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 |
50,100 |
$21.13 |
$43,940 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
12,580 |
$27.47 |
$57,140 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
8,400 |
$15.97 |
$33,220 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
3,870 |
$10.87 |
$22,610 |
| Sales and related occupations |
3,530 |
$16.06 |
$33,410 |
| Production occupations |
2,270 |
$14.85 |
$30,890 |
| Management occupations |
1,920 |
$42.05 |
$87,460 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,780 |
$12.92 |
$26,860 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
1,690 |
$28.16 |
$58,580 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
1,510 |
$31.45 |
$65,410 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,470 |
$20.01 |
$41,620 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
1,430 |
$23.13 |
$48,110 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
1,380 |
$13.53 |
$28,150 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,340 |
$18.84 |
$39,180 |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other |
1,340 |
Not available |
$86,160 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,310 |
$17.70 |
$36,820 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,270 |
$11.09 |
$23,080 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,200 |
$19.26 |
$40,060 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,180 |
$12.85 |
$26,720 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,140 |
$11.76 |
$24,450 |
| Cashiers |
990 |
$9.02 |
$18,770 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
980 |
$27.89 |
$58,010 |
| Office clerks, general |
880 |
$13.18 |
$27,410 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
860 |
$30.24 |
$62,900 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
760 |
$10.59 |
$22,020 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
740 |
$16.61 |
$34,550 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
740 |
$12.99 |
$27,020 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
740 |
$9.27 |
$19,280 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
700 |
$22.70 |
$47,210 |
| Registered nurses |
680 |
$26.22 |
$54,540 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
640 |
$20.52 |
$42,680 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
640 |
Not available |
$60,610 |
| Food preparation workers |
640 |
$10.32 |
$21,460 |
| Teacher assistants |
640 |
Not available |
$22,670 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
620 |
$20.64 |
$42,930 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
620 |
$13.68 |
$28,440 |
| Protective service occupations |
580 |
$22.11 |
$45,980 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
550 |
Not available |
$55,220 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
510 |
$11.43 |
$23,770 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
500 |
$10.83 |
$22,530 |
| Home health aides |
500 |
$11.39 |
$23,690 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
470 |
$16.70 |
$34,750 |
| Child care workers |
450 |
$10.13 |
$21,060 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
440 |
$8.79 |
$18,290 |
| Computer programmers |
440 |
$31.08 |
$64,650 |
| General and operations managers |
440 |
$43.82 |
$91,140 |
| Social and human service assistants |
440 |
$15.30 |
$31,820 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
370 |
$12.06 |
$25,080 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
350 |
$14.76 |
$30,700 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
340 |
$35.79 |
$74,430 |
| Carpenters |
320 |
$18.34 |
$38,140 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
320 |
$11.83 |
$24,600 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
310 |
$17.15 |
$35,680 |
| Dishwashers |
300 |
$8.68 |
$18,050 |
| Customer service representatives |
270 |
$15.39 |
$32,000 |
| Tellers |
260 |
$11.79 |
$24,530 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
250 |
$15.31 |
$31,840 |
| Computer support specialists |
250 |
$23.93 |
$49,770 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
250 |
$11.88 |
$24,720 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
230 |
$12.77 |
$26,570 |
| Accountants and auditors |
220 |
$32.06 |
$66,690 |
| Word processors and typists |
220 |
$16.49 |
$34,290 |
| Agricultural and food science technicians |
190 |
$17.36 |
$36,100 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
190 |
$18.06 |
$37,560 |
| Bartenders |
190 |
$9.12 |
$18,960 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
190 |
$26.53 |
$55,180 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
190 |
$15.83 |
$32,920 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
180 |
$17.19 |
$35,760 |
| Education administrators, postsecondary |
180 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
180 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Legal occupations |
180 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
180 |
$29.50 |
$61,350 |
| Electricians |
170 |
$23.82 |
$49,540 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
170 |
$17.27 |
$35,920 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
