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 |
49,290 |
$17.38 |
$36,150 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
9,630 |
$13.97 |
$29,070 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,880 |
$14.84 |
$30,860 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,170 |
$9.66 |
$20,090 |
| Production occupations |
3,990 |
$14.27 |
$29,670 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,860 |
$14.17 |
$29,480 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,320 |
$31.53 |
$65,580 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,180 |
$19.16 |
$39,840 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,320 |
$17.48 |
$36,360 |
| Management occupations |
2,220 |
$39.10 |
$81,320 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,030 |
$17.67 |
$36,750 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,900 |
$11.98 |
$24,910 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,590 |
$12.18 |
$25,330 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,580 |
$11.95 |
$24,850 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,440 |
$8.29 |
$17,250 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,390 |
$26.48 |
$55,080 |
| Registered nurses |
1,370 |
$28.23 |
$58,720 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,350 |
$12.42 |
$25,830 |
| Cashiers |
1,240 |
$8.69 |
$18,070 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,220 |
$17.18 |
$35,730 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,010 |
$17.08 |
$35,520 |
| Customer service representatives |
970 |
$13.15 |
$27,360 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
950 |
$11.25 |
$23,400 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
910 |
$11.34 |
$23,590 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
900 |
$12.05 |
$25,060 |
| Teacher assistants |
760 |
Not available |
$26,850 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
750 |
$21.01 |
$43,700 |
| General and operations managers |
720 |
$46.33 |
$96,370 |
| Home health aides |
670 |
$10.90 |
$22,660 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
670 |
$9.03 |
$18,780 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
640 |
$11.09 |
$23,070 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
640 |
$13.81 |
$28,730 |
| Protective service occupations |
610 |
$16.69 |
$34,710 |
| Medical secretaries |
580 |
$12.47 |
$25,940 |
| Order clerks |
570 |
$11.63 |
$24,190 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
560 |
$14.45 |
$30,060 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
560 |
Not available |
$41,990 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
560 |
$11.29 |
$23,490 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
530 |
$19.46 |
$40,480 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
510 |
$16.14 |
$33,560 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
500 |
$24.99 |
$51,970 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
500 |
$23.70 |
$49,300 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
490 |
$28.10 |
$58,450 |
| Food preparation workers |
490 |
$9.89 |
$20,570 |
| Social and human service assistants |
460 |
$12.19 |
$25,360 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
450 |
$13.71 |
$28,530 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
420 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
420 |
Not available |
$43,690 |
| Accountants and auditors |
400 |
$29.29 |
$60,920 |
| Personal and home care aides |
400 |
$10.48 |
$21,800 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
400 |
$15.80 |
$32,860 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
370 |
$15.66 |
$32,570 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
360 |
$13.68 |
$28,450 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
360 |
$10.40 |
$21,630 |
| Construction laborers |
350 |
$13.53 |
$28,150 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
340 |
$14.23 |
$29,610 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
340 |
$10.85 |
$22,570 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
300 |
$21.54 |
$44,810 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
290 |
$15.61 |
$32,460 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
290 |
Not available |
$42,280 |
| Team assemblers |
290 |
$13.29 |
$27,640 |
| Carpenters |
280 |
$16.40 |
$34,110 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
280 |
$19.10 |
$39,730 |
| Financial managers |
270 |
$39.66 |
$82,480 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
260 |
$11.94 |
$24,840 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
250 |
$13.32 |
$27,700 |
| Legal occupations |
250 |
$32.90 |
$68,440 |
| Medical assistants |
240 |
$13.33 |
$27,730 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
240 |
$13.54 |
$28,170 |
| Machinists |
230 |
$16.33 |
$33,970 |
| Electricians |
220 |
$26.81 |
$55,770 |
| Dishwashers |
210 |
$8.91 |
$18,540 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
200 |
$25.80 |
$53,670 |
| Helpers--production workers |
200 |
$11.15 |
$23,190 |
| Tellers |
200 |
$11.12 |
$23,140 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
190 |
$17.82 |
$37,070 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
190 |
$11.25 |
$23,410 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
190 |
$18.42 |
$38,320 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
190 |
$17.33 |
$36,040 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
170 |
$12.96 |
$26,950 |
| Bartenders |
