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 |
40,090 |
$18.62 |
$38,720 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
5,650 |
$14.52 |
$30,190 |
| Production occupations |
4,790 |
$19.62 |
$40,810 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,640 |
$14.58 |
$30,320 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,250 |
$9.54 |
$19,840 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,830 |
$16.07 |
$33,420 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,780 |
$22.76 |
$47,330 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,860 |
$22.69 |
$47,200 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,850 |
$23.17 |
$48,190 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,820 |
$13.03 |
$27,100 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
1,750 |
$29.92 |
$62,240 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,390 |
$11.83 |
$24,600 |
| Management occupations |
1,350 |
$41.43 |
$86,170 |
| Cashiers |
1,170 |
$8.79 |
$18,270 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,080 |
$26.77 |
$55,680 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,020 |
$13.18 |
$27,410 |
| Office clerks, general |
990 |
$12.52 |
$26,050 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
950 |
$8.24 |
$17,130 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
950 |
$19.62 |
$40,800 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
930 |
$10.65 |
$22,140 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
910 |
$33.77 |
$70,240 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
840 |
$8.37 |
$17,420 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
760 |
$11.79 |
$24,530 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
760 |
$13.50 |
$28,080 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
730 |
$12.68 |
$26,370 |
| Protective service occupations |
730 |
$20.29 |
$42,190 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
670 |
Not available |
$49,300 |
| Teacher assistants |
600 |
Not available |
$20,040 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
550 |
$12.11 |
$25,190 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
510 |
$32.34 |
$67,270 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
500 |
$22.69 |
$47,200 |
| Registered nurses |
500 |
$27.50 |
$57,200 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
450 |
$14.33 |
$29,800 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
420 |
$14.72 |
$30,620 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
420 |
$13.56 |
$28,210 |
| Helpers--production workers |
410 |
$10.78 |
$22,410 |
| Community and social services occupations |
390 |
$20.21 |
$42,030 |
| General and operations managers |
360 |
$43.86 |
$91,240 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
350 |
$8.76 |
$18,230 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
340 |
$16.80 |
$34,950 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
340 |
$9.60 |
$19,980 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
340 |
$20.68 |
$43,010 |
| Construction laborers |
330 |
$16.47 |
$34,260 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
330 |
$16.44 |
$34,200 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
330 |
$11.45 |
$23,810 |
| Customer service representatives |
310 |
$15.34 |
$31,900 |
| Bus drivers, school |
300 |
$16.44 |
$34,190 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
280 |
$28.49 |
$59,250 |
| Production workers, all other |
280 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
280 |
$31.00 |
$64,480 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
270 |
$10.57 |
$21,990 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
270 |
$17.55 |
$36,500 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
270 |
Not available |
$55,960 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
270 |
Not available |
$58,780 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
260 |
$26.52 |
$55,160 |
| Cooks, fast food |
260 |
$7.96 |
$16,560 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
240 |
$18.85 |
$39,210 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
240 |
$11.53 |
$23,990 |
| Tool and die makers |
240 |
$24.95 |
$51,900 |
| Accountants and auditors |
230 |
$25.20 |
$52,420 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
230 |
$13.83 |
$28,770 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
230 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Food preparation workers |
220 |
$9.02 |
$18,750 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
220 |
$20.99 |
$43,650 |
| Bartenders |
210 |
$9.22 |
$19,170 |
| Electricians |
210 |
$30.27 |
$62,970 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
210 |
$28.89 |
$60,100 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
210 |
$12.62 |
$26,250 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
210 |
$19.47 |
$40,500 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
200 |
$17.21 |
$35,790 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
200 |
$19.64 |
$40,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
200 |
$21.03 |
$43,750 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
200 |
$10.19 |
$21,190 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
200 |
$23.73 |
$49,350 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
200 |
$13.87 |
$28,840 |
| Tellers |
200 |
$10.89 |
$22,640 |
| Child care workers |
190 |
$10.81 |
$22,490 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
180 |
$8.89 |
$18,490 |
| Coaches and scouts |
170 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
170 |
$27.19 |
$56,550 |
| Medical assistants |
170 |
$13.44 |
$27,950 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
170 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Carpenters |
160 |
$20.63 |
$42,910 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
160 |
$11.67 |
$24,280 |
| Industrial engineers |
160 |
$38.45 |
$79,980 |
| Security guards |
160 |
$10.63 |
$22,100 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
150 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
150 |
$17.96 |
$37,350 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
150 |
$31.85 |
$66,250 |
| Machinists |
150 |
$22.32 |
$46,430 |
| Dishwashers |
140 |
$8.36 |
$17,400 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
140 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
140 |
$29.21 |
$60,760 |
| Insurance sales agents |
130 |
$26.13 |
$54,340 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
130 |
$25.96 |
$53,990 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
130 |
$15.73 |
$32,720 |
| Bill and account collectors |
120 |
$15.01 |
$31,210 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
120 |
$9.97 |
$20,730 |
| Food service managers |
120 |
$23.59 |
$49,060 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
120 |
$23.96 |
$49,830 |
| Personal and home care aides |
120 |
$9.55 |
$19,850 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
120 |
$20.97 |
$43,620 |
| Cost estimators |
110 |
$34.10 |
$70,930 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
110 |
$29.18 |
$60,690 |
