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 |
57,660 |
$15.50 |
$32,230 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
10,170 |
$12.65 |
$26,310 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,280 |
$12.11 |
$25,190 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
6,720 |
$8.29 |
$17,240 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
5,150 |
$27.98 |
$58,210 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,870 |
$20.19 |
$42,000 |
| Production occupations |
3,320 |
$15.49 |
$32,210 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,280 |
$12.98 |
$27,000 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,980 |
$14.04 |
$29,200 |
| Cashiers |
2,660 |
$8.12 |
$16,890 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,650 |
$16.82 |
$34,990 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,530 |
$12.07 |
$25,100 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,120 |
$10.19 |
$21,190 |
| Registered nurses |
2,030 |
$25.81 |
$53,680 |
| Management occupations |
1,940 |
$34.01 |
$70,740 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,690 |
$9.40 |
$19,560 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,570 |
$11.77 |
$24,470 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,430 |
$7.42 |
$15,430 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,260 |
$21.82 |
$45,390 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,210 |
$13.09 |
$27,220 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
1,180 |
$9.11 |
$18,940 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,020 |
$8.84 |
$18,380 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,020 |
$9.28 |
$19,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
990 |
$17.07 |
$35,510 |
| Cooks, fast food |
940 |
$8.05 |
$16,750 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
900 |
$7.43 |
$15,460 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
840 |
$14.79 |
$30,770 |
| Food preparation workers |
800 |
$7.94 |
$16,520 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
800 |
$8.82 |
$18,340 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
790 |
Not available |
$40,120 |
| Office clerks, general |
740 |
$9.05 |
$18,820 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
730 |
$14.21 |
$29,550 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
720 |
$16.16 |
$33,620 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
710 |
$19.24 |
$40,020 |
| Community and social services occupations |
660 |
$16.07 |
$33,430 |
| General and operations managers |
640 |
$40.28 |
$83,780 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
630 |
$9.79 |
$20,360 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
630 |
$9.78 |
$20,350 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
610 |
$15.41 |
$32,060 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
580 |
$13.53 |
$28,140 |
| Customer service representatives |
540 |
$12.65 |
$26,300 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
540 |
Not available |
$44,020 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
520 |
$27.16 |
$56,500 |
| Teacher assistants |
520 |
Not available |
$16,070 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
510 |
$20.70 |
$43,050 |
| Construction laborers |
500 |
$11.09 |
$23,060 |
| Team assemblers |
480 |
$10.66 |
$22,180 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
450 |
$21.58 |
$44,900 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
450 |
$13.46 |
$27,990 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
420 |
$8.36 |
$17,400 |
| Tellers |
420 |
$10.68 |
$22,220 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
410 |
$13.12 |
$27,280 |
| Carpenters |
400 |
$13.62 |
$28,340 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
380 |
$7.49 |
$15,570 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
370 |
$18.14 |
$37,740 |
| Child care workers |
370 |
$7.29 |
$15,160 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
350 |
$17.39 |
$36,170 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
340 |
$9.12 |
$18,970 |
| Security guards |
340 |
$9.53 |
$19,820 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
330 |
$7.89 |
$16,410 |
| Legal occupations |
330 |
$26.26 |
$54,620 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
320 |
$11.53 |
$23,980 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
310 |
$12.57 |
$26,140 |
| Electricians |
310 |
$17.62 |
$36,650 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
300 |
$14.83 |
$30,850 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
300 |
$14.31 |
$29,770 |
| Computer support specialists |
290 |
$14.60 |
$30,370 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
290 |
$9.13 |
$19,000 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
280 |
$21.12 |
$43,930 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
280 |
$20.69 |
$43,040 |
| Social and human service assistants |
270 |
$13.50 |
$28,090 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
260 |
$10.11 |
$21,030 |
| Driver/sales workers |
250 |
$13.43 |
$27,920 |
| Medical assistants |
250 |
$11.31 |
$23,530 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
250 |
$11.23 |
$23,360 |
| Bus drivers, school |
240 |
$8.05 |
$16,740 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
240 |
$7.07 |
$14,700 |
| Dishwashers |
230 |
$7.43 |
$15,460 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
230 |
$25.97 |
$54,010 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
210 |
$23.08 |
$48,000 |
| Bill and account collectors |
200 |
$12.06 |
$25,080 |
| Dental assistants |
200 |
$12.61 |
$26,220 |
| Lawyers |
200 |
