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 |
74,250 |
$17.33 |
$36,040 |
| Production occupations |
13,180 |
$12.91 |
$26,860 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
11,950 |
$14.92 |
$31,020 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
7,830 |
$12.04 |
$25,040 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,410 |
$16.04 |
$33,360 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
5,070 |
$20.85 |
$43,380 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,500 |
$8.77 |
$18,240 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,170 |
$33.43 |
$69,530 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
3,690 |
$17.14 |
$35,650 |
| Management occupations |
3,380 |
$43.23 |
$89,910 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
3,000 |
$16.99 |
$35,340 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
2,460 |
$9.78 |
$20,340 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,850 |
$11.81 |
$24,560 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,850 |
$27.62 |
$57,460 |
| Team assemblers |
1,770 |
$12.76 |
$26,550 |
| Cashiers |
1,750 |
$8.62 |
$17,920 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,680 |
$12.92 |
$26,870 |
| General and operations managers |
1,600 |
$43.98 |
$91,480 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,570 |
$16.42 |
$34,150 |
| Registered nurses |
1,500 |
$28.54 |
$59,350 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,490 |
$11.13 |
$23,140 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,470 |
$7.64 |
$15,880 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,450 |
$12.38 |
$25,740 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,410 |
$9.76 |
$20,290 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,340 |
$11.93 |
$24,820 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,160 |
$18.09 |
$37,630 |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers |
1,140 |
$9.39 |
$19,530 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
1,130 |
$15.02 |
$31,250 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
1,130 |
$26.27 |
$54,640 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
1,060 |
Not available |
$51,390 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,040 |
$12.32 |
$25,640 |
| Customer service representatives |
930 |
$16.15 |
$33,590 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
920 |
$15.31 |
$31,850 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
900 |
$16.75 |
$34,840 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
900 |
$7.87 |
$16,370 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
890 |
$12.34 |
$25,660 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
890 |
$10.62 |
$22,090 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
880 |
$24.62 |
$51,200 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
880 |
$9.38 |
$19,500 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
830 |
$18.97 |
$39,460 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
740 |
$12.20 |
$25,370 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
720 |
$23.96 |
$49,840 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
700 |
$26.36 |
$54,830 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
690 |
$12.26 |
$25,500 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
640 |
$17.29 |
$35,970 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
640 |
Not available |
$54,730 |
| Community and social services occupations |
620 |
$18.06 |
$37,570 |
| Construction laborers |
600 |
$14.06 |
$29,250 |
| Teacher assistants |
580 |
Not available |
$18,950 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
550 |
$14.85 |
$30,890 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
540 |
$12.42 |
$25,830 |
| Child care workers |
530 |
$8.50 |
$17,670 |
| Electricians |
520 |
$18.98 |
$39,470 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
510 |
$10.89 |
$22,660 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
470 |
$25.50 |
$53,030 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
450 |
$15.43 |
$32,090 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
440 |
$12.72 |
$26,450 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
410 |
$11.10 |
$23,080 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
410 |
$19.86 |
$41,310 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
410 |
$13.32 |
$27,710 |
| Slaughterers and meat packers |
400 |
$9.83 |
$20,450 |
| Production workers, all other |
390 |
$9.93 |
$20,660 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
380 |
$17.45 |
$36,300 |
| Medical assistants |
370 |
$14.94 |
$31,080 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
360 |
$8.83 |
$18,370 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
360 |
$26.12 |
$54,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
350 |
$14.39 |
$29,940 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
340 |
$8.73 |
$18,160 |
| Accountants and auditors |
330 |
$27.25 |
$56,670 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
330 |
$15.61 |
$32,480 |
| Cooks, fast food |
330 |
$9.27 |
$19,280 |
| Carpenters |
320 |
$19.97 |
$41,530 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
300 |
$18.03 |
$37,500 |
| Chief executives |
290 |
$64.37 |
$133,900 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
280 |
$16.97 |
$35,300 |
| Tellers |
280 |
$12.84 |
$26,700 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
270 |
$15.02 |
$31,230 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
270 |
$23.80 |
$49,500 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
270 |
$8.56 |
$17,800 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
270 |
$15.28 |
$31,780 |
| Medical secretaries |
270 |
$14.67 |
$30,510 |
| Dental laboratory technicians |
260 |
$18.17 |
$37,800 |
| Security guards |
260 |
$11.77 |
$24,480 |
| Legal occupations |
250 |
$30.16 |
$62,740 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
250 |
$12.21 |
$25,400 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
250 |
$18.79 |
$39,080 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
240 |
$12.40 |
$25,790 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
220 |
$8.90 |
$18,520 |
| Food batchmakers |
220 |
$9.50 |
$19,760 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
