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 |
44,250 |
$16.43 |
$34,170 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
6,640 |
$13.41 |
$27,900 |
| Production occupations |
5,640 |
$15.80 |
$32,860 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,040 |
$12.94 |
$26,920 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,570 |
$8.75 |
$18,190 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,660 |
$13.97 |
$29,060 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,540 |
$20.37 |
$42,370 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,460 |
$21.12 |
$43,940 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,180 |
$32.12 |
$66,810 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,900 |
$9.83 |
$20,450 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,850 |
$16.27 |
$33,840 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,740 |
$18.31 |
$38,090 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,570 |
$11.04 |
$22,970 |
| Cashiers |
1,480 |
$8.77 |
$18,230 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,270 |
$7.25 |
$15,070 |
| Management occupations |
1,250 |
$38.97 |
$81,060 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,160 |
$13.65 |
$28,380 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
890 |
$24.01 |
$49,950 |
| Office clerks, general |
860 |
$11.73 |
$24,400 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
850 |
$10.69 |
$22,230 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
830 |
$10.95 |
$22,780 |
| Registered nurses |
810 |
$27.98 |
$58,190 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
750 |
$8.04 |
$16,720 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
730 |
$11.29 |
$23,480 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
720 |
$14.29 |
$29,720 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
690 |
$19.12 |
$39,760 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
660 |
$14.39 |
$29,930 |
| Bartenders |
610 |
$9.94 |
$20,680 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
600 |
$25.24 |
$52,490 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
510 |
$15.88 |
$33,030 |
| Community and social services occupations |
490 |
$18.23 |
$37,920 |
| Machinists |
490 |
$19.66 |
$40,890 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
490 |
$15.96 |
$33,200 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
490 |
$11.58 |
$24,080 |
| Customer service representatives |
470 |
$12.11 |
$25,180 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
460 |
Not available |
$47,590 |
| Team assemblers |
450 |
$14.03 |
$29,180 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
430 |
$24.46 |
$50,870 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
380 |
$9.67 |
$20,120 |
| Construction laborers |
370 |
$18.27 |
$37,990 |
| Food preparation workers |
370 |
$8.94 |
$18,590 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
370 |
Not available |
$45,300 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
360 |
$11.42 |
$23,760 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
360 |
$12.05 |
$25,060 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
350 |
$15.68 |
$32,610 |
| Teacher assistants |
350 |
Not available |
$23,050 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
340 |
$14.29 |
$29,720 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
340 |
$15.30 |
$31,820 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
330 |
$13.73 |
$28,560 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
330 |
$19.60 |
$40,770 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
330 |
Not available |
$29,690 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
320 |
$10.49 |
$21,810 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
320 |
$27.72 |
$57,650 |
| Carpenters |
300 |
$22.29 |
$46,360 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
280 |
$8.59 |
$17,860 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
270 |
$25.08 |
$52,160 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
270 |
$9.09 |
$18,900 |
| Tellers |
270 |
$10.55 |
$21,940 |
| General and operations managers |
260 |
$46.26 |
$96,230 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
250 |
$20.03 |
$41,660 |
| Bus drivers, school |
240 |
$14.17 |
$29,480 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
240 |
$16.78 |
$34,900 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
240 |
Not available |
$59,180 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
240 |
$24.73 |
$51,430 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
240 |
$17.20 |
$35,780 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
230 |
$22.79 |
$47,390 |
| Foundry mold and coremakers |
230 |
$13.20 |
$27,470 |
| Helpers--production workers |
230 |
$12.78 |
$26,570 |
| Security guards |
230 |
$13.28 |
$27,610 |
| Accountants and auditors |
220 |
$25.70 |
$53,460 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
220 |
$9.20 |
$19,140 |
| Medical secretaries |
220 |
$14.28 |
$29,710 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
200 |
$15.16 |
$31,530 |