160 |
$8.29 |
$17,240 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
160 |
$11.84 |
$24,630 |
| Driver/sales workers |
160 |
$11.72 |
$24,380 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
160 |
$23.88 |
$49,680 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
160 |
$27.11 |
$56,390 |
| Printing machine operators |
160 |
$16.34 |
$33,990 |
| Bill and account collectors |
150 |
$13.84 |
$28,800 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
150 |
$26.92 |
$56,000 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
150 |
$16.22 |
$33,740 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
150 |
$19.87 |
$41,320 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
140 |
$24.05 |
$50,010 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
140 |
$18.03 |
$37,510 |
| Computer support specialists |
140 |
$18.31 |
$38,070 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
140 |
$20.10 |
$41,820 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
140 |
$20.32 |
$42,270 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
140 |
$17.38 |
$36,150 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
140 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
140 |
Not available |
$43,550 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
140 |
Not available |
$20,610 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
130 |
$10.22 |
$21,270 |
| Coaches and scouts |
130 |
Not available |
$21,800 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
130 |
Not available |
$71,560 |
| Insurance sales agents |
130 |
$25.17 |
$52,360 |
| Lawyers |
130 |
$42.02 |
$87,410 |
| Sewing machine operators |
130 |
$12.31 |
$25,600 |
| Child care workers |
120 |
$9.57 |
$19,900 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
120 |
$13.22 |
$27,500 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
120 |
$14.93 |
$31,050 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
120 |
$12.98 |
$27,010 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
120 |
$12.30 |
$25,580 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
120 |
$12.75 |
$26,510 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
110 |
$19.91 |
$41,410 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
110 |
$14.73 |
$30,640 |
| Medical and health services managers |
110 |
$35.96 |
$74,800 |
| Parts salespersons |
110 |
$14.68 |
$30,540 |
| Pharmacists |
110 |
$53.39 |
$111,050 |
| Sheet metal workers |
110 |
$15.93 |
$33,140 |
| Administrative services managers |
100 |
$35.68 |
$74,220 |
| Bus drivers, school |
100 |
$13.27 |
$27,600 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
100 |
$10.66 |
$22,170 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
100 |
$10.92 |
$22,720 |
| Food service managers |
100 |
$23.39 |
$48,660 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
90 |
$15.11 |
$31,430 |
| Dental assistants |
90 |
$17.78 |
$36,980 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
90 |
$20.10 |
$41,800 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
90 |
$23.87 |
$49,640 |
| Loan officers |
90 |
$25.40 |
$52,840 |
| Physician assistants |
90 |
$40.81 |
$84,880 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
90 |
$11.96 |
$24,870 |
| Training and development specialists |
90 |
$23.14 |
$48,140 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
90 |
$10.04 |
$20,880 |
| Computer systems analysts |
80 |
$27.28 |
$56,750 |
| Dental hygienists |
80 |
$35.46 |
$73,760 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
80 |
$16.07 |
$33,420 |
| Industrial production managers |
80 |
$43.23 |
$89,920 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
80 |
Not available |
$39,860 |
| Legal secretaries |
80 |
$16.84 |
$35,030 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
80 |
$20.91 |
$43,500 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
80 |
$15.33 |
$31,880 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
80 |
$16.10 |
$33,480 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
80 |
$17.59 |
$36,590 |
| Sales managers |
80 |
$38.18 |
$79,410 |
| Social and community service managers |
80 |
$26.21 |
$54,520 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
70 |
$19.99 |
$41,580 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
70 |
$23.23 |
$48,310 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
70 |
$14.46 |
$30,080 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
70 |
$16.86 |
$35,070 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
70 |
$20.38 |
$42,400 |
| Physical therapists |
70 |
$25.43 |
$52,890 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
70 |
$21.86 |
$45,480 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
70 |
$14.78 |
$30,740 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
60 |
$17.92 |
$37,260 |
| Civil engineers |
60 |
$34.04 |
$70,810 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
60 |
$16.98 |
$35,330 |
| Construction managers |
60 |
$33.78 |
$70,260 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$22.22 |
$46,220 |
| Data entry keyers |
60 |
$11.77 |
$24,480 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
60 |
$16.32 |
$33,940 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
60 |
$14.25 |
$29,640 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
60 |
$21.59 |
$44,910 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
60 |
$9.30 |
$19,350 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$9.76 |
$20,300 |
| Industrial engineers |