170 |
$26.72 |
$55,570 |
| Security guards |
170 |
$18.59 |
$38,670 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
170 |
$13.05 |
$27,140 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
160 |
$26.93 |
$56,020 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
160 |
$17.80 |
$37,030 |
| Coaches and scouts |
150 |
Not available |
$50,890 |
| Construction laborers |
150 |
$15.05 |
$31,300 |
| Cooks, fast food |
150 |
$8.31 |
$17,280 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
150 |
$20.71 |
$43,080 |
| Mechanical engineers |
150 |
$34.10 |
$70,940 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
150 |
$23.48 |
$48,840 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
150 |
Not available |
$57,240 |
| Team assemblers |
150 |
$11.70 |
$24,340 |
| Data entry keyers |
140 |
$13.92 |
$28,940 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
140 |
$12.25 |
$25,470 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
140 |
$25.67 |
$53,390 |
| Engineering managers |
130 |
$48.03 |
$99,900 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
130 |
$25.63 |
$53,310 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
130 |
$28.97 |
$60,260 |
| Database administrators |
120 |
$30.05 |
$62,510 |
| Editors |
120 |
$19.11 |
$39,740 |
| Financial managers |
120 |
$38.81 |
$80,720 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
120 |
$18.70 |
$38,900 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Administrative services managers |
110 |
$39.63 |
$82,440 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
110 |
$21.11 |
$43,920 |
| Dental assistants |
110 |
$14.55 |
$30,260 |
| Electrical engineers |
110 |
$36.33 |
$75,570 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
110 |
$28.58 |
$59,440 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
110 |
$13.18 |
$27,410 |
| Managers, all other |
110 |
$26.57 |
$55,260 |
| Chief executives |
100 |
$62.72 |
$130,450 |
| Computer systems analysts |
100 |
$33.12 |
$68,900 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
100 |
$12.96 |
$26,960 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
100 |
$17.60 |
$36,600 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
100 |
$9.86 |
$20,500 |
| Lawyers |
100 |
$50.38 |
$104,780 |
| Legal secretaries |
100 |
$16.41 |
$34,140 |
| Legislators |
100 |
Not available |
$61,250 |
| Librarians |
100 |
$24.68 |
$51,340 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
100 |
$19.46 |
$40,480 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
100 |
$12.22 |
$25,410 |
| Real estate sales agents |
100 |
$30.67 |
$63,800 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
100 |
$38.26 |
$79,590 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
100 |
$24.70 |
$51,370 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
90 |
$19.97 |
$41,530 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
90 |
$14.46 |
$30,070 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
90 |
Not available |
$53,760 |
| Residential advisors |
90 |
$15.06 |
$31,330 |
| Bus drivers, school |
80 |
$19.03 |
$39,570 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
80 |
$51.70 |
$107,540 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
80 |
$31.76 |
$66,060 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
80 |
$9.02 |
$18,750 |
| Medical and health services managers |
80 |
$42.42 |
$88,240 |
| Social and community service managers |
80 |
$31.78 |
$66,110 |
| Social workers, all other |
80 |
$21.32 |
$44,350 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
80 |
Not available |
$61,100 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
80 |
Not available |
$34,370 |
| Bakers |
70 |
$11.70 |
$24,330 |
| Civil engineers |
70 |
$32.69 |
$68,000 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
70 |
$9.53 |
$19,810 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
70 |
$47.78 |
$99,390 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
70 |
$13.57 |
$28,220 |
| File clerks |
70 |
$11.51 |
$23,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
70 |
$16.62 |
$34,570 |
| Food service managers |
70 |
$20.78 |
$43,230 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
70 |
$9.36 |
$19,480 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
70 |
$13.08 |
$27,210 |
| Physical therapists |
70 |
$25.50 |
$53,040 |
| Printing machine operators |
70 |
$16.31 |
$33,920 |
| Architects, except landscape and naval |
60 |
$35.85 |
$74,570 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
60 |
$19.37 |
$40,290 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
60 |
$23.46 |
$48,800 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$86,410 |
| Farmworkers, farm and ranch animals |
60 |
$10.75 |
$22,350 |
| Financial analysts |
60 |
$26.07 |
$54,220 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$10.20 |
$21,220 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
60 |
$13.04 |
$27,120 |
| Market research analysts |
60 |
$24.59 |
$51,150 |
| Massage therapists |
60 |
$23.77 |
$49,440 |
| Materials scientists |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Parts salespersons |
