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 | $75.00 | 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 |
