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 |
70,950 |
$17.75 |
$36,930 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
11,500 |
$13.99 |
$29,090 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,920 |
$14.05 |
$29,230 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
7,060 |
$9.27 |
$19,280 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
6,310 |
$30.87 |
$64,220 |
| Production occupations |
5,710 |
$15.87 |
$33,000 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
4,600 |
$20.68 |
$43,020 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,550 |
$14.37 |
$29,880 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,860 |
$11.87 |
$24,680 |
| Management occupations |
2,790 |
$37.47 |
$77,950 |
| Registered nurses |
2,760 |
$30.50 |
$63,430 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,650 |
$11.58 |
$24,090 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,580 |
$12.78 |
$26,590 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
2,450 |
$25.74 |
$53,540 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,390 |
$19.88 |
$41,350 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,380 |
$17.72 |
$36,860 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,890 |
$10.47 |
$21,790 |
| Cashiers |
1,880 |
$8.77 |
$18,240 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,730 |
$12.70 |
$26,420 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,530 |
$8.08 |
$16,810 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,510 |
$8.62 |
$17,930 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,430 |
$19.02 |
$39,550 |
| Customer service representatives |
1,320 |
$13.72 |
$28,540 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,270 |
$12.12 |
$25,220 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
1,180 |
$12.35 |
$25,680 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,060 |
$11.73 |
$24,400 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,040 |
$10.45 |
$21,740 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,020 |
$26.39 |
$54,890 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
1,000 |
$14.69 |
$30,550 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
1,000 |
$27.55 |
$57,310 |
| Protective service occupations |
990 |
$16.93 |
$35,220 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
880 |
$16.01 |
$33,310 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
880 |
$24.89 |
$51,780 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
870 |
$17.70 |
$36,810 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
840 |
Not available |
$45,790 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
740 |
$13.82 |
$28,750 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
720 |
$11.31 |
$23,530 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
680 |
Not available |
$41,950 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
670 |
$8.83 |
$18,380 |
| Bartenders |
640 |
$8.82 |
$18,350 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
640 |
$15.14 |
$31,490 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
630 |
$19.37 |
$40,280 |
| General and operations managers |
630 |
$43.09 |
$89,620 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
600 |
$16.09 |
$33,460 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
590 |
$26.48 |
$55,080 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
570 |
Not available |
$49,940 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
550 |
$14.99 |
$31,180 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
530 |
$21.71 |
$45,160 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
490 |
$12.03 |
$25,030 |
| Carpenters |
480 |
$18.10 |
$37,640 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
470 |
$18.58 |
$38,650 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
460 |
$24.79 |
$51,550 |
| Teacher assistants |
460 |
Not available |
$24,150 |
| Team assemblers |
460 |
$15.24 |
$31,700 |
| Accountants and auditors |
450 |
$28.89 |
$60,080 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
450 |
$10.45 |
$21,740 |
| Tellers |
440 |
$12.60 |
$26,200 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
430 |
$10.63 |
$22,100 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
420 |
$11.24 |
$23,390 |
| Personal and home care aides |
420 |
$10.14 |
$21,090 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
410 |
$14.84 |
$30,860 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
400 |
$25.37 |
$52,760 |
| Home health aides |
370 |
$10.96 |
$22,790 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
360 |
$14.18 |
$29,490 |
| Social and human service assistants |
360 |
$13.76 |
$28,620 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
330 |
$17.45 |
$36,300 |
| Bus drivers, school |
330 |
$12.68 |
$26,370 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
320 |
$16.00 |
$33,290 |
| Construction laborers |
310 |
$15.04 |
$31,290 |
| Medical assistants |
310 |
$13.41 |
$27,890 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
290 |
$15.15 |
$31,510 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
