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 |
48,160 |
$15.05 |
$31,300 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,360 |
$12.27 |
$25,530 |
| Production occupations |
6,140 |
$12.37 |
$25,740 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,790 |
$12.83 |
$26,690 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,560 |
$8.48 |
$17,630 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,130 |
$12.26 |
$25,510 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,090 |
$26.59 |
$55,310 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,990 |
$19.54 |
$40,640 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,190 |
$15.94 |
$33,160 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,850 |
$10.01 |
$20,830 |
| Management occupations |
1,790 |
$37.76 |
$78,540 |
| Cashiers |
1,510 |
$7.82 |
$16,270 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,490 |
$9.69 |
$20,150 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,460 |
$14.30 |
$29,740 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,450 |
$10.50 |
$21,840 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,320 |
$10.01 |
$20,820 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,180 |
$23.60 |
$49,090 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,120 |
$8.90 |
$18,500 |
| Team assemblers |
1,060 |
$10.65 |
$22,150 |
| Protective service occupations |
930 |
$12.66 |
$26,330 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
900 |
$7.33 |
$15,240 |
| Registered nurses |
890 |
$24.12 |
$50,170 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
870 |
$14.15 |
$29,420 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
840 |
$9.25 |
$19,250 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
840 |
$9.09 |
$18,910 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
800 |
$8.96 |
$18,640 |
| Community and social services occupations |
770 |
$15.98 |
$33,230 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
750 |
$14.00 |
$29,110 |
| Office clerks, general |
720 |
$9.90 |
$20,590 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
710 |
$9.60 |
$19,980 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
660 |
$15.72 |
$32,690 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
650 |
$14.57 |
$30,310 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
640 |
$11.03 |
$22,930 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
620 |
$9.98 |
$20,770 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
610 |
$15.21 |
$31,640 |
| Cooks, fast food |
580 |
$7.27 |
$15,120 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
540 |
$21.54 |
$44,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
530 |
$18.03 |
$37,500 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
520 |
Not available |
$39,630 |
| General and operations managers |
510 |
$43.11 |
$89,680 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
490 |
$25.55 |
$53,150 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
470 |
Not available |
$41,920 |
| Security guards |
430 |
$9.02 |
$18,760 |
| Helpers--production workers |
420 |
$10.46 |
$21,760 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
410 |
$12.34 |
$25,680 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
370 |
$13.21 |
$27,480 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
370 |
$9.60 |
$19,960 |
| Customer service representatives |
360 |
$11.78 |
$24,490 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
350 |
$26.49 |
$55,090 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
340 |
$7.19 |
$14,950 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
340 |
$14.03 |
$29,190 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
320 |
$12.73 |
$26,470 |
| Teacher assistants |
320 |
Not available |
$17,050 |
| Tellers |
320 |
$9.96 |
$20,720 |
| Food preparation workers |
310 |
$8.66 |
$18,010 |
| Child care workers |
290 |
$7.74 |
$16,110 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
290 |
$8.09 |
$16,820 |
| Personal and home care aides |
290 |
$8.10 |
$16,860 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
280 |
$21.49 |
$44,710 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
280 |
$13.44 |
$27,960 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
270 |
$7.85 |
$16,330 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
270 |
$11.10 |
$23,090 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
260 |
$12.63 |
$26,280 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
260 |
$12.20 |
$25,380 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
250 |
$16.43 |
$34,180 |
| Social and human service assistants |
250 |
$10.68 |
$22,200 |
| Telemarketers |
250 |
$7.99 |
$16,630 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
240 |
$18.27 |
$38,010 |
| Construction laborers |
240 |
$9.88 |
$20,560 |
| Accountants and auditors |
230 |
$23.26 |
$48,390 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
220 |
$15.05 |
$31,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
220 |
$21.70 |
$45,130 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
220 |
Not available |
$44,680 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
210 |
$9.13 |
$18,980 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
210 |
$10.69 |
$22,240 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
210 |
$11.13 |
$23,160 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
200 |
$15.28 |
$31,790 |
| Bill and account collectors |
200 |
$10.90 |
$22,670 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
