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 |
65,790 |
$17.10 |
$35,580 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
9,990 |
$12.39 |
$25,760 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
7,440 |
$27.20 |
$56,580 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
6,280 |
$8.22 |
$17,100 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,880 |
$11.47 |
$23,860 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
4,250 |
$13.92 |
$28,960 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,620 |
$31.93 |
$66,410 |
| Management occupations |
2,850 |
$32.99 |
$68,620 |
| Protective service occupations |
2,820 |
$16.88 |
$35,120 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
2,750 |
$9.09 |
$18,910 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,690 |
$9.34 |
$19,430 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,590 |
$10.81 |
$22,490 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,250 |
$16.22 |
$33,730 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,190 |
$10.20 |
$21,220 |
| Production occupations |
2,160 |
$12.19 |
$25,360 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,810 |
$11.01 |
$22,900 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,800 |
$30.78 |
$64,020 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,740 |
$26.01 |
$54,090 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,710 |
$12.52 |
$26,050 |
| Cashiers |
1,520 |
$7.99 |
$16,610 |
| Personal and home care aides |
1,440 |
$8.92 |
$18,550 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,400 |
$7.36 |
$15,310 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,310 |
$9.19 |
$19,120 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
1,210 |
Not available |
$57,210 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,200 |
$7.67 |
$15,950 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
1,190 |
$32.02 |
$66,600 |
| Teacher assistants |
1,140 |
Not available |
$21,650 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
1,100 |
$7.92 |
$16,480 |
| Registered nurses |
1,100 |
$28.98 |
$60,270 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
1,080 |
$12.27 |
$25,520 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,070 |
$18.99 |
$39,500 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
1,030 |
$7.50 |
$15,600 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,000 |
$9.09 |
$18,900 |
| Security guards |
970 |
$10.92 |
$22,710 |
| General and operations managers |
920 |
$34.13 |
$70,990 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
870 |
$9.35 |
$19,460 |
| Construction laborers |
850 |
$11.19 |
$23,280 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
840 |
$9.69 |
$20,160 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
820 |
$9.36 |
$19,460 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
780 |
Not available |
$59,540 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
750 |
$20.60 |
$42,850 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
670 |
$9.41 |
$19,580 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
660 |
$8.81 |
$18,330 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
660 |
$27.87 |
$57,970 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
650 |
$8.53 |
$17,730 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
640 |
$15.52 |
$32,280 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
630 |
$11.75 |
$24,440 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
510 |
$19.95 |
$41,490 |
| Child care workers |
510 |
$7.66 |
$15,930 |
| Carpenters |
480 |
$13.78 |
$28,660 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
470 |
$7.77 |
$16,170 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
440 |
$18.44 |
$38,350 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
420 |
$14.37 |
$29,890 |
| Accountants and auditors |
390 |
$22.20 |
$46,170 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
390 |
$17.59 |
$36,580 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
380 |
$22.75 |
$47,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
380 |
$13.97 |
$29,050 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
380 |
$20.78 |
$43,220 |
| Customer service representatives |
370 |
$11.57 |
$24,060 |
| Medical assistants |
360 |
$11.77 |
$24,480 |
| Dishwashers |
350 |
$7.68 |
$15,980 |
| Legal occupations |
350 |
$23.95 |
$49,810 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
340 |
$28.59 |
$59,470 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
340 |
$14.25 |
$29,650 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
340 |
$11.88 |
$24,710 |
| Cooks, fast food |
330 |
$7.46 |
$15,530 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
320 |
$13.04 |
$27,110 |
| Food preparation workers |
310 |
$8.93 |
$18,580 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
310 |
$17.94 |
$37,320 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
300 |
$25.13 |
$52,270 |
| Electronics engineers, except computer |
300 |
$39.60 |
$82,380 |
| Managers, all other |
290 |
$27.06 |
$56,290 |
| Bartenders |
280 |
$7.58 |
$15,770 |
| Tellers |
280 |
$10.00 |
$20,810 |
| File clerks |
270 |
$11.32 |
$23,540 |
| Administrative services managers |
260 |
$26.75 |
$55,630 |
| Electricians |
260 |
$18.99 |
$39,500 |
| Business teachers, postsecondary |
250 |
Not available |
$75,810 |
| Computer support specialists |
250 |
$20.50 |
$42,650 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
250 |
$9.36 |
$19,470 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
230 |
$13.30 |
$27,670 |
| Family and general practitioners |
230 |
$74.20 |
$154,340 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
230 |
$7.30 |
$15,170 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
220 |
$10.05 |
$20,900 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
220 |
Not available |
$76,230 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
210 |