290 |
$10.94 |
$22,760 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
280 |
$13.80 |
$28,710 |
| Cooks, short order |
270 |
$10.66 |
$22,180 |
| Dishwashers |
270 |
$8.19 |
$17,040 |
| Food preparation workers |
270 |
$8.99 |
$18,700 |
| Printing machine operators |
270 |
$15.64 |
$32,530 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
260 |
$12.29 |
$25,570 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
260 |
$13.65 |
$28,390 |
| Data entry keyers |
240 |
$11.22 |
$23,330 |
| Driver/sales workers |
240 |
$13.91 |
$28,930 |
| Electricians |
240 |
$26.79 |
$55,720 |
| Child care workers |
230 |
$9.21 |
$19,150 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
230 |
$12.94 |
$26,910 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
230 |
$12.48 |
$25,960 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
230 |
$25.24 |
$52,500 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
220 |
$22.15 |
$46,060 |
| Legal occupations |
220 |
$33.91 |
$70,540 |
| Medical and health services managers |
220 |
$38.71 |
$80,520 |
| Recreation workers |
220 |
$11.16 |
$23,200 |
| Computer programmers |
210 |
$29.57 |
$61,500 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
210 |
$8.99 |
$18,700 |
| Sales managers |
210 |
$39.88 |
$82,960 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
210 |
$21.14 |
$43,980 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
200 |
$9.81 |
$20,400 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
200 |
$23.11 |
$48,080 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
200 |
$10.37 |
$21,570 |
| Security guards |
200 |
$11.85 |
$24,650 |
| Dental assistants |
190 |
$15.63 |
$32,510 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
190 |
$21.77 |
$45,280 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other |
190 |
$15.25 |
$31,720 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
190 |
$16.85 |
$35,050 |
| Loan officers |
190 |
$24.25 |
$50,440 |
| Managers, all other |
190 |
$34.60 |
$71,960 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
190 |
$22.72 |
$47,260 |
| Bill and account collectors |
180 |
$14.85 |
$30,890 |
| Coaches and scouts |
180 |
Not available |
$21,740 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
180 |
$12.09 |
$25,150 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
180 |
$8.58 |
$17,840 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
180 |
$9.24 |
$19,210 |
| Computer support specialists |
170 |
$19.08 |
$39,690 |
| Dental hygienists |
170 |
$28.32 |
$58,910 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
170 |
$24.86 |
$51,700 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
170 |
$9.13 |
$18,990 |
| Parts salespersons |
170 |
$16.35 |
$34,020 |
| Pharmacists |
170 |
$52.51 |
$109,220 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
160 |
$11.31 |
$23,520 |
| Financial managers |
160 |
$35.92 |
$74,710 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
160 |
$8.45 |
$17,570 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| All other information and record clerks |
150 |
$10.79 |
$22,430 |
| Fire fighters |
150 |
$20.16 |
$41,930 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
150 |
$25.71 |
$53,480 |
| Production workers, all other |
150 |
$11.57 |
$24,080 |
| Biological scientists, all other |
140 |
$25.99 |
$54,060 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
140 |
$19.08 |
$39,680 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
140 |
$17.78 |
$36,990 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
140 |
$9.37 |
$19,490 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
140 |
$33.80 |
$70,300 |
| Computer systems analysts |
140 |
$29.23 |
$60,790 |
| Cooks, fast food |
140 |
$7.93 |
$16,500 |
| Food service managers |
140 |
$17.44 |
$36,280 |
| Helpers--production workers |
140 |
$11.75 |
$24,440 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
140 |
$16.67 |
$34,670 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
140 |
$14.16 |
$29,450 |
| Cost estimators |
130 |
$24.05 |
$50,020 |
| Graphic designers |
130 |
$16.47 |
$34,250 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
130 |
$22.46 |
$46,710 |
| Medical secretaries |
130 |
$15.43 |
$32,100 |
| Order clerks |
130 |
$12.83 |
$26,690 |
| Physical therapists |
130 |
$34.11 |
$70,960 |
| Social and community service managers |
130 |
$23.64 |
$49,170 |
| Advertising sales agents |
120 |
$18.59 |
$38,670 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
120 |
$18.00 |
$37,440 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
120 |
$22.41 |
$46,620 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
120 |
$15.09 |
$31,390 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
120 |
$14.70 |
$30,570 |
| Lawyers |
120 |
$46.63 |
$97,000 |
| Management analysts |
120 |
$35.20 |
$73,210 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
120 |
$25.08 |
$52,170 |
| Respiratory therapists |
120 |
$24.88 |
$51,740 |
| Surgical technologists |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
