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 |
46,840 |
$17.19 |
$35,750 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,170 |
$13.54 |
$28,150 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,460 |
$8.23 |
$17,130 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,120 |
$13.71 |
$28,510 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,810 |
$34.97 |
$72,740 |
| Production occupations |
3,770 |
$15.58 |
$32,400 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,570 |
$21.64 |
$45,000 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,360 |
$12.88 |
$26,800 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,090 |
$12.12 |
$25,200 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,840 |
$16.56 |
$34,440 |
| Management occupations |
1,710 |
$40.04 |
$83,280 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,600 |
$10.80 |
$22,460 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,590 |
$7.24 |
$15,050 |
| Cashiers |
1,580 |
$8.36 |
$17,380 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,480 |
$9.70 |
$20,170 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,420 |
$18.49 |
$38,470 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,410 |
$12.02 |
$24,990 |
| Registered nurses |
1,230 |
$25.98 |
$54,030 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,080 |
$13.78 |
$28,670 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,040 |
$14.99 |
$31,190 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,030 |
$8.33 |
$17,330 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
940 |
$26.05 |
$54,170 |
| Office clerks, general |
860 |
$10.81 |
$22,480 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
820 |
$11.10 |
$23,090 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
810 |
$16.69 |
$34,720 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
800 |
$12.04 |
$25,050 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
670 |
$24.73 |
$51,440 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
610 |
$10.16 |
$21,130 |
| Food preparation workers |
600 |
$8.12 |
$16,890 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
590 |
$14.24 |
$29,630 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
590 |
$14.40 |
$29,950 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
560 |
$18.90 |
$39,310 |
| Community and social services occupations |
500 |
$17.44 |
$36,280 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
480 |
$16.25 |
$33,800 |
| Personal and home care aides |
450 |
$8.95 |
$18,620 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
440 |
$19.01 |
$39,530 |
| Home health aides |
440 |
$9.58 |
$19,930 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
440 |
Not available |
$26,800 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
420 |
$33.07 |
$68,790 |
| Customer service representatives |
420 |
$14.52 |
$30,210 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
420 |
$20.16 |
$41,940 |
| General and operations managers |
410 |
$44.89 |
$93,370 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
400 |
$12.87 |
$26,770 |
| Child care workers |
390 |
$9.86 |
$20,500 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
380 |
$10.39 |
$21,600 |
| Medical assistants |
370 |
$12.03 |
$25,020 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
370 |
$17.05 |
$35,460 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
360 |
$8.37 |
$17,410 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
340 |
Not available |
$45,990 |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
330 |
$11.97 |
$24,900 |
| Team assemblers |
320 |
$15.78 |
$32,820 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
310 |
Not available |
$48,750 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
300 |
$17.46 |
$36,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
300 |
$25.17 |
$52,360 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
290 |
$8.53 |
$17,740 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
290 |
$12.37 |
$25,720 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
270 |
$7.71 |
$16,040 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
270 |
$24.42 |
$50,800 |
| Tellers |
270 |
$10.96 |
$22,800 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
260 |
$11.56 |
$24,050 |
| Teacher assistants |
260 |
Not available |
$22,420 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
250 |
$12.65 |
$26,320 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
250 |
$9.24 |
$19,220 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
240 |
$9.98 |
$20,760 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
220 |
$13.94 |
$28,990 |
| Computer support specialists |
220 |
$20.76 |
$43,190 |
| Accountants and auditors |
210 |
$28.04 |
$58,330 |
| Bus drivers, school |
210 |
$18.17 |
$37,790 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
210 |
$8.13 |
$16,920 |
| Roofers |
210 |
$16.64 |
$34,610 |
| Bartenders |
200 |
$7.66 |
$15,930 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
200 |
$7.47 |
$15,530 |
| Medical secretaries |
200 |
$13.28 |
$27,620 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
200 |
$8.74 |
$18,170 |
| Carpenters |
190 |
$20.63 |
$42,920 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
190 |
$15.64 |
$32,540 |
| Dishwashers |
180 |
$7.67 |
$15,950 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
180 |
$11.87 |
$24,680 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
180 |
$11.34 |
$23,580 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
170 |
$15.65 |
