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 |
64,260 |
$22.28 |
$46,340 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
10,000 |
$17.97 |
$37,370 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,790 |
$18.86 |
$39,230 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
6,690 |
$11.08 |
$23,040 |
| Production occupations |
5,150 |
$19.68 |
$40,930 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,850 |
$27.68 |
$57,570 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,820 |
$36.82 |
$76,590 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
3,790 |
$25.44 |
$52,920 |
| Management occupations |
3,520 |
$52.47 |
$109,130 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
3,400 |
$13.65 |
$28,390 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,960 |
$15.73 |
$32,710 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
2,840 |
$12.98 |
$27,010 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,570 |
$12.96 |
$26,950 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
2,380 |
$12.05 |
$25,060 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,070 |
$23.94 |
$49,800 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,820 |
$15.84 |
$32,960 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,600 |
$34.16 |
$71,050 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,530 |
$9.76 |
$20,290 |
| Cashiers |
1,470 |
$12.31 |
$25,600 |
| Registered nurses |
1,430 |
$42.77 |
$88,970 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,410 |
$13.07 |
$27,190 |
| Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders |
1,230 |
$24.97 |
$51,930 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,190 |
$13.49 |
$28,060 |
| General and operations managers |
1,120 |
$63.35 |
$131,770 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
1,040 |
$23.51 |
$48,900 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,000 |
$31.70 |
$65,930 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
980 |
$9.93 |
$20,650 |
| Office clerks, general |
960 |
$14.12 |
$29,370 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
940 |
$19.26 |
$40,060 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
870 |
$16.05 |
$33,380 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
850 |
$13.41 |
$27,890 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
850 |
$10.45 |
$21,750 |
| Carpenters |
830 |
$26.39 |
$54,880 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
830 |
$13.77 |
$28,650 |
| Protective service occupations |
830 |
$23.32 |
$48,500 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
780 |
$21.11 |
$43,910 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
750 |
$40.84 |
$84,960 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
740 |
$25.61 |
$53,260 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
720 |
$37.61 |
$78,230 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
700 |
Not available |
$63,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
650 |
$19.43 |
$40,410 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
650 |
$14.60 |
$30,360 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
640 |
$13.73 |
$28,550 |
| Community and social services occupations |
620 |
$22.13 |
$46,040 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
620 |
$15.28 |
$31,790 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
610 |
$17.36 |
$36,110 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
580 |
$9.11 |
$18,940 |
| Construction laborers |
570 |
$19.32 |
$40,190 |
| Food preparation workers |
560 |
$11.16 |
$23,210 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
530 |
$20.80 |
$43,260 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
530 |
$16.26 |
$33,820 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
520 |
$36.02 |
$74,920 |
| Customer service representatives |
520 |
$18.36 |
$38,200 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
490 |
Not available |
$72,630 |
| Dishwashers |
480 |
$9.47 |
$19,690 |
| Medical secretaries |
480 |
$17.72 |
$36,850 |
| Teacher assistants |
450 |
Not available |
$28,590 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
440 |
Not available |
$71,700 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
420 |
$14.23 |
$29,590 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
370 |
$31.84 |
$66,230 |
| Home health aides |
370 |
$12.53 |
$26,050 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
370 |
$15.80 |
$32,870 |
| Tellers |
370 |
$13.23 |
$27,520 |
| Electricians |
360 |
$29.51 |
$61,370 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
350 |
$34.01 |
$70,750 |
| Accountants and auditors |
340 |
$36.00 |
$74,890 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
330 |
$17.60 |
$36,600 |
| Demonstrators and product promoters |
320 |
$16.35 |
$34,000 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
320 |
$9.52 |
$19,810 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
310 |
$19.43 |
$40,420 |
| Bartenders |
300 |
$9.97 |
$20,730 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
300 |
$29.89 |
$62,180 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
300 |
$11.42 |
$23,760 |
| Legal occupations |
300 |
$48.94 |
$101,790 |
| Sales managers |
290 |
$49.18 |
$102,300 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
280 |
$11.02 |
$22,920 |
| Cooks, fast food |
280 |
$9.25 |
$19,240 |
| Financial managers |
280 |
$53.29 |
$110,840 |
| Child care workers |
270 |
$13.03 |
$27,110 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
260 |
$13.81 |
$28,720 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
250 |
$23.70 |
$49,300 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
250 |
$25.12 |
$52,250 |
| Massage therapists |
240 |
$20.83 |
$43,320 |
| Security guards |
240 |
$18.03 |
$37,500 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
230 |
$23.00 |
$47,840 |
| Data entry keyers |
220 |
$14.69 |
$30,560 |
| Medical assistants |
220 |
$15.85 |
$32,960 |
| Dental assistants |
210 |
$17.56 |
$36,520 |
| Fire fighters |