120 |
$26.35 |
$54,800 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
110 |
$25.23 |
$52,470 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
110 |
$9.40 |
$19,550 |
| Insurance sales agents |
110 |
$26.48 |
$55,090 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
110 |
Not available |
$40,580 |
| Mechanical drafters |
110 |
$20.84 |
$43,350 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
110 |
$21.41 |
$44,530 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
110 |
$18.18 |
$37,820 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
110 |
$22.57 |
$46,930 |
| Tool and die makers |
110 |
$18.48 |
$38,430 |
| Bakers |
100 |
$12.60 |
$26,200 |
| Chief executives |
100 |
$77.64 |
$161,490 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
100 |
$19.71 |
$40,990 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
100 |
$15.89 |
$33,050 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
100 |
$16.25 |
$33,800 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
100 |
$26.19 |
$54,480 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
100 |
$9.94 |
$20,670 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
100 |
$15.58 |
$32,400 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
100 |
$16.53 |
$34,380 |
| Training and development specialists |
100 |
$21.53 |
$44,780 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
90 |
$39.61 |
$82,400 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
90 |
$18.02 |
$37,470 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$81,560 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
90 |
$24.56 |
$51,090 |
| Electronics engineers, except computer |
90 |
$31.67 |
$65,860 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
90 |
$10.15 |
$21,110 |
| Occupational therapists |
90 |
$28.50 |
$59,290 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
90 |
$15.20 |
$31,610 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
90 |
$23.00 |
$47,850 |
| Clergy |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
80 |
$31.78 |
$66,100 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
80 |
$23.09 |
$48,030 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
80 |
$16.07 |
$33,420 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
80 |
$21.83 |
$45,410 |
| Legal secretaries |
80 |
$14.99 |
$31,180 |
| Public relations specialists |
80 |
$20.02 |
$41,630 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
70 |
$16.16 |
$33,620 |
| Civil engineers |
70 |
$30.25 |
$62,920 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
70 |
$24.28 |
$50,490 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
70 |
$22.65 |
$47,110 |
| Electrical engineers |
70 |
$35.05 |
$72,910 |
| Food batchmakers |
70 |
$15.51 |
$32,250 |
| Industrial production managers |
70 |
$36.19 |
$75,280 |
| Legislators |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
70 |
$15.46 |
$32,160 |
| Marketing managers |
70 |
$49.34 |
$102,630 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
70 |
$13.49 |
$28,060 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
70 |
$31.26 |
$65,010 |
| Administrative services managers |
60 |
$31.47 |
$65,450 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
60 |
$29.90 |
$62,190 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
60 |
$23.97 |
$49,860 |
| Couriers and messengers |
60 |
$11.60 |
$24,130 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
60 |
$15.22 |
$31,660 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
60 |
$21.71 |
$45,150 |
| Family and general practitioners |
60 |
$88.01 |
$183,050 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
60 |
$13.17 |
$27,400 |
| Librarians |
60 |
$24.27 |
$50,490 |
| Library technicians |
60 |
$15.47 |
$32,190 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
60 |
$24.38 |
$50,720 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
60 |
$14.86 |
$30,910 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Service station attendants |
60 |
$11.87 |
$24,700 |
| Sewing machine operators |
60 |
$12.11 |
$25,180 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
60 |
Not available |
$45,050 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
50 |
$28.67 |
$59,630 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
50 |
$18.38 |
$38,230 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
50 |
$20.46 |
$42,550 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
50 |
$17.70 |
$36,810 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
50 |
$14.96 |
$31,120 |
| Personal financial advisors |
50 |
$34.14 |
$71,020 |
| Photographers |
50 |
$16.39 |
$34,100 |
| Recreational therapists |
50 |
$18.29 |
$38,030 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
50 |
$28.26 |
$58,780 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
50 |
$17.68 |
$36,770 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
40 |
$17.19 |
$35,760 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
40 |
$13.38 |
$27,830 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