$32,550 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
170 |
$14.49 |
$30,140 |
| Machinists |
170 |
$17.60 |
$36,620 |
| Security guards |
170 |
$14.15 |
$29,440 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
160 |
Not available |
$45,590 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
160 |
$20.53 |
$42,710 |
| Driver/sales workers |
150 |
$10.57 |
$21,980 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
150 |
$17.45 |
$36,300 |
| Medical and health services managers |
150 |
$35.63 |
$74,120 |
| Construction laborers |
140 |
$13.54 |
$28,170 |
| Electricians |
140 |
$21.60 |
$44,930 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
140 |
$25.71 |
$53,480 |
| Parts salespersons |
140 |
$12.00 |
$24,970 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
130 |
$28.54 |
$59,350 |
| Family and general practitioners |
130 |
$84.91 |
$176,620 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
130 |
$18.36 |
$38,180 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
130 |
$27.59 |
$57,390 |
| Mechanical engineers |
130 |
$35.71 |
$74,270 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
130 |
$92.26 |
$191,910 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
130 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
130 |
$26.98 |
$56,110 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
130 |
$40.46 |
$84,160 |
| Tool and die makers |
130 |
$23.16 |
$48,170 |
| Dental assistants |
120 |
$14.78 |
$30,750 |
| Financial managers |
120 |
$40.22 |
$83,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
120 |
$23.43 |
$48,740 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
120 |
$7.05 |
$14,670 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
120 |
$24.54 |
$51,050 |
| Printing machine operators |
120 |
$15.89 |
$33,060 |
| Public relations specialists |
120 |
$20.55 |
$42,740 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
110 |
$19.49 |
$40,530 |
| Cooks, short order |
110 |
$8.21 |
$17,070 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
110 |
$9.75 |
$20,280 |
| Legal occupations |
110 |
$23.75 |
$49,400 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
110 |
$19.13 |
$39,790 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
110 |
$23.41 |
$48,690 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
110 |
$13.26 |
$27,570 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
100 |
$9.67 |
$20,110 |
| Coaches and scouts |
100 |
Not available |
$40,480 |
| Data entry keyers |
100 |
$10.25 |
$21,320 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
100 |
$13.26 |
$27,580 |
| Food service managers |
100 |
$21.16 |
$44,010 |
| Industrial engineers |
100 |
$37.06 |
$77,090 |
| Insurance sales agents |
100 |
$20.47 |
$42,580 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
100 |
$8.56 |
$17,800 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
100 |
$12.88 |
$26,790 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
100 |
$13.20 |
$27,460 |
| Pharmacists |
100 |
$47.54 |
$98,870 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Advertising sales agents |
90 |
$21.64 |
$45,000 |
| Bill and account collectors |
90 |
$13.29 |
$27,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
90 |
$28.11 |
$58,480 |
| Industrial production managers |
90 |
$48.91 |
$101,730 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
90 |
$7.71 |
$16,040 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
80 |
$14.76 |
$30,700 |
| Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
80 |
$14.94 |
$31,080 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
80 |
$14.91 |
$31,000 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
80 |
$7.62 |
$15,850 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
70 |
$27.11 |
$56,390 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
70 |
$31.77 |
$66,090 |
| Computer systems analysts |
70 |
$30.05 |
$62,500 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
70 |
$13.56 |
$28,210 |
| Dental hygienists |
70 |
$34.84 |
$72,470 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
70 |
Not available |
$74,250 |
| File clerks |
70 |
$10.05 |
$20,900 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
70 |
$14.22 |
$29,590 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
70 |
$9.74 |
$20,270 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
70 |
$18.55 |
$38,580 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
70 |
$17.91 |
$37,260 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
70 |
$18.56 |
$38,610 |
| Physician assistants |
70 |
$38.57 |
$80,220 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
70 |
$23.17 |
$48,200 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
70 |
$23.82 |
$49,540 |
| Recreation workers |
70 |
$10.44 |
$21,720 |
| Training and development specialists |
70 |
$26.40 |
$54,910 |
| Administrative services managers |
60 |
$32.50 |
$67,610 |
| Chief executives |
60 |
$62.39 |
$129,780 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
60 |
$20.23 |
$42,080 |
| Construction managers |
60 |
$61.79 |
$128,530 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$33.06 |
$68,750 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
60 |
$10.71 |
$22,290 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$16.13 |
$33,540 |
| Legal secretaries |
60 |
$13.59 |
$28,260 |
| Librarians |
60 |
$22.83 |
$47,480 |
| Loan officers |
60 |
$25.71 |
$53,470 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
60 |
$11.79 |
$24,520 |
| Sales managers |