| Electricians |
200 |
$25.75 |
$53,550 |
| Medical assistants |
200 |
$13.33 |
$27,720 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
200 |
$14.60 |
$30,360 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
200 |
$11.07 |
$23,020 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
180 |
$10.47 |
$21,780 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
180 |
$16.31 |
$33,920 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
180 |
$14.11 |
$29,340 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
180 |
$18.48 |
$38,440 |
| Recreation workers |
180 |
$13.35 |
$27,770 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
170 |
$11.17 |
$23,230 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
160 |
$9.76 |
$20,290 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
160 |
$23.99 |
$49,910 |
| Dishwashers |
150 |
$7.89 |
$16,400 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
150 |
$13.70 |
$28,490 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
150 |
$13.50 |
$28,080 |
| Bakers |
140 |
$12.16 |
$25,300 |
| Child care workers |
140 |
$8.53 |
$17,750 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
140 |
$8.52 |
$17,730 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
140 |
$31.14 |
$64,780 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
140 |
$21.39 |
$44,490 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
130 |
$13.47 |
$28,020 |
| Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
130 |
$12.83 |
$26,690 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
130 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Cost estimators |
120 |
$27.12 |
$56,420 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
120 |
$7.41 |
$15,420 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
120 |
$20.88 |
$43,430 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
120 |
$11.58 |
$24,090 |
| Driver/sales workers |
110 |
$12.67 |
$26,360 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
110 |
$28.04 |
$58,320 |
| Medical and health services managers |
110 |
$38.16 |
$79,380 |
| Order clerks |
110 |
$11.98 |
$24,910 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
110 |
$91.21 |
$189,720 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
110 |
$20.54 |
$42,720 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
100 |
$7.67 |
$15,960 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
100 |
$14.27 |
$29,690 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
100 |
$9.25 |
$19,230 |
| Industrial production managers |
100 |
$39.83 |
$82,850 |
| Legal occupations |
100 |
$29.84 |
$62,060 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
100 |
$12.48 |
$25,960 |
| Production workers, all other |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
100 |
$20.68 |
$43,000 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
90 |
$19.75 |
$41,080 |
| Financial managers |
90 |
$39.09 |
$81,310 |
| Managers, all other |
90 |
$26.50 |
$55,110 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
90 |
$36.64 |
$76,210 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
90 |
$16.41 |
$34,130 |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
90 |
$13.73 |
$28,560 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
80 |
$21.44 |
$44,600 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
80 |
$13.53 |
$28,140 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
80 |
$13.51 |
$28,110 |
| Home health aides |
80 |
$11.16 |
$23,210 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
80 |
$13.30 |
$27,670 |
| Sales managers |
80 |
$38.86 |
$80,830 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
80 |
$24.56 |
$51,080 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
70 |
$30.99 |
$64,450 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
70 |
$15.11 |
$31,430 |
| Data entry keyers |
70 |
$10.42 |
$21,670 |
| Dental assistants |
70 |
$15.35 |
$31,940 |
| Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
70 |
$13.03 |
$27,100 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
70 |
$22.22 |
$46,220 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
70 |
$19.21 |
$39,960 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
70 |
$23.25 |
$48,360 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
70 |
$9.62 |
$20,020 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
70 |
$14.07 |
$29,280 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
70 |
$15.18 |
$31,580 |
| Parts salespersons |
70 |
$12.75 |
$26,530 |
| Coaches and scouts |
60 |
Not available |
$33,020 |
| Computer support specialists |
60 |
$19.59 |
$40,740 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$14.84 |
$30,880 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$75,420 |
| Engineering managers |
60 |
$41.69 |
$86,710 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
60 |
$15.47 |
$32,170 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
60 |
$35.26 |
$73,340 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
60 |
$13.30 |
$27,660 |
| Industrial engineers |
60 |
$32.98 |
$68,590 |
| Lawyers |
