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 |
36,040 |
$15.55 |
$32,330 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
5,330 |
$12.86 |
$26,760 |
| Production occupations |
5,190 |
$13.60 |
$28,280 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,380 |
$12.49 |
$25,990 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
3,460 |
$7.92 |
$16,470 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,920 |
$28.20 |
$58,650 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,660 |
$13.57 |
$28,230 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
1,990 |
$20.10 |
$41,800 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,570 |
$14.53 |
$30,220 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,490 |
$11.19 |
$23,280 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,440 |
$10.60 |
$22,050 |
| Cashiers |
1,410 |
$7.67 |
$15,960 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,380 |
$17.75 |
$36,920 |
| Management occupations |
1,220 |
$36.81 |
$76,570 |
| Registered nurses |
980 |
$26.74 |
$55,630 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
920 |
$7.10 |
$14,760 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
900 |
$9.69 |
$20,150 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
790 |
$12.80 |
$26,620 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
760 |
$12.69 |
$26,380 |
| Community and social services occupations |
740 |
$15.86 |
$33,000 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
740 |
$9.28 |
$19,310 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
740 |
$7.02 |
$14,600 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
730 |
$17.69 |
$36,790 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
680 |
$9.99 |
$20,770 |
| Office clerks, general |
680 |
$10.45 |
$21,740 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
670 |
$24.08 |
$50,080 |
| Protective service occupations |
630 |
$14.66 |
$30,500 |
| General and operations managers |
600 |
$37.58 |
$78,160 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
580 |
$8.53 |
$17,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
490 |
$16.17 |
$33,620 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
490 |
Not available |
$46,760 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
480 |
$13.77 |
$28,630 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
480 |
$14.22 |
$29,580 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
480 |
$22.24 |
$46,250 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
400 |
$19.60 |
$40,780 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
370 |
$9.16 |
$19,060 |
| Customer service representatives |
350 |
$12.64 |
$26,300 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
350 |
$15.45 |
$32,140 |
| Home health aides |
340 |
$8.16 |
$16,970 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
330 |
Not available |
$42,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
330 |
$12.38 |
$25,760 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
290 |
$9.62 |
$20,010 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
290 |
Not available |
$42,150 |
| Child care workers |
270 |
$7.35 |
$15,290 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
270 |
$7.50 |
$15,600 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
260 |
$25.40 |
$52,840 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
250 |
$24.43 |
$50,810 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
230 |
$8.42 |
$17,510 |
| Accountants and auditors |
220 |
$22.00 |
$45,750 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
220 |
$17.58 |
$36,570 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
220 |
$10.96 |
$22,800 |
| Construction laborers |
210 |
$10.34 |
$21,510 |
| Cooks, fast food |
210 |
$7.20 |
$14,980 |
| Food preparation workers |
210 |
$7.41 |
$15,420 |
| Helpers--production workers |
210 |
$9.84 |
$20,470 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
210 |
$12.64 |
$26,290 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
210 |
$9.86 |
$20,520 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
210 |
$10.56 |
$21,960 |
| Tellers |
210 |
$9.79 |
$20,360 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
200 |
$15.15 |
$31,520 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
190 |
$14.83 |
$30,850 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
190 |
$9.98 |
$20,750 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
180 |
$23.71 |
$49,320 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
180 |
$15.53 |
$32,300 |
| Teacher assistants |
180 |
Not available |
$17,180 |
| Electricians |
170 |
$19.43 |
$40,410 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
170 |
$14.55 |
$30,270 |
| Medical assistants |
170 |
$11.49 |
$23,900 |
| Mental health counselors |
170 |
$12.07 |
$25,110 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
160 |
$13.35 |
$27,760 |
| Sheet metal workers |
160 |
$14.32 |
$29,790 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
160 |
$11.02 |
$22,920 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
150 |
$13.26 |
$27,570 |
| Legal occupations |
150 |
$37.96 |
$78,950 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
140 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
140 |
$14.54 |
$30,250 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
130 |
$24.66 |
$51,290 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
130 |
$7.23 |
$15,040 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
130 |
$8.10 |
$16,850 |
| Carpenters |
120 |
$14.33 |
$29,800 |
| Personal and home care aides |
120 |
$7.62 |
$15,840 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
120 |
$15.42 |
$32,080 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
120 |
$21.06 |
$43,800 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
110 |
$18.07 |
$37,590 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
110 |
Not available |
$68,600 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
110 |
$20.95 |
$43,570 |
| Insurance sales agents |
110 |
$20.78 |
$43,220 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
110 |
$12.38 |
$25,740 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
100 |
$8.59 |
$17,870 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
100 |
$26.93 |
$56,010 |
| Dishwashers |
100 |
$7.43 |
$15,450 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
100 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
90 |
$21.87 |
$45,490 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
90 |
$14.39 |
$29,930 |
