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 |
61,070 |
$18.88 |
$39,280 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
10,550 |
$14.80 |
$30,790 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,510 |
$15.19 |
$31,600 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
5,920 |
$25.16 |
$52,320 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,650 |
$10.66 |
$22,180 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,200 |
$32.71 |
$68,040 |
| Production occupations |
3,200 |
$14.80 |
$30,790 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,110 |
$14.09 |
$29,300 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,900 |
$21.64 |
$45,010 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
2,500 |
$11.32 |
$23,550 |
| Management occupations |
2,420 |
$39.90 |
$82,990 |
| Cashiers |
2,370 |
$9.40 |
$19,550 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,330 |
$19.30 |
$40,150 |
| Protective service occupations |
2,320 |
$22.45 |
$46,700 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,270 |
$12.48 |
$25,950 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,050 |
$13.45 |
$27,980 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,570 |
$28.95 |
$60,210 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,560 |
$14.08 |
$29,290 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,520 |
$21.24 |
$44,170 |
| Teacher assistants |
1,220 |
Not available |
$23,080 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
1,200 |
$15.02 |
$31,250 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,160 |
$11.22 |
$23,330 |
| Registered nurses |
1,090 |
$28.60 |
$59,480 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,030 |
$11.02 |
$22,920 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
970 |
$13.04 |
$27,120 |
| Office clerks, general |
970 |
$11.95 |
$24,860 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
940 |
Not available |
$69,870 |
| Food preparation workers |
860 |
$9.69 |
$20,150 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
830 |
$22.28 |
$46,340 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
770 |
$8.74 |
$18,180 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
740 |
$19.47 |
$40,500 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
720 |
$21.39 |
$44,480 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
720 |
$15.81 |
$32,880 |
| Bus drivers, school |
690 |
$14.10 |
$29,330 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
680 |
$28.35 |
$58,970 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
650 |
$8.53 |
$17,740 |
| Personal and home care aides |
620 |
$10.50 |
$21,830 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
620 |
$11.59 |
$24,100 |
| Customer service representatives |
590 |
$13.40 |
$27,880 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
580 |
$12.19 |
$25,340 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
580 |
Not available |
$69,260 |
| General and operations managers |
560 |
$43.75 |
$91,000 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
530 |
Not available |
$34,430 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
520 |
$11.16 |
$23,210 |
| Child care workers |
510 |
$10.56 |
$21,970 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
510 |
$18.86 |
$39,230 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
510 |
Not available |
$68,040 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
500 |
$18.29 |
$38,040 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
490 |
$17.84 |
$37,110 |
| Carpenters |
480 |
$20.19 |
$41,990 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
480 |
$33.51 |
$69,700 |
| Accountants and auditors |
470 |
$30.99 |
$64,470 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
470 |
$19.70 |
$40,970 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
460 |
$12.97 |
$26,970 |
| Recreation workers |
450 |
$10.99 |
$22,860 |
| Construction laborers |
440 |
$18.89 |
$39,280 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
430 |
$11.29 |
$23,480 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
420 |
$15.29 |
$31,810 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
390 |
$26.31 |
$54,720 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
380 |
$28.46 |
$59,200 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
340 |
$18.16 |
$37,760 |
| Legal occupations |
340 |
$37.95 |
$78,930 |
| Team assemblers |
340 |
$14.06 |
$29,240 |
| Dishwashers |
330 |
$8.66 |
$18,010 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
330 |
$14.26 |
$29,660 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
320 |
$13.45 |
$27,980 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
310 |
$21.31 |
$44,320 |
| Security guards |
310 |
$13.02 |
$27,080 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
280 |
$21.90 |
$45,550 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
280 |
$13.36 |
$27,800 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
270 |
$9.35 |
$19,460 |
| Bartenders |
250 |
$10.69 |
$22,230 |
| Social and human service assistants |
250 |
$18.69 |
$38,870 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
240 |
$32.97 |
$68,570 |
| Tellers |
240 |
$11.04 |
$22,970 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
220 |
$23.75 |
$49,400 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
220 |
$18.15 |
$37,750 |
| Helpers--production workers |
220 |
$11.56 |
$24,050 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
220 |
$23.97 |
$49,850 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
220 |
$12.87 |
$26,760 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
210 |
$11.81 |
$24,560 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
210 |
Not available |
$62,460 |
| Electricians |
200 |
$27.06 |
$56,290 |
| Bakers |
190 |
$11.72 |
$24,370 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
190 |
$13.24 |
$27,540 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
190 |
$14.05 |
$29,230 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
190 |
$10.08 |
$20,960 |
| Lawyers |
190 |
$40.25 |
