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 |
61,880 |
$18.04 |
$37,520 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
8,910 |
$15.01 |
$31,210 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
7,170 |
$26.01 |
$54,100 |
| Production occupations |
6,710 |
$14.81 |
$30,800 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,520 |
$13.11 |
$27,270 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
5,280 |
$14.23 |
$29,600 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,120 |
$9.73 |
$20,230 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
4,030 |
$9.85 |
$20,480 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
2,770 |
$8.80 |
$18,310 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,630 |
$19.51 |
$40,590 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,370 |
$19.31 |
$40,170 |
| Management occupations |
2,200 |
$42.50 |
$88,390 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
2,060 |
Not available |
$60,790 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,030 |
$10.67 |
$22,190 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,890 |
$13.30 |
$27,670 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
1,870 |
$37.06 |
$77,090 |
| Cashiers |
1,750 |
$10.01 |
$20,810 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,700 |
$28.30 |
$58,870 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,550 |
$12.31 |
$25,600 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,500 |
$11.85 |
$24,650 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,460 |
$10.88 |
$22,640 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,450 |
$11.91 |
$24,770 |
| Teacher assistants |
1,350 |
Not available |
$30,150 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,320 |
$28.23 |
$58,720 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,170 |
$8.98 |
$18,670 |
| Customer service representatives |
1,070 |
$14.26 |
$29,660 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,010 |
$21.67 |
$45,070 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
970 |
$12.16 |
$25,290 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
860 |
$16.47 |
$34,250 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
790 |
$10.88 |
$22,640 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
780 |
$8.85 |
$18,420 |
| General and operations managers |
740 |
$48.27 |
$100,390 |
| Cooks, fast food |
700 |
$8.65 |
$17,990 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
650 |
Not available |
$62,000 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
640 |
$16.97 |
$35,300 |
| Construction laborers |
640 |
$13.44 |
$27,950 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
610 |
$9.66 |
$20,100 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
590 |
$32.90 |
$68,440 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
580 |
Not available |
$60,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
570 |
$21.51 |
$44,740 |
| Community and social services occupations |
560 |
$21.70 |
$45,130 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
560 |
$17.51 |
$36,430 |
| Graders and sorters, agricultural products |
550 |
$9.63 |
$20,040 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
540 |
$15.82 |
$32,900 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
470 |
$11.58 |
$24,080 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
460 |
$19.16 |
$39,850 |
| Food batchmakers |
460 |
$19.83 |
$41,240 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
460 |
$17.08 |
$35,530 |
| Medical assistants |
450 |
$12.32 |
$25,630 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
440 |
$16.02 |
$33,310 |
| Food preparation workers |
440 |
$9.01 |
$18,730 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
420 |
$16.78 |
$34,900 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
420 |
$13.63 |
$28,340 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
410 |
$32.16 |
$66,880 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
410 |
$14.36 |
$29,860 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
390 |
$29.61 |
$61,590 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
360 |
$9.94 |
$20,670 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
350 |
$27.01 |
$56,190 |
| Agricultural equipment operators |
340 |
$11.05 |
$22,980 |
| Child care workers |
340 |
$10.82 |
$22,510 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
330 |
$26.90 |
$55,940 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
330 |
$8.95 |
$18,620 |
| Medical secretaries |
330 |
$12.22 |
$25,410 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
330 |
$11.54 |
$24,000 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
320 |
Not available |
$60,670 |
| Tellers |
320 |
$11.64 |
$24,210 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
290 |
$30.99 |
$64,450 |
| Driver/sales workers |
290 |
$11.02 |
$22,910 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
280 |
$11.40 |
$23,720 |
| Bus drivers, school |
270 |
$13.70 |
$28,490 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
270 |
$12.89 |
$26,810 |
| Security guards |
270 |
$11.49 |
$23,900 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
260 |
$16.43 |
$34,170 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
250 |
$14.33 |
$29,800 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
250 |
$13.55 |
$28,190 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