$28.47 |
$59,230 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
200 |
Not available |
$40,600 |
| Accountants and auditors |
190 |
$23.70 |
$49,300 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
190 |
$19.18 |
$39,900 |
| Helpers--production workers |
180 |
$10.70 |
$22,250 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
180 |
$14.62 |
$30,400 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
170 |
$20.25 |
$42,110 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
170 |
$15.37 |
$31,960 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Psychiatric technicians |
160 |
$8.80 |
$18,300 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
150 |
$9.03 |
$18,780 |
| Pharmacists |
150 |
$51.29 |
$106,680 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
140 |
$23.23 |
$48,310 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
140 |
$13.86 |
$28,830 |
| File clerks |
140 |
$10.05 |
$20,900 |
| Home health aides |
140 |
$10.18 |
$21,170 |
| Insurance sales agents |
140 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Loan officers |
140 |
$24.01 |
$49,950 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
130 |
$10.48 |
$21,800 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
130 |
$17.19 |
$35,750 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
130 |
$13.90 |
$28,920 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
130 |
$11.09 |
$23,060 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
130 |
$9.98 |
$20,760 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
130 |
Not available |
$45,390 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
120 |
Not available |
$71,550 |
| Family and general practitioners |
120 |
$90.77 |
$188,800 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
120 |
$7.98 |
$16,590 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
120 |
$12.86 |
$26,750 |
| Medical and health services managers |
120 |
$37.01 |
$76,990 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
120 |
$11.16 |
$23,220 |
| Recreation workers |
120 |
$8.47 |
$17,610 |
| Surgical technologists |
120 |
$14.74 |
$30,650 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
120 |
$15.01 |
$31,230 |
| Chief executives |
110 |
$62.01 |
$128,980 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
110 |
$10.19 |
$21,190 |
| Coaches and scouts |
110 |
Not available |
$52,720 |
| Dental hygienists |
110 |
$24.92 |
$51,830 |
| Financial managers |
110 |
$33.74 |
$70,180 |
| Helpers--electricians |
110 |
$11.44 |
$23,800 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
110 |
Not available |
$38,900 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
100 |
$15.45 |
$32,130 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
100 |
$18.87 |
$39,260 |
| Couriers and messengers |
100 |
$10.01 |
$20,830 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
100 |
$17.74 |
$36,890 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
100 |
$10.11 |
$21,030 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
90 |
$13.75 |
$28,600 |
| Construction managers |
90 |
$25.33 |
$52,690 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
90 |
$21.56 |
$44,840 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
90 |
$11.71 |
$24,360 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
90 |
$9.14 |
$19,020 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
90 |
$8.65 |
$17,990 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
90 |
$14.75 |
$30,670 |
| Respiratory therapists |
90 |
$20.79 |
$43,240 |
| All other information and record clerks |
80 |
$14.74 |
$30,670 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
80 |
$11.55 |
$24,010 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
80 |
$18.85 |
$39,210 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
80 |
$24.32 |
$50,580 |
| Librarians |
80 |
$22.33 |
$46,450 |
| Logging equipment operators |
80 |
$13.73 |
$28,560 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
80 |
$21.09 |
$43,870 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$14.63 |
$30,430 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
80 |
$12.82 |
$26,670 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
80 |
$8.46 |
$17,590 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
80 |
$12.18 |
$25,340 |
| Parts salespersons |
80 |
$15.04 |
$31,290 |
| Physical therapists |
80 |
$33.86 |
$70,440 |
| Printing machine operators |
80 |
$12.48 |
$25,950 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
80 |
$18.90 |
$39,310 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
80 |
$12.21 |
$25,390 |
| Training and development specialists |
80 |
$19.38 |
$40,310 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
70 |
$16.81 |
$34,970 |
| Food service managers |
70 |
$19.30 |
$40,140 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
70 |
$10.00 |
$20,790 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
70 |
$14.94 |
$31,070 |
| Legislators |
70 |
Not available |
$21,970 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
70 |
$12.14 |
$25,240 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
70 |
$8.25 |
$17,150 |
| Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
70 |
$12.87 |
$26,760 |
| Physician assistants |
70 |
$28.88 |
$60,070 |
| Real estate sales agents |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
60 |
$25.59 |
$53,220 |
| Computer programmers |
60 |
$26.84 |
$55,840 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
60 |
$14.35 |
$29,850 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
60 |
$21.97 |
$45,690 |
| First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers, all other |
