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 |
15,550 |
$16.33 |
$33,970 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
2,930 |
$13.43 |
$27,940 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
1,940 |
$17.45 |
$36,290 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
1,740 |
$8.72 |
$18,130 |
| Sales and related occupations |
1,430 |
$10.66 |
$22,170 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
950 |
$14.98 |
$31,150 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
830 |
$7.55 |
$15,710 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
750 |
$9.40 |
$19,540 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
700 |
$27.00 |
$56,160 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
640 |
$29.58 |
$61,530 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
630 |
Not available |
$46,740 |
| Retail salespersons |
600 |
$9.88 |
$20,550 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
550 |
$9.40 |
$19,550 |
| Management occupations |
550 |
$37.11 |
$77,190 |
| Teacher assistants |
500 |
Not available |
$17,740 |
| Protective service occupations |
480 |
$17.25 |
$35,880 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
470 |
$15.83 |
$32,920 |
| Production occupations |
470 |
$13.56 |
$28,210 |
| Cashiers |
430 |
$7.70 |
$16,010 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
320 |
$13.59 |
$28,270 |
| Office clerks, general |
310 |
$12.11 |
$25,180 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
250 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
250 |
$17.82 |
$37,070 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
250 |
$9.01 |
$18,750 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
250 |
$11.15 |
$23,200 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
240 |
$27.98 |
$58,190 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
230 |
$12.04 |
$25,050 |
| Community and social services occupations |
210 |
$19.25 |
$40,030 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
210 |
Not available |
$29,600 |
| Registered nurses |
190 |
Not available |
Not available |
| General and operations managers |
180 |
$34.67 |
$72,120 |
| Tellers |
180 |
$11.64 |
$24,220 |
| Cooks, fast food |
170 |
$9.74 |
$20,260 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
170 |
$15.14 |
$31,490 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
170 |
$14.58 |
$30,330 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
170 |
$16.79 |
$34,920 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
150 |
$17.12 |
$35,610 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
150 |
Not available |
$47,400 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
150 |
$24.10 |
$50,130 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
150 |
$13.54 |
$28,160 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
140 |
$14.38 |
$29,900 |
| Child care workers |
140 |
$6.83 |
$14,200 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
140 |
$14.46 |
$30,080 |
| Customer service representatives |
130 |
$13.03 |
$27,090 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
130 |
$6.68 |
$13,880 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
120 |
$16.62 |
$34,560 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
110 |
$6.93 |
$14,410 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
110 |
$13.39 |
$27,850 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
110 |
$15.78 |
$32,830 |
| Dishwashers |
100 |
$6.96 |
$14,470 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
100 |
$13.96 |
$29,030 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
100 |
$9.69 |
$20,160 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
90 |
$8.06 |
$16,770 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
90 |
$6.75 |
$14,030 |
| Management analysts |
90 |
$35.60 |
$74,040 |
| Computer support specialists |
80 |
$17.47 |
$36,340 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
80 |
Not available |
$51,800 |
| Construction laborers |
70 |
$12.79 |
$26,600 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
70 |
$9.47 |
$19,700 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
70 |
$15.73 |
$32,720 |
| Dental assistants |
60 |
$13.82 |
$28,740 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
60 |
$21.58 |
$44,890 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
60 |
$22.75 |
$47,320 |
| Legal occupations |
60 |
$30.65 |
$63,750 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
60 |
$16.96 |
$35,280 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
60 |
$13.40 |
$27,880 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
50 |
$20.47 |
$42,580 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
50 |
$16.18 |
$33,640 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
50 |
$8.80 |
$18,300 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
50 |
$20.37 |
$42,370 |
| Social and human service assistants |
50 |
$13.60 |
$28,280 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
40 |
$14.53 |
$30,230 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
40 |
$16.67 |
$34,670 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
40 |
$10.60 |
$22,050 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
40 |
$13.70 |
$28,500 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
40 |
$12.95 |
$26,940 |
| Real estate sales agents |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
40 |
$26.24 |
$54,580 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
30 |
$18.46 |
$38,400 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
30 |
$30.43 |
$63,290 |
| Food preparation workers |
30 |
$9.06 |
$18,830 |
| Legal secretaries |
30 |
$14.52 |
$30,190 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
30 |
$13.80 |
$28,710 |
| Data entry keyers |
Not available |
$12.06 |
$25,080 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
Not available |
$19.13 |
$39,790 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
Not available |
$29.84 |
$62,080 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
Not available |
$13.57 |
$28,230 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
Not available |
$17.72 |
$36,860 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
Not available |
$10.57 |
$21,980 |
