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 |
52,840 |
$17.39 |
$36,180 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,480 |
$13.79 |
$28,690 |
| Production occupations |
6,240 |
$16.36 |
$34,030 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,910 |
$15.00 |
$31,190 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
5,100 |
$13.32 |
$27,690 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,900 |
$8.76 |
$18,230 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,500 |
$29.42 |
$61,180 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,280 |
$20.36 |
$42,340 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,410 |
$11.46 |
$23,850 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,380 |
$18.60 |
$38,680 |
| Registered nurses |
2,010 |
$26.65 |
$55,430 |
| Cashiers |
1,940 |
$8.94 |
$18,590 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,740 |
$19.83 |
$41,240 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,720 |
$11.22 |
$23,340 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,610 |
$11.26 |
$23,420 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,590 |
$7.84 |
$16,300 |
| Management occupations |
1,570 |
$40.41 |
$84,060 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,550 |
$10.58 |
$22,010 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,400 |
$29.65 |
$61,680 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,190 |
$19.32 |
$40,190 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,050 |
$17.26 |
$35,910 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
1,040 |
$10.47 |
$21,790 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,030 |
$12.34 |
$25,660 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
940 |
$9.82 |
$20,420 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
940 |
$7.81 |
$16,240 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
900 |
$11.81 |
$24,560 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
860 |
$28.14 |
$58,540 |
| Team assemblers |
800 |
$14.32 |
$29,780 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
750 |
$10.40 |
$21,630 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
710 |
$15.30 |
$31,810 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
660 |
$13.56 |
$28,210 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
640 |
Not available |
$47,530 |
| Community and social services occupations |
620 |
$20.08 |
$41,780 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
610 |
$17.43 |
$36,250 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
590 |
$15.93 |
$33,140 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
590 |
$13.63 |
$28,350 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
550 |
$18.50 |
$38,480 |
| Home health aides |
540 |
$9.97 |
$20,730 |
| Customer service representatives |
530 |
$13.57 |
$28,230 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
520 |
$32.50 |
$67,590 |
| Medical secretaries |
460 |
$12.18 |
$25,330 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
450 |
Not available |
$49,820 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
420 |
$9.10 |
$18,930 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
420 |
$12.71 |
$26,450 |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
410 |
$20.62 |
$42,890 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
380 |
$22.40 |
$46,600 |
| General and operations managers |
370 |
$38.48 |
$80,040 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
360 |
$20.77 |
$43,190 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
360 |
$9.26 |
$19,250 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
340 |
$17.12 |
$35,620 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
340 |
$11.32 |
$23,540 |
| Carpenters |
330 |
$17.97 |
$37,390 |
| Cooks, fast food |
330 |
$8.05 |
$16,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
330 |
$14.58 |
$30,320 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
320 |
$14.50 |
$30,160 |
| Construction laborers |
320 |
$17.21 |
$35,790 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
310 |
$9.27 |
$19,290 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
300 |
$33.53 |
$69,740 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
300 |
$25.23 |
$52,480 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
300 |
$11.65 |
$24,230 |
| Driver/sales workers |
300 |
$14.63 |
$30,440 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
290 |
$17.05 |
$35,470 |
| Tellers |
290 |
$10.35 |
$21,520 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
280 |
$8.64 |
$17,970 |
| Medical assistants |
280 |
$13.92 |
$28,940 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
280 |
$20.63 |
$42,910 |
| Helpers--production workers |
270 |
$10.81 |
$22,480 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
270 |
$10.63 |
$22,110 |
| Legal occupations |
270 |
$28.23 |
$58,720 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
270 |
$20.48 |
$42,600 |
| Accountants and auditors |
260 |
$31.30 |
$65,100 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
260 |
$14.33 |
$29,810 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
260 |
Not available |
$48,220 |
| Bartenders |
250 |
$8.18 |
$17,010 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
240 |
$11.70 |
$24,330 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
230 |
$11.58 |
$24,080 |
| Electricians |
230 |
$23.93 |
$49,780 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
230 |
$20.77 |
$43,210 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
190 |
$12.24 |
$25,460 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
180 |
$27.96 |
$58,160 |
| Medical and health services managers |
180 |
$37.35 |
$77,680 |
| Food preparation workers |
170 |
$9.15 |