250 |
Not available |
$55,490 |
| Carpenters |
240 |
$23.05 |
$47,950 |
| Dishwashers |
240 |
$8.66 |
$18,020 |
| Home health aides |
240 |
$9.23 |
$19,190 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
240 |
$9.34 |
$19,420 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
220 |
$9.03 |
$18,780 |
| Accountants and auditors |
210 |
$26.37 |
$54,840 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
210 |
$29.71 |
$61,800 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
200 |
$22.77 |
$47,370 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
200 |
$19.18 |
$39,890 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
200 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
190 |
Not available |
$99,660 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
190 |
$28.96 |
$60,230 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
180 |
$11.01 |
$22,900 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
180 |
$29.13 |
$60,590 |
| Parts salespersons |
180 |
$14.23 |
$29,600 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
170 |
$28.31 |
$58,890 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
170 |
$16.80 |
$34,940 |
| Coaches and scouts |
160 |
Not available |
$32,250 |
| Electricians |
160 |
$23.32 |
$48,510 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
160 |
$20.47 |
$42,580 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
160 |
$14.52 |
$30,200 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
160 |
$17.37 |
$36,140 |
| Food service managers |
150 |
$19.54 |
$40,640 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
150 |
$27.25 |
$56,680 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
150 |
$12.93 |
$26,890 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
140 |
$16.46 |
$34,240 |
| Dental assistants |
140 |
$15.85 |
$32,960 |
| Library technicians |
140 |
$16.00 |
$33,280 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
130 |
$15.53 |
$32,300 |
| Financial managers |
130 |
$43.54 |
$90,560 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
130 |
$8.77 |
$18,240 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
130 |
$14.78 |
$30,750 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
120 |
$9.34 |
$19,420 |
| Bartenders |
120 |
$8.44 |
$17,560 |
| Computer support specialists |
120 |
$21.94 |
$45,640 |
| Legal occupations |
120 |
$39.22 |
$81,580 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
120 |
$17.33 |
$36,050 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
120 |
$27.06 |
$56,290 |
| Social and human service assistants |
120 |
$11.79 |
$24,520 |
| Team assemblers |
120 |
$14.47 |
$30,090 |
| All other information and record clerks |
110 |
$18.86 |
$39,230 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
110 |
$20.22 |
$42,060 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of farming, fishing, and forestry workers |
110 |
$19.31 |
$40,170 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
110 |
$15.84 |
$32,940 |
| Bill and account collectors |
100 |
$12.75 |
$26,510 |
| Dental hygienists |
100 |
$45.39 |
$94,410 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
100 |
$20.38 |
$42,400 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
100 |
$21.39 |
$44,490 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
100 |
$19.40 |
$40,360 |
| Medical and health services managers |
100 |
$47.21 |
$98,190 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
100 |
$20.48 |
$42,610 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
100 |
$22.76 |
$47,340 |
| Chief executives |
90 |
$83.81 |
$174,310 |
| Grinding and polishing workers, hand |
90 |
$11.02 |
$22,920 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
90 |
$16.08 |
$33,450 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
90 |
$23.26 |
$48,380 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
90 |
$11.36 |
$23,630 |
| Agricultural and food science technicians |
80 |
$21.30 |
$44,290 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
80 |
$11.68 |
$24,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
80 |
$21.38 |
$44,460 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
80 |
$18.53 |
$38,540 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
80 |
$14.57 |
$30,300 |
| Insurance sales agents |
80 |
$25.30 |
$52,620 |
| Loan officers |
80 |
$26.33 |
$54,760 |
| Sales managers |
80 |
$42.82 |
$89,070 |
| Administrative services managers |
70 |
$32.16 |
$66,900 |
| Cost estimators |
70 |
$26.28 |
$54,670 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
70 |
$38.72 |
$80,540 |
| File clerks |
70 |
$11.08 |
$23,040 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
70 |
$24.86 |
$51,700 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
70 |
$13.76 |
$28,610 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Librarians |
70 |
$28.91 |
$60,140 |
| Management analysts |
70 |
$35.78 |
$74,430 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
70 |
$24.05 |
$50,030 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
70 |
$23.04 |
$47,930 |
| Tree trimmers and pruners |
70 |
$17.09 |
$35,540 |
| Agricultural workers, all other |
60 |
$19.06 |
$39,640 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
60 |
$21.67 |
$45,060 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
60 |
$39.68 |
$82,540 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
60 |
$25.62 |
