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 |
50,650 |
$15.15 |
$31,510 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
8,520 |
$12.59 |
$26,190 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,480 |
$12.66 |
$26,320 |
| Production occupations |
6,090 |
$13.04 |
$27,130 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,950 |
$8.02 |
$16,680 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,160 |
$12.28 |
$25,530 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,480 |
$26.45 |
$55,020 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,170 |
$18.61 |
$38,720 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,220 |
$17.28 |
$35,930 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,190 |
$16.82 |
$34,990 |
| Cashiers |
2,110 |
$7.87 |
$16,380 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,090 |
$10.12 |
$21,060 |
| Management occupations |
1,750 |
$37.32 |
$77,630 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,520 |
$9.78 |
$20,350 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,420 |
$10.50 |
$21,840 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,350 |
$7.01 |
$14,570 |
| Registered nurses |
1,330 |
$24.67 |
$51,310 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,260 |
$10.37 |
$21,560 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,220 |
$10.12 |
$21,040 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,140 |
$12.50 |
$26,000 |
| Team assemblers |
1,020 |
$9.58 |
$19,940 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
990 |
Not available |
$43,600 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
910 |
$25.60 |
$53,240 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
880 |
$7.27 |
$15,120 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
850 |
$16.64 |
$34,620 |
| Office clerks, general |
850 |
$9.55 |
$19,860 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
830 |
$9.23 |
$19,200 |
| General and operations managers |
790 |
$40.26 |
$83,740 |
| Customer service representatives |
770 |
$13.04 |
$27,120 |
| Protective service occupations |
750 |
$14.32 |
$29,780 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
660 |
$9.86 |
$20,510 |
| Community and social services occupations |
650 |
$16.17 |
$33,620 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
640 |
$22.02 |
$45,800 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
630 |
$9.19 |
$19,110 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
600 |
$15.31 |
$31,850 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
540 |
$19.82 |
$41,230 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
520 |
$12.35 |
$25,700 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
500 |
$12.89 |
$26,810 |
| Cooks, fast food |
500 |
$6.97 |
$14,490 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
490 |
$25.66 |
$53,380 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
480 |
$11.52 |
$23,960 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
470 |
$15.92 |
$33,120 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
470 |
Not available |
$43,440 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
460 |
$14.25 |
$29,640 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
430 |
$9.95 |
$20,690 |
| Tellers |
400 |
$11.12 |
$23,120 |
| Home health aides |
390 |
$8.81 |
$18,320 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
380 |
$9.35 |
$19,440 |
| Food preparation workers |
380 |
$7.68 |
$15,970 |
| Helpers--production workers |
370 |
$9.77 |
$20,310 |
| Teacher assistants |
340 |
Not available |
$17,030 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
330 |
$12.15 |
$25,260 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
320 |
$7.64 |
$15,880 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
310 |
$22.26 |
$46,300 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
300 |
$13.18 |
$27,420 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
290 |
$9.06 |
$18,850 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
290 |
$12.45 |
$25,890 |
| Accountants and auditors |
280 |
$23.35 |
$48,570 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
280 |
$16.77 |
$34,880 |
| Electricians |
260 |
$16.77 |
$34,880 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
260 |
Not available |
$41,500 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
260 |
Not available |
$19,580 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
250 |
$8.91 |
$18,540 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
250 |
$21.88 |
$45,510 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
240 |
$13.87 |
$28,840 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
240 |
$10.48 |
$21,800 |
| Carpenters |
230 |
$17.04 |
$35,440 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
230 |
$14.97 |
$31,130 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
230 |
$6.98 |
$14,520 |
| Child care workers |
220 |
$7.47 |
$15,540 |
| Legal occupations |
220 |
$34.51 |
$71,770 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
210 |
$17.67 |
$36,740 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
210 |
$11.85 |
$24,640 |
| Bus drivers, transit and intercity |
200 |
$11.07 |
$23,020 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
200 |
$23.08 |
$48,010 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
200 |
$22.77 |
$47,370 |
| Machinists |
190 |
$19.70 |
$40,970 |
| Medical assistants |
190 |
$10.87 |
$22,600 |
| Medical secretaries |
