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 |
54,270 |
$17.67 |
$36,750 |
| Production occupations |
8,550 |
$16.76 |
$34,860 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,850 |
$14.10 |
$29,340 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,680 |
$14.43 |
$30,020 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,210 |
$8.76 |
$18,230 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,230 |
$14.81 |
$30,810 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,300 |
$33.15 |
$68,950 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,270 |
$21.67 |
$45,080 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,230 |
$20.11 |
$41,830 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,920 |
$21.61 |
$44,950 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,890 |
$10.26 |
$21,350 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,850 |
$11.16 |
$23,220 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,660 |
$7.85 |
$16,330 |
| Management occupations |
1,660 |
$39.88 |
$82,960 |
| Cashiers |
1,570 |
$8.34 |
$17,340 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,560 |
$11.22 |
$23,340 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,510 |
$18.14 |
$37,720 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,410 |
$25.51 |
$53,070 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,210 |
$11.34 |
$23,580 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,180 |
$10.50 |
$21,840 |
| Team assemblers |
1,170 |
$11.78 |
$24,510 |
| Registered nurses |
1,120 |
$29.19 |
$60,710 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
980 |
$7.88 |
$16,400 |
| Office clerks, general |
970 |
$11.75 |
$24,440 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
940 |
$10.34 |
$21,510 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
890 |
$28.31 |
$58,880 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
890 |
Not available |
$49,840 |
| Community and social services occupations |
870 |
$19.57 |
$40,710 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
860 |
$11.52 |
$23,950 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
750 |
$18.86 |
$39,220 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
690 |
$10.19 |
$21,200 |
| Home health aides |
660 |
$9.32 |
$19,380 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
610 |
$22.43 |
$46,650 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
590 |
$17.61 |
$36,630 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
570 |
$13.48 |
$28,030 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
570 |
$20.37 |
$42,380 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
560 |
$18.50 |
$38,480 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
550 |
$14.80 |
$30,780 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
550 |
$28.60 |
$59,500 |
| Customer service representatives |
520 |
$14.86 |
$30,910 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
520 |
$17.30 |
$35,980 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
500 |
$16.03 |
$33,340 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
470 |
$26.19 |
$54,480 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
470 |
Not available |
$45,150 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
470 |
$17.80 |
$37,020 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
460 |
$20.91 |
$43,480 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
460 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Helpers--production workers |
450 |
$15.21 |
$31,630 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
440 |
$17.83 |
$37,080 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
430 |
$9.23 |
$19,210 |
| Medical secretaries |
380 |
$12.65 |
$26,300 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
350 |
$9.95 |
$20,700 |
| Food preparation workers |
340 |
$9.15 |
$19,040 |
| General and operations managers |
340 |
$48.10 |
$100,040 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
340 |
$11.61 |
$24,160 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
320 |
$15.33 |
$31,880 |
| Driver/sales workers |
320 |
$10.71 |
$22,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
310 |
$14.50 |
$30,170 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
310 |
$13.93 |
$28,980 |
| Tellers |
310 |
$11.05 |
$22,980 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
300 |
$9.30 |
$19,340 |
| Carpenters |
290 |
$21.26 |
$44,220 |
| Child care workers |
280 |
$10.13 |
$21,070 |
| Cooks, fast food |
280 |
$7.96 |
$16,560 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
280 |
$10.55 |
$21,940 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
280 |
Not available |
$48,000 |
| Teacher assistants |
280 |
Not available |
$23,300 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
270 |
$14.67 |
$30,510 |
| Construction laborers |
270 |
$18.18 |
$37,820 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
270 |
$10.22 |
$21,260 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
260 |
$24.89 |
$51,760 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
260 |
$11.18 |
$23,250 |
| Electricians |
260 |
$25.82 |
$53,710 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
250 |
$16.90 |
$35,150 |
| Accountants and auditors |
230 |
$30.77 |
$64,010 |
| Machinists |
230 |
$14.92 |
$31,030 |
| Dishwashers |
220 |
$7.67 |
$15,960 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
200 |
$27.44 |
$57,080 |
| Industrial engineers |
200 |
$28.87 |
$60,040 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
200 |
Not available |