| Legal occupations |
110 |
$30.83 |
$64,120 |
| Dental hygienists |
100 |
$27.68 |
$57,570 |
| Driver/sales workers |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
100 |
$27.02 |
$56,200 |
| Managers, all other |
100 |
$34.59 |
$71,960 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
100 |
$15.08 |
$31,360 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
100 |
$12.63 |
$26,270 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
100 |
$12.27 |
$25,530 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
100 |
$24.16 |
$50,240 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
90 |
$16.82 |
$34,980 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
90 |
$20.47 |
$42,570 |
| Chief executives |
90 |
$86.09 |
$179,060 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
90 |
$23.88 |
$49,680 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
90 |
$14.33 |
$29,800 |
| Training and development specialists |
90 |
$28.23 |
$58,710 |
| Computer support specialists |
80 |
$21.42 |
$44,550 |
| Dental assistants |
80 |
$15.07 |
$31,350 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
80 |
$8.95 |
$18,610 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
80 |
$17.37 |
$36,130 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
80 |
$22.81 |
$47,440 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
80 |
$18.97 |
$39,460 |
| Industrial production managers |
80 |
$50.02 |
$104,050 |
| Recreation workers |
80 |
$11.79 |
$24,530 |
| Sales managers |
80 |
$48.96 |
$101,840 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
80 |
$21.98 |
$45,710 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
70 |
$18.96 |
$39,440 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
70 |
$20.61 |
$42,870 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
70 |
$19.13 |
$39,780 |
| Cooks, short order |
70 |
$9.61 |
$19,980 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
70 |
Not available |
$85,350 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
70 |
$25.42 |
$52,870 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
70 |
$8.74 |
$18,170 |
| Lawyers |
70 |
$33.92 |
$70,550 |
| Mechanical engineers |
70 |
$32.51 |
$67,620 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
70 |
$17.42 |
$36,230 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
70 |
Not available |
$47,320 |
| Administrative services managers |
60 |
$25.64 |
$53,330 |
| Financial managers |
60 |
$35.41 |
$73,660 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
60 |
$22.30 |
$46,390 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
60 |
$10.53 |
$21,890 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
60 |
$18.86 |
$39,220 |
| Order clerks |
60 |
$15.40 |
$32,030 |
| Parts salespersons |
60 |
$12.70 |
$26,410 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
60 |
$15.87 |
$33,010 |
| Social and human service assistants |
60 |
$14.37 |
$29,900 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
60 |
$10.82 |
$22,510 |
| Construction and related workers, all other |
50 |
$18.66 |
$38,810 |
| Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
50 |
$19.38 |
$40,310 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
50 |
$29.08 |
$60,490 |
| Engineering managers |
50 |
$51.98 |
$108,110 |
| Family and general practitioners |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
50 |
$27.22 |
$56,610 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
50 |
$12.87 |
$26,770 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
50 |
$13.03 |
$27,110 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
50 |
$13.30 |
$27,660 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
50 |
$16.05 |
$33,390 |
| Pharmacists |
50 |
$49.82 |
$103,620 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$23.93 |
$49,770 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
50 |
$27.23 |
$56,640 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
50 |
$23.32 |
$48,510 |
| Civil engineers |
40 |
$30.90 |
$64,270 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
40 |
$31.29 |
$65,080 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
40 |
$14.48 |
$30,120 |
| File clerks |
40 |
$12.47 |
$25,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
40 |
$19.70 |
$40,970 |
| Grinding and polishing workers, hand |
40 |
$14.49 |
$30,140 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
40 |
$15.97 |
$33,210 |
| Librarians |
40 |
$24.90 |
$51,790 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
40 |
$15.25 |
$31,710 |
| Medical secretaries |
40 |
$13.62 |
$28,340 |
| Millwrights |
40 |
$33.84 |
$70,390 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
40 |
$26.63 |
$55,390 |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$18.83 |
$39,170 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
40 |
$20.04 |
$41,680 |
| Real estate sales agents |
40 |
$25.24 |
$52,490 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
40 |
$31.50 |
$65,530 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
40 |
$12.46 |
$25,930 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
30 |
$16.94 |
$35,230 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
30 |
$16.65 |
$34,640 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
30 |
$25.16 |
$52,320 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
30 |
$19.08 |
$39,690 |
| Loan officers |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical and health services managers |
30 |
$32.94 |
$68,510 |
| Painting, coating, and decorating workers |
30 |
$22.99 |
$47,820 |
| Personal financial advisors |
30 |
$30.16 |
$62,740 |
| Postal service clerks |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
30 |
$10.65 |
$22,150 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
Not available |
$8.06 |
$16,760 |
| Clergy |
Not available |
$11.94 |
$24,830 |
| Crane and tower operators |
Not available |
$25.01 |
$52,020 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
Not available |
$23.70 |
$49,290 |
| Electrical engineers |
Not available |
$38.44 |
$79,960 |
| Engineers, all other |
Not available |
$39.66 |
$82,500 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
Not available |
$26.39 |
$54,900 |
| Fire fighters |
Not available |
$23.22 |
$48,310 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
Not available |
$11.78 |
$24,500 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$20.33 |
$42,280 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
Not available |
$8.98 |
$18,690 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$16.89 |
$35,140 |
| Personal care and service workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.73 |
$28,560 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
$96.82 |
$201,380 |
| Plant and system operators, all other |
Not available |
$24.78 |
$51,550 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
Not available |
$26.81 |
$55,760 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$76,500 |
| Team assemblers |
Not available |
$10.82 |
$22,510 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
Not available |
Not available |
$53,080 |