190 |
$11.88 |
$24,710 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
190 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Dishwashers |
180 |
$7.54 |
$15,670 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
180 |
$9.30 |
$19,350 |
| Bill and account collectors |
170 |
$12.33 |
$25,640 |
| Driver/sales workers |
170 |
$13.69 |
$28,480 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
170 |
$12.37 |
$25,730 |
| Helpers--electricians |
170 |
$10.27 |
$21,360 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
170 |
$16.00 |
$33,280 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
170 |
$24.64 |
$51,260 |
| Security guards |
170 |
$9.83 |
$20,440 |
| Bus drivers, school |
160 |
$7.86 |
$16,350 |
| Parts salespersons |
160 |
$13.05 |
$27,140 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
150 |
$11.94 |
$24,840 |
| Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
150 |
$13.08 |
$27,210 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
150 |
$7.55 |
$15,690 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
150 |
$10.45 |
$21,740 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
150 |
$12.95 |
$26,930 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
140 |
$12.29 |
$25,570 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
140 |
$13.41 |
$27,890 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
140 |
$12.31 |
$25,610 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
140 |
$7.81 |
$16,240 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
140 |
$13.43 |
$27,920 |
| Tree trimmers and pruners |
140 |
$12.35 |
$25,680 |
| Dental hygienists |
130 |
$15.03 |
$31,270 |
| Lawyers |
130 |
$38.60 |
$80,300 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
130 |
$14.55 |
$30,270 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
120 |
$16.97 |
$35,290 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
120 |
$19.08 |
$39,680 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
120 |
$12.82 |
$26,660 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
120 |
$11.66 |
$24,250 |
| Tool and die makers |
120 |
$16.83 |
$35,010 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
110 |
$12.36 |
$25,720 |
| Construction laborers |
110 |
$12.19 |
$25,360 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
110 |
$26.76 |
$55,660 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
110 |
$11.47 |
$23,860 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
110 |
Not available |
$42,600 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
110 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Construction managers |
100 |
$29.59 |
$61,550 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
100 |
$23.02 |
$47,870 |
| Loan officers |
100 |
$28.89 |
$60,100 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
100 |
$13.15 |
$27,340 |
| Dental assistants |
90 |
$12.00 |
$24,960 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$74,120 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
90 |
$24.88 |
$51,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
90 |
$21.61 |
$44,950 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
90 |
$27.24 |
$56,660 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
90 |
$14.91 |
$31,010 |
| Recreation workers |
90 |
$9.63 |
$20,030 |
| Chief executives |
80 |
$68.06 |
$141,570 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
80 |
$18.05 |
$37,550 |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
80 |
$10.03 |
$20,860 |
| Financial managers |
80 |
$40.27 |
$83,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
80 |
$27.64 |
$57,500 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
80 |
$13.29 |
$27,640 |
| Insurance sales agents |
80 |
$33.41 |
$69,490 |
| Librarians |
80 |
$23.33 |
$48,530 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
80 |
$18.20 |
$37,860 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
80 |
$12.47 |
$25,940 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
80 |
$13.38 |
$27,840 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
80 |
$12.95 |
$26,930 |
| Residential advisors |
80 |
$9.54 |
$19,840 |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
80 |
$11.03 |
$22,950 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
80 |
Not available |
$44,390 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
80 |
$10.32 |
$21,460 |
| Bartenders |
70 |
$8.35 |
$17,370 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
70 |
$30.42 |
$63,260 |
| Civil engineers |
70 |
$30.07 |
$62,540 |
| Computer support specialists |
70 |
$16.32 |
$33,950 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
70 |
$12.99 |
$27,020 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
70 |
$15.64 |
$32,540 |
| Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
70 |
$14.18 |
$29,490 |
| Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
70 |
$10.85 |
$22,560 |
| Legal secretaries |
70 |
$12.89 |
$26,810 |
| Order clerks |
70 |
$12.42 |
$25,830 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
70 |
$11.34 |
$23,580 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
70 |
$20.37 |
$42,370 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
70 |
$22.05 |
$45,870 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
70 |
$10.61 |
$22,070 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
60 |
$16.18 |
$33,660 |
| Coaches and scouts |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$11.04 |