$7.43 |
$15,460 |
| Lawyers |
200 |
$28.45 |
$59,170 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
190 |
$22.21 |
$46,200 |
| Telemarketers |
190 |
$7.16 |
$14,900 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
180 |
$36.01 |
$74,890 |
| Insurance sales agents |
180 |
$18.10 |
$37,660 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
180 |
$12.78 |
$26,590 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
180 |
$10.84 |
$22,550 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
180 |
$10.64 |
$22,130 |
| Bill and account collectors |
170 |
$11.87 |
$24,680 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
170 |
$11.52 |
$23,960 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
170 |
$16.88 |
$35,110 |
| Bakers |
160 |
$11.08 |
$23,040 |
| Dental assistants |
160 |
$12.83 |
$26,690 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
160 |
$10.35 |
$21,540 |
| Medical secretaries |
160 |
$11.65 |
$24,230 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
160 |
$17.38 |
$36,150 |
| All other information and record clerks |
150 |
$16.71 |
$34,760 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
150 |
$10.88 |
$22,630 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
150 |
$19.75 |
$41,090 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
150 |
$9.97 |
$20,730 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
150 |
Not available |
$53,800 |
| Data entry keyers |
140 |
$9.63 |
$20,020 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
140 |
$7.69 |
$15,980 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
140 |
$14.17 |
$29,460 |
| Physical therapists |
140 |
$24.81 |
$51,610 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
130 |
$23.50 |
$48,870 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
130 |
$33.39 |
$69,450 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
130 |
$18.44 |
$38,360 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
130 |
$18.48 |
$38,450 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
130 |
$9.48 |
$19,710 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
130 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Roofers |
130 |
$12.05 |
$25,070 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
120 |
$9.55 |
$19,860 |
| Civil engineers |
120 |
$30.21 |
$62,830 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
120 |
$41.61 |
$86,560 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
120 |
$12.67 |
$26,340 |
| Financial managers |
120 |
$36.78 |
$76,500 |
| Fire fighters |
120 |
$16.54 |
$34,400 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
120 |
$15.56 |
$32,370 |
| Pharmacy aides |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Recreation workers |
120 |
$12.85 |
$26,740 |
| Electrical engineers |
110 |
$32.92 |
$68,480 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
110 |
$33.27 |
$69,210 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
110 |
$9.30 |
$19,340 |
| Loan officers |
110 |
$27.68 |
$57,570 |
| Pharmacists |
110 |
$48.26 |
$100,380 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
110 |
$27.04 |
$56,240 |
| Social and community service managers |
110 |
$21.95 |
$45,650 |
| Social and human service assistants |
110 |
$12.89 |
$26,820 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
110 |
$33.76 |
$70,220 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
100 |
$14.07 |
$29,270 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
100 |
$31.52 |
$65,570 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
100 |
$30.60 |
$63,650 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
100 |
$12.03 |
$25,020 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
100 |
$10.54 |
$21,930 |
| Operations research analysts |
100 |
$43.34 |
$90,150 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
100 |
$15.03 |
$31,270 |
| Sales managers |
100 |
$33.88 |
$70,460 |
| Computer operators |
90 |
$19.17 |
$39,880 |
| Home health aides |
90 |
$9.78 |
$20,340 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
90 |
$15.39 |
$32,020 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
90 |
$18.67 |
$38,830 |
| Parts salespersons |
90 |
$11.54 |
$24,010 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
90 |
$26.10 |
$54,280 |
| Advertising sales agents |
80 |
$13.10 |
$27,260 |
| Coaches and scouts |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Dentists, general |
80 |
$63.65 |
$132,380 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
80 |
$13.04 |
$27,120 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
80 |
$12.79 |
$26,610 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
80 |
$9.83 |
$20,450 |
| Management analysts |
80 |
$31.73 |
$66,000 |
| Mechanical engineers |
80 |
$37.20 |
$77,370 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
80 |
$13.11 |
$27,280 |
| Production workers, all other |
80 |
$9.72 |
$20,220 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
80 |
$14.46 |
$30,080 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
80 |
$10.47 |
$21,770 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
80 |
$8.13 |
$16,910 |
| Computer hardware engineers |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks |
70 |
$12.46 |
$25,920 |
| Database administrators |
70 |
$26.23 |
$54,560 |
| Electro-mechanical technicians |
70 |
$20.44 |
$42,520 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
70 |
$13.28 |
$27,610 |
| Graphic designers |
70 |
$13.55 |
$28,180 |
| Helpers--production workers |
70 |
$9.36 |
$19,480 |
| Librarians |
70 |
$23.66 |
$49,220 |
| Medical and health services managers |
70 |
$47.19 |
$98,160 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
70 |
$32.03 |
$66,610 |
| Pipelayers |
70 |
$11.41 |
$23,730 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
70 |
$32.36 |
$67,310 |
| Tile and marble setters |
70 |
$13.66 |
$28,420 |
| Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers |
