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 |
36,820 |
$15.39 |
$32,000 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
6,190 |
$12.88 |
$26,780 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,010 |
$11.97 |
$24,910 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,500 |
$8.56 |
$17,810 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,110 |
$31.50 |
$65,530 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,050 |
$10.84 |
$22,550 |
| Production occupations |
1,990 |
$13.18 |
$27,420 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,930 |
$13.76 |
$28,630 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
1,850 |
$11.63 |
$24,190 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
1,820 |
$18.74 |
$38,970 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,660 |
$10.57 |
$21,990 |
| Cashiers |
1,470 |
$8.34 |
$17,350 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,430 |
$14.49 |
$30,130 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,380 |
$9.68 |
$20,130 |
| Management occupations |
1,290 |
$33.81 |
$70,330 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,220 |
$10.04 |
$20,890 |
| Registered nurses |
1,160 |
$25.54 |
$53,110 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,000 |
$7.84 |
$16,300 |
| Office clerks, general |
940 |
$10.43 |
$21,690 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
780 |
$9.64 |
$20,040 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
730 |
$12.12 |
$25,200 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
700 |
$22.60 |
$47,010 |
| Community and social services occupations |
690 |
$16.41 |
$34,140 |
| Protective service occupations |
680 |
$14.87 |
$30,930 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
650 |
$14.53 |
$30,220 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
640 |
$11.39 |
$23,680 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
570 |
$9.86 |
$20,520 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
570 |
$9.93 |
$20,660 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
530 |
$7.13 |
$14,840 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
520 |
$9.62 |
$20,010 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
520 |
$15.84 |
$32,950 |
| Food preparation workers |
460 |
$9.09 |
$18,910 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
450 |
$13.10 |
$27,260 |
| Cooks, fast food |
440 |
$7.40 |
$15,400 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
430 |
$7.99 |
$16,620 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
410 |
$8.89 |
$18,500 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
390 |
$17.10 |
$35,570 |
| General and operations managers |
380 |
$37.26 |
$77,500 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
370 |
$13.61 |
$28,310 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
370 |
$10.00 |
$20,800 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
350 |
$25.42 |
$52,880 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
330 |
Not available |
$46,750 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
300 |
Not available |
$42,040 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
280 |
$9.88 |
$20,560 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
280 |
$26.74 |
$55,620 |
| Construction laborers |
270 |
$11.12 |
$23,120 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
270 |
$8.97 |
$18,660 |
| Dishwashers |
270 |
$7.73 |
$16,070 |
| Electricians |
270 |
$16.57 |
$34,460 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
250 |
$8.16 |
$16,970 |
| Customer service representatives |
250 |
$11.90 |
$24,760 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
240 |
Not available |
$44,730 |
| Security guards |
240 |
$10.20 |
$21,220 |
| Teacher assistants |
240 |
Not available |
$16,860 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
230 |
$17.40 |
$36,190 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
220 |
$12.02 |
$25,000 |
| Medical secretaries |
210 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
200 |
$13.99 |
$29,100 |
| Carpenters |
200 |
$14.29 |
$29,710 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
190 |
$25.32 |
$52,670 |
| Tellers |
190 |
$10.31 |
$21,440 |
| Bus drivers, school |
180 |
$10.33 |
$21,490 |
| Medical assistants |
180 |
$11.76 |
$24,460 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
170 |
$12.32 |
$25,620 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
170 |
$13.42 |
$27,920 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
170 |
$13.23 |
$27,510 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
160 |
$18.49 |
$38,460 |
| Sheet metal workers |
160 |
$13.96 |
$29,050 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
150 |
$16.09 |
$33,470 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
140 |
$8.27 |
$17,200 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
140 |
$14.86 |
$30,910 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
140 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
130 |
$13.97 |
$29,060 |
| Child care workers |
130 |
$7.92 |
$16,480 |
| Dental assistants |
130 |
$12.80 |
$26,630 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
130 |
$8.11 |
$16,870 |
| Driver/sales workers |
130 |
$13.35 |
$27,770 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
130 |
$21.02 |
$43,720 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
130 |
$9.66 |
$20,090 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
120 |
$24.39 |
$50,730 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
120 |
$9.59 |
$19,950 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
120 |
$7.80 |
$16,220 |
| Insurance sales agents |
120 |
$15.45 |
$32,140 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
120 |
$8.57 |
$17,820 |
| Medical and health services managers |
120 |
$37.30 |
$77,580 |
| Team assemblers |
120 |
$10.96 |
$22,790 |
| Computer support specialists |
110 |
$16.04 |
$33,360 |
| Helpers--production workers |
110 |
$10.85 |
$22,570 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
110 |
$12.52 |
$26,040 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
110 |
$15.27 |
$31,760 |
| Pharmacists |
110 |
$41.19 |
$85,680 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
110 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
110 |
$11.95 |
$24,850 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
100 |
$16.82 |
$34,980 |
| Fire fighters |
100 |
$14.38 |
$29,910 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
100 |
$8.05 |
$16,740 |
| Food service managers |
100 |
$19.71 |
$40,990 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
100 |
$13.41 |
$27,900 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
100 |
$9.91 |
$20,610 |
| Social and human service assistants |
100 |
$14.19 |
$29,520 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
100 |
Not available |
$44,890 |
| Accountants and auditors |
90 |
$22.66 |
$47,130 |
| Bartenders |
90 |
$7.97 |