220 |
$15.62 |
$32,480 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
220 |
$13.81 |
$28,720 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
210 |
$18.17 |
$37,790 |
| Medical and health services managers |
210 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Personal and home care aides |
210 |
$8.67 |
$18,040 |
| Sheet metal workers |
210 |
$13.75 |
$28,590 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
200 |
$14.69 |
$30,560 |
| Machinists |
200 |
$13.98 |
$29,070 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
200 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Business teachers, postsecondary |
190 |
Not available |
$33,060 |
| Computer support specialists |
190 |
$21.46 |
$44,640 |
| Dishwashers |
190 |
$7.04 |
$14,650 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
190 |
$13.04 |
$27,130 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
190 |
$12.83 |
$26,680 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
180 |
$10.78 |
$22,430 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
180 |
$13.35 |
$27,770 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
180 |
$14.64 |
$30,440 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
180 |
$9.90 |
$20,590 |
| Sales managers |
180 |
$44.29 |
$92,130 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
170 |
$10.46 |
$21,750 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
170 |
$8.06 |
$16,760 |
| Loan officers |
170 |
$31.88 |
$66,310 |
| Education teachers, postsecondary |
160 |
Not available |
$33,120 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
160 |
$13.05 |
$27,150 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
160 |
$21.43 |
$44,580 |
| Surgeons |
160 |
$101.77 |
$211,690 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
150 |
$27.16 |
$56,490 |
| Financial managers |
150 |
$41.88 |
$87,120 |
| Parts salespersons |
150 |
$16.14 |
$33,560 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
150 |
$35.65 |
$74,150 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
150 |
Not available |
$49,980 |
| Bill and account collectors |
140 |
$14.57 |
$30,310 |
| Biological technicians |
140 |
$16.29 |
$33,880 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
140 |
$12.94 |
$26,910 |
| Lawyers |
140 |
$35.54 |
$73,930 |
| Management analysts |
140 |
$31.47 |
$65,460 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
140 |
$19.70 |
$40,990 |
| Bakers |
130 |
$10.06 |
$20,920 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
130 |
$19.09 |
$39,700 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
130 |
$21.39 |
$44,490 |
| Insurance sales agents |
130 |
$24.44 |
$50,840 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
130 |
$9.29 |
$19,330 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
130 |
$10.82 |
$22,510 |
| Instructional coordinators |
120 |
$22.33 |
$46,440 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
120 |
$26.05 |
$54,180 |
| Administrative services managers |
110 |
$42.92 |
$89,280 |
| Dental assistants |
110 |
$15.26 |
$31,730 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
110 |
$18.08 |
$37,600 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
110 |
Not available |
$84,980 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
110 |
$12.32 |
$25,630 |
| Industrial production managers |
110 |
$41.73 |
$86,790 |
| Pharmacists |
110 |
$50.40 |
$104,820 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
110 |
$17.61 |
$36,630 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
100 |
$21.44 |
$44,590 |
| Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary |
100 |
Not available |
$39,910 |
| Printing machine operators |
100 |
$17.25 |
$35,880 |
| Social and human service assistants |
100 |
$13.84 |
$28,790 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
90 |
$16.93 |
$35,220 |
| Civil engineers |
90 |
$29.34 |
$61,020 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
90 |
$16.28 |
$33,860 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
90 |
$20.87 |
$43,400 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
90 |
$17.75 |
$36,930 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
90 |
$15.01 |
$31,220 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
90 |
$13.76 |
$28,610 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
90 |
$15.68 |
$32,620 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
90 |
$24.49 |
$50,940 |
| Training and development specialists |
90 |
$24.43 |
$50,820 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
80 |
$14.13 |
$29,380 |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
80 |
$24.97 |
$51,940 |
| Cargo and freight agents |
80 |
$19.04 |
$39,610 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
80 |
$14.81 |
$30,810 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$13.39 |
$27,850 |
| Construction managers |
80 |
$37.59 |
$78,180 |
| Dental hygienists |
80 |
$29.28 |
$60,890 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
80 |
$23.57 |
$49,010 |
| File clerks |
80 |
$11.28 |
$23,450 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
80 |
$21.14 |
$43,970 |
| Industrial engineers |
80 |
$34.09 |
$70,900 |
| Mechanical engineers |
80 |
$30.64 |
$63,730 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
80 |
$19.25 |
$40,040 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
80 |
$14.16 |
$29,450 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
80 |
$21.82 |
$45,380 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
70 |
$13.85 |
$28,810 |
| Cost estimators |
70 |
$31.83 |
$66,210 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
70 |
$16.18 |
$33,650 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
70 |
$22.83 |
$47,490 |
| Engineering managers |
70 |
$45.38 |
$94,380 |
| Financial analysts |
70 |
$32.00 |
$66,560 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
70 |
$24.74 |
$51,470 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
70 |
$20.55 |
$42,740 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
70 |
$9.12 |
$18,960 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
70 |
$31.47 |
$65,460 |
| Order clerks |
70 |
$12.16 |
$25,300 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
70 |
$18.60 |
$38,680 |
| Real estate sales agents |
70 |
$18.60 |
