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 |
46,950 |
$16.99 |
$35,330 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,670 |
$13.36 |
$27,780 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
6,410 |
$9.01 |
$18,740 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,100 |
$12.80 |
$26,610 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
4,660 |
$23.04 |
$47,920 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,550 |
$12.87 |
$26,770 |
| Production occupations |
2,510 |
$16.37 |
$34,040 |
| Management occupations |
2,110 |
$37.52 |
$78,050 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
2,030 |
$9.73 |
$20,250 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
1,950 |
$32.39 |
$67,380 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,910 |
$19.03 |
$39,570 |
| Cashiers |
1,650 |
$9.02 |
$18,760 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,580 |
$17.89 |
$37,200 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,560 |
$10.91 |
$22,690 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,530 |
$10.19 |
$21,200 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,510 |
$9.31 |
$19,360 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,460 |
$9.81 |
$20,410 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,140 |
$27.16 |
$56,480 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
1,030 |
$24.54 |
$51,040 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,000 |
$7.53 |
$15,650 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
990 |
$12.35 |
$25,690 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
930 |
$13.11 |
$27,260 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
840 |
$22.27 |
$46,320 |
| Protective service occupations |
840 |
$19.30 |
$40,140 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
790 |
$17.35 |
$36,080 |
| Personal and home care aides |
780 |
$8.49 |
$17,670 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
770 |
$16.88 |
$35,100 |
| Teacher assistants |
770 |
Not available |
$22,140 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
750 |
$14.19 |
$29,520 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
690 |
$9.76 |
$20,300 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
690 |
$13.08 |
$27,210 |
| General and operations managers |
600 |
$38.75 |
$80,600 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
590 |
$16.04 |
$33,360 |
| Community and social services occupations |
580 |
$18.27 |
$38,000 |
| Registered nurses |
580 |
$25.77 |
$53,600 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
570 |
$12.74 |
$26,490 |
| Food preparation workers |
540 |
$8.34 |
$17,350 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
530 |
Not available |
$39,230 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
500 |
$20.62 |
$42,890 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
500 |
$14.58 |
$30,320 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
470 |
$9.84 |
$20,470 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
470 |
$7.67 |
$15,960 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
470 |
$10.17 |
$21,160 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
460 |
$29.33 |
$61,010 |
| Bartenders |
380 |
$9.03 |
$18,790 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
380 |
$11.71 |
$24,370 |
| Driver/sales workers |
370 |
$7.45 |
$15,500 |
| Carpenters |
360 |
$19.73 |
$41,030 |
| Cooks, fast food |
340 |
$7.76 |
$16,150 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
330 |
$11.19 |
$23,280 |
| Tellers |
320 |
$10.20 |
$21,210 |
| Accountants and auditors |
310 |
$26.97 |
$56,100 |
| Child care workers |
310 |
$8.23 |
$17,120 |
| Customer service representatives |
310 |
$13.47 |
$28,020 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
310 |
$9.05 |
$18,820 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
310 |
$10.78 |
$22,410 |
| Construction laborers |
300 |
$15.27 |
$31,760 |
| Computer programmers |
280 |
$30.24 |
$62,900 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
280 |
$8.85 |
$18,410 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
270 |
$10.85 |
$22,560 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
270 |
Not available |
$41,000 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
250 |
$23.50 |
$48,870 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
250 |
$9.63 |
$20,030 |
| Home health aides |
250 |
$10.61 |
$22,060 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
250 |
$26.44 |
$55,000 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
240 |
Not available |
$40,300 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
240 |
$18.88 |
$39,280 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
240 |
$16.18 |
$33,660 |
| Chief executives |
230 |
$55.40 |
$115,230 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
230 |
$24.61 |
$51,190 |
| Legal occupations |
230 |
$28.77 |
$59,830 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