60 |
$17.35 |
$36,100 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
60 |
$7.72 |
$16,060 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
60 |
$11.06 |
$23,000 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
60 |
$18.52 |
$38,520 |
| Medical secretaries |
60 |
$11.17 |
$23,240 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
60 |
$17.83 |
$37,090 |
| New accounts clerks |
60 |
$14.17 |
$29,470 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
60 |
$21.07 |
$43,830 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
60 |
$11.09 |
$23,060 |
| Postal service clerks |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
60 |
$16.93 |
$35,200 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
60 |
$11.64 |
$24,220 |
| Administrative services managers |
50 |
$20.95 |
$43,580 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
50 |
$18.58 |
$38,640 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$15.98 |
$33,230 |
| Automotive glass installers and repairers |
50 |
$17.84 |
$37,110 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
50 |
$12.20 |
$25,380 |
| Computer operators |
50 |
$11.06 |
$23,000 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
50 |
$34.40 |
$71,550 |
| Cost estimators |
50 |
$23.56 |
$49,010 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
50 |
$15.01 |
$31,220 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
50 |
$20.15 |
$41,900 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
50 |
$17.14 |
$35,660 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
50 |
$23.56 |
$49,000 |
| Occupational therapists |
50 |
$27.93 |
$58,080 |
| Order clerks |
50 |
$10.91 |
$22,690 |
| Pest control workers |
50 |
$14.37 |
$29,900 |
| Public relations specialists |
50 |
$16.08 |
$33,440 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
50 |
Not available |
$42,020 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
50 |
$25.03 |
$52,070 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
50 |
$30.41 |
$63,260 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
50 |
$10.82 |
$22,500 |
| Advertising sales agents |
40 |
$14.78 |
$30,740 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
40 |
$8.40 |
$17,480 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
40 |
$26.20 |
$54,500 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
40 |
$28.58 |
$59,450 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
40 |
$17.39 |
$36,170 |
| Graphic designers |
40 |
$15.42 |
$32,070 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
40 |
$10.64 |
$22,130 |
| Industrial production managers |
40 |
$44.15 |
$91,820 |
| Machinists |
40 |
$14.73 |
$30,630 |
| Management analysts |
40 |
$22.93 |
$47,700 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
40 |
$12.69 |
$26,400 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
40 |
$18.92 |
$39,360 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
40 |
$10.81 |
$22,490 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales managers |
40 |
$38.58 |
$80,240 |
| Social and community service managers |
40 |
$20.03 |
$41,670 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
40 |
Not available |
$38,480 |
| Surgeons |
40 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Veterinarians |
40 |
$31.93 |
$66,420 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$45,000 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
30 |
$8.97 |
$18,660 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
30 |
$18.91 |
$39,330 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
30 |
$12.40 |
$25,780 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
30 |
$15.80 |
$32,850 |
| Meter readers, utilities |
30 |
$12.46 |
$25,920 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials |
30 |
$9.47 |
$19,700 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
30 |
Not available |
$39,640 |
| Animal control workers |
Not available |
$9.01 |
$18,750 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
Not available |
$11.70 |
$24,330 |
| Bartenders |
Not available |
$7.97 |
$16,580 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
Not available |
$9.51 |
$19,790 |
| Chemical technicians |
Not available |
$14.40 |
$29,960 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
Not available |
$20.68 |
$43,010 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$7.71 |
$16,040 |
| Data entry keyers |
Not available |
$11.19 |
$23,280 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
Not available |
$7.21 |
$14,990 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
Not available |
$18.61 |
$38,700 |
| Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles |
Not available |
$8.54 |
$17,770 |
| Electronic home entertainment equipment installers and repairers |
Not available |
$16.80 |
$34,940 |
| Environmental engineers |
Not available |
$50.81 |
$105,690 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$14.17 |
$29,480 |
| Manufactured building and mobile home installers |
Not available |
$13.45 |
$27,970 |
| Office machine operators, except computer |
Not available |
$10.59 |
$22,020 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$20.28 |
$42,170 |
| Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers |
Not available |
$27.60 |
$57,420 |
| Physical therapist aides |
Not available |
$9.48 |
$19,720 |
| Real estate brokers |
Not available |
$13.95 |
$29,010 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
Not available |
$16.85 |
$35,050 |
| Tax preparers |
Not available |
$8.94 |
$18,590 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
Not available |
$9.16 |
$19,050 |