70 |
$8.47 |
$17,610 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
60 |
$11.29 |
$23,470 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
60 |
$20.45 |
$42,540 |
| Construction managers |
60 |
$31.42 |
$65,350 |
| Cooks, short order |
60 |
$9.22 |
$19,170 |
| Driver/sales workers |
60 |
$10.29 |
$21,410 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$17.73 |
$36,880 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
60 |
$17.42 |
$36,240 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
60 |
$15.49 |
$32,210 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons |
60 |
$10.00 |
$20,790 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
60 |
$16.52 |
$34,360 |
| Instructional coordinators |
60 |
$33.46 |
$69,600 |
| Library technicians |
60 |
$13.37 |
$27,800 |
| Machinists |
60 |
$19.15 |
$39,840 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
60 |
$11.26 |
$23,420 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
60 |
$8.82 |
$18,350 |
| Occupational therapists |
60 |
$31.23 |
$64,950 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Real estate sales agents |
60 |
$16.40 |
$34,100 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
60 |
$19.85 |
$41,280 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
60 |
$12.67 |
$26,350 |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
50 |
$27.24 |
$56,660 |
| Cost estimators |
50 |
$22.01 |
$45,780 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
50 |
$16.38 |
$34,080 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
50 |
$13.81 |
$28,720 |
| Mechanical drafters |
50 |
$18.47 |
$38,420 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
50 |
$13.84 |
$28,780 |
| Parking lot attendants |
50 |
$7.34 |
$15,270 |
| Physicists |
50 |
$46.88 |
$97,520 |
| Security and fire alarm systems installers |
50 |
$11.05 |
$22,990 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
50 |
$13.05 |
$27,140 |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers |
50 |
$17.44 |
$36,270 |
| Veterinarians |
50 |
$39.42 |
$81,990 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
50 |
$11.68 |
$24,290 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
50 |
$15.61 |
$32,460 |
| Aerospace engineers |
40 |
$41.28 |
$85,860 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
40 |
$15.55 |
$32,340 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
40 |
$13.53 |
$28,140 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
40 |
$19.23 |
$40,000 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
40 |
$28.94 |
$60,190 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
40 |
$25.66 |
$53,360 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
40 |
$18.68 |
$38,850 |
| Engineering managers |
40 |
$44.26 |
$92,070 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
40 |
$23.41 |
$48,680 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
40 |
$19.69 |
$40,950 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
40 |
$16.12 |
$33,530 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
40 |
$11.82 |
$24,580 |
| Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other |
40 |
$31.20 |
$64,900 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
40 |
$9.99 |
$20,780 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
40 |
$25.60 |
$53,240 |
| Natural sciences managers |
40 |
$41.58 |
$86,490 |
| Order clerks |
40 |
$10.63 |
$22,110 |
| Pediatricians, general |
40 |
$85.02 |
$176,830 |
| Physician assistants |
40 |
$32.99 |
$68,610 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other |
40 |
$21.43 |
$44,570 |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$18.11 |
$37,660 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
40 |
$8.80 |
$18,310 |
| Training and development specialists |
40 |
$15.96 |
$33,190 |
| Couriers and messengers |
30 |
$8.14 |
$16,930 |
| Environmental engineers |
30 |
$32.92 |
$68,480 |
| New accounts clerks |
30 |
$13.63 |
$28,340 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
30 |
$19.60 |
$40,770 |
| Respiratory therapists |
30 |
$22.46 |
$46,720 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
Not available |
$8.58 |
$17,850 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
Not available |
$44.17 |
$91,880 |
| Computer systems analysts |
Not available |
$31.78 |
$66,110 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$7.73 |
$16,080 |
| Dental hygienists |
Not available |
$30.37 |
$63,170 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
Not available |
$17.04 |
$35,450 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
Not available |
$8.66 |
$18,020 |
| Food batchmakers |
Not available |
$9.99 |
$20,780 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$16.30 |
$33,900 |
| Helpers, construction trades, all other |
Not available |
$11.47 |
$23,850 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$9.81 |
$20,400 |
| Helpers--electricians |
Not available |
$11.44 |
$23,800 |
| Helpers--roofers |
Not available |
$9.00 |
$18,720 |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers |
Not available |
$9.84 |
$20,480 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
Not available |
$34.13 |
$70,980 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
Not available |
$7.36 |
$15,320 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$17.05 |
$35,460 |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation |
Not available |
$9.62 |
$20,000 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
Not available |
$14.99 |
$31,180 |
| Printing machine operators |
Not available |
$10.79 |
$22,450 |
| Sheet metal workers |
Not available |
$16.17 |
$33,630 |
| Surveyors |
Not available |
$28.32 |
$58,900 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$33,960 |
| Team assemblers |
Not available |
$11.71 |
$24,360 |
| Training and development managers |
Not available |
$24.46 |
$50,880 |