230 |
$21.85 |
$45,450 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
230 |
$24.99 |
$51,980 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
210 |
$14.94 |
$31,080 |
| Dishwashers |
210 |
$7.94 |
$16,510 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
200 |
$9.81 |
$20,410 |
| Electricians |
200 |
$19.65 |
$40,880 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
200 |
$24.99 |
$51,980 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
200 |
$7.73 |
$16,090 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
190 |
$24.66 |
$51,290 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
190 |
$16.54 |
$34,410 |
| Coaches and scouts |
180 |
Not available |
$40,460 |
| Recreation workers |
180 |
$10.89 |
$22,640 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
170 |
$15.60 |
$32,440 |
| Bus drivers, school |
160 |
$11.67 |
$24,280 |
| Cooks, short order |
160 |
$8.41 |
$17,500 |
| Printing machine operators |
160 |
$17.98 |
$37,400 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
150 |
$12.31 |
$25,600 |
| Security guards |
150 |
$10.96 |
$22,800 |
| Financial managers |
140 |
$36.51 |
$75,940 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
140 |
$7.06 |
$14,680 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
140 |
$12.76 |
$26,530 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
140 |
Not available |
$35,150 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
130 |
$17.12 |
$35,620 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
120 |
$13.87 |
$28,840 |
| Computer support specialists |
120 |
$17.59 |
$36,590 |
| Dental assistants |
120 |
$16.61 |
$34,550 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
120 |
$23.03 |
$47,910 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
120 |
$15.97 |
$33,220 |
| Graphic designers |
120 |
$15.95 |
$33,180 |
| Loan officers |
120 |
$26.95 |
$56,050 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
120 |
$11.55 |
$24,020 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
120 |
$21.14 |
$43,970 |
| Librarians |
110 |
$19.32 |
$40,190 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
110 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Pharmacists |
110 |
$45.47 |
$94,570 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
110 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
110 |
$23.82 |
$49,540 |
| Umpires, referees, and other sports officials |
110 |
Not available |
$21,100 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
100 |
$7.25 |
$15,090 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
100 |
$19.53 |
$40,620 |
| Helpers--production workers |
100 |
$11.33 |
$23,570 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
100 |
$9.55 |
$19,860 |
| Order clerks |
100 |
$13.14 |
$27,340 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
100 |
$16.50 |
$34,320 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
100 |
$14.18 |
$29,500 |
| Advertising sales agents |
90 |
$20.55 |
$42,740 |
| Architects, except landscape and naval |
90 |
$31.50 |
$65,520 |
| Civil engineers |
90 |
$33.85 |
$70,420 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
90 |
$10.14 |
$21,100 |
| File clerks |
90 |
$9.15 |
$19,030 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
90 |
$20.13 |
$41,870 |
| Medical assistants |
90 |
$12.77 |
$26,550 |
| Physical therapists |
90 |
$28.15 |
$58,540 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
90 |
$21.30 |
$44,300 |
| Public relations specialists |
90 |
$31.81 |
$66,170 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
90 |
$12.71 |
$26,430 |
| Administrative services managers |
80 |
$28.65 |
$59,590 |
| Bakers |
80 |
$9.04 |
$18,800 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
80 |
$14.03 |
$29,180 |
| Data entry keyers |
80 |
$11.57 |
$24,060 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
80 |
$24.01 |
$49,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
80 |
$21.01 |
$43,710 |
| Lawyers |
80 |
$43.06 |
$89,560 |
| Legal secretaries |
80 |
$13.88 |
$28,880 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
80 |
$9.71 |
$20,190 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
80 |
$9.93 |
$20,650 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
80 |
$8.54 |
$17,760 |
| Parts salespersons |
80 |
$12.26 |
$25,490 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
70 |
$35.43 |
$73,700 |
| Cost estimators |
70 |
$24.09 |
$50,100 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
70 |
$17.61 |
$36,630 |
| Food service managers |
70 |
$19.76 |
$41,110 |
| Library technicians |
70 |
$11.23 |
$23,350 |
| Management analysts |
70 |
$51.89 |
$107,940 |
| Medical and health services managers |
70 |
$35.61 |
$74,060 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
70 |
$89.10 |
$185,320 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
70 |
Not available |
$44,600 |
| Bill and account collectors |
60 |
$13.95 |