40 |
$16.07 |
$33,430 |
| Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
40 |
$15.09 |
$31,390 |
| Floral designers |
40 |
$11.38 |
$23,680 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
40 |
$13.51 |
$28,090 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
40 |
$11.85 |
$24,660 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
40 |
$19.86 |
$41,300 |
| Musical instrument repairers and tuners |
40 |
$16.68 |
$34,700 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
40 |
$8.70 |
$18,100 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
40 |
$20.05 |
$41,710 |
| Public relations managers |
40 |
$39.03 |
$81,190 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
40 |
$27.53 |
$57,270 |
| Veterinarians |
40 |
$39.89 |
$82,970 |
| Construction managers |
30 |
$41.93 |
$87,220 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
30 |
$19.73 |
$41,050 |
| Dental laboratory technicians |
30 |
$17.04 |
$35,440 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
30 |
$22.74 |
$47,290 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
30 |
$14.65 |
$30,480 |
| Engineering managers |
30 |
$44.01 |
$91,530 |
| Human resources managers, all other |
30 |
$46.07 |
$95,820 |
| Instructional coordinators |
30 |
$27.55 |
$57,310 |
| Interpreters and translators |
30 |
$14.38 |
$29,900 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
30 |
$26.71 |
$55,560 |
| Occupational therapist assistants |
30 |
$20.25 |
$42,120 |
| Physician assistants |
30 |
$40.90 |
$85,080 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
30 |
$30.39 |
$63,200 |
| Purchasing managers |
30 |
$26.12 |
$54,330 |
| Real estate sales agents |
30 |
$26.69 |
$55,520 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
30 |
$17.33 |
$36,060 |
| Sheet metal workers |
30 |
$14.69 |
$30,560 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
30 |
$9.36 |
$19,470 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
Not available |
$14.30 |
$29,740 |
| Bindery workers |
Not available |
$14.67 |
$30,510 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
Not available |
$14.16 |
$29,450 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
Not available |
$29.31 |
$60,960 |
| Construction and related workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.47 |
$28,020 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$8.03 |
$16,710 |
| Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks |
Not available |
$18.49 |
$38,460 |
| Demonstrators and product promoters |
Not available |
$11.46 |
$23,840 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
Not available |
$13.57 |
$28,220 |
| Engineers, all other |
Not available |
$28.48 |
$59,240 |
| File clerks |
Not available |
$11.95 |
$24,860 |
| Financial analysts |
Not available |
$40.10 |
$83,410 |
| Food cooking machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$15.11 |
$31,430 |
| Furniture finishers |
Not available |
$12.94 |
$26,920 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
Not available |
$20.14 |
$41,890 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$18.98 |
$39,470 |
| Industrial engineers |
Not available |
$29.99 |
$62,380 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
Not available |
$8.95 |
$18,630 |
| Logisticians |
Not available |
$33.98 |
$70,680 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
Not available |
$14.02 |
$29,170 |
| Machinists |
Not available |
$19.11 |
$39,750 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
Not available |
$18.19 |
$37,840 |
| Market research analysts |
Not available |
$29.09 |
$60,500 |
| Mechanical engineers |
Not available |
$30.22 |
$62,860 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
Not available |
$19.94 |
$41,480 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
Not available |
$17.05 |
$35,470 |
| Motorboat mechanics |
Not available |
$21.95 |
$45,650 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$15.83 |
$32,930 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$18.41 |
$38,290 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
$86.83 |
$180,610 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
Not available |
$24.67 |
$51,310 |
| Residential advisors |
Not available |
$13.81 |
$28,730 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
Not available |
$11.22 |
$23,330 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
Not available |
Not available |
$50,520 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
Not available |
Not available |
$50,200 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
Not available |
$21.02 |
$43,720 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
Not available |
$10.95 |
$22,770 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$44,270 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$20.54 |
$42,720 |
| Telemarketers |
Not available |
$8.59 |
$17,860 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
Not available |
$15.99 |
$33,260 |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$18.38 |
$38,230 |
