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 |
62,440 |
$17.79 |
$37,000 |
| Production occupations |
9,380 |
$16.26 |
$33,830 |
| Sales and related occupations |
9,070 |
$13.87 |
$28,850 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
8,600 |
$15.14 |
$31,500 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
6,380 |
$9.22 |
$19,170 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,180 |
$31.06 |
$64,600 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,710 |
$23.00 |
$47,840 |
| Retail salespersons |
3,670 |
$11.25 |
$23,400 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,080 |
$13.12 |
$27,290 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,660 |
$12.25 |
$25,480 |
| Cashiers |
2,360 |
$8.92 |
$18,550 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,330 |
$18.80 |
$39,100 |
| Management occupations |
1,880 |
$41.80 |
$86,940 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,820 |
$12.78 |
$26,580 |
| Registered nurses |
1,700 |
$26.61 |
$55,340 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,660 |
$21.58 |
$44,880 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,630 |
$27.09 |
$56,340 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,560 |
$18.78 |
$39,070 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,380 |
$13.18 |
$27,420 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,230 |
$8.61 |
$17,910 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,170 |
$8.38 |
$17,430 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,100 |
$27.83 |
$57,880 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,070 |
$10.66 |
$22,170 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,010 |
$12.71 |
$26,430 |
| Food preparation workers |
1,000 |
$8.52 |
$17,720 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
920 |
$12.72 |
$26,460 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
910 |
$14.67 |
$30,510 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
870 |
$18.59 |
$38,660 |
| Community and social services occupations |
770 |
$22.02 |
$45,810 |
| Home health aides |
760 |
$9.31 |
$19,360 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
740 |
Not available |
$58,010 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
740 |
$10.69 |
$22,230 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
730 |
$17.70 |
$36,810 |
| Team assemblers |
720 |
$13.86 |
$28,840 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
700 |
$15.21 |
$31,630 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
700 |
$11.43 |
$23,770 |
| Helpers--production workers |
650 |
$10.39 |
$21,610 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
630 |
$18.45 |
$38,380 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
620 |
$34.23 |
$71,200 |
| Customer service representatives |
590 |
$14.85 |
$30,900 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
590 |
$12.51 |
$26,020 |
| Teacher assistants |
590 |
Not available |
$26,740 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
580 |
$16.90 |
$35,150 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
560 |
$15.48 |
$32,200 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
550 |
$25.74 |
$53,540 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
520 |
$27.43 |
$57,060 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
470 |
$9.36 |
$19,470 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
460 |
$17.39 |
$36,180 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
450 |
$12.11 |
$25,180 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
440 |
Not available |
$57,960 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
400 |
$14.60 |
$30,360 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
400 |
Not available |
$51,650 |
| General and operations managers |
390 |
$43.43 |
$90,330 |
| Food preparation and serving related workers, all other |
380 |
$9.14 |
$19,000 |
| Legal occupations |
380 |
$34.64 |
$72,050 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
370 |
$13.68 |
$28,460 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
370 |
$17.08 |
$35,520 |
| Child care workers |
360 |
$10.41 |
$21,660 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
360 |
$16.54 |
$34,400 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
360 |
$25.94 |
$53,950 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
360 |
$19.47 |
$40,490 |
| Accountants and auditors |
350 |
$35.40 |
$73,630 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
350 |
$26.98 |
$56,110 |
| Bartenders |
330 |
$9.71 |
$20,190 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
320 |
$12.50 |
$26,000 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
320 |
$13.30 |
$27,660 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
320 |
$13.26 |
$27,580 |
| Machinists |
320 |
$16.25 |
$33,800 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
320 |
$15.56 |
$32,360 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
300 |
$9.67 |
$20,120 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
300 |
$15.80 |
$32,860 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
300 |
$16.06 |
$33,390 |
| Dishwashers |
290 |
$8.07 |
$16,790 |
| Electricians |
290 |
$24.52 |
$51,010 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
280 |
$9.65 |
$20,060 |
| Medical assistants |
280 |
$13.07 |
$27,190 |
| Plating and coating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
270 |
$15.79 |
$32,830 |
| Bus drivers, school |
260 |
$15.12 |
$31,440 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
260 |
$18.36 |
$38,200 |
| Security guards |
260 |
$12.88 |
$26,780 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
240 |
$23.48 |
$48,830 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
230 |
$22.62 |