$16,590 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
90 |
$12.88 |
$26,780 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
90 |
$22.09 |
$45,940 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
90 |
$20.34 |
$42,320 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
80 |
$15.17 |
$31,560 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
80 |
$21.41 |
$44,520 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
80 |
$13.46 |
$28,000 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
80 |
$23.62 |
$49,120 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
80 |
$9.79 |
$20,370 |
| Administrative services managers |
70 |
$26.17 |
$54,430 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
70 |
$8.88 |
$18,480 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
70 |
$21.09 |
$43,870 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
70 |
Not available |
$71,060 |
| File clerks |
70 |
$9.83 |
$20,450 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
70 |
$11.99 |
$24,950 |
| Personal care and service workers, all other |
70 |
$11.74 |
$24,410 |
| Physical therapists |
70 |
$31.37 |
$65,250 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
70 |
$14.30 |
$29,750 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
60 |
$12.93 |
$26,900 |
| Bill and account collectors |
60 |
$13.87 |
$28,860 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
60 |
$19.40 |
$40,360 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
60 |
$13.10 |
$27,250 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
60 |
$9.84 |
$20,470 |
| Financial managers |
60 |
$37.36 |
$77,710 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
60 |
$11.94 |
$24,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
60 |
$13.20 |
$27,460 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
60 |
$20.89 |
$43,460 |
| Loan officers |
60 |
$34.34 |
$71,420 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
60 |
$16.62 |
$34,570 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
60 |
$8.11 |
$16,870 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
60 |
$8.25 |
$17,160 |
| Recreation workers |
60 |
$8.96 |
$18,630 |
| Telemarketers |
60 |
$10.15 |
$21,110 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$13.57 |
$28,220 |
| Civil engineers |
50 |
$27.41 |
$57,020 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
50 |
$26.23 |
$54,550 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
50 |
$17.95 |
$37,330 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
50 |
$15.80 |
$32,850 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
50 |
$17.44 |
$36,270 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
50 |
$23.18 |
$48,210 |
| Glaziers |
50 |
$14.48 |
$30,120 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
50 |
$13.85 |
$28,810 |
| Massage therapists |
50 |
$9.84 |
$20,470 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
50 |
$20.39 |
$42,420 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
50 |
$14.54 |
$30,250 |
| Order clerks |
50 |
$11.07 |
$23,020 |
| Parts salespersons |
50 |
$14.09 |
$29,320 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
50 |
$19.87 |
$41,330 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
50 |
$10.39 |
$21,610 |
| Sales managers |
50 |
$42.17 |
$87,720 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
50 |
$17.91 |
$37,250 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
50 |
$15.13 |
$31,480 |
| All other information and record clerks |
40 |
$14.21 |
$29,550 |
| Chief executives |
40 |
$56.71 |
$117,950 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
40 |
$25.62 |
$53,290 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
40 |
$18.38 |
$38,230 |
| Dental hygienists |
40 |
$30.15 |
$62,720 |
| Dietetic technicians |
40 |
$9.27 |
$19,290 |
| Helpers, construction trades, all other |
40 |
$10.07 |
$20,930 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
40 |
$11.25 |
$23,400 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
40 |
Not available |
$42,950 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
40 |
$14.28 |
$29,710 |
| Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants |
40 |
$9.95 |
$20,690 |
| Lodging managers |
40 |
$19.02 |
$39,570 |
| Machinists |
40 |
$15.28 |
$31,790 |
| Managers, all other |
40 |
$39.85 |
$82,880 |
| Meeting and convention planners |
40 |
$17.18 |
$35,730 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
40 |
$22.50 |
$46,800 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
40 |
$13.73 |
$28,550 |
| Painters, transportation equipment |
40 |
$13.31 |
$27,680 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
40 |
$13.44 |
$27,960 |
| Pest control workers |
40 |
$14.35 |
$29,850 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
40 |
$18.21 |
$37,880 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
40 |
$19.26 |
$40,060 |
| Tour guides and escorts |
40 |
$9.59 |
$19,950 |
| Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers |
40 |
$8.60 |
$17,890 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
40 |
$10.71 |
$22,290 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
30 |
$13.77 |
$28,650 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$14.60 |
$30,370 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
30 |
$16.39 |
$34,100 |
| Cooks, short order |
30 |
$9.22 |
$19,180 |
| Data entry keyers |
30 |
$10.98 |
$22,840 |
| Dentists, general |
30 |
$85.99 |
$178,850 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
30 |
$14.31 |
$29,770 |
| Industrial production managers |
30 |
$40.91 |
$85,100 |
| Interior designers |
30 |
$11.31 |
$23,530 |
| Librarians |
30 |
$24.30 |
$50,540 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
30 |
$11.01 |
$22,890 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production workers, all other |
30 |
$14.79 |
$30,760 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
30 |
$12.53 |
$26,050 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
30 |
Not available |
$43,140 |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
Not available |
$19.20 |
$39,940 |
| Construction managers |
Not available |
$29.48 |
$61,310 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
Not available |
$19.70 |
$40,990 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
Not available |
$13.21 |
$27,480 |
| Engineering managers |
Not available |
$48.31 |
$100,480 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
Not available |
$14.43 |
$30,000 |
| Family and general practitioners |
Not available |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Home health aides |
Not available |
$9.24 |
$19,210 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.98 |
$29,080 |
| Motorboat mechanics |
Not available |
$14.28 |
$29,700 |
| Rock splitters, quarry |
Not available |
$10.95 |
$22,780 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
Not available |
$13.22 |
$27,500 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$9.57 |
$19,900 |