200 |
$7.25 |
$15,090 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
190 |
$11.93 |
$24,810 |
| Bus drivers, school |
190 |
$9.05 |
$18,820 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
190 |
$9.09 |
$18,910 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
190 |
$12.56 |
$26,120 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
180 |
$29.94 |
$62,280 |
| Insurance sales agents |
180 |
$22.41 |
$46,610 |
| Medical secretaries |
180 |
$11.81 |
$24,560 |
| Production workers, all other |
180 |
$13.30 |
$27,660 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
170 |
$12.40 |
$25,790 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
170 |
$15.53 |
$32,300 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
170 |
$37.43 |
$77,860 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
170 |
Not available |
$37,630 |
| Dishwashers |
160 |
$7.76 |
$16,140 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
160 |
$15.84 |
$32,950 |
| Home health aides |
160 |
$8.87 |
$18,450 |
| Chief executives |
150 |
$55.02 |
$114,440 |
| Legal occupations |
150 |
$27.84 |
$57,920 |
| Computer support specialists |
140 |
$15.63 |
$32,520 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
140 |
$19.06 |
$39,640 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
140 |
$14.94 |
$31,080 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
140 |
$13.21 |
$27,480 |
| Parts salespersons |
140 |
$11.87 |
$24,690 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
140 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Electricians |
130 |
$16.63 |
$34,580 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
130 |
$9.42 |
$19,600 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
130 |
$8.80 |
$18,300 |
| Pharmacists |
130 |
$47.43 |
$98,660 |
| Recreation workers |
130 |
$8.77 |
$18,250 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
120 |
$20.44 |
$42,510 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
120 |
$16.76 |
$34,850 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
120 |
$23.29 |
$48,430 |
| Loan officers |
120 |
$29.08 |
$60,490 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
120 |
$10.73 |
$22,310 |
| Cooks, short order |
110 |
$9.20 |
$19,140 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
110 |
$18.86 |
$39,230 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
110 |
$9.45 |
$19,650 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
110 |
$7.65 |
$15,910 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
110 |
$11.46 |
$23,840 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
110 |
Not available |
$38,520 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
110 |
$19.32 |
$40,180 |
| Administrative services managers |
100 |
$29.23 |
$60,790 |
| Carpenters |
100 |
$15.53 |
$32,310 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
100 |
$9.76 |
$20,290 |
| Dental assistants |
100 |
$12.59 |
$26,180 |
| Industrial production managers |
100 |
$30.74 |
$63,950 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
100 |
$16.48 |
$34,280 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
100 |
$17.67 |
$36,760 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
100 |
$15.75 |
$32,750 |
| Sales managers |
100 |
$33.17 |
$69,000 |
| Agricultural equipment operators |
90 |
$10.94 |
$22,750 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
90 |
$15.57 |
$32,380 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
90 |
$11.81 |
$24,570 |
| Data entry keyers |
90 |
$10.79 |
$22,450 |
| Dental hygienists |
90 |
$28.03 |
$58,290 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$67,780 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
90 |
$22.26 |
$46,300 |
| Financial managers |
90 |
$39.62 |
$82,400 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
90 |
$11.72 |
$24,370 |
| Medical and health services managers |
90 |
$29.19 |
$60,720 |
| Medical assistants |
90 |
$10.98 |
$22,830 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
90 |
$20.59 |
$42,830 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
90 |
$9.93 |
$20,660 |
| File clerks |
80 |
$9.07 |
$18,860 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
80 |
$24.62 |
$51,220 |
| Lawyers |
80 |
$41.04 |
$85,360 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
80 |
$13.32 |
$27,710 |
| Machinists |
80 |
$17.40 |
$36,190 |
| Physical therapists |
80 |
$31.61 |
$65,760 |
| Psychiatric aides |
80 |
$11.04 |
$22,970 |
| Sheet metal workers |
80 |
$15.30 |
$31,820 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
80 |
$24.61 |
$51,190 |
| Training and development specialists |
80 |
$18.77 |
$39,050 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
70 |
$10.27 |
$21,360 |
| Computer programmers |
70 |
$29.81 |
$62,010 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
70 |
$24.01 |
$49,930 |
| Demonstrators and product promoters |
70 |
$9.89 |
$20,580 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
70 |
$8.39 |
$17,450 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
70 |
$13.72 |
$28,530 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
70 |
$9.21 |
$19,160 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
70 |
$12.35 |
$25,690 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
70 |
$14.42 |
$29,990 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
70 |
$19.34 |
$40,230 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
70 |
$15.19 |
$31,600 |
| Statisticians |