210 |
$20.10 |
$41,810 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
210 |
$9.84 |
$20,470 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
210 |
$23.24 |
$48,340 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
210 |
$23.49 |
$48,870 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
200 |
$16.62 |
$34,570 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
200 |
$31.94 |
$66,430 |
| Order clerks |
200 |
$15.18 |
$31,570 |
| Production workers, all other |
200 |
$15.64 |
$32,520 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
190 |
$18.23 |
$37,930 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
190 |
$17.10 |
$35,580 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of farming, fishing, and forestry workers |
180 |
$22.71 |
$47,230 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
180 |
$12.22 |
$25,410 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
170 |
$18.98 |
$39,470 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
170 |
$20.13 |
$41,870 |
| Industrial production managers |
170 |
$51.32 |
$106,750 |
| Medical and health services managers |
170 |
$43.06 |
$89,560 |
| Personal and home care aides |
170 |
$12.46 |
$25,920 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
170 |
$21.62 |
$44,960 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
170 |
$39.21 |
$81,550 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
170 |
Not available |
$50,780 |
| Chemists |
160 |
$32.55 |
$67,690 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
160 |
$33.47 |
$69,610 |
| Food service managers |
160 |
$29.32 |
$60,990 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
160 |
$28.40 |
$59,080 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
160 |
$35.12 |
$73,060 |
| Construction managers |
150 |
$61.75 |
$128,440 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
150 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Word processors and typists |
150 |
$15.72 |
$32,700 |
| File clerks |
140 |
$12.58 |
$26,160 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
140 |
$17.60 |
$36,600 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
140 |
$25.86 |
$53,790 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
140 |
$17.61 |
$36,630 |
| Chief executives |
130 |
$87.55 |
$182,100 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
130 |
$15.32 |
$31,870 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
130 |
Not available |
$105,240 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
130 |
$10.95 |
$22,770 |
| Management analysts |
130 |
$47.45 |
$98,690 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
130 |
$26.52 |
$55,150 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
130 |
$19.70 |
$40,970 |
| Administrative services managers |
120 |
$31.31 |
$65,120 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
120 |
$28.33 |
$58,930 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
120 |
$11.38 |
$23,660 |
| Cost estimators |
120 |
$37.11 |
$77,180 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
120 |
$22.09 |
$45,950 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
120 |
$17.02 |
$35,410 |
| Physical therapists |
120 |
$29.82 |
$62,020 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
120 |
$22.38 |
$46,560 |
| Sheet metal workers |
120 |
$23.60 |
$49,090 |
| Agricultural equipment operators |
110 |
$13.56 |
$28,190 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
110 |
$26.94 |
$56,030 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
110 |
$11.95 |
$24,860 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
110 |
$9.82 |
$20,420 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
110 |
$20.18 |
$41,980 |
| Recreation workers |
110 |
$12.91 |
$26,860 |
| Computer support specialists |
100 |
$22.42 |
$46,630 |
| Dental laboratory technicians |
100 |
$23.27 |
$48,400 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
100 |
$26.21 |
$54,510 |
| Lawyers |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical and public health social workers |
100 |
$29.47 |
$61,300 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
100 |
$17.39 |
$36,170 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
100 |
$16.03 |
$33,350 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
100 |
$26.87 |
$55,880 |
| Roofers |
100 |
$20.54 |
$42,730 |
| Baggage porters and bellhops |
90 |
$9.48 |
$19,710 |
| Chemical technicians |
90 |
$20.25 |
$42,130 |
| Computer systems analysts |
90 |
$34.97 |
$72,730 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
90 |
$23.18 |
$48,210 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
90 |
$31.57 |
$65,670 |
| Helpers--production workers |
90 |
$10.56 |
$21,970 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
90 |
$18.94 |
$39,400 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
90 |
$18.79 |
$39,090 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
90 |
$14.73 |
$30,650 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
90 |
$35.75 |
$74,360 |
| Pharmacists |
90 |
$53.41 |
$111,100 |
| Public relations specialists |
90 |
$24.06 |
$50,040 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
90 |
$22.62 |
$47,040 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
80 |
$28.31 |
$58,870 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
80 |
$18.62 |
$38,730 |
| Civil engineers |
80 |
$32.99 |
$68,610 |
| Dental hygienists |
80 |
$46.67 |
$97,070 |
| Insurance sales agents |
80 |
$31.95 |
$66,450 |
| Marketing managers |
80 |
$57.93 |
$120,490 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
80 |
$35.06 |
$72,920 |
| Social and human service assistants |
80 |
$16.11 |
$33,510 |
| Team assemblers |
80 |
$16.68 |
$34,700 |
| Bill and account collectors |
70 |
$18.25 |
$37,950 |
| Driver/sales workers |
70 |
$12.93 |
$26,890 |
| Electrical engineers |
70 |
$43.41 |
$90,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
70 |
$18.06 |
$37,570 |
| Graphic designers |
70 |
$22.07 |
$45,900 |
| Health educators |