$19,040 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
170 |
$23.93 |
$49,780 |
| Industrial engineers |
170 |
$34.68 |
$72,140 |
| Tool and die makers |
170 |
$22.62 |
$47,050 |
| Fire fighters |
160 |
$16.77 |
$34,880 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
160 |
$17.88 |
$37,190 |
| Machinists |
150 |
$20.44 |
$42,520 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
150 |
$17.58 |
$36,570 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
140 |
$10.01 |
$20,820 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
140 |
$7.61 |
$15,830 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
140 |
$8.80 |
$18,300 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
140 |
$9.08 |
$18,880 |
| Pharmacists |
140 |
$43.98 |
$91,470 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
130 |
$18.43 |
$38,320 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
130 |
$12.36 |
$25,700 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
130 |
$12.68 |
$26,380 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
130 |
Not available |
$52,130 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
120 |
$16.81 |
$34,970 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
120 |
$18.32 |
$38,110 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
120 |
$14.08 |
$29,290 |
| Dishwashers |
120 |
$8.24 |
$17,130 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
120 |
$17.54 |
$36,490 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
120 |
$17.04 |
$35,440 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
120 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Respiratory therapists |
120 |
$21.92 |
$45,590 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
110 |
$7.52 |
$15,630 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
110 |
$34.80 |
$72,390 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
110 |
$27.13 |
$56,440 |
| Industrial production managers |
110 |
$37.04 |
$77,040 |
| Managers, all other |
110 |
$64.35 |
$133,850 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
110 |
$14.27 |
$29,680 |
| Millwrights |
110 |
$22.54 |
$46,880 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
110 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
110 |
$28.39 |
$59,050 |
| Security guards |
110 |
$13.86 |
$28,820 |
| Bill and account collectors |
100 |
$12.99 |
$27,010 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
100 |
$13.24 |
$27,540 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
100 |
$13.16 |
$27,380 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
100 |
$23.25 |
$48,360 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
100 |
$8.17 |
$17,000 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
100 |
$24.84 |
$51,660 |
| Dental hygienists |
90 |
$26.03 |
$54,150 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
90 |
$14.24 |
$29,620 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
90 |
$14.58 |
$30,320 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
90 |
$25.10 |
$52,200 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
90 |
$19.99 |
$41,580 |
| Recreation workers |
90 |
$10.92 |
$22,710 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$54,430 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
90 |
$19.71 |
$40,990 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
90 |
$15.77 |
$32,790 |
| Bakers |
80 |
$12.25 |
$25,480 |
| Chief executives |
80 |
$63.88 |
$132,860 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
80 |
Not available |
$88,650 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
80 |
$24.20 |
$50,330 |
| Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$14.48 |
$30,120 |
| Financial managers |
80 |
$42.08 |
$87,540 |
| Food service managers |
80 |
$17.54 |
$36,490 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
80 |
Not available |
$43,990 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
80 |
$20.97 |
$43,630 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
80 |
$25.89 |
$53,840 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
80 |
$26.58 |
$55,280 |
| Personal and home care aides |
80 |
$9.23 |
$19,200 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
80 |
$9.70 |
$20,170 |
| Sales managers |
80 |
$46.67 |
$97,070 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
80 |
Not available |
$47,330 |
| Computer support specialists |
70 |
$18.42 |
$38,310 |
| Construction managers |
70 |
$33.20 |
$69,060 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
70 |
$23.74 |
$49,390 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
70 |
$9.37 |
$19,480 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
70 |
$17.62 |
$36,650 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
70 |
$8.65 |
$17,990 |
| Lawyers |
70 |
$50.61 |
$105,270 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
70 |
$13.79 |
$28,680 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
70 |
$7.84 |
$16,320 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
70 |
$10.33 |
$21,490 |
| Bus drivers, school |
60 |
$12.58 |
$26,170 |
| Child care workers |
60 |
$10.94 |
$22,750 |
| Civil engineers |
60 |
$35.10 |
$73,010 |
| Coaches and scouts |
60 |
Not available |
$15,620 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$26.08 |
$54,240 |
| Dental assistants |
60 |
$12.44 |
$25,870 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
60 |
$14.23 |
$29,590 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
60 |
$8.44 |
$17,560 |
| Management analysts |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Mechanical engineers |
60 |
$32.21 |
$66,990 |
| Parts salespersons |
60 |
$15.39 |
$32,000 |
| Physical therapists |
60 |
$38.02 |
