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 |
39,230 |
$18.60 |
$38,690 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
5,690 |
$8.95 |
$18,610 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
5,390 |
$15.29 |
$31,800 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
5,300 |
$8.66 |
$18,010 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,280 |
$24.05 |
$50,030 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,660 |
$35.70 |
$74,260 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
2,630 |
$10.47 |
$21,780 |
| Sales and related occupations |
2,190 |
$13.98 |
$29,070 |
| Production occupations |
2,150 |
$16.10 |
$33,480 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,940 |
$19.19 |
$39,910 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,890 |
$28.90 |
$60,110 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,790 |
$11.82 |
$24,580 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
1,790 |
$14.63 |
$30,430 |
| Management occupations |
1,320 |
$42.02 |
$87,400 |
| Registered nurses |
1,310 |
$35.17 |
$73,160 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,290 |
$18.42 |
$38,300 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,140 |
$13.07 |
$27,180 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,080 |
$12.25 |
$25,490 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
1,060 |
Not available |
$54,030 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,030 |
$11.54 |
$24,010 |
| Community and social services occupations |
970 |
$24.28 |
$50,500 |
| Cashiers |
910 |
$10.37 |
$21,570 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
830 |
$27.60 |
$57,410 |
| Office clerks, general |
700 |
$12.17 |
$25,310 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
600 |
$15.97 |
$33,220 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
580 |
$8.83 |
$18,370 |
| Retail salespersons |
570 |
$11.59 |
$24,100 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
470 |
$12.32 |
$25,630 |
| General and operations managers |
430 |
$49.20 |
$102,340 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
430 |
$27.23 |
$56,630 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
430 |
$18.21 |
$37,870 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
390 |
$17.49 |
$36,380 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
350 |
$12.33 |
$25,640 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
340 |
$26.35 |
$54,800 |
| Construction laborers |
340 |
$14.33 |
$29,810 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
340 |
$10.02 |
$20,840 |
| Cooks, fast food |
330 |
$8.92 |
$18,550 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
320 |
$12.67 |
$26,350 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
310 |
$9.99 |
$20,790 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
300 |
$23.44 |
$48,760 |
| Food preparation workers |
300 |
$10.05 |
$20,900 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
290 |
$18.67 |
$38,840 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
280 |
$11.08 |
$23,050 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
280 |
$12.83 |
$26,690 |
| Medical secretaries |
270 |
$15.15 |
$31,520 |
| Customer service representatives |
260 |
$14.98 |
$31,160 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
250 |
$15.62 |
$32,490 |
| Team assemblers |
250 |
$15.08 |
$31,360 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
240 |
$29.29 |
$60,930 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
230 |
$15.47 |
$32,180 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
230 |
$23.85 |
$49,600 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
230 |
$12.50 |
$26,000 |
| Carpenters |
220 |
$19.68 |
$40,940 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
220 |
$21.01 |
$43,700 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
210 |
$16.37 |
$34,040 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
210 |
$8.74 |
$18,180 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
200 |
$20.19 |
$42,000 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
200 |
$14.90 |
$31,000 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
200 |
$17.74 |
$36,900 |
| Helpers--production workers |
200 |
$11.94 |
$24,830 |
| Medical assistants |
200 |
$14.15 |
$29,420 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
190 |
$14.90 |
$30,990 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
190 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
180 |
$29.83 |
$62,050 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
180 |
Not available |
$53,620 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
180 |
$12.61 |
$26,230 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
180 |
$28.46 |
$59,200 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
170 |
$16.67 |
$34,680 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
170 |
$15.94 |
$33,150 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
170 |
$11.52 |
$23,970 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
160 |
$9.74 |
$20,250 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
160 |
Not available |
$49,200 |
| Accountants and auditors |
150 |
$28.89 |
$60,080 |
| Legal occupations |
150 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Security guards |
150 |
$12.26 |
$25,490 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
140 |
$19.68 |
$40,930 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
140 |
$27.27 |
$56,720 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of farming, fishing, and forestry workers |
140 |
$13.33 |
$27,730 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
140 |
$31.99 |
$66,540 |
| Tellers |
140 |
$12.79 |
$26,610 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
140 |
$16.30 |
$33,900 |
| Dental assistants |
130 |
$16.77 |
$34,870 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
130 |
$11.28 |
$23,460 |
| Word processors and typists |
130 |
$15.15 |
$31,510 |
| Dishwashers |
120 |
$9.04 |
$18,800 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
120 |
$22.60 |
$47,000 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
120 |
$11.56 |
$24,040 |
| Agricultural equipment operators |
110 |
$10.69 |
$22,230 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
110 |
$10.45 |
$21,740 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
110 |
$10.45 |
$21,740 |
| Home health aides |
110 |
$9.78 |
$20,330 |
| Lawyers |