60 |
$33.26 |
$69,190 |
| Library technicians |
60 |
$13.47 |
$28,010 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
60 |
$24.14 |
$50,210 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
60 |
$23.73 |
$49,360 |
| Pharmacists |
60 |
$48.23 |
$100,310 |
| Surgical technologists |
60 |
$18.37 |
$38,210 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
50 |
$20.86 |
$43,400 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
50 |
$20.02 |
$41,640 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
50 |
$17.29 |
$35,960 |
| Construction managers |
50 |
$50.57 |
$105,180 |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
50 |
$9.91 |
$20,620 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
50 |
$7.80 |
$16,230 |
| Electrical engineers |
50 |
$34.07 |
$70,870 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
50 |
$18.48 |
$38,430 |
| Food service managers |
50 |
$25.58 |
$53,210 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$16.29 |
$33,890 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
50 |
$21.62 |
$44,980 |
| Insurance sales agents |
50 |
$27.25 |
$56,670 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
50 |
$8.52 |
$17,730 |
| Loan officers |
50 |
$25.85 |
$53,770 |
| Mechanical engineers |
50 |
$29.81 |
$62,010 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers |
50 |
$7.08 |
$14,720 |
| New accounts clerks |
50 |
$15.00 |
$31,190 |
| Painting, coating, and decorating workers |
50 |
$12.88 |
$26,790 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
50 |
$15.99 |
$33,270 |
| Respiratory therapists |
50 |
$25.18 |
$52,380 |
| Service station attendants |
50 |
$7.59 |
$15,780 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
50 |
Not available |
$47,120 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
50 |
$14.14 |
$29,410 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
50 |
$14.67 |
$30,510 |
| Tool and die makers |
50 |
$21.65 |
$45,040 |
| Administrative services managers |
40 |
$25.91 |
$53,900 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
40 |
$14.40 |
$29,950 |
| Civil engineers |
40 |
$26.82 |
$55,790 |
| Floral designers |
40 |
$11.25 |
$23,410 |
| Librarians |
40 |
$23.83 |
$49,560 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
40 |
$9.31 |
$19,360 |
| Printing machine operators |
40 |
$15.50 |
$32,240 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
40 |
$28.93 |
$60,180 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
40 |
$16.66 |
$34,660 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
40 |
$20.83 |
$43,320 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
30 |
$21.12 |
$43,930 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
30 |
$24.92 |
$51,840 |
| Bus drivers, transit and intercity |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
30 |
$17.74 |
$36,900 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
30 |
$21.12 |
$43,920 |
| Management analysts |
30 |
$22.45 |
$46,690 |
| Mechanical drafters |
30 |
$19.33 |
$40,200 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
30 |
$21.02 |
$43,720 |
| Physical therapists |
30 |
$34.96 |
$72,710 |
| Public relations specialists |
30 |
$19.73 |
$41,040 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
30 |
Not available |
$53,840 |
| Training and development specialists |
30 |
$25.84 |
$53,740 |
| Advertising sales agents |
Not available |
$21.08 |
$43,860 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
Not available |
$25.16 |
$52,330 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
Not available |
$21.61 |
$44,950 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$7.22 |
$15,030 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$7.40 |
$15,400 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$8.00 |
$16,630 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
Not available |
$23.30 |
$48,470 |
| Family and general practitioners |
Not available |
$70.56 |
$146,760 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
Not available |
$12.94 |
$26,920 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$11.49 |
$23,890 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
Not available |
$25.11 |
$52,230 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
Not available |
$10.04 |
$20,890 |
| Numerical tool and process control programmers |
Not available |
$12.88 |
$26,790 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
Not available |
$20.24 |
$42,090 |
| Personal and home care aides |
Not available |
$9.81 |
$20,400 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
Not available |
$10.69 |
$22,240 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
Not available |
$21.68 |
$45,090 |
| Sewing machine operators |
Not available |
$10.76 |
$22,370 |
| Sheet metal workers |
Not available |
$21.09 |
$43,860 |
| Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers |
Not available |
$9.28 |
$19,310 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$10.51 |
$21,850 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
Not available |
$9.91 |
$20,620 |