$79,090 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
60 |
$21.25 |
$44,200 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$46,750 |
| Surgical technologists |
60 |
$15.98 |
$33,240 |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$25.74 |
$53,540 |
| Administrative services managers |
50 |
$33.41 |
$69,500 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$18.19 |
$37,840 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
50 |
$14.42 |
$29,990 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
50 |
$30.80 |
$64,070 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
50 |
$21.56 |
$44,840 |
| File clerks |
50 |
$11.48 |
$23,870 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
50 |
$20.28 |
$42,180 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
50 |
$16.78 |
$34,890 |
| Floral designers |
50 |
$12.98 |
$27,010 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
50 |
$16.19 |
$33,670 |
| Library technicians |
50 |
$13.48 |
$28,030 |
| Loan officers |
50 |
$28.01 |
$58,260 |
| Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics |
50 |
$11.64 |
$24,210 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
50 |
$24.25 |
$50,450 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
50 |
Not available |
$47,040 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
50 |
$17.15 |
$35,670 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
50 |
$24.80 |
$51,590 |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
40 |
$24.26 |
$50,460 |
| Chemical engineers |
40 |
$44.01 |
$91,530 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$23.87 |
$49,640 |
| Computer systems analysts |
40 |
$30.31 |
$63,050 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
40 |
$16.99 |
$35,330 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
40 |
$21.61 |
$44,950 |
| Engineering managers |
40 |
$42.29 |
$87,950 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
40 |
$14.54 |
$30,250 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
40 |
$26.73 |
$55,590 |
| Insurance sales agents |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Library assistants, clerical |
40 |
$11.74 |
$24,410 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
40 |
$19.42 |
$40,390 |
| Medical equipment preparers |
40 |
$12.88 |
$26,790 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
40 |
$15.92 |
$33,120 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
40 |
$30.42 |
$63,260 |
| Occupational therapists |
40 |
$32.35 |
$67,280 |
| Order clerks |
40 |
$12.01 |
$24,990 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
40 |
$22.32 |
$46,430 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
40 |
$13.99 |
$29,110 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
40 |
$21.98 |
$45,720 |
| Printing machine operators |
40 |
$10.37 |
$21,560 |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists |
40 |
$25.64 |
$53,330 |
| Telemarketers |
40 |
$8.46 |
$17,600 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
40 |
$31.96 |
$66,470 |
| All other information and record clerks |
30 |
$13.52 |
$28,110 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
30 |
$29.43 |
$61,220 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
30 |
$25.56 |
$53,170 |
| Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door |
30 |
$22.09 |
$45,940 |
| Dentists, general |
30 |
$95.96 |
$199,610 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
30 |
$28.32 |
$58,900 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
30 |
$16.78 |
$34,900 |
| Librarians |
30 |
$22.76 |
$47,340 |
| Procurement clerks |
30 |
$13.12 |
$27,280 |
| Public relations specialists |
30 |
$20.82 |
$43,300 |
| Roofers |
30 |
$19.26 |
$40,060 |
| Social and community service managers |
30 |
$25.64 |
$53,330 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
Not available |
$16.30 |
$33,910 |
| Chemical technicians |
Not available |
$29.55 |
$61,470 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$15.38 |
$31,990 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$8.21 |
$17,070 |
| Couriers and messengers |
Not available |
$10.78 |
$22,420 |
| Data entry keyers |
Not available |
$12.11 |
$25,180 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
Not available |
$14.45 |
$30,060 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$13.03 |
$27,110 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$21.22 |
$44,130 |
| Law clerks |
Not available |
$15.35 |
$31,930 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$13.49 |
$28,060 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
Not available |
$31.29 |
$65,080 |
| Massage therapists |
Not available |
$17.19 |
$35,760 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$12.62 |
$26,260 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$13.38 |
$27,830 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
Not available |
$13.47 |
$28,010 |
| Painters, transportation equipment |
Not available |
$22.09 |
$45,940 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$22.44 |
$46,680 |
| Production workers, all other |
Not available |
$11.57 |
$24,070 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
Not available |
$24.54 |
$51,040 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
Not available |
$29.33 |
$61,010 |
| Social and human service assistants |
Not available |
$15.08 |
$31,370 |
| Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers |
Not available |
$10.42 |
$21,680 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
Not available |
$7.80 |
$16,220 |
| Teacher assistants |
Not available |
Not available |
$18,080 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$12.99 |
$27,020 |
| Word processors and typists |
Not available |
$14.10 |
$29,330 |