60 |
$37.25 |
$77,480 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
60 |
$14.40 |
$29,960 |
| Public relations specialists |
60 |
$28.59 |
$59,470 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
60 |
$23.85 |
$49,600 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
60 |
$12.19 |
$25,350 |
| Shoe and leather workers and repairers |
60 |
$12.90 |
$26,820 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$41,780 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
60 |
$29.38 |
$61,110 |
| Bakers |
50 |
$11.87 |
$24,700 |
| Chief executives |
50 |
$62.91 |
$130,850 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
50 |
$26.82 |
$55,790 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
50 |
$41.69 |
$86,720 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
50 |
$13.18 |
$27,410 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$15.22 |
$31,660 |
| Hazardous materials removal workers |
50 |
$13.45 |
$27,970 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
50 |
$14.58 |
$30,330 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
50 |
$11.14 |
$23,170 |
| Librarians |
50 |
$23.70 |
$49,300 |
| Library technicians |
50 |
$13.35 |
$27,760 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
50 |
$29.75 |
$61,880 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
50 |
$15.61 |
$32,460 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
50 |
$10.10 |
$21,010 |
| Respiratory therapists |
50 |
$23.96 |
$49,850 |
| Surgical technologists |
50 |
$18.18 |
$37,810 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
50 |
$10.54 |
$21,930 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
50 |
$16.16 |
$33,600 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
50 |
$17.50 |
$36,390 |
| Word processors and typists |
50 |
$11.98 |
$24,930 |
| Advertising sales agents |
40 |
$21.25 |
$44,200 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
40 |
$21.03 |
$43,740 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
40 |
$14.74 |
$30,660 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
40 |
$17.50 |
$36,390 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
40 |
$21.91 |
$45,570 |
| Computer operators |
40 |
$15.76 |
$32,780 |
| Cutters and trimmers, hand |
40 |
$10.01 |
$20,810 |
| Dental laboratory technicians |
40 |
$14.96 |
$31,120 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
40 |
$12.36 |
$25,710 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
40 |
$21.71 |
$45,150 |
| Family and general practitioners |
40 |
$72.45 |
$150,690 |
| File clerks |
40 |
$10.80 |
$22,460 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
40 |
$15.02 |
$31,240 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
40 |
$20.84 |
$43,350 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
40 |
$20.73 |
$43,120 |
| Internists, general |
40 |
$77.78 |
$161,780 |
| Mechanical engineers |
40 |
$29.50 |
$61,360 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
40 |
$16.81 |
$34,970 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
40 |
$16.34 |
$34,000 |
| Occupational therapists |
40 |
$27.25 |
$56,680 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
40 |
$33.19 |
$69,040 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
40 |
Not available |
$46,110 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
40 |
$26.22 |
$54,540 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
40 |
$19.75 |
$41,080 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
40 |
$11.05 |
$22,970 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
40 |
$14.49 |
$30,150 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
30 |
$22.32 |
$46,420 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
30 |
$30.41 |
$63,240 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
30 |
$18.47 |
$38,420 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
30 |
$17.20 |
$35,770 |
| Marketing managers |
30 |
$33.27 |
$69,190 |
| Millwrights |
30 |
$18.26 |
$37,980 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$14.94 |
$31,070 |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other |
30 |
$10.07 |
$20,950 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
30 |
$15.87 |
$33,000 |
| Service station attendants |
30 |
$8.87 |
$18,450 |
| Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$10.94 |
$22,760 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
Not available |
$22.18 |
$46,130 |
| Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
Not available |
$12.55 |
$26,110 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$9.28 |
$19,300 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
Not available |
$12.93 |
$26,880 |
| Financial analysts |
Not available |
$42.44 |
$88,270 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
Not available |
$11.38 |
$23,670 |
| Food batchmakers |
Not available |
$13.84 |
$28,790 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
Not available |
$15.83 |
$32,920 |
| Management analysts |
Not available |
$39.92 |
$83,030 |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers |
Not available |
$8.74 |
$18,180 |
| Production workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.28 |
$27,620 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
Not available |
$23.80 |
$49,510 |
| Recreation workers |
Not available |
$12.31 |
$25,610 |
| Roofers |
Not available |
$16.31 |
$33,930 |
| Security guards |
Not available |
$12.50 |
$26,000 |
| Telemarketers |
Not available |
$14.72 |
$30,610 |
