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 |
38,820 |
$19.41 |
$40,370 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
5,250 |
$14.79 |
$30,760 |
| Protective service occupations |
4,040 |
$31.87 |
$66,290 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,660 |
$21.00 |
$43,680 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
3,240 |
$9.55 |
$19,870 |
| Sales and related occupations |
3,170 |
$14.02 |
$29,160 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,990 |
$17.54 |
$36,470 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
2,930 |
$9.82 |
$20,430 |
| Production occupations |
2,630 |
$16.63 |
$34,600 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
1,810 |
$36.10 |
$75,090 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,740 |
$19.80 |
$41,190 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,180 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,130 |
$12.42 |
$25,840 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,090 |
$9.84 |
$20,470 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,010 |
$12.00 |
$24,950 |
| Management occupations |
1,010 |
$40.42 |
$84,080 |
| Cashiers |
930 |
$11.09 |
$23,080 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
920 |
Not available |
$50,260 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
870 |
$9.07 |
$18,870 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
830 |
$12.05 |
$25,070 |
| Registered nurses |
800 |
$39.28 |
$81,700 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
780 |
$26.65 |
$55,430 |
| Teacher assistants |
770 |
Not available |
$26,450 |
| Community and social services occupations |
630 |
$30.32 |
$63,060 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
560 |
$17.18 |
$35,720 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
530 |
$11.45 |
$23,820 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
520 |
$11.32 |
$23,550 |
| Cooks, fast food |
490 |
$8.49 |
$17,660 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
450 |
$15.15 |
$31,510 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
450 |
$12.33 |
$25,640 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
440 |
$11.69 |
$24,310 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
430 |
$16.39 |
$34,080 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
410 |
$17.57 |
$36,550 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
380 |
$21.19 |
$44,070 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
310 |
$24.25 |
$50,430 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
300 |
$16.99 |
$35,330 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
300 |
$8.40 |
$17,470 |
| Agricultural equipment operators |
290 |
$12.93 |
$26,890 |
| General and operations managers |
270 |
$44.89 |
$93,370 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
270 |
$11.80 |
$24,550 |
| Medical secretaries |
260 |
$13.20 |
$27,460 |
| Medical assistants |
250 |
$12.75 |
$26,510 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
240 |
$12.47 |
$25,930 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
240 |
$14.82 |
$30,830 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
230 |
$29.48 |
$61,310 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
220 |
$33.22 |
$69,100 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
220 |
$32.11 |
$66,790 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
210 |
$10.99 |
$22,870 |
| Word processors and typists |
210 |
$14.80 |
$30,770 |
| Home health aides |
200 |
$10.32 |
$21,460 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
190 |
$30.30 |
$63,030 |
| Customer service representatives |
190 |
$14.25 |
$29,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
190 |
$13.58 |
$28,240 |
| Food preparation workers |
190 |
$9.90 |
$20,590 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
190 |
$19.79 |
$41,150 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
180 |
$16.20 |
$33,690 |
| Dental assistants |
180 |
$14.89 |
$30,970 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
180 |
$18.57 |
$38,620 |
| Food batchmakers |
180 |
$20.38 |
$42,390 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
180 |
$21.76 |
$45,270 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
180 |
$19.78 |
$41,150 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
180 |
$9.30 |
$19,350 |
| Tellers |
180 |
$12.15 |
$25,280 |
| All other information and record clerks |
160 |
$18.27 |
$37,990 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
160 |
$27.77 |
$57,750 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
160 |
Not available |
$57,880 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
150 |
$10.98 |
$22,830 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
150 |
$26.48 |
$55,090 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
150 |
$9.41 |
$19,570 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
140 |
$12.29 |
$25,570 |
| Construction laborers |
130 |
$19.61 |
$40,800 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
130 |
$17.26 |
$35,890 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
130 |
$32.84 |
$68,300 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
120 |
$15.18 |
$31,580 |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
120 |
$14.56 |
$30,280 |
| Health educators |
120 |
$17.80 |
$37,020 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
120 |
$12.04 |
$25,030 |
| Security guards |
120 |
$10.98 |
$22,840 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
110 |
$15.44 |
$32,120 |
| Child care workers |
110 |
$9.46 |
$19,680 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
110 |
$21.14 |
$43,960 |
| First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers, all other |
110 |
$25.19 |
$52,400 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
110 |
$13.35 |
$27,770 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of farming, fishing, and forestry workers |
100 |
$15.75 |
$32,760 |
| Helpers--production workers |
100 |
$9.80 |
$20,380 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$65,140 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
90 |
$20.67 |
$42,990 |
| Bartenders |
90 |
$10.01 |
$20,820 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
