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 |
40,420 |
$15.30 |
$31,820 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,190 |
$12.93 |
$26,900 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,160 |
$8.48 |
$17,640 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,070 |
$11.09 |
$23,060 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,470 |
$17.00 |
$35,350 |
| Production occupations |
3,010 |
$15.01 |
$31,220 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,620 |
$28.15 |
$58,550 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,480 |
$12.47 |
$25,930 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,640 |
$15.28 |
$31,790 |
| Management occupations |
1,590 |
$29.83 |
$62,040 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,450 |
$10.70 |
$22,250 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,440 |
$24.16 |
$50,260 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,410 |
$14.42 |
$30,000 |
| Cashiers |
1,400 |
$8.02 |
$16,690 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,350 |
$10.10 |
$21,000 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,310 |
$16.00 |
$33,270 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,290 |
$11.04 |
$22,970 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,160 |
$9.24 |
$19,220 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,140 |
$13.86 |
$28,830 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
950 |
$8.43 |
$17,530 |
| Office clerks, general |
860 |
$11.41 |
$23,740 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
760 |
$10.44 |
$21,710 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
730 |
$7.85 |
$16,320 |
| Registered nurses |
700 |
$27.23 |
$56,630 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
690 |
$27.37 |
$56,940 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
690 |
Not available |
$39,440 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
640 |
$12.74 |
$26,490 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
620 |
$14.91 |
$31,020 |
| Community and social services occupations |
570 |
$18.64 |
$38,770 |
| General and operations managers |
570 |
$30.41 |
$63,260 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
470 |
$14.84 |
$30,870 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
470 |
$9.42 |
$19,600 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
470 |
$11.20 |
$23,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
460 |
$16.41 |
$34,130 |
| Teacher assistants |
440 |
Not available |
$17,730 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
430 |
$9.17 |
$19,070 |
| Tellers |
430 |
$9.28 |
$19,300 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
390 |
$13.53 |
$28,130 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
370 |
$10.84 |
$22,550 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
360 |
$11.93 |
$24,820 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
340 |
$28.73 |
$59,750 |
| Construction laborers |
340 |
$10.61 |
$22,070 |
| Cooks, fast food |
330 |
$7.13 |
$14,840 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
330 |
$14.51 |
$30,190 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
320 |
$11.82 |
$24,580 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
300 |
$8.07 |
$16,780 |
| Security guards |
300 |
$12.32 |
$25,630 |
| Customer service representatives |
290 |
$10.64 |
$22,120 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
290 |
$13.36 |
$27,780 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
280 |
$8.33 |
$17,330 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
280 |
$14.36 |
$29,870 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
270 |
$13.08 |
$27,210 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
270 |
$16.98 |
$35,310 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
250 |
$25.96 |
$54,000 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
250 |
$7.73 |
$16,070 |
| Child care workers |
240 |
$8.61 |
$17,910 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
240 |
$9.71 |
$20,200 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
230 |
$8.87 |
$18,440 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
220 |
$13.76 |
$28,630 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
210 |
$9.34 |
$19,430 |
| Home health aides |
200 |
$9.10 |
$18,920 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
200 |
$26.43 |
$54,980 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
190 |
$6.87 |
$14,290 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
190 |
$14.66 |
$30,500 |
| Bus drivers, school |
180 |
$10.64 |
$22,130 |
| Chief executives |
180 |
$49.43 |
$102,820 |
| All other information and record clerks |
170 |
$16.76 |
$34,860 |
| Medical assistants |
170 |
$10.13 |
$21,070 |
| Dental assistants |
160 |
$15.14 |
$31,490 |
| Electricians |
160 |
$19.59 |
$40,750 |
| Accountants and auditors |
150 |
$21.23 |
$44,170 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
150 |
$21.53 |
$44,790 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
150 |
$22.11 |
$45,980 |
| Food preparation workers |
150 |
$7.34 |
$15,270 |
| Legal occupations |
150 |
$24.44 |
$50,830 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
150 |
$18.95 |
$39,410 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
150 |
$15.23 |
$31,680 |
| Training and development specialists |
150 |
$22.77 |
$47,350 |
| Carpenters |
140 |
$15.05 |
$31,290 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
140 |
$6.83 |
$14,200 |
| Driver/sales workers |
140 |
$10.33 |
$21,490 |
| Loan officers |
140 |
$20.93 |
$43,530 |
| Procurement clerks |
140 |
$15.77 |
$32,800 |
| Food service managers |
130 |
$17.70 |
$36,820 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
130 |
$12.74 |
$26,510 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
130 |
$12.27 |
$25,520 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
120 |
$10.99 |
$22,860 |
| Computer programmers |
120 |
$22.03 |
$45,820 |
| Dishwashers |
120 |
$7.47 |
$15,550 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
120 |
$7.31 |
$15,200 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
120 |
Not available |
$38,470 |
| Team assemblers |
120 |
$16.12 |
$33,540 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
110 |
$6.93 |
$14,410 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
110 |
$8.27 |
$17,210 |
| Medical secretaries |
110 |
$10.43 |
$21,690 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
110 |
$7.93 |
$16,500 |
| Bartenders |
100 |
$8.34 |
$17,350 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
100 |
$23.17 |
$48,190 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
100 |
Not available |
$38,700 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
100 |
$15.46 |
$32,160 |
| Parts salespersons |
100 |
$11.41 |
$23,740 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
90 |
$15.09 |
