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 |
35,680 |
$19.04 |
$39,600 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
5,470 |
$14.83 |
$30,850 |
| Production occupations |
4,780 |
$18.53 |
$38,530 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
3,570 |
$10.81 |
$22,490 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,310 |
$19.08 |
$39,680 |
| Sales and related occupations |
3,230 |
$16.31 |
$33,910 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,260 |
$21.37 |
$44,440 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,170 |
$22.68 |
$47,170 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,790 |
$20.82 |
$43,310 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
1,720 |
$34.52 |
$71,810 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,250 |
$9.47 |
$19,700 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,100 |
$13.36 |
$27,790 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,100 |
$13.13 |
$27,310 |
| Cashiers |
930 |
$10.57 |
$21,980 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
920 |
$12.54 |
$26,080 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
790 |
$19.71 |
$41,000 |
| Office clerks, general |
760 |
$12.45 |
$25,890 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
730 |
$28.48 |
$59,250 |
| Management occupations |
690 |
$44.88 |
$93,350 |
| Registered nurses |
690 |
$33.18 |
$69,020 |
| Community and social services occupations |
660 |
$18.50 |
$38,480 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
660 |
$12.90 |
$26,840 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
630 |
$19.86 |
$41,310 |
| Protective service occupations |
630 |
$22.72 |
$47,250 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
610 |
$12.37 |
$25,720 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
610 |
$11.77 |
$24,480 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
600 |
$15.71 |
$32,670 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
540 |
$12.49 |
$25,980 |
| Teacher assistants |
510 |
Not available |
$27,530 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
450 |
$11.33 |
$23,580 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
440 |
$15.66 |
$32,580 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
420 |
$22.84 |
$47,500 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
410 |
Not available |
$54,120 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
410 |
$13.33 |
$27,730 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
360 |
$20.30 |
$42,230 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
350 |
$27.07 |
$56,310 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
330 |
$16.78 |
$34,910 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
310 |
$10.74 |
$22,330 |
| Team assemblers |
310 |
$14.91 |
$31,010 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
290 |
$30.79 |
$64,030 |
| Construction laborers |
290 |
$18.15 |
$37,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
290 |
$30.03 |
$62,460 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
280 |
$18.25 |
$37,960 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
270 |
$15.60 |
$32,450 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
270 |
$21.24 |
$44,180 |
| Logging equipment operators |
270 |
$21.13 |
$43,940 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
270 |
$26.96 |
$56,080 |
| Medical secretaries |
260 |
$15.50 |
$32,240 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
260 |
$11.83 |
$24,610 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
250 |
$22.83 |
$47,490 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
250 |
Not available |
$47,320 |
| Tellers |
240 |
$11.39 |
$23,690 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
240 |
$11.77 |
$24,470 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
230 |
$30.23 |
$62,890 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
230 |
$12.10 |
$25,160 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
230 |
Not available |
$54,550 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
230 |
Not available |
$56,260 |
| Bus drivers, school |
220 |
$15.86 |
$32,980 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
220 |
$14.83 |
$30,850 |
| Carpenters |
210 |
$23.27 |
$48,410 |
| Food preparation workers |
210 |
$10.24 |
$21,310 |
| Logging workers, all other |
210 |
$19.24 |
$40,020 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
200 |
$18.29 |
$38,040 |
| General and operations managers |
200 |
$49.15 |
$102,230 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
190 |
$11.05 |
$22,990 |
| Cooks, fast food |
180 |
$9.02 |
$18,760 |
| Customer service representatives |
170 |
$14.22 |
$29,590 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
170 |
$27.79 |
$57,810 |
| Accountants and auditors |
160 |
$28.53 |
$59,350 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
160 |
$9.34 |
$19,420 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
150 |
$16.08 |
$33,450 |
| Electricians |
150 |
$26.80 |
$55,730 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
150 |
$26.86 |
$55,870 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
140 |
$18.52 |
$38,520 |
| Home health aides |
140 |
$10.26 |
$21,340 |
| Legal occupations |
140 |
$35.20 |
$73,220 |
| Medical assistants |
140 |
$15.46 |
$32,150 |
| Production workers, all other |
140 |
$12.80 |
$26,630 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
140 |
$12.59 |
$26,190 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
130 |
$9.93 |
$20,650 |
| Dental assistants |
130 |
$15.58 |
$32,400 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
130 |
$16.71 |
$34,750 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
130 |
$19.99 |
$41,570 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
130 |
$27.55 |
$57,310 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
120 |
$19.65 |
$40,860 |
| Child care workers |
120 |
$10.46 |
$21,760 |
| Coaches and scouts |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Dishwashers |
120 |
$9.09 |
$18,910 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
120 |
$30.77 |
$64,010 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
120 |
$12.82 |
$26,660 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
120 |
$12.36 |
$25,710 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
120 |
$11.47 |
$23,860 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
120 |
$17.33 |
$36,040 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
110 |
$19.39 |
$40,340 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
110 |
$27.63 |
$57,480 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