$47,050 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
230 |
$22.35 |
$46,490 |
| Construction laborers |
220 |
$15.83 |
$32,930 |
| Industrial engineers |
220 |
$26.57 |
$55,270 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
220 |
$10.61 |
$22,070 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
220 |
$12.93 |
$26,890 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
220 |
$68.41 |
$142,290 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
210 |
$15.70 |
$32,660 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
210 |
$27.40 |
$56,990 |
| Personal and home care aides |
210 |
$9.59 |
$19,950 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
210 |
Not available |
$50,210 |
| Tellers |
210 |
$10.67 |
$22,190 |
| Dental assistants |
200 |
$15.25 |
$31,720 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
200 |
$27.66 |
$57,530 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
200 |
$14.49 |
$30,140 |
| Mechanical engineers |
200 |
$29.31 |
$60,960 |
| Chief executives |
190 |
$65.33 |
$135,890 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
190 |
$34.67 |
$72,120 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
190 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
190 |
$21.37 |
$44,460 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
180 |
$10.32 |
$21,470 |
| Fire fighters |
180 |
$14.84 |
$30,870 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
180 |
$11.68 |
$24,290 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
170 |
$11.54 |
$24,010 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
170 |
$21.65 |
$45,030 |
| Lawyers |
170 |
$48.43 |
$100,730 |
| Pharmacists |
170 |
$45.31 |
$94,240 |
| Carpenters |
150 |
$20.63 |
$42,910 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
150 |
$9.46 |
$19,690 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
150 |
Not available |
$56,740 |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
150 |
$16.82 |
$34,980 |
| Pourers and casters, metal |
140 |
$16.02 |
$33,310 |
| Telemarketers |
140 |
$11.08 |
$23,050 |
| Coaches and scouts |
130 |
Not available |
$23,460 |
| Computer support specialists |
130 |
$24.27 |
$50,480 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
130 |
Not available |
$88,140 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
130 |
$13.98 |
$29,080 |
| Medical and health services managers |
130 |
$38.69 |
$80,480 |
| Medical secretaries |
130 |
$12.58 |
$26,160 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
130 |
$17.18 |
$35,730 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
130 |
$17.39 |
$36,160 |
| Sales managers |
130 |
$41.62 |
$86,570 |
| Bill and account collectors |
120 |
$14.63 |
$30,440 |
| Dental hygienists |
120 |
$25.37 |
$52,770 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
120 |
$17.70 |
$36,810 |
| Industrial production managers |
120 |
$38.47 |
$80,020 |
| Managers, all other |
120 |
$34.09 |
$70,910 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
120 |
$22.45 |
$46,690 |
| Bakers |
110 |
$9.43 |
$19,620 |
| Computer programmers |
110 |
$27.21 |
$56,600 |
| Materials engineers |
110 |
$35.08 |
$72,960 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
110 |
$11.71 |
$24,360 |
| Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
110 |
$15.89 |
$33,050 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
110 |
$22.18 |
$46,140 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
110 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
110 |
Not available |
$57,340 |
| Dentists, general |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Engineering managers |
100 |
$43.62 |
$90,740 |
| Financial managers |
100 |
$42.25 |
$87,880 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
100 |
$21.52 |
$44,760 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
100 |
Not available |
$58,740 |
| Tool and die makers |
100 |
$20.45 |
$42,530 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
90 |
$23.56 |
$49,010 |
| Loan officers |
90 |
$20.17 |
$41,960 |
| Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks |
90 |
$9.94 |
$20,680 |
| Training and development specialists |
90 |
$25.23 |
$52,480 |
| Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
80 |
$14.43 |
$30,010 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
80 |
$24.46 |
$50,890 |
| File clerks |
80 |
$11.20 |
$23,290 |
| Insurance sales agents |
80 |
$24.10 |
$50,130 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
80 |
$11.31 |
$23,520 |
| Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders |
80 |
$19.16 |
$39,860 |
| Order clerks |
80 |
$13.86 |
$28,830 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
80 |
$18.34 |
$38,160 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
80 |
$16.19 |
$33,680 |
| Administrative services managers |
70 |
$30.65 |
$63,760 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
70 |
$12.41 |
$25,820 |
| Cooks, short order |
70 |
$11.63 |
$24,190 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
70 |
$22.67 |
$47,160 |
| Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
70 |
$11.45 |
$23,810 |
| Graphic designers |
70 |
$16.19 |
$33,670 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
70 |
$8.86 |
$18,430 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
70 |
$22.22 |
$46,220 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
70 |
$14.14 |
$29,400 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
70 |
$22.98 |
$47,800 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
70 |
$23.82 |
$49,550 |
| Physical therapists |
70 |
$33.47 |
$69,630 |
| Printing machine operators |
70 |
$16.55 |
$34,430 |
| Production workers, all other |
70 |
$14.27 |
$29,670 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
70 |
$10.39 |
$21,620 |
| Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$15.95 |
$33,180 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$26.89 |
$55,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
60 |
$17.89 |
$37,200 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
60 |
$36.17 |
$75,220 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
60 |
$9.90 |
$20,590 |
| Food service managers |
60 |
$19.43 |
$40,410 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
60 |
$24.35 |
$50,650 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
60 |
$16.31 |
$33,920 |
| Library technicians |
60 |
$13.56 |
$28,200 |
| Millwrights |
60 |
$25.04 |
$52,070 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
60 |
$15.34 |
$31,900 |
| Physician assistants |
60 |
$35.32 |
$73,470 |
| Surgical technologists |
60 |
$19.18 |
$39,900 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
50 |
$19.60 |
$40,770 |
| Data entry keyers |
50 |
$13.86 |
$28,830 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
50 |
$21.82 |
$45,390 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
50 |
$22.35 |
$46,490 |
| Food batchmakers |
50 |
$13.13 |
$27,300 |
| Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
50 |
$19.41 |
$40,370 |
| Legal secretaries |
50 |
$19.29 |
$40,120 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
50 |
$28.11 |
$58,460 |
| Occupational therapists |
50 |
$30.23 |
$62,880 |
| Painting, coating, and decorating workers |
50 |
$16.71 |
$34,750 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Service station attendants |
50 |
$10.13 |
$21,060 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
50 |
$29.54 |
$61,450 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
50 |
$11.82 |
$24,580 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
50 |
Not available |
$57,610 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
40 |
$16.57 |
$34,460 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
40 |
$45.07 |
$93,750 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
40 |
$30.64 |
$63,740 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
40 |
$25.02 |
$52,040 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
40 |
$20.92 |
$43,520 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
40 |
$18.61 |
$38,700 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
40 |
$17.54 |
$36,480 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
40 |
$16.90 |
$35,160 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$29.33 |
$61,020 |
| Market research analysts |
40 |
$23.76 |
$49,410 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
40 |
$28.56 |
$59,400 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
40 |
$15.76 |
$32,790 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
40 |
$19.22 |
$39,970 |
| Purchasing managers |
40 |
$34.37 |
$71,490 |
| Recreation workers |
40 |
$11.63 |
$24,190 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
30 |
$15.50 |
$32,240 |
| Clergy |
30 |
$23.13 |
$48,100 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
30 |
$37.11 |
$77,190 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
30 |
$21.37 |
$44,450 |
| Librarians |
30 |
$26.00 |
$54,070 |
| Mechanical drafters |
30 |
$20.11 |
$41,830 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
30 |
$18.22 |
$37,900 |
| Postal service clerks |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Public relations specialists |
30 |
$23.73 |
$49,360 |
| All other information and record clerks |
Not available |
$14.75 |
$30,690 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
Not available |
$21.08 |
$43,840 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$7.99 |
$16,610 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
Not available |
$17.76 |
$36,950 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
Not available |
$16.46 |
$34,240 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$11.39 |
$23,690 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
Not available |
$10.45 |
$21,740 |
| Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles |
Not available |
$10.68 |
$22,220 |
| Engineers, all other |
Not available |
$29.06 |
$60,440 |
| Foundry mold and coremakers |
Not available |
$18.20 |
$37,850 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$20.60 |
$42,850 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$8.76 |
$18,220 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
Not available |
$17.31 |
$36,010 |
| Metal workers and plastic workers, all other |
Not available |
$17.82 |
$37,060 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$15.25 |
$31,720 |
| Motorboat mechanics |
Not available |
$16.36 |
$34,040 |
| New accounts clerks |
Not available |
$10.07 |
$20,940 |
| Numerical tool and process control programmers |
Not available |
$19.58 |
$40,730 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$12.39 |
$25,770 |
| Patternmakers, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$21.38 |
$44,470 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$22.05 |
$45,860 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
Not available |
$25.48 |
$53,000 |
| Real estate sales agents |
Not available |
$30.14 |
$62,700 |
| Sewing machine operators |
Not available |
$11.08 |
$23,040 |
| Sheet metal workers |
Not available |
$21.01 |
$43,710 |
| Social and human service assistants |
Not available |
$14.12 |
$29,380 |
| Social workers, all other |
Not available |
$27.14 |
$56,450 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$13.34 |
$27,750 |
| Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners |
Not available |
$19.15 |
$39,820 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
Not available |
$10.81 |
$22,490 |
| Word processors and typists |
Not available |
$17.39 |
$36,180 |