$31,390 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
90 |
$11.08 |
$23,050 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$62,950 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
90 |
$22.41 |
$46,610 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
90 |
$21.56 |
$44,840 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
90 |
$16.88 |
$35,120 |
| Pharmacists |
90 |
$45.19 |
$93,990 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
80 |
$13.82 |
$28,740 |
| Computer support specialists |
80 |
$16.98 |
$35,320 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
80 |
$8.85 |
$18,420 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
80 |
$12.34 |
$25,660 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
80 |
$10.07 |
$20,950 |
| Financial managers |
80 |
$34.86 |
$72,500 |
| Management analysts |
80 |
$28.54 |
$59,350 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
80 |
$15.21 |
$31,630 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
80 |
$16.54 |
$34,400 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
80 |
$86.05 |
$178,980 |
| Social and human service assistants |
80 |
$13.07 |
$27,190 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
80 |
$13.59 |
$28,280 |
| Budget analysts |
70 |
$28.28 |
$58,830 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
70 |
$20.94 |
$43,560 |
| Instructional coordinators |
70 |
$25.62 |
$53,280 |
| Insurance sales agents |
70 |
$27.64 |
$57,490 |
| Lawyers |
70 |
$30.19 |
$62,800 |
| Surgical technologists |
70 |
$14.09 |
$29,310 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
70 |
$14.53 |
$30,230 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
60 |
$7.90 |
$16,440 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
60 |
$19.85 |
$41,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
60 |
$20.93 |
$43,540 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
60 |
$9.63 |
$20,020 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$8.44 |
$17,550 |
| Medical and health services managers |
60 |
$39.17 |
$81,460 |
| Mental health counselors |
60 |
$21.22 |
$44,140 |
| New accounts clerks |
60 |
$12.98 |
$27,000 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
60 |
$13.55 |
$28,180 |
| Recreation workers |
60 |
$9.93 |
$20,650 |
| Social workers, all other |
60 |
$26.52 |
$55,170 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
60 |
$32.09 |
$66,740 |
| Administrative services managers |
50 |
$24.02 |
$49,960 |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
50 |
$12.70 |
$26,420 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
50 |
$12.17 |
$25,310 |
| Bill and account collectors |
50 |
$16.71 |
$34,750 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
50 |
$12.34 |
$25,660 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
50 |
$19.59 |
$40,750 |
| Family and general practitioners |
50 |
$68.04 |
$141,510 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
50 |
$16.17 |
$33,640 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
50 |
$16.41 |
$34,130 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
50 |
$22.14 |
$46,050 |
| Helpers, construction trades, all other |
50 |
$8.95 |
$18,610 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
50 |
$13.27 |
$27,600 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
50 |
$11.75 |
$24,450 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
50 |
$18.33 |
$38,120 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
50 |
$20.16 |
$41,930 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
50 |
$24.28 |
$50,500 |
| Physical therapist aides |
50 |
$9.78 |
$20,350 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
50 |
$26.14 |
$54,380 |
| Sales managers |
50 |
$34.38 |
$71,500 |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers |
50 |
$13.03 |
$27,100 |
| Bakers |
40 |
$8.51 |
$17,700 |
| Civil engineers |
40 |
$31.25 |
$65,010 |
| Computer systems analysts |
40 |
$25.72 |
$53,500 |
| Data entry keyers |
40 |
$10.48 |
$21,800 |
| Dental hygienists |
40 |
$27.46 |
$57,120 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
40 |
$19.24 |
$40,010 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
40 |
$28.05 |
$58,340 |
| Librarians |
40 |
$24.01 |
$49,930 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
40 |
$15.65 |
$32,560 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
40 |
$25.87 |
$53,820 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
40 |
$21.98 |
$45,710 |
| Physical therapists |
40 |
$33.90 |
$70,520 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
40 |
$10.75 |
$22,350 |
| Public relations specialists |
40 |
$23.91 |
$49,730 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
40 |
$19.51 |
$40,580 |
| Real estate sales agents |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
40 |
$22.26 |
$46,310 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
40 |
$8.49 |
$17,660 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
30 |
$16.94 |
$35,240 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
30 |
$12.92 |
$26,880 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
30 |
$20.27 |
$42,170 |
| Financial analysts |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Industrial production managers |
30 |
$25.24 |
$52,500 |
| Pharmacy aides |
30 |
$9.02 |
$18,760 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Psychiatric aides |
30 |
$10.32 |
$21,470 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
30 |
$11.62 |
$24,160 |
| Social and community service managers |
30 |
$16.10 |
$33,490 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
30 |
$22.11 |
$45,990 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
30 |
$7.66 |
$15,930 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
Not available |
$9.78 |
$20,340 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
Not available |
$28.24 |
$58,740 |
| Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
Not available |
$9.01 |
$18,740 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$7.16 |
$14,890 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
Not available |
$23.50 |
$48,880 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$9.47 |
$19,700 |
| Helpers--production workers |
Not available |
$9.13 |
$18,980 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
Not available |
$14.46 |
$30,080 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$11.30 |
$23,510 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$10.19 |
$21,190 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
Not available |
$11.37 |
$23,640 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
Not available |
$12.88 |
$26,790 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
Not available |
$18.91 |
$39,320 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
Not available |
$11.80 |
$24,540 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
Not available |
$12.79 |
$26,610 |