110 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Social and human service assistants |
110 |
$16.43 |
$34,180 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other |
100 |
$33.48 |
$69,640 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
100 |
$15.23 |
$31,680 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
100 |
$18.27 |
$37,990 |
| Social workers, all other |
100 |
$26.16 |
$54,420 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
90 |
$17.19 |
$35,760 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
90 |
$27.08 |
$56,330 |
| Medical and health services managers |
90 |
$48.85 |
$101,600 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
90 |
$19.09 |
$39,710 |
| Pharmacy aides |
90 |
$9.75 |
$20,270 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
90 |
$16.87 |
$35,100 |
| Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders |
90 |
$18.89 |
$39,280 |
| Health educators |
80 |
$20.36 |
$42,340 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
80 |
$9.88 |
$20,550 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
80 |
$24.85 |
$51,690 |
| Order clerks |
80 |
$11.48 |
$23,890 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
80 |
$16.23 |
$33,770 |
| Pharmacists |
80 |
$57.24 |
$119,060 |
| Bartenders |
70 |
$9.55 |
$19,860 |
| Computer support specialists |
70 |
$21.91 |
$45,570 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
70 |
$14.67 |
$30,500 |
| Electricians |
70 |
$24.09 |
$50,110 |
| Financial managers |
70 |
$44.40 |
$92,340 |
| Recreation workers |
70 |
$10.12 |
$21,050 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
70 |
$12.61 |
$26,230 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
60 |
$19.59 |
$40,740 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$27.90 |
$58,040 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
60 |
$9.71 |
$20,200 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
60 |
$22.09 |
$45,950 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$26.48 |
$55,070 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
60 |
$8.54 |
$17,760 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$17.75 |
$36,930 |
| Management analysts |
60 |
$37.67 |
$78,360 |
| Parts salespersons |
60 |
$12.15 |
$25,280 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
60 |
$29.10 |
$60,530 |
| Roofers |
60 |
$22.66 |
$47,120 |
| Sales managers |
60 |
$42.69 |
$88,800 |
| Service station attendants |
60 |
$9.26 |
$19,250 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Dentists, general |
50 |
$75.35 |
$156,730 |
| Family and general practitioners |
50 |
$94.74 |
$197,060 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
50 |
$14.98 |
$31,170 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
50 |
$16.91 |
$35,160 |
| Interpreters and translators |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Library technicians |
50 |
$14.67 |
$30,520 |
| Managers, all other |
50 |
$55.11 |
$114,630 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
50 |
$31.05 |
$64,580 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
50 |
$33.36 |
$69,380 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
50 |
$17.70 |
$36,820 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
50 |
$33.71 |
$70,120 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
50 |
$12.29 |
$25,570 |
| Tile and marble setters |
50 |
$21.66 |
$45,050 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
50 |
$15.68 |
$32,620 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
40 |
$8.87 |
$18,450 |
| Bill and account collectors |
40 |
$13.15 |
$27,350 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
40 |
$12.98 |
$27,000 |
| Chief executives |
40 |
$78.35 |
$162,980 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
40 |
$12.06 |
$25,080 |
| Coaches and scouts |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Computer systems analysts |
40 |
$28.44 |
$59,160 |
| Construction managers |
40 |
$50.67 |
$105,390 |
| Data entry keyers |
40 |
$13.24 |
$27,540 |
| Dental hygienists |
40 |
$36.94 |
$76,830 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
40 |
$24.43 |
$50,810 |
| Food service managers |
40 |
$23.65 |
$49,200 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
40 |
$9.43 |
$19,620 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
40 |
$19.53 |
$40,620 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
40 |
$19.55 |
$40,660 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
40 |
$16.63 |
$34,580 |
| Machinists |
40 |
$17.78 |
$36,990 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
40 |
$28.38 |
$59,040 |
| Stonemasons |
40 |
$22.31 |
$46,400 |
| Administrative services managers |
30 |
$37.22 |
$77,420 |
| Civil engineers |
30 |
$40.49 |
$84,220 |
| File clerks |
30 |
$11.18 |
$23,260 |
| Industrial production managers |
30 |
$42.75 |
$88,920 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Physician assistants |
30 |
$37.26 |
$77,500 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
30 |
$21.23 |
$44,160 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
30 |
$18.50 |
$38,480 |
| Social and community service managers |
30 |
$34.15 |
$71,040 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
30 |
$24.07 |
$50,060 |
| All other information and record clerks |
Not available |
$13.68 |
$28,460 |
| Bus drivers, school |
Not available |
$16.20 |
$33,690 |
| Child care workers |
Not available |
$11.58 |
$24,080 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
Not available |
$12.06 |
$25,090 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$10.52 |
$21,870 |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$15.80 |
$32,860 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$10.21 |
$21,240 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
Not available |
$30.54 |
$63,520 |
| Farmworkers, farm and ranch animals |
Not available |
$9.62 |
$20,000 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$23.21 |
$48,280 |
| Insurance sales agents |
Not available |
$24.48 |
$50,920 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
Not available |
$15.30 |
$31,830 |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation |
Not available |
$11.82 |
$24,580 |
| Plasterers and stucco masons |
Not available |
$19.76 |
$41,100 |
| Teacher assistants |
Not available |
Not available |
$28,360 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$66,210 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$12.91 |
$26,850 |
