondary |
90 |
$38.83 |
$80,760 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
90 |
$19.58 |
$40,730 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
90 |
$25.79 |
$53,640 |
| Graphic designers |
90 |
$19.85 |
$41,290 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
90 |
$14.04 |
$29,210 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
90 |
$14.59 |
$30,340 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
90 |
$16.03 |
$33,340 |
| Service station attendants |
90 |
$10.26 |
$21,340 |
| Biological scientists, all other |
80 |
$26.59 |
$55,310 |
| Civil engineers |
80 |
$32.22 |
$67,020 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
80 |
$9.75 |
$20,280 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
80 |
$27.07 |
$56,310 |
| Commercial pilots |
80 |
Not available |
$69,120 |
| Construction managers |
80 |
$39.05 |
$81,220 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
80 |
$21.24 |
$44,170 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
80 |
$11.96 |
$24,880 |
| Legal secretaries |
80 |
$17.01 |
$35,390 |
| Librarians |
80 |
$19.91 |
$41,410 |
| Natural sciences managers |
80 |
$41.48 |
$86,270 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
80 |
$10.59 |
$22,030 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
80 |
$20.67 |
$43,000 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
80 |
$9.98 |
$20,750 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
80 |
Not available |
$40,530 |
| Anthropologists and archeologists |
70 |
$22.09 |
$45,940 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
70 |
$22.11 |
$45,980 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
70 |
$39.98 |
$83,160 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
70 |
$21.87 |
$45,490 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
70 |
$14.06 |
$29,250 |
| Data entry keyers |
70 |
$11.70 |
$24,330 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
70 |
Not available |
$67,570 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of fire fighting and prevention workers |
70 |
$35.87 |
$74,610 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
70 |
$24.08 |
$50,080 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
70 |
$13.65 |
$28,390 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
70 |
Not available |
$39,020 |
| Pharmacists |
70 |
$53.06 |
$110,370 |
| Procurement clerks |
70 |
$16.56 |
$34,450 |
| Public relations specialists |
70 |
$23.71 |
$49,320 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
70 |
$17.95 |
$37,340 |
| Social and community service managers |
70 |
$25.52 |
$53,080 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
70 |
$11.45 |
$23,820 |
| Advertising sales agents |
60 |
$19.60 |
$40,760 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
60 |
$20.26 |
$42,140 |
| Coaches and scouts |
60 |
Not available |
$39,040 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
60 |
$38.48 |
$80,030 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
60 |
$25.18 |
$52,370 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
60 |
$23.70 |
$49,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
60 |
$19.10 |
$39,720 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
60 |
$38.35 |
$79,770 |
| Loan officers |
60 |
$30.73 |
$63,930 |
| Market research analysts |
60 |
$21.86 |
$45,460 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
60 |
$31.09 |
$64,660 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
60 |
$25.75 |
$53,560 |
| Parts salespersons |
60 |
$14.16 |
$29,450 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
60 |
$19.17 |
$39,880 |
| Roofers |
60 |
$15.36 |
$31,940 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
60 |
Not available |
$35,030 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$48,730 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
60 |
$28.66 |
$59,610 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
60 |
$11.95 |
$24,850 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$20.38 |
$42,390 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
50 |
$16.45 |
$34,210 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
50 |
$46.48 |
$96,680 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
50 |
$30.44 |
$63,310 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
50 |
$30.33 |
$63,080 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
50 |
$17.65 |
$36,720 |
| Marketing managers |
50 |
$43.42 |
$90,310 |
| Postal service clerks |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks |
50 |
$12.23 |
$25,440 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
50 |
$31.17 |
$64,840 |
| Zoologists and wildlife biologists |
50 |
$26.58 |
$55,290 |
| Bakers |
40 |
$11.86 |
$24,670 |
| Database administrators |
40 |
$30.75 |
$63,960 |
| Dentists, general |
40 |
$87.58 |
$182,160 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
40 |
$18.80 |
$39,100 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
40 |
$33.97 |
$70,660 |
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary |
40 |
Not available |
$59,560 |
| Family and general practitioners |
40 |
$64.59 |
$134,340 |
| Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
40 |
$18.38 |
$38,230 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
40 |
$24.94 |
$51,880 |
| Motorboat mechanics |
40 |
$17.49 |
$36,380 |
| Occupational therapists |
40 |
$33.46 |
$69,600 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
40 |
$25.73 |
$53,520 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
40 |
$19.33 |
$40,210 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
40 |
$27.05 |
$56,260 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
40 |
$22.08 |
$45,920 |
| Surveyors |
40 |
$22.74 |
$47,290 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
40 |
$32.96 |
$68,560 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
40 |
$16.28 |
$33,860 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
30 |
$20.20 |
$42,010 |
| Environmental science and protection technicians, including health |
30 |
$14.89 |
$30,980 |
| Food batchmakers |
30 |
$9.75 |
$20,290 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
30 |
$26.14 |
$54,370 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
30 |
$20.58 |
$42,800 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
30 |
$14.72 |
$30,610 |
| Order clerks |
30 |
$11.79 |
$24,530 |
| Reporters and correspondents |
30 |
$13.85 |
$28,800 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
30 |
$15.38 |
$31,990 |
| Urban and regional planners |
30 |
$26.71 |
$55,560 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
30 |
$9.94 |
$20,670 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
Not available |
$14.34 |
$29,830 |
| Child care workers |
Not available |
$10.01 |
$20,810 |
| Couriers and messengers |
Not available |
$10.77 |
$22,410 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
Not available |
$16.09 |
$33,460 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
Not available |
$17.76 |
$36,930 |
| Financial analysts |
Not available |
$26.44 |
$54,980 |
| Food preparation and serving related workers, all other |
Not available |
$7.48 |
$15,550 |
| Grounds maintenance workers, all other |
Not available |
$8.71 |
$18,130 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$13.12 |
$27,300 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$11.61 |
$24,150 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
Not available |
$17.48 |
$36,350 |
| Interpreters and translators |
Not available |
$19.52 |
$40,610 |
| Mechanical engineers |
Not available |
$28.22 |
$58,700 |
| Meeting and convention planners |
Not available |
$16.17 |
$33,640 |
| Office clerks, general |
Not available |
$10.66 |
$22,180 |
| Personal and home care aides |
Not available |
$9.62 |
$20,020 |
| Physician assistants |
Not available |
$38.36 |
$79,780 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
Not available |
$12.61 |
$26,220 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
Not available |
$24.15 |
$50,240 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
Not available |
$21.08 |
$43,850 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$52,580 |
| Telemarketers |
Not available |
$8.44 |
$17,550 |
| Upholsterers |
Not available |
$12.13 |
$25,220 |
| Vocational education teachers, middle school |
Not available |
Not available |
$48,190 |