| Machinists |
90 |
$16.62 |
$34,570 |
| Medical secretaries |
90 |
$12.48 |
$25,960 |
| Pharmacists |
90 |
$61.31 |
$127,520 |
| Security guards |
90 |
$9.59 |
$19,940 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
80 |
$8.19 |
$17,030 |
| Bill and account collectors |
80 |
$13.09 |
$27,230 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
80 |
$18.59 |
$38,670 |
| Helpers--electricians |
80 |
$9.22 |
$19,180 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
80 |
$25.26 |
$52,530 |
| Social and human service assistants |
80 |
$11.39 |
$23,690 |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$10.16 |
$21,140 |
| Bartenders |
70 |
$8.16 |
$16,980 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
70 |
$9.60 |
$19,960 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
70 |
$7.16 |
$14,900 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
70 |
$25.17 |
$52,360 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
70 |
$14.15 |
$29,420 |
| Lawyers |
70 |
$58.25 |
$121,160 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
70 |
$9.17 |
$19,070 |
| Bus drivers, school |
60 |
$6.86 |
$14,270 |
| Chief executives |
60 |
$58.42 |
$121,520 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$20.73 |
$43,110 |
| Dental assistants |
60 |
$14.71 |
$30,590 |
| Dental hygienists |
60 |
$18.40 |
$38,270 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
60 |
$20.11 |
$41,840 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
60 |
$16.06 |
$33,400 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$7.48 |
$15,570 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
60 |
$12.74 |
$26,490 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
60 |
$17.47 |
$36,330 |
| Parts salespersons |
60 |
$13.46 |
$27,990 |
| Physical therapists |
60 |
$40.25 |
$83,730 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
60 |
$23.74 |
$49,370 |
| Recreation workers |
60 |
$10.15 |
$21,110 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
60 |
$25.03 |
$52,070 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
50 |
$18.24 |
$37,930 |
| Financial managers |
50 |
$36.93 |
$76,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
50 |
$28.22 |
$58,690 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
50 |
$11.52 |
$23,960 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
50 |
$9.65 |
$20,060 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
50 |
$13.42 |
$27,910 |
| Industrial engineers |
50 |
$34.54 |
$71,840 |
| Medical and health services managers |
50 |
$44.95 |
$93,510 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
50 |
$11.05 |
$22,980 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
50 |
$7.64 |
$15,880 |
| Occupational therapists |
50 |
$36.76 |
$76,460 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
50 |
$13.02 |
$27,080 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
50 |
$11.69 |
$24,310 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
40 |
$8.99 |
$18,690 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Coaches and scouts |
40 |
Not available |
$27,970 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
40 |
$13.74 |
$28,580 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
40 |
$11.73 |
$24,410 |
| Food service managers |
40 |
$22.90 |
$47,630 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
40 |
$15.69 |
$32,640 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
40 |
Not available |
$37,190 |
| Librarians |
40 |
$23.10 |
$48,050 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
40 |
$28.02 |
$58,280 |
| Loan officers |
40 |
$20.61 |
$42,880 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
40 |
$20.50 |
$42,630 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
40 |
$14.34 |
$29,840 |
| Occupational therapist assistants |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
40 |
$14.12 |
$29,370 |
| Public relations specialists |
40 |
$17.70 |
$36,820 |
| Respiratory therapists |
40 |
$21.26 |
$44,220 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Tool and die makers |
40 |
$18.50 |
$38,480 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
30 |
$18.16 |
$37,770 |
| Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door |
30 |
$12.24 |
$25,460 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
30 |
$7.90 |
$16,430 |
| File clerks |
30 |
$8.94 |
$18,590 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
30 |
$14.17 |
$29,470 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
30 |
$15.98 |
$33,230 |
| Grinding and polishing workers, hand |
30 |
$11.06 |
$23,010 |
| Social workers, all other |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Bus drivers, transit and intercity |
Not available |
$7.87 |
$16,370 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
Not available |
$27.15 |
$56,480 |
| Construction managers |
Not available |
$32.52 |
$67,640 |
| Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks |
Not available |
$10.57 |
$21,990 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$9.99 |
$20,770 |
| Dentists, general |
Not available |
$44.15 |
$91,840 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$8.66 |
$18,000 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
Not available |
$16.77 |
$34,880 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
Not available |
$7.39 |
$15,380 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
Not available |
$11.21 |
$23,320 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$14.39 |
$29,930 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$12.27 |
$25,520 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
Not available |
$13.20 |
$27,450 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
Not available |
$11.71 |
$24,350 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
Not available |
$8.24 |
$17,130 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$12.03 |
$25,020 |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers |
Not available |
$11.17 |
$23,220 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
Not available |
$11.52 |
$23,960 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$9.54 |
$19,840 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials |
Not available |
$7.40 |
$15,400 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
Not available |
Not available |
$44,280 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$24,810 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$14.46 |
$30,070 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$8.77 |
$18,250 |