$53,820 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
200 |
$16.04 |
$33,350 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
190 |
$16.81 |
$34,970 |
| Security guards |
190 |
$10.84 |
$22,550 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
180 |
$13.97 |
$29,060 |
| Legal occupations |
180 |
$27.84 |
$57,920 |
| Bartenders |
170 |
$8.10 |
$16,840 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
170 |
$7.89 |
$16,400 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
170 |
$24.81 |
$51,610 |
| Industrial production managers |
170 |
$33.94 |
$70,590 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
160 |
$27.78 |
$57,770 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Computer support specialists |
150 |
$18.99 |
$39,500 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
150 |
$15.98 |
$33,250 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
150 |
$12.04 |
$25,040 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
140 |
$10.64 |
$22,140 |
| Dental assistants |
140 |
$16.53 |
$34,390 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
140 |
$7.65 |
$15,910 |
| Medical assistants |
140 |
$13.57 |
$28,220 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
140 |
$20.49 |
$42,610 |
| Recreation workers |
140 |
$8.99 |
$18,710 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
140 |
$16.18 |
$33,650 |
| Social workers, all other |
140 |
$22.59 |
$46,990 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
140 |
Not available |
$47,310 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
130 |
$30.97 |
$64,410 |
| Insurance sales agents |
130 |
$31.46 |
$65,430 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
130 |
$22.99 |
$47,820 |
| Parts salespersons |
130 |
$12.54 |
$26,090 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
120 |
$16.69 |
$34,710 |
| Cost estimators |
120 |
$25.50 |
$53,040 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
120 |
$9.10 |
$18,930 |
| Crane and tower operators |
120 |
$16.77 |
$34,870 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
120 |
$27.30 |
$56,780 |
| Mechanical engineers |
120 |
$29.65 |
$61,670 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
120 |
$14.10 |
$29,330 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
120 |
$15.72 |
$32,690 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
120 |
Not available |
$46,060 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
110 |
$13.70 |
$28,490 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
110 |
$11.52 |
$23,960 |
| Food service managers |
110 |
$21.31 |
$44,330 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
110 |
$27.39 |
$56,980 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
110 |
Not available |
$45,090 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
110 |
Not available |
$50,620 |
| Bill and account collectors |
100 |
$13.14 |
$27,330 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$77,820 |
| Medical and health services managers |
100 |
$36.15 |
$75,200 |
| Personal and home care aides |
100 |
$9.97 |
$20,740 |
| Sales managers |
100 |
$45.00 |
$93,590 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
100 |
$17.51 |
$36,430 |
| Data entry keyers |
90 |
$11.27 |
$23,450 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
90 |
$37.06 |
$77,090 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
90 |
$13.05 |
$27,150 |
| Managers, all other |
90 |
$37.44 |
$77,880 |
| Pharmacists |
90 |
$48.75 |
$101,400 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
90 |
$15.36 |
$31,940 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
80 |
$19.34 |
$40,220 |
| Chief executives |
80 |
$66.83 |
$139,000 |
| Computer programmers |
80 |
$30.11 |
$62,630 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
80 |
$13.35 |
$27,770 |
| Dental hygienists |
80 |
$30.57 |
$63,580 |
| Engineering managers |
80 |
$42.73 |
$88,890 |
| Financial managers |
80 |
$35.02 |
$72,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
80 |
$21.20 |
$44,100 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
80 |
$8.22 |
$17,100 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
80 |
$8.44 |
$17,560 |
| Lawyers |
80 |
$31.09 |
$64,660 |
| Loan officers |
80 |
$24.13 |
$50,190 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
80 |
$14.38 |
$29,920 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$14.94 |
$31,070 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
80 |
$21.45 |
$44,610 |
| Respiratory therapists |
80 |
$21.36 |
$44,420 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
70 |
$16.01 |
$33,310 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
70 |
$12.07 |
$25,110 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
70 |
$23.59 |
$49,070 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
70 |
$16.80 |
$34,950 |
| Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
70 |
$15.45 |
$32,130 |
| Legal secretaries |
70 |
$15.46 |
$32,150 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
70 |
$23.43 |
$48,740 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
70 |
$14.29 |
$29,730 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
70 |
$24.45 |
$50,860 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
60 |
$20.90 |
$43,480 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$13.59 |
$28,260 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
60 |
$15.06 |
$31,320 |
| File clerks |
60 |
$12.09 |
$25,140 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
60 |
$14.27 |