60 |
$34.47 |
$71,690 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
60 |
$26.60 |
$55,320 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
60 |
$17.01 |
$35,390 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
50 |
$11.74 |
$24,410 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
50 |
$17.30 |
$35,980 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
50 |
$24.92 |
$51,820 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
50 |
$9.04 |
$18,810 |
| Couriers and messengers |
50 |
$9.53 |
$19,820 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
50 |
$15.15 |
$31,510 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
50 |
$21.42 |
$44,560 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
50 |
$17.20 |
$35,770 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
50 |
$24.83 |
$51,640 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
50 |
$7.82 |
$16,270 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
50 |
$13.05 |
$27,150 |
| Lawyers |
50 |
$28.83 |
$59,970 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
50 |
$16.16 |
$33,610 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
50 |
$12.94 |
$26,910 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$20.46 |
$42,550 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
50 |
$14.98 |
$31,170 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
50 |
$33.27 |
$69,200 |
| Social and human service assistants |
50 |
$12.56 |
$26,130 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
50 |
$16.49 |
$34,310 |
| Telemarketers |
50 |
$9.25 |
$19,250 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
40 |
$18.00 |
$37,440 |
| Bakers |
40 |
$8.34 |
$17,340 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
40 |
$19.28 |
$40,100 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
40 |
$22.43 |
$46,650 |
| Computer programmers |
40 |
$28.58 |
$59,440 |
| Dentists, general |
40 |
$98.32 |
$204,500 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
40 |
$15.99 |
$33,260 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
40 |
$18.33 |
$38,120 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of correctional officers |
40 |
$19.80 |
$41,180 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
40 |
$19.68 |
$40,930 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
40 |
$7.73 |
$16,080 |
| Funeral directors |
40 |
$32.08 |
$66,730 |
| Grinding and polishing workers, hand |
40 |
$10.60 |
$22,040 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
40 |
$11.13 |
$23,150 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
40 |
$13.30 |
$27,670 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$27.69 |
$57,590 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
40 |
Not available |
$46,420 |
| Library technicians |
40 |
$12.96 |
$26,950 |
| Market research analysts |
40 |
$25.55 |
$53,140 |
| Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders |
40 |
$17.34 |
$36,070 |
| Order clerks |
40 |
$11.75 |
$24,450 |
| Pourers and casters, metal |
40 |
$16.90 |
$35,150 |
| Security and fire alarm systems installers |
40 |
$15.89 |
$33,050 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
40 |
$12.29 |
$25,570 |
| Sewing machine operators |
40 |
$10.14 |
$21,090 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
40 |
Not available |
$47,970 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
40 |
$9.58 |
$19,930 |
| Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners |
40 |
$11.77 |
$24,480 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
40 |
$8.69 |
$18,070 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Computer operators |
30 |
$13.60 |
$28,300 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
30 |
$27.96 |
$58,150 |
| Legislators |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Management analysts |
30 |
$30.37 |
$63,180 |
| Managers, all other |
30 |
$22.10 |
$45,960 |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other |
30 |
$7.22 |
$15,020 |
| Pharmacy aides |
30 |
$9.36 |
$19,460 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
30 |
$14.39 |
$29,930 |
| Social and community service managers |
30 |
$23.74 |
$49,390 |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
Not available |
$22.82 |
$47,460 |
| All other information and record clerks |
Not available |
$17.02 |
$35,390 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$7.31 |
$15,210 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$15.09 |
$31,390 |
| Helpers--production workers |
Not available |
$10.34 |
$21,520 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
Not available |
$10.89 |
$22,660 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
Not available |
$9.30 |
$19,340 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
Not available |
$9.90 |
$20,580 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
Not available |
$13.54 |
$28,170 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$14.37 |
$29,890 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
Not available |
$9.37 |
$19,480 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
Not available |
$17.76 |
$36,940 |
| Photographic processing machine operators |
Not available |
$9.63 |
$20,030 |
| Physical therapists |
Not available |
$37.74 |
$78,500 |
| Plating and coating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$14.12 |
$29,370 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$19.69 |
$40,950 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
Not available |
$29.01 |
$60,330 |