$53,290 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$14.37 |
$29,890 |
| Graphic designers |
60 |
$19.61 |
$40,790 |
| Legal secretaries |
60 |
$15.95 |
$33,180 |
| Legislators |
60 |
Not available |
$30,630 |
| Managers, all other |
60 |
$49.55 |
$103,070 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
60 |
$18.79 |
$39,090 |
| Power plant operators |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
60 |
$22.88 |
$47,580 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Word processors and typists |
60 |
$18.51 |
$38,500 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
50 |
$12.02 |
$25,000 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
50 |
$16.84 |
$35,030 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
50 |
$24.92 |
$51,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
50 |
$16.31 |
$33,920 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
50 |
$15.89 |
$33,060 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
50 |
$21.45 |
$44,620 |
| Industrial production managers |
50 |
$45.72 |
$95,110 |
| Instructional coordinators |
50 |
$33.48 |
$69,650 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
50 |
$14.01 |
$29,130 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
50 |
$28.79 |
$59,880 |
| Painters, transportation equipment |
50 |
$19.28 |
$40,110 |
| Pharmacists |
50 |
$58.17 |
$120,990 |
| Postal service clerks |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Service station attendants |
50 |
$9.15 |
$19,030 |
| Advertising sales agents |
40 |
$18.52 |
$38,530 |
| Computer programmers |
40 |
$33.65 |
$70,000 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
40 |
$28.74 |
$59,770 |
| Editors |
40 |
$12.30 |
$25,580 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
40 |
$24.41 |
$50,780 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
40 |
$25.02 |
$52,040 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
40 |
$12.15 |
$25,270 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
40 |
$9.12 |
$18,970 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
40 |
$29.62 |
$61,600 |
| Lawyers |
40 |
$47.12 |
$98,020 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
40 |
$20.12 |
$41,860 |
| Pest control workers |
40 |
$14.84 |
$30,860 |
| Physical therapist aides |
40 |
$10.53 |
$21,910 |
| Physical therapists |
40 |
$43.31 |
$90,090 |
| Public relations specialists |
40 |
$23.45 |
$48,780 |
| Respiratory therapists |
40 |
$31.15 |
$64,790 |
| Sewing machine operators |
40 |
$10.13 |
$21,070 |
| Social and community service managers |
40 |
$25.41 |
$52,860 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
40 |
$15.12 |
$31,450 |
| Training and development specialists |
40 |
$24.39 |
$50,740 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
40 |
$42.60 |
$88,600 |
| Carpet installers |
30 |
$16.20 |
$33,690 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
30 |
$27.38 |
$56,940 |
| Computer systems analysts |
30 |
$21.90 |
$45,560 |
| Data entry keyers |
30 |
$16.48 |
$34,270 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
30 |
$15.45 |
$32,140 |
| Meter readers, utilities |
30 |
$23.77 |
$49,440 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
30 |
$26.47 |
$55,050 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
30 |
$12.12 |
$25,220 |
| Bakers |
Not available |
$10.71 |
$22,270 |
| Bindery workers |
Not available |
$12.93 |
$26,890 |
| Civil engineers |
Not available |
$43.97 |
$91,460 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$10.92 |
$22,720 |
| Dentists, general |
Not available |
$36.67 |
$76,270 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
Not available |
$23.75 |
$49,410 |
| Family and general practitioners |
Not available |
$67.70 |
$140,830 |
| Farmworkers, farm and ranch animals |
Not available |
$9.57 |
$19,910 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
Not available |
$10.14 |
$21,090 |
| Health educators |
Not available |
$17.47 |
$36,340 |
| Helpers--production workers |
Not available |
$10.51 |
$21,870 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
Not available |
$15.38 |
$31,990 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
Not available |
$13.71 |
$28,520 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
Not available |
$17.15 |
$35,680 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
Not available |
$8.94 |
$18,600 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$12.67 |
$26,350 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Printing machine operators |
Not available |
$17.50 |
$36,410 |
| Recreation workers |
Not available |
$13.08 |
$27,200 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
Not available |
$18.15 |
$37,750 |
| Sheet metal workers |
Not available |
$19.80 |
$41,190 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
Not available |
$31.90 |
$66,360 |
| Tapers |
Not available |
$20.46 |
$42,550 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$45,760 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$26.40 |
$54,900 |
| Tile and marble setters |
Not available |
$21.61 |
$44,950 |
| Upholsterers |
Not available |
$13.82 |
$28,760 |
| Urban and regional planners |
Not available |
$30.51 |
$63,460 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
Not available |
$17.74 |
$36,890 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
Not available |
$22.23 |
$46,240 |