$29,670 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
60 |
$13.45 |
$27,980 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Speech-language pathologists |
60 |
$27.48 |
$57,150 |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$21.09 |
$43,880 |
| Administrative services managers |
50 |
$38.34 |
$79,740 |
| Advertising sales agents |
50 |
$17.87 |
$37,170 |
| All other information and record clerks |
50 |
$14.90 |
$31,000 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$16.51 |
$34,350 |
| Bakers |
50 |
$9.24 |
$19,220 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
50 |
$29.84 |
$62,060 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
50 |
$18.54 |
$38,560 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
50 |
$43.51 |
$90,490 |
| Computer systems analysts |
50 |
$30.70 |
$63,850 |
| Construction managers |
50 |
$37.67 |
$78,350 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
50 |
$12.80 |
$26,630 |
| Dentists, general |
50 |
$98.29 |
$204,450 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
50 |
$15.09 |
$31,380 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$16.14 |
$33,570 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
50 |
$15.73 |
$32,710 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
50 |
$11.01 |
$22,890 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
50 |
$7.47 |
$15,530 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
50 |
$21.87 |
$45,490 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
50 |
$14.03 |
$29,170 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
50 |
$13.79 |
$28,680 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
50 |
$19.69 |
$40,950 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
50 |
$11.76 |
$24,460 |
| Printing machine operators |
50 |
$14.06 |
$29,250 |
| Social and human service assistants |
50 |
$11.69 |
$24,310 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
50 |
$9.16 |
$19,050 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
50 |
$17.25 |
$35,870 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
40 |
$26.77 |
$55,690 |
| Electrical engineers |
40 |
$32.27 |
$67,120 |
| Funeral attendants |
40 |
$9.58 |
$19,920 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$30.57 |
$63,590 |
| Legislators |
40 |
Not available |
$98,050 |
| Librarians |
40 |
$25.63 |
$53,320 |
| Logisticians |
40 |
$33.44 |
$69,550 |
| Management analysts |
40 |
$37.77 |
$78,560 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
40 |
$20.02 |
$41,640 |
| Occupational therapists |
40 |
$33.17 |
$68,990 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
40 |
$19.88 |
$41,350 |
| Physical therapists |
40 |
$31.40 |
$65,300 |
| Physician assistants |
40 |
$45.98 |
$95,630 |
| Purchasing managers |
40 |
$37.34 |
$77,670 |
| Sales engineers |
40 |
$31.15 |
$64,800 |
| Social and community service managers |
40 |
$28.68 |
$59,660 |
| Surveyors |
40 |
$33.46 |
$69,590 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
40 |
$19.30 |
$40,140 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
40 |
$42.28 |
$87,950 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
30 |
$16.03 |
$33,340 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
30 |
$22.26 |
$46,310 |
| Civil engineers |
30 |
$42.40 |
$88,180 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
30 |
$42.84 |
$89,100 |
| Engineers, all other |
30 |
$30.61 |
$63,660 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
30 |
$12.88 |
$26,800 |
| Floral designers |
30 |
$9.96 |
$20,710 |
| Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
30 |
$16.63 |
$34,600 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
30 |
$12.15 |
$25,280 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
30 |
$18.21 |
$37,870 |
| Mechanical drafters |
30 |
$16.99 |
$35,340 |
| Mechanical engineering technicians |
30 |
$18.26 |
$37,980 |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers |
30 |
$14.82 |
$30,820 |
| Anesthesiologists |
Not available |
$100.78 |
$209,620 |
| Computer operators |
Not available |
$14.63 |
$30,420 |
| Construction and related workers, all other |
Not available |
$22.91 |
$47,640 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$8.59 |
$17,870 |
| Electronics engineers, except computer |
Not available |
$35.19 |
$73,190 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
Not available |
$23.50 |
$48,880 |
| Family and general practitioners |
Not available |
$99.99 |
$207,970 |
| Fire fighters |
Not available |
$14.04 |
$29,210 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
Not available |
$9.78 |
$20,340 |
| Health educators |
Not available |
$11.90 |
$24,750 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
Not available |
$19.28 |
$40,110 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
Not available |
$16.12 |
$33,530 |
| Order clerks |
Not available |
$15.00 |
$31,190 |
| Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics |
Not available |
$14.34 |
$29,820 |
| Production workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.42 |
$27,920 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
Not available |
$24.88 |
$51,760 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
Not available |
$12.56 |
$26,120 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$8.58 |
$17,850 |
| Sheet metal workers |
Not available |
$23.54 |
$48,970 |
| Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers |
Not available |
$15.18 |
$31,580 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
Not available |
$14.28 |
$29,710 |