$22,970 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$24.28 |
$50,500 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$13.05 |
$27,140 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$16.01 |
$33,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
60 |
$15.77 |
$32,800 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
60 |
$12.28 |
$25,550 |
| Food service managers |
60 |
$23.51 |
$48,910 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
60 |
$11.51 |
$23,950 |
| Legislators |
60 |
Not available |
$15,000 |
| Logging equipment operators |
60 |
$14.63 |
$30,440 |
| Mechanical engineers |
60 |
$33.35 |
$69,360 |
| Medical and health services managers |
60 |
$32.41 |
$67,420 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
60 |
$11.61 |
$24,140 |
| Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
60 |
$25.46 |
$52,960 |
| Pest control workers |
60 |
$13.58 |
$28,240 |
| Pipelayers |
60 |
$32.68 |
$67,970 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
60 |
$10.30 |
$21,420 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
60 |
$22.60 |
$47,010 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
50 |
$11.45 |
$23,810 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
50 |
$22.61 |
$47,030 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
50 |
$12.89 |
$26,820 |
| Electrical engineers |
50 |
$35.79 |
$74,450 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
50 |
$16.86 |
$35,080 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
50 |
$16.45 |
$34,210 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$11.85 |
$24,640 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Physical therapists |
50 |
$28.47 |
$59,220 |
| Public relations specialists |
50 |
$17.78 |
$36,980 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
50 |
Not available |
$39,750 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
50 |
$27.35 |
$56,890 |
| Advertising sales agents |
40 |
$18.04 |
$37,510 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
40 |
$16.94 |
$35,230 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
40 |
$11.42 |
$23,760 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$19.36 |
$40,280 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
40 |
$21.32 |
$44,330 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
40 |
$7.24 |
$15,070 |
| File clerks |
40 |
$7.93 |
$16,490 |
| Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
40 |
$13.61 |
$28,300 |
| Industrial production managers |
40 |
$39.91 |
$83,000 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
40 |
$7.90 |
$16,440 |
| Managers, all other |
40 |
$30.72 |
$63,890 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
40 |
$15.26 |
$31,740 |
| New accounts clerks |
40 |
$13.50 |
$28,090 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
40 |
$13.45 |
$27,970 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales managers |
40 |
$46.16 |
$96,020 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
40 |
$20.57 |
$42,790 |
| Sewing machine operators |
40 |
$9.81 |
$20,410 |
| Training and development specialists |
40 |
$20.81 |
$43,280 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$45,990 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
30 |
$21.36 |
$44,430 |
| Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door |
30 |
$17.33 |
$36,040 |
| Data entry keyers |
30 |
$12.09 |
$25,140 |
| Funeral directors |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
30 |
$9.43 |
$19,620 |
| Library technicians |
30 |
$10.29 |
$21,400 |
| Meter readers, utilities |
30 |
$19.42 |
$40,390 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
30 |
$10.85 |
$22,560 |
| Social and community service managers |
30 |
$23.45 |
$48,780 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
Not available |
$15.38 |
$31,990 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
Not available |
$13.52 |
$28,130 |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
Not available |
$14.23 |
$29,600 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
Not available |
$6.83 |
$14,200 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
Not available |
$13.17 |
$27,400 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
Not available |
$8.21 |
$17,080 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$16.44 |
$34,180 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
Not available |
$10.62 |
$22,090 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$10.45 |
$21,730 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
Not available |
$12.76 |
$26,530 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
Not available |
$14.85 |
$30,890 |
| Pharmacists |
Not available |
$42.05 |
$87,460 |
| Photographers |
Not available |
$9.86 |
$20,500 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Production workers, all other |
Not available |
$11.59 |
$24,120 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
Not available |
$16.57 |
$34,470 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$12.05 |
$25,060 |
| Sheet metal workers |
Not available |
$14.80 |
$30,790 |
| Social and human service assistants |
Not available |
$8.84 |
$18,380 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
Not available |
$15.51 |
$32,270 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$9.95 |
$20,700 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
Not available |
$9.74 |
$20,250 |