$83,730 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
190 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Word processors and typists |
190 |
$15.48 |
$32,210 |
| Cooks, fast food |
180 |
$8.82 |
$18,350 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
180 |
$30.61 |
$63,680 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
180 |
$14.01 |
$29,140 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
180 |
$93.02 |
$193,480 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
170 |
$14.94 |
$31,080 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
170 |
$23.74 |
$49,380 |
| Computer support specialists |
170 |
$20.78 |
$43,220 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
170 |
$13.68 |
$28,450 |
| Driver/sales workers |
160 |
$11.76 |
$24,470 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
160 |
$29.81 |
$62,010 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
160 |
$17.67 |
$36,760 |
| Managers, all other |
160 |
$28.97 |
$60,250 |
| Data entry keyers |
150 |
$12.10 |
$25,160 |
| Medical and health services managers |
150 |
$42.26 |
$87,910 |
| Social workers, all other |
150 |
$22.42 |
$46,630 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
150 |
Not available |
$68,810 |
| Dental assistants |
140 |
$16.01 |
$33,290 |
| Legal secretaries |
140 |
$15.21 |
$31,640 |
| Legislators |
140 |
Not available |
$74,160 |
| Administrative services managers |
130 |
$41.53 |
$86,390 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
130 |
$10.77 |
$22,410 |
| Computer programmers |
130 |
$24.69 |
$51,350 |
| Chief executives |
120 |
$59.00 |
$122,710 |
| Dental hygienists |
120 |
$32.12 |
$66,820 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
120 |
$15.28 |
$31,770 |
| Editors |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
120 |
Not available |
$100,920 |
| Medical assistants |
120 |
$13.72 |
$28,540 |
| Public relations specialists |
120 |
$18.44 |
$38,350 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
120 |
$31.02 |
$64,530 |
| Coaches and scouts |
110 |
Not available |
$34,650 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
110 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
110 |
$13.88 |
$28,870 |
| Insurance sales agents |
110 |
$36.08 |
$75,040 |
| Librarians |
110 |
$29.99 |
$62,380 |
| Medical secretaries |
110 |
$13.63 |
$28,340 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
110 |
$9.86 |
$20,510 |
| Pharmacists |
110 |
$49.46 |
$102,870 |
| Postal service clerks |
110 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Printing machine operators |
110 |
$19.29 |
$40,120 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
110 |
$17.92 |
$37,260 |
| Social and community service managers |
110 |
$33.34 |
$69,350 |
| Food service managers |
100 |
$25.60 |
$53,250 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
100 |
$16.13 |
$33,560 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
100 |
$15.55 |
$32,340 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
100 |
$14.47 |
$30,090 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
100 |
$13.30 |
$27,660 |
| Physical therapists |
100 |
$41.06 |
$85,400 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
90 |
$32.57 |
$67,740 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
90 |
$19.21 |
$39,950 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
90 |
Not available |
$62,750 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
90 |
$13.18 |
$27,410 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
90 |
$10.33 |
$21,500 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
90 |
$16.47 |
$34,260 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
90 |
$23.27 |
$48,410 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
90 |
$26.47 |
$55,060 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
90 |
$34.42 |
$71,590 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
90 |
$39.07 |
$81,270 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
90 |
$20.90 |
$43,470 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
90 |
$12.15 |
$25,260 |
| Advertising sales agents |
80 |
$20.57 |
$42,800 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
80 |
$22.58 |
$46,960 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
80 |
$16.32 |
$33,950 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
80 |
$36.13 |
$75,160 |
| Food batchmakers |
80 |
$9.31 |
$19,360 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
80 |
$10.84 |
$22,550 |
| Graphic designers |
80 |
$16.00 |
$33,280 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
80 |
$11.84 |
$24,630 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
80 |
$21.83 |
$45,410 |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers |
80 |
$11.62 |
$24,170 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
80 |
$21.91 |
$45,570 |
| Roofers |
80 |
$15.02 |
$31,230 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
80 |
$42.11 |
$87,590 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
80 |
Not available |
$68,110 |
| Baggage porters and bellhops |
70 |
$9.73 |
$20,230 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
70 |
$16.63 |
$34,580 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
70 |
$27.16 |
$56,500 |
| File clerks |
70 |
$11.20 |
$23,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
70 |
$32.76 |
$68,150 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
70 |
$26.29 |
$54,690 |
| Instructional coordinators |
70 |
$26.64 |
$55,420 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
70 |
$13.52 |
$28,110 |
| Machinists |
70 |
$17.72 |
$36,860 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
70 |
$24.42 |
$50,790 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
70 |
$16.28 |
$33,860 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
70 |
$15.50 |
$32,240 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
70 |
$22.21 |
$46,190 |
| Sales managers |
70 |
$50.67 |
$105,400 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
60 |
$17.00 |
$35,370 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