$38,690 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
70 |
$11.78 |
$24,500 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
70 |
$11.31 |
$23,520 |
| Advertising sales agents |
60 |
$19.68 |
$40,930 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
60 |
$23.16 |
$48,170 |
| Computer systems analysts |
60 |
$33.91 |
$70,540 |
| Graphic designers |
60 |
$21.28 |
$44,270 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
60 |
$18.81 |
$39,120 |
| Motorboat mechanics |
60 |
$20.46 |
$42,570 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
60 |
$9.50 |
$19,760 |
| Physical therapists |
60 |
$33.25 |
$69,170 |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists |
60 |
$16.53 |
$34,380 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
60 |
$10.30 |
$21,420 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
50 |
$25.20 |
$52,410 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
50 |
$41.71 |
$86,750 |
| Conveyor operators and tenders |
50 |
$11.15 |
$23,190 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
50 |
$19.65 |
$40,870 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
50 |
$33.54 |
$69,770 |
| Librarians |
50 |
$24.60 |
$51,170 |
| Library technicians |
50 |
$15.50 |
$32,240 |
| Marketing managers |
50 |
$52.40 |
$108,990 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
50 |
$9.98 |
$20,760 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
50 |
$19.71 |
$41,010 |
| Painting, coating, and decorating workers |
50 |
$11.69 |
$24,310 |
| Public relations specialists |
50 |
$22.35 |
$46,500 |
| Surgical technologists |
50 |
$15.60 |
$32,440 |
| Tool and die makers |
50 |
$19.20 |
$39,940 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
40 |
$17.17 |
$35,710 |
| Clergy |
40 |
$24.86 |
$51,710 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
40 |
$22.92 |
$47,670 |
| Computer operators |
40 |
$16.22 |
$33,730 |
| Computer programmers |
40 |
$21.53 |
$44,780 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
40 |
$29.47 |
$61,300 |
| Legislators |
40 |
Not available |
$14,930 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
40 |
$9.02 |
$18,770 |
| Market research analysts |
40 |
$30.20 |
$62,810 |
| Mechanical drafters |
40 |
$29.94 |
$62,280 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
40 |
$22.98 |
$47,800 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
40 |
$16.92 |
$35,190 |
| Photographic processing machine operators |
40 |
$9.98 |
$20,750 |
| Physical therapist aides |
40 |
$12.83 |
$26,680 |
| Purchasing managers |
40 |
$35.90 |
$74,660 |
| Recreation workers |
40 |
$13.03 |
$27,100 |
| Residential advisors |
40 |
$16.02 |
$33,330 |
| Social and community service managers |
40 |
$23.54 |
$48,960 |
| Surveyors |
40 |
$25.74 |
$53,530 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
40 |
$25.40 |
$52,820 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
40 |
$11.07 |
$23,020 |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
40 |
$17.75 |
$36,920 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
30 |
$17.06 |
$35,490 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
30 |
$19.74 |
$41,050 |
| Demonstrators and product promoters |
30 |
$11.20 |
$23,300 |
| Education administrators, postsecondary |
30 |
$35.33 |
$73,490 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
30 |
$15.78 |
$32,820 |
| Managers, all other |
30 |
$35.48 |
$73,800 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
30 |
$16.72 |
$34,780 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
30 |
$20.71 |
$43,090 |
| Physician assistants |
30 |
$50.43 |
$104,880 |
| Pipelayers |
30 |
$16.35 |
$34,000 |
| Postal service clerks |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Psychology teachers, postsecondary |
30 |
Not available |
$39,020 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
30 |
$16.86 |
$35,060 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
30 |
$14.47 |
$30,090 |
| Veterinarians |
30 |
$45.94 |
$95,560 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
Not available |
$18.83 |
$39,160 |
| Bartenders |
Not available |
$8.09 |
$16,820 |
| Bus drivers, school |
Not available |
$8.84 |
$18,380 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
Not available |
$13.16 |
$27,370 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
Not available |
$24.80 |
$51,580 |
| Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
Not available |
$15.33 |
$31,890 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$7.50 |
$15,590 |
| Crane and tower operators |
Not available |
$19.72 |
$41,010 |
| Data entry keyers |
Not available |
$11.15 |
$23,190 |
| Dentists, general |
Not available |
$101.61 |
$211,340 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$11.34 |
$23,580 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
Not available |
$11.02 |
$22,930 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$13.13 |
$27,320 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
Not available |
$27.19 |
$56,550 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
Not available |
$11.43 |
$23,770 |
| Food preparation workers |
Not available |
$8.62 |
$17,930 |
| Helpers--electricians |
Not available |
$12.59 |
$26,190 |
| Helpers--production workers |
Not available |
$11.17 |
$23,230 |
| Home health aides |
Not available |
$9.05 |
$18,810 |
| Insurance underwriters |
Not available |
$24.78 |
$51,550 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$20.64 |
$42,930 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
Not available |
$9.16 |
$19,050 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
Not available |
Not available |
$50,390 |
| Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic |
Not available |
$11.33 |
$23,560 |
| Pest control workers |
Not available |
$17.15 |
$35,660 |
| Pharmacy aides |
Not available |
$9.06 |
$18,850 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Real estate brokers |
Not available |
$20.73 |
$43,110 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
Not available |
$17.69 |
$36,800 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$12.46 |
$25,920 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
Not available |
$12.46 |
$25,920 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$9.34 |
$19,420 |