70 |
$18.22 |
$37,900 |
| Bartenders |
60 |
$9.81 |
$20,410 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
60 |
$27.97 |
$58,180 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$13.76 |
$28,620 |
| Driver/sales workers |
60 |
$11.18 |
$23,250 |
| Food service managers |
60 |
$25.64 |
$53,330 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
60 |
$9.12 |
$18,970 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$7.98 |
$16,600 |
| Librarians |
60 |
$24.17 |
$50,270 |
| Management analysts |
60 |
$22.84 |
$47,510 |
| Managers, all other |
60 |
$23.72 |
$49,340 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
60 |
$13.42 |
$27,910 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
60 |
$14.79 |
$30,770 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
60 |
$23.23 |
$48,320 |
| Order clerks |
60 |
$10.24 |
$21,290 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
60 |
$13.13 |
$27,320 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
60 |
$13.85 |
$28,820 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
60 |
$11.80 |
$24,550 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
60 |
$18.89 |
$39,290 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$43,730 |
| Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents |
60 |
$23.56 |
$49,000 |
| Advertising sales agents |
50 |
$16.18 |
$33,660 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
50 |
$11.80 |
$24,550 |
| Coaches and scouts |
50 |
Not available |
$53,110 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
50 |
$9.93 |
$20,650 |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
50 |
$11.75 |
$24,430 |
| Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
50 |
$14.08 |
$29,290 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
50 |
$15.69 |
$32,630 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
50 |
$12.68 |
$26,370 |
| Job printers |
50 |
$12.45 |
$25,900 |
| Legislators |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Library technicians |
50 |
$10.50 |
$21,840 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
50 |
Not available |
$40,500 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
50 |
$9.19 |
$19,120 |
| Tool and die makers |
50 |
$16.30 |
$33,900 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
50 |
Not available |
$48,710 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
40 |
$18.91 |
$39,340 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
40 |
$12.19 |
$25,350 |
| Computer operators |
40 |
$14.18 |
$29,490 |
| Construction managers |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Couriers and messengers |
40 |
$10.50 |
$21,840 |
| Dentists, general |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
40 |
$20.17 |
$41,940 |
| Family and general practitioners |
40 |
$84.39 |
$175,530 |
| Industrial engineers |
40 |
$28.08 |
$58,410 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
40 |
$14.83 |
$30,840 |
| Mechanical engineers |
40 |
$35.52 |
$73,890 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
40 |
$16.56 |
$34,450 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
40 |
$15.49 |
$32,230 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
40 |
$15.48 |
$32,200 |
| Pest control workers |
40 |
$14.94 |
$31,080 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
40 |
$88.14 |
$183,330 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists |
40 |
$15.05 |
$31,310 |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$15.16 |
$31,520 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
40 |
$15.40 |
$32,040 |
| Respiratory therapists |
40 |
$20.02 |
$41,650 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Social workers, all other |
40 |
$14.84 |
$30,870 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
40 |
$24.90 |
$51,780 |
| Surgical technologists |
40 |
$14.75 |
$30,690 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
40 |
$12.77 |
$26,560 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
30 |
$21.22 |
$44,130 |
| Cost estimators |
30 |
$19.97 |
$41,530 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
30 |
$19.93 |
$41,460 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
30 |
$13.19 |
$27,430 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
30 |
$11.47 |
$23,860 |
| Public relations specialists |
30 |
$18.66 |
$38,810 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
30 |
$25.36 |
$52,750 |
| Social and community service managers |
30 |
$20.17 |
$41,960 |
| Civil engineers |
Not available |
$32.82 |
$68,260 |
| Commercial pilots |
Not available |
Not available |
$48,710 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
Not available |
$12.45 |
$25,890 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$12.85 |
$26,740 |
| Medical appliance technicians |
Not available |
$13.30 |
$27,670 |
| Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic |
Not available |
$10.72 |
$22,290 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$11.80 |
$24,540 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$13.80 |
$28,700 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
Not available |
$14.14 |
$29,420 |
| Printing machine operators |
Not available |
$13.43 |
$27,940 |
| Real estate sales agents |
Not available |
$17.40 |
$36,190 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.53 |
$28,150 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
Not available |
$26.52 |
$55,170 |
| Tax preparers |
Not available |
$13.34 |
$27,740 |