60 |
$18.26 |
$37,980 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
60 |
$26.43 |
$54,980 |
| Clergy |
60 |
$18.41 |
$38,300 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
60 |
$19.78 |
$41,150 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$24.67 |
$51,320 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
60 |
$14.46 |
$30,070 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
60 |
$15.44 |
$32,120 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
60 |
$13.99 |
$29,090 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$16.33 |
$33,960 |
| Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates |
60 |
$56.83 |
$118,200 |
| Market research analysts |
60 |
$22.68 |
$47,170 |
| Mechanical engineers |
60 |
$31.35 |
$65,210 |
| Mental health counselors |
60 |
$24.18 |
$50,290 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
60 |
$16.96 |
$35,280 |
| Pest control workers |
60 |
$15.90 |
$33,080 |
| Postmasters and mail superintendents |
60 |
$28.82 |
$59,960 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
60 |
$16.71 |
$34,760 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$72,480 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
60 |
$18.11 |
$37,660 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
50 |
$20.23 |
$42,080 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
50 |
$9.63 |
$20,020 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
50 |
$32.52 |
$67,640 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
50 |
$16.19 |
$33,680 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
50 |
$24.22 |
$50,390 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
50 |
$28.03 |
$58,300 |
| Dentists, general |
50 |
$82.97 |
$172,570 |
| Floral designers |
50 |
$11.27 |
$23,440 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
50 |
$12.86 |
$26,750 |
| Insurance underwriters |
50 |
$26.09 |
$54,270 |
| Library technicians |
50 |
$14.57 |
$30,310 |
| Management analysts |
50 |
$39.90 |
$83,000 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
50 |
$32.96 |
$68,550 |
| Occupational therapists |
50 |
$33.67 |
$70,040 |
| Bill and account collectors |
40 |
$16.19 |
$33,660 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
40 |
$24.21 |
$50,370 |
| Computer operators |
40 |
$15.67 |
$32,600 |
| Computer systems analysts |
40 |
$30.77 |
$64,010 |
| Construction managers |
40 |
$51.10 |
$106,280 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
40 |
$12.96 |
$26,960 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
40 |
$26.49 |
$55,100 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
40 |
$23.04 |
$47,930 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
40 |
$11.79 |
$24,520 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
40 |
$18.82 |
$39,130 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Industrial production managers |
40 |
$38.41 |
$79,890 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
40 |
$17.94 |
$37,310 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
40 |
$9.32 |
$19,390 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
40 |
$15.54 |
$32,320 |
| Mechanical drafters |
40 |
$21.49 |
$44,690 |
| Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic |
40 |
$15.65 |
$32,550 |
| Order clerks |
40 |
$15.48 |
$32,190 |
| Personal financial advisors |
40 |
$27.98 |
$58,190 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
40 |
$22.34 |
$46,470 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Producers and directors |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks |
40 |
$10.02 |
$20,850 |
| Surgical technologists |
40 |
$16.43 |
$34,170 |
| Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents |
40 |
$25.68 |
$53,420 |
| Training and development specialists |
40 |
$25.88 |
$53,830 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
40 |
$15.99 |
$33,270 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Civil engineers |
30 |
$33.53 |
$69,750 |
| Crossing guards |
30 |
$10.34 |
$21,500 |
| Environmental engineers |
30 |
$32.09 |
$66,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
30 |
$17.67 |
$36,750 |
| Grinding and polishing workers, hand |
30 |
$12.43 |
$25,860 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
30 |
$14.77 |
$30,720 |
| Occupational therapist assistants |
30 |
$22.63 |
$47,070 |
| Stationary engineers and boiler operators |
30 |
$20.80 |
$43,270 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
30 |
$11.25 |
$23,400 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
30 |
$23.37 |
$48,600 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
Not available |
$45.72 |
$95,110 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
Not available |
$34.21 |
$71,160 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
Not available |
$30.51 |
$63,460 |
| Database administrators |
Not available |
$33.17 |
$68,990 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
Not available |
$11.88 |
$24,700 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
Not available |
$22.63 |
$47,060 |
| Financial managers |
Not available |
$32.21 |
$67,000 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
Not available |
$12.04 |
$25,050 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$10.29 |
$21,390 |
| Helpers--electricians |
Not available |
$17.60 |
$36,610 |
| Home health aides |
Not available |
$10.75 |
$22,360 |
| Industrial engineers |
Not available |
$28.99 |
$60,310 |
| Loan officers |
Not available |
$32.28 |
$67,150 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$17.33 |
$36,050 |
| New accounts clerks |
Not available |
$15.27 |
$31,760 |
| Parts salespersons |
Not available |
$15.76 |
$32,770 |
| Sewing machine operators |
Not available |
$9.13 |
$18,990 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
Not available |
$11.51 |
$23,950 |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers |
Not available |
$22.53 |
$46,860 |
| Travel agents |
Not available |
$14.50 |
$30,170 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
Not available |
$15.69 |
$32,630 |
