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 |
59,830 |
$16.82 |
$34,980 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
9,340 |
$13.66 |
$28,420 |
| Production occupations |
7,150 |
$13.95 |
$29,020 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,070 |
$13.56 |
$28,210 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
5,370 |
$14.85 |
$30,880 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,820 |
$9.44 |
$19,640 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
4,350 |
$23.52 |
$48,920 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
3,330 |
$17.07 |
$35,500 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
3,030 |
$17.28 |
$35,950 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,700 |
$10.08 |
$20,960 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,480 |
$32.64 |
$67,890 |
| Office clerks, general |
2,340 |
$12.32 |
$25,630 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,340 |
$10.78 |
$22,420 |
| Cashiers |
2,060 |
$8.49 |
$17,660 |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers |
1,700 |
$10.59 |
$22,030 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,640 |
$27.53 |
$57,270 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,570 |
$7.91 |
$16,460 |
| Management occupations |
1,530 |
$42.98 |
$89,400 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,480 |
$11.84 |
$24,620 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,420 |
$9.58 |
$19,930 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,190 |
$11.72 |
$24,380 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,160 |
$18.14 |
$37,740 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,100 |
$16.07 |
$33,430 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,010 |
$11.17 |
$23,230 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
930 |
$11.94 |
$24,830 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
930 |
$10.33 |
$21,480 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
850 |
$14.83 |
$30,840 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
790 |
$28.23 |
$58,720 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
790 |
$11.73 |
$24,390 |
| Registered nurses |
790 |
$27.08 |
$56,320 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
700 |
$19.50 |
$40,570 |
| Carpenters |
690 |
$17.35 |
$36,100 |
| Community and social services occupations |
660 |
$20.54 |
$42,710 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
650 |
$18.08 |
$37,610 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
630 |
$8.80 |
$18,300 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
630 |
$11.71 |
$24,360 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
600 |
$16.58 |
$34,490 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
590 |
$26.30 |
$54,700 |
| Customer service representatives |
540 |
$14.79 |
$30,760 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
530 |
$20.73 |
$43,120 |
| General and operations managers |
510 |
$50.05 |
$104,090 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
510 |
$12.19 |
$25,360 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
490 |
$10.41 |
$21,660 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
470 |
$18.40 |
$38,280 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
460 |
$11.64 |
$24,210 |
| Security guards |
460 |
$13.11 |
$27,270 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
450 |
$26.92 |
$55,990 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
440 |
$10.03 |
$20,860 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
370 |
$13.05 |
$27,130 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
360 |
$20.53 |
$42,700 |
| Production workers, all other |
360 |
$11.63 |
$24,180 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
350 |
$15.22 |
$31,650 |
| Accountants and auditors |
340 |
$25.83 |
$53,720 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
340 |
$14.96 |
$31,120 |
| Dishwashers |
330 |
$7.85 |
$16,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
330 |
$21.29 |
$44,280 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
330 |
$17.79 |
$37,000 |
| Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders |
330 |
$19.10 |
$39,740 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
320 |
$11.68 |
$24,290 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
320 |
$25.71 |
$53,470 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
310 |
$14.90 |
$30,980 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
300 |
$14.17 |
$29,470 |
| Construction laborers |
290 |
$11.96 |
$24,870 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
280 |
$15.13 |
$31,470 |
| Tellers |
280 |
$10.83 |
$22,530 |
| Home health aides |
270 |
$10.16 |
$21,130 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
270 |
$15.50 |
$32,250 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
260 |
$24.74 |
$51,460 |
| Food preparation workers |
260 |
$9.87 |
$20,530 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
260 |
$8.05 |
$16,750 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
250 |
$18.32 |
$38,110 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
250 |
$19.11 |
$39,740 |
| Electricians |
240 |
$19.34 |
$40,220 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
240 |
$16.75 |
$34,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
220 |
$25.09 |
$52,180 |
| Legal occupations |
210 |
$29.15 |
$60,640 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
200 |
$14.12 |
$29,370 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
190 |
$10.09 |
$20,980 |
| Cost estimators |
190 |
$37.76 |