$29,010 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
60 |
$16.11 |
$33,520 |
| Computer operators |
60 |
$13.93 |
$28,980 |
| Dental hygienists |
60 |
$29.62 |
$61,600 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$74,190 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
60 |
$23.48 |
$48,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
60 |
$19.73 |
$41,040 |
| Insurance sales agents |
60 |
$26.95 |
$56,060 |
| Market research analysts |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
60 |
$26.28 |
$54,670 |
| Medical secretaries |
60 |
$13.68 |
$28,460 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
60 |
$9.57 |
$19,910 |
| Roofers |
60 |
$16.81 |
$34,960 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
60 |
Not available |
$43,330 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
60 |
$9.80 |
$20,370 |
| Veterinarians |
60 |
$36.16 |
$75,220 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
50 |
$7.97 |
$16,580 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
50 |
$11.56 |
$24,040 |
| Choreographers |
50 |
$13.28 |
$27,620 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
50 |
$17.84 |
$37,110 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
50 |
$35.89 |
$74,650 |
| Construction managers |
50 |
$32.23 |
$67,050 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
50 |
$36.71 |
$76,350 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
50 |
$18.16 |
$37,770 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
50 |
$15.53 |
$32,300 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
50 |
$16.52 |
$34,370 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
50 |
$21.13 |
$43,950 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Speech-language pathologists |
50 |
$23.90 |
$49,710 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
50 |
$14.39 |
$29,930 |
| Athletic trainers |
40 |
Not available |
$37,610 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
40 |
$15.30 |
$31,820 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
40 |
$20.02 |
$41,640 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
40 |
$23.96 |
$49,830 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$25.24 |
$52,500 |
| Dentists, general |
40 |
$101.39 |
$210,890 |
| Editors |
40 |
$21.30 |
$44,310 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
40 |
$16.97 |
$35,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
40 |
$23.37 |
$48,610 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
40 |
$16.50 |
$34,320 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$22.34 |
$46,470 |
| Internists, general |
40 |
$65.54 |
$136,310 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
40 |
Not available |
$40,800 |
| Meeting and convention planners |
40 |
$17.38 |
$36,150 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
40 |
$25.07 |
$52,150 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
40 |
$10.80 |
$22,460 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
40 |
$19.04 |
$39,590 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
40 |
$39.13 |
$81,390 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
40 |
$9.99 |
$20,770 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$42,660 |
| All other information and record clerks |
30 |
$16.29 |
$33,890 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
30 |
$13.61 |
$28,300 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
30 |
$23.91 |
$49,730 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
30 |
$28.43 |
$59,130 |
| Industrial production managers |
30 |
$37.91 |
$78,860 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
30 |
$15.34 |
$31,910 |
| Mechanical engineers |
30 |
$27.56 |
$57,330 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
30 |
$19.21 |
$39,950 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
30 |
$18.09 |
$37,630 |
| Real estate sales agents |
30 |
$14.49 |
$30,140 |
| Residential advisors |
30 |
$12.32 |
$25,630 |
| Sales managers |
30 |
$42.30 |
$87,980 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
Not available |
$22.85 |
$47,520 |
| Audio and video equipment technicians |
Not available |
$14.91 |
$31,020 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
Not available |
$18.90 |
$39,310 |
| Computer systems analysts |
Not available |
$29.15 |
$60,630 |
| Database administrators |
Not available |
$25.52 |
$53,080 |
| Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other |
Not available |
$19.49 |
$40,550 |
| Managers, all other |
Not available |
$33.38 |
$69,430 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
Not available |
$17.56 |
$36,530 |
| Social and human service assistants |
Not available |
$13.93 |
$28,970 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
Not available |
Not available |
$43,330 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$25.13 |
$52,270 |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers |
Not available |
$10.99 |
$22,860 |