70 |
$21.31 |
$44,320 |
| Managers, all other |
70 |
$47.72 |
$99,260 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
70 |
$34.47 |
$71,710 |
| Personal financial advisors |
70 |
$46.19 |
$96,080 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
70 |
$40.29 |
$83,810 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
60 |
$30.18 |
$62,780 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
60 |
$19.81 |
$41,200 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$23.47 |
$48,820 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
60 |
$24.58 |
$51,130 |
| Market research analysts |
60 |
$35.94 |
$74,750 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
60 |
$19.94 |
$41,470 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
60 |
$29.64 |
$61,650 |
| Stationary engineers and boiler operators |
60 |
$28.57 |
$59,420 |
| Surgeons |
60 |
$89.98 |
$187,170 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
60 |
$12.67 |
$26,360 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
60 |
$11.65 |
$24,230 |
| All other information and record clerks |
50 |
$15.07 |
$31,340 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
50 |
$28.84 |
$59,980 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
50 |
$21.22 |
$44,140 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
50 |
$31.37 |
$65,250 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
50 |
$15.21 |
$31,640 |
| Dentists, general |
50 |
$60.98 |
$126,830 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
50 |
$18.82 |
$39,140 |
| Engineering managers |
50 |
$54.23 |
$112,810 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
50 |
$14.42 |
$29,990 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
50 |
$16.09 |
$33,470 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
50 |
$28.84 |
$59,990 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
50 |
Not available |
$53,890 |
| Librarians |
50 |
$25.66 |
$53,370 |
| Loan officers |
50 |
$35.30 |
$73,430 |
| Lodging managers |
50 |
$27.29 |
$56,770 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
50 |
$30.15 |
$62,700 |
| Printing machine operators |
50 |
$25.21 |
$52,430 |
| Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks |
50 |
$13.21 |
$27,480 |
| Respiratory therapists |
50 |
$30.90 |
$64,280 |
| Surgical technologists |
50 |
$22.73 |
$47,290 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
50 |
$23.42 |
$48,720 |
| Urban and regional planners |
50 |
$40.28 |
$83,770 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
40 |
$10.94 |
$22,750 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
40 |
$21.57 |
$44,860 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
40 |
$22.79 |
$47,410 |
| Coaches and scouts |
40 |
Not available |
$48,330 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
40 |
$55.27 |
$114,970 |
| Computer programmers |
40 |
$37.01 |
$76,970 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
40 |
$46.43 |
$96,570 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
40 |
$12.39 |
$25,770 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
40 |
$23.69 |
$49,280 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of fire fighting and prevention workers |
40 |
$32.25 |
$67,070 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$37.67 |
$78,350 |
| Library technicians |
40 |
$11.81 |
$24,560 |
| Logisticians |
40 |
$34.30 |
$71,350 |
| Meter readers, utilities |
40 |
$23.69 |
$49,280 |
| Parts salespersons |
40 |
$19.41 |
$40,370 |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation |
40 |
$14.11 |
$29,360 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
40 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
40 |
$25.84 |
$53,750 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners |
40 |
$24.71 |
$51,390 |
| Tax preparers |
40 |
$20.62 |
$42,890 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
40 |
$11.51 |
$23,930 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
40 |
$39.43 |
$82,020 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
40 |
$14.02 |
$29,150 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
30 |
$20.13 |
$41,870 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
30 |
$35.27 |
$73,370 |
| Floral designers |
30 |
$13.21 |
$27,470 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
30 |
$24.23 |
$50,400 |
| Mechanical engineers |
30 |
$40.08 |
$83,370 |
| Skin care specialists |
30 |
$16.64 |
$34,620 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
30 |
$10.05 |
$20,910 |
| Bakers |
Not available |
$11.96 |
$24,870 |
| Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders |
Not available |
$12.42 |
$25,820 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$8.77 |
$18,240 |
| Electronics engineers, except computer |
Not available |
$37.02 |
$76,990 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
Not available |
$22.54 |
$46,880 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
Not available |
$16.64 |
$34,610 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$33.33 |
$69,330 |
| Mechanical drafters |
Not available |
$25.15 |
$52,310 |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other |
Not available |
$13.50 |
$28,090 |
| Plasterers and stucco masons |
Not available |
$29.18 |
$60,680 |
| Psychiatrists |
Not available |
$93.74 |
$194,990 |
| Sales engineers |
Not available |
$48.00 |
$99,850 |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
Not available |
$14.68 |
$30,530 |
| Social and community service managers |
Not available |
$33.32 |
$69,300 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
Not available |
Not available |
$73,180 |
| Telemarketers |
Not available |
$17.43 |
$36,250 |
| Tile and marble setters |
Not available |
$20.32 |
$42,260 |
| Transportation workers, all other |
Not available |
$23.97 |
$49,860 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
Not available |
$19.95 |
$41,500 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
Not available |
$15.51 |
$32,260 |