$78,530 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
190 |
$20.68 |
$43,020 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
190 |
$9.37 |
$19,480 |
| Farmworkers, farm and ranch animals |
180 |
$10.22 |
$21,260 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
170 |
$12.10 |
$25,170 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
170 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Pharmacy technicians |
170 |
$12.46 |
$25,910 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
170 |
Not available |
$25,760 |
| Bill and account collectors |
160 |
$15.09 |
$31,380 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
160 |
$27.73 |
$57,670 |
| Helpers--production workers |
160 |
$11.43 |
$23,770 |
| Parts salespersons |
160 |
$13.44 |
$27,960 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
150 |
$9.11 |
$18,950 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
150 |
$18.26 |
$37,980 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
150 |
$7.95 |
$16,540 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
150 |
$13.98 |
$29,070 |
| Insurance sales agents |
140 |
$20.97 |
$43,620 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
140 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
130 |
$18.74 |
$38,980 |
| Computer programmers |
130 |
$23.38 |
$48,630 |
| Computer support specialists |
130 |
$16.53 |
$34,370 |
| Dental assistants |
130 |
$12.58 |
$26,160 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
130 |
$8.78 |
$18,260 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
130 |
$15.45 |
$32,130 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
130 |
$17.78 |
$36,980 |
| Training and development specialists |
130 |
$27.97 |
$58,180 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
120 |
$14.99 |
$31,180 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
120 |
$22.88 |
$47,590 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
120 |
$10.82 |
$22,510 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
120 |
$12.28 |
$25,550 |
| Pharmacists |
120 |
$51.46 |
$107,040 |
| Sheet metal workers |
120 |
$16.59 |
$34,510 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
110 |
$14.62 |
$30,410 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
110 |
$41.47 |
$86,260 |
| Family and general practitioners |
110 |
$95.38 |
$198,400 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
110 |
$31.53 |
$65,580 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
110 |
$28.00 |
$58,240 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
110 |
$18.83 |
$39,170 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
110 |
$23.69 |
$49,270 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
110 |
$20.33 |
$42,290 |
| Real estate sales agents |
110 |
$15.16 |
$31,530 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
110 |
$28.39 |
$59,050 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
100 |
$23.89 |
$49,700 |
| Child care workers |
100 |
$8.28 |
$17,220 |
| Computer systems analysts |
100 |
$37.35 |
$77,700 |
| Construction managers |
100 |
$28.31 |
$58,870 |
| Management analysts |
100 |
$39.32 |
$81,780 |
| Market research analysts |
100 |
$19.48 |
$40,510 |
| Medical assistants |
100 |
$11.79 |
$24,530 |
| Roofers |
100 |
$15.33 |
$31,900 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
100 |
$13.06 |
$27,160 |
| Bartenders |
90 |
$11.68 |
$24,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
90 |
$18.20 |
$37,860 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
90 |
$8.06 |
$16,760 |
| Loan officers |
90 |
$30.75 |
$63,970 |
| Medical secretaries |
90 |
$12.59 |
$26,190 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
90 |
$19.37 |
$40,290 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
90 |
$12.31 |
$25,600 |
| Financial managers |
80 |
$39.58 |
$82,330 |
| Food service managers |
80 |
$24.13 |
$50,180 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
80 |
$11.81 |
$24,560 |
| Librarians |
80 |
$28.40 |
$59,070 |
| Managers, all other |
80 |
$34.32 |
$71,390 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
80 |
$13.23 |
$27,520 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
80 |
$14.98 |
$31,150 |
| Public relations specialists |
80 |
$23.14 |
$48,130 |
| Recreation workers |
80 |
$14.14 |
$29,400 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
80 |
$18.86 |
$39,230 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
70 |
$10.28 |
$21,390 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
70 |
$29.46 |
$61,280 |
| Dental hygienists |
70 |
$31.78 |
$66,100 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
70 |
$14.11 |
$29,340 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
70 |
$24.12 |
$50,170 |
| Industrial production managers |
70 |
$39.65 |
$82,470 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
70 |
$8.57 |
$17,830 |
| Lawyers |
70 |
$53.33 |
$110,920 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
70 |
$10.95 |
$22,780 |
| Mechanical engineers |
70 |
$33.12 |
$68,900 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
70 |
$26.05 |
$54,180 |
| Medical and health services managers |
70 |
$47.58 |
$98,970 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
70 |
$26.52 |
$55,160 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
70 |
$14.81 |
$30,800 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
70 |
$21.12 |
$43,930 |
| Sales managers |
70 |
$46.35 |
$96,400 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
60 |
$16.54 |
$34,410 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
60 |
$18.93 |