110 |
$16.38 |
$34,060 |
| Security guards |
110 |
$12.73 |
$26,480 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
100 |
$9.86 |
$20,510 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
100 |
$33.83 |
$70,360 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
100 |
$16.72 |
$34,770 |
| Machinists |
100 |
$21.54 |
$44,800 |
| Social and human service assistants |
100 |
$14.09 |
$29,310 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
90 |
$27.44 |
$57,080 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
90 |
$13.36 |
$27,800 |
| Financial managers |
90 |
$43.02 |
$89,480 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
90 |
$14.69 |
$30,560 |
| Material moving workers, all other |
90 |
$27.89 |
$58,020 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
90 |
$19.02 |
$39,560 |
| Civil engineers |
80 |
$33.90 |
$70,520 |
| Driver/sales workers |
80 |
$14.76 |
$30,700 |
| Fire fighters |
80 |
$30.10 |
$62,610 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
80 |
$17.58 |
$36,570 |
| Loan officers |
80 |
$31.01 |
$64,500 |
| Millwrights |
80 |
$24.46 |
$50,880 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
80 |
$13.42 |
$27,920 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
70 |
$9.88 |
$20,550 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
70 |
$22.50 |
$46,800 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
70 |
$24.94 |
$51,870 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
70 |
$9.16 |
$19,060 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
70 |
$15.55 |
$32,340 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
70 |
$15.80 |
$32,850 |
| Pharmacists |
70 |
$52.69 |
$109,590 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
70 |
$24.39 |
$50,740 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
70 |
$21.22 |
$44,140 |
| Biological technicians |
60 |
$15.82 |
$32,900 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$30.96 |
$64,400 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$93,740 |
| File clerks |
60 |
$11.92 |
$24,780 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$27.10 |
$56,370 |
| Insurance sales agents |
60 |
$27.26 |
$56,700 |
| Mental health counselors |
60 |
$21.02 |
$43,710 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
60 |
$27.86 |
$57,950 |
| New accounts clerks |
60 |
$12.98 |
$27,010 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
60 |
$14.17 |
$29,480 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
60 |
$16.80 |
$34,930 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
60 |
$16.82 |
$34,980 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
60 |
$14.41 |
$29,970 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
50 |
$14.27 |
$29,680 |
| Computer support specialists |
50 |
$20.81 |
$43,270 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
50 |
$38.87 |
$80,840 |
| Glaziers |
50 |
$13.98 |
$29,070 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
50 |
$11.84 |
$24,630 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
50 |
$9.78 |
$20,350 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
50 |
$17.46 |
$36,320 |
| Parts salespersons |
50 |
$13.66 |
$28,410 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$16.75 |
$34,830 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
50 |
$27.43 |
$57,040 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
50 |
$26.58 |
$55,290 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
50 |
Not available |
$58,280 |
| Bakers |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Bill and account collectors |
40 |
$16.52 |
$34,370 |
| Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders |
40 |
$18.49 |
$38,460 |
| Computer systems analysts |
40 |
$32.41 |
$67,400 |
| Dental hygienists |
40 |
$35.91 |
$74,700 |
| Family and general practitioners |
40 |
$88.67 |
$184,420 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
40 |
$19.50 |
$40,560 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
40 |
$36.81 |
$76,560 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
40 |
$17.78 |
$36,980 |
| Industrial production managers |
40 |
$49.61 |
$103,190 |
| Lawyers |
40 |
$33.34 |
$69,340 |
| Legal secretaries |
40 |
$16.05 |
$33,380 |
| Librarians |
40 |
$28.91 |
$60,130 |
| Medical and health services managers |
40 |
$40.55 |
$84,340 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
40 |
$22.62 |
$47,060 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
40 |
$10.06 |
$20,920 |
| Sales managers |
40 |
$60.18 |
$125,160 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
40 |
Not available |
$49,400 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
40 |
$25.08 |
$52,170 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
30 |
$9.29 |
$19,330 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
30 |
$12.93 |
$26,890 |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$17.82 |
$37,060 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$19.88 |
$41,350 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
30 |
$12.15 |
$25,280 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
30 |
$30.86 |
$64,190 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
30 |
$17.32 |
$36,030 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$16.84 |
$35,030 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
30 |
$39.85 |
$82,880 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
30 |
$104.68 |
$217,740 |
| Recreation workers |
30 |
$10.68 |
$22,210 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
30 |
Not available |
$58,730 |
| Zoologists and wildlife biologists |
30 |
$25.79 |
$53,640 |
| Bartenders |
Not available |
$12.87 |
$26,770 |
| Chemical equipment operators and tenders |
Not available |
$21.54 |
$44,810 |
| Chemical technicians |
Not available |
$16.30 |
$33,900 |
| Chemists |
Not available |
$26.43 |
$54,970 |
| Data entry keyers |
Not available |
$14.00 |
$29,110 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$17.66 |
$36,730 |
| Helpers--production workers |
Not available |
$11.98 |
$24,910 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
Not available |
$16.18 |
$33,660 |
| Order clerks |
Not available |
$14.42 |
$30,000 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$10.07 |
$20,950 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$21.55 |
$44,810 |
| Physical therapists |
Not available |
$29.22 |
$60,780 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$24.55 |
$51,060 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
Not available |
$18.31 |
$38,090 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$12.40 |
$25,790 |