60 |
$16.84 |
$35,030 |
| Pharmacists |
60 |
$52.60 |
$109,400 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
60 |
$24.22 |
$50,370 |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$25.08 |
$52,170 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$55,210 |
| Advertising sales agents |
50 |
$20.84 |
$43,350 |
| Bindery workers |
50 |
$12.52 |
$26,040 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
50 |
$36.72 |
$76,390 |
| Computer operators |
50 |
$14.14 |
$29,420 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
50 |
$15.17 |
$31,540 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
50 |
$19.45 |
$40,450 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
50 |
$33.16 |
$68,970 |
| Floral designers |
50 |
$11.51 |
$23,950 |
| Health educators |
50 |
$19.90 |
$41,390 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
50 |
$17.21 |
$35,800 |
| Industrial engineers |
50 |
$36.34 |
$75,600 |
| Insurance sales agents |
50 |
$38.98 |
$81,080 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
50 |
Not available |
$59,780 |
| Management analysts |
50 |
$35.95 |
$74,780 |
| Medical assistants |
50 |
$13.51 |
$28,110 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
50 |
$18.19 |
$37,830 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$20.91 |
$43,500 |
| Sales engineers |
50 |
$48.97 |
$101,860 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
50 |
$15.88 |
$33,020 |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
40 |
$22.47 |
$46,730 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
40 |
$19.43 |
$40,420 |
| Bicycle repairers |
40 |
$15.17 |
$31,550 |
| Budget analysts |
40 |
$29.30 |
$60,940 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
40 |
$22.27 |
$46,320 |
| Construction managers |
40 |
$36.99 |
$76,940 |
| Cost estimators |
40 |
$24.66 |
$51,280 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
40 |
$18.77 |
$39,050 |
| Dental hygienists |
40 |
$27.55 |
$57,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
40 |
$24.37 |
$50,690 |
| Graphic designers |
40 |
$18.49 |
$38,450 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
40 |
$17.97 |
$37,390 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
40 |
$13.31 |
$27,680 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$24.78 |
$51,540 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
40 |
$13.97 |
$29,050 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
40 |
$13.11 |
$27,260 |
| Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates |
40 |
$53.31 |
$110,880 |
| Loan officers |
40 |
$25.21 |
$52,440 |
| Medical secretaries |
40 |
$11.83 |
$24,610 |
| Mental health counselors |
40 |
$16.39 |
$34,090 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
40 |
$24.95 |
$51,900 |
| New accounts clerks |
40 |
$13.20 |
$27,460 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
40 |
$84.43 |
$175,610 |
| Public relations specialists |
40 |
$22.08 |
$45,930 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
40 |
$11.57 |
$24,070 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
40 |
Not available |
$51,390 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
40 |
$26.84 |
$55,830 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
40 |
$14.01 |
$29,140 |
| Bill and account collectors |
30 |
$14.38 |
$29,910 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
30 |
$34.02 |
$70,760 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
30 |
$25.41 |
$52,860 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
30 |
$24.08 |
$50,090 |
| Cooks, short order |
30 |
$9.22 |
$19,170 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
30 |
$16.81 |
$34,960 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
30 |
$42.52 |
$88,430 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
30 |
$23.39 |
$48,640 |
| Meeting and convention planners |
30 |
$22.09 |
$45,940 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
30 |
$23.46 |
$48,790 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
30 |
$21.18 |
$44,050 |
| Sales managers |
30 |
$55.06 |
$114,520 |
| Urban and regional planners |
30 |
$28.34 |
$58,950 |
| Veterinarians |
30 |
$35.96 |
$74,800 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
30 |
$17.50 |
$36,400 |
| All other information and record clerks |
Not available |
$13.32 |
$27,700 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$9.30 |
$19,340 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
Not available |
$8.78 |
$18,260 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$9.28 |
$19,300 |
| Food batchmakers |
Not available |
$8.74 |
$18,170 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
Not available |
$14.82 |
$30,820 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
Not available |
$16.40 |
$34,110 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
Not available |
$20.05 |
$41,700 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
Not available |
$28.79 |
$59,890 |
| Recreation workers |
Not available |
$11.92 |
$24,800 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
Not available |
$14.44 |
$30,040 |