$39,370 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
60 |
$14.65 |
$30,480 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$14.55 |
$30,270 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
60 |
$17.09 |
$35,550 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
60 |
$8.69 |
$18,080 |
| Social and human service assistants |
60 |
$13.85 |
$28,800 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
60 |
$9.47 |
$19,700 |
| Agricultural inspectors |
50 |
$20.88 |
$43,420 |
| All other information and record clerks |
50 |
$15.29 |
$31,800 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
50 |
$16.15 |
$33,590 |
| Chief executives |
50 |
$72.83 |
$151,480 |
| Civil engineers |
50 |
$28.51 |
$59,310 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
50 |
$59.68 |
$124,120 |
| Cooks, short order |
50 |
$9.40 |
$19,560 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
50 |
$16.20 |
$33,690 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$18.29 |
$38,050 |
| Library technicians |
50 |
$13.47 |
$28,010 |
| Machinists |
50 |
$17.38 |
$36,140 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
50 |
$19.47 |
$40,500 |
| Order clerks |
50 |
$11.19 |
$23,280 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
50 |
$14.73 |
$30,630 |
| Producers and directors |
50 |
$35.03 |
$72,850 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
50 |
$15.64 |
$32,540 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
50 |
$10.62 |
$22,100 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
50 |
$20.64 |
$42,930 |
| Administrative services managers |
40 |
$36.74 |
$76,410 |
| Advertising sales agents |
40 |
$19.82 |
$41,230 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
40 |
$18.15 |
$37,750 |
| Broadcast technicians |
40 |
$14.55 |
$30,270 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
40 |
$35.72 |
$74,290 |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
40 |
$11.07 |
$23,030 |
| Earth drillers, except oil and gas |
40 |
$17.52 |
$36,430 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
40 |
$9.99 |
$20,790 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
40 |
$25.87 |
$53,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
40 |
$22.40 |
$46,590 |
| Industrial engineers |
40 |
$28.48 |
$59,230 |
| Meeting and convention planners |
40 |
$22.49 |
$46,780 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
40 |
$16.35 |
$34,000 |
| Photographic processing machine operators |
40 |
$11.67 |
$24,270 |
| Radio and television announcers |
40 |
$13.35 |
$27,770 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
40 |
$26.04 |
$54,160 |
| Technical writers |
40 |
$21.68 |
$45,080 |
| Veterinarians |
40 |
$56.49 |
$117,490 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
40 |
$25.01 |
$52,020 |
| Dentists, general |
30 |
$88.75 |
$184,590 |
| Floral designers |
30 |
$10.88 |
$22,630 |
| Home appliance repairers |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
30 |
$15.00 |
$31,200 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
30 |
$24.77 |
$51,530 |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists |
30 |
$21.93 |
$45,600 |
| Procurement clerks |
30 |
$13.41 |
$27,890 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
30 |
$43.95 |
$91,420 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
30 |
$38.91 |
$80,940 |
| Bus drivers, school |
Not available |
$11.80 |
$24,540 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
Not available |
$14.48 |
$30,120 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
Not available |
$13.97 |
$29,060 |
| Coaches and scouts |
Not available |
Not available |
$27,220 |
| Computer operators |
Not available |
$16.65 |
$34,630 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
Not available |
$19.67 |
$40,910 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$7.35 |
$15,290 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$10.54 |
$21,920 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
Not available |
$16.77 |
$34,880 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
Not available |
$20.29 |
$42,190 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
Not available |
Not available |
$47,240 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
Not available |
$21.27 |
$44,240 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
Not available |
$11.78 |
$24,510 |
| File clerks |
Not available |
$10.73 |
$22,320 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$11.54 |
$24,010 |
| Helpers--electricians |
Not available |
$13.84 |
$28,800 |
| Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall |
Not available |
$18.99 |
$39,500 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$14.72 |
$30,620 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
Not available |
$18.01 |
$37,460 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$17.33 |
$36,040 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
Not available |
$11.04 |
$22,960 |
| Physical therapists |
Not available |
$32.75 |
$68,120 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
$97.07 |
$201,910 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
Not available |
$17.20 |
$35,780 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
Not available |
$20.04 |
$41,680 |
| Teacher assistants |
Not available |
Not available |
$21,190 |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers |
Not available |
$15.70 |
$32,650 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
Not available |
$8.54 |
$17,770 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
Not available |
$10.60 |
$22,050 |