90 |
$10.83 |
$22,520 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
90 |
$31.35 |
$65,210 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
90 |
$19.24 |
$40,020 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
90 |
$21.49 |
$44,710 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
90 |
$16.76 |
$34,870 |
| Mental health counselors |
90 |
$28.25 |
$58,750 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
90 |
$26.90 |
$55,950 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
90 |
$13.80 |
$28,710 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
90 |
$11.86 |
$24,670 |
| Accountants and auditors |
80 |
$30.31 |
$63,050 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Cooks, short order |
80 |
$11.58 |
$24,090 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
80 |
$16.52 |
$34,360 |
| Legal occupations |
80 |
$35.24 |
$73,310 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
80 |
$15.39 |
$32,020 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Procurement clerks |
80 |
$16.51 |
$34,350 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
80 |
Not available |
$67,180 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
80 |
$18.50 |
$38,470 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
80 |
$13.60 |
$28,290 |
| Carpenters |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
70 |
$8.62 |
$17,930 |
| Dishwashers |
70 |
$8.50 |
$17,690 |
| Electricians |
70 |
$22.91 |
$47,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
70 |
$24.41 |
$50,770 |
| Food service managers |
70 |
$21.24 |
$44,180 |
| Insurance sales agents |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Pharmacists |
70 |
$57.75 |
$120,120 |
| Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders |
70 |
$20.53 |
$42,710 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$93,340 |
| Financial managers |
60 |
$44.86 |
$93,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$21.61 |
$44,950 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
60 |
$10.12 |
$21,040 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
60 |
$8.74 |
$18,170 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
60 |
$12.28 |
$25,530 |
| Medical and health services managers |
60 |
$47.25 |
$98,280 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
60 |
$15.53 |
$32,300 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
60 |
$18.46 |
$38,400 |
| Recreation workers |
60 |
$10.42 |
$21,680 |
| Agricultural and food science technicians |
50 |
$19.02 |
$39,550 |
| Bus drivers, school |
50 |
$14.74 |
$30,660 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
50 |
$35.80 |
$74,450 |
| Dental hygienists |
50 |
$34.83 |
$72,450 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
50 |
$14.74 |
$30,660 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
50 |
$16.38 |
$34,070 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
50 |
$11.94 |
$24,840 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
50 |
$33.09 |
$68,830 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
50 |
$26.80 |
$55,750 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
50 |
$25.95 |
$53,980 |
| Sales managers |
50 |
$42.60 |
$88,610 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
40 |
$22.02 |
$45,790 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$23.41 |
$48,680 |
| Computer support specialists |
40 |
$20.78 |
$43,220 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
40 |
$24.78 |
$51,540 |
| File clerks |
40 |
$9.93 |
$20,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
40 |
$18.40 |
$38,280 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
40 |
$9.87 |
$20,530 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
40 |
$13.34 |
$27,750 |
| Managers, all other |
40 |
$38.77 |
$80,650 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
40 |
$29.82 |
$62,030 |
| Parts salespersons |
40 |
$14.26 |
$29,660 |
| Physician assistants |
40 |
$42.62 |
$88,660 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
40 |
$19.09 |
$39,720 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
40 |
$15.52 |
$32,270 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
40 |
$25.85 |
$53,770 |
| Administrative services managers |
30 |
$36.58 |
$76,080 |
| Civil engineers |
30 |
$39.54 |
$82,250 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
30 |
$17.51 |
$36,430 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
30 |
$24.07 |
$50,070 |
| Engineers, all other |
30 |
$36.48 |
$75,880 |
| Industrial production managers |
30 |
$43.11 |
$89,670 |
| Loan officers |
30 |
$27.56 |
$57,320 |
| Lodging managers |
30 |
$14.70 |
$30,570 |
| Management analysts |
30 |
$32.06 |
$66,680 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
30 |
$28.88 |
$60,070 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
30 |
$27.59 |
$57,390 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
30 |
$11.11 |
$23,110 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
Not available |
$27.05 |
$56,260 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
Not available |
$10.00 |
$20,810 |
| Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders |
Not available |
$13.44 |
$27,950 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$9.03 |
$18,780 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$8.62 |
$17,930 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
Not available |
$8.85 |
$18,420 |
| Farmworkers, farm and ranch animals |
Not available |
$11.62 |
$24,170 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
Not available |
$19.22 |
$39,980 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
Not available |
Not available |
$39,430 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
Not available |
Not available |
$45,960 |
| Office clerks, general |
Not available |
$12.78 |
$26,580 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
Not available |
$12.95 |
$26,940 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
Not available |
$13.39 |
$27,860 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
Not available |
Not available |
$49,880 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
Not available |
$43.04 |
$89,530 |
