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 |
63,770 |
$18.87 |
$39,260 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
9,640 |
$15.68 |
$32,610 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,780 |
$14.92 |
$31,040 |
| Production occupations |
6,580 |
$14.51 |
$30,190 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
6,300 |
$10.67 |
$22,200 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
5,560 |
$24.86 |
$51,710 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
5,170 |
$14.08 |
$29,290 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,320 |
$31.14 |
$64,770 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,660 |
$13.48 |
$28,040 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,630 |
$22.30 |
$46,390 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,410 |
$11.07 |
$23,030 |
| Management occupations |
2,310 |
$44.53 |
$92,630 |
| Cashiers |
2,180 |
$9.40 |
$19,540 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,130 |
$19.96 |
$41,530 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,880 |
$19.34 |
$40,220 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,750 |
$9.54 |
$19,840 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,710 |
$10.87 |
$22,610 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,560 |
$21.24 |
$44,170 |
| Registered nurses |
1,560 |
$31.27 |
$65,030 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,540 |
$13.31 |
$27,680 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
1,540 |
$11.99 |
$24,940 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,320 |
$14.04 |
$29,200 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,290 |
$28.20 |
$58,650 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,210 |
$10.75 |
$22,350 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
1,080 |
Not available |
$57,620 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,000 |
$13.22 |
$27,500 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
970 |
$12.99 |
$27,010 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
960 |
$15.50 |
$32,230 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
900 |
Not available |
$56,780 |
| Sewing machine operators |
850 |
$12.33 |
$25,660 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
820 |
Not available |
$53,320 |
| Customer service representatives |
760 |
$14.74 |
$30,660 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
760 |
$20.00 |
$41,610 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
740 |
$21.81 |
$45,360 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
680 |
$32.31 |
$67,200 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
670 |
$19.57 |
$40,710 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
670 |
$13.37 |
$27,820 |
| General and operations managers |
650 |
$46.67 |
$97,070 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
650 |
$22.74 |
$47,300 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
640 |
$15.93 |
$33,130 |
| Carpenters |
580 |
$22.85 |
$47,540 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
580 |
$13.65 |
$28,380 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
570 |
$12.98 |
$27,000 |
| Teacher assistants |
550 |
Not available |
$22,570 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
540 |
$17.67 |
$36,760 |
| Team assemblers |
540 |
$15.90 |
$33,080 |
| Social and human service assistants |
530 |
$13.35 |
$27,760 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
500 |
$20.91 |
$43,490 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
500 |
$9.10 |
$18,920 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
500 |
$19.50 |
$40,560 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
490 |
$12.12 |
$25,220 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
470 |
$10.64 |
$22,130 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
460 |
$15.34 |
$31,910 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
460 |
$24.17 |
$50,270 |
| Food preparation workers |
440 |
$10.25 |
$21,330 |
| Bartenders |
420 |
$10.40 |
$21,620 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
420 |
$23.97 |
$49,860 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
420 |
$10.95 |
$22,790 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
410 |
$12.53 |
$26,060 |
| Bus drivers, school |
400 |
$11.99 |
$24,950 |
| Fire fighters |
390 |
$20.33 |
$42,300 |
| Medical secretaries |
380 |
$14.84 |
$30,870 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
380 |
$33.13 |
$68,920 |
| Construction laborers |
370 |
$20.61 |
$42,870 |
| Tellers |
370 |
$12.16 |
$25,300 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
360 |
$30.56 |
$63,560 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
350 |
$20.28 |
$42,190 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
350 |
$12.06 |
$25,080 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
340 |
$27.46 |
$57,110 |
| Medical assistants |
320 |
$14.84 |
$30,860 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
310 |
$16.78 |
$34,890 |
| Dishwashers |
310 |
$8.97 |
$18,660 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
310 |
$10.19 |
$21,190 |
| Accountants and auditors |
300 |
$31.40 |
$65,310 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
300 |
$12.88 |
$26,790 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
260 |
$12.20 |
$25,370 |
| Machinists |
260 |
$18.77 |
$39,050 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
250 |
$15.41 |
$32,060 |
| Child care workers |
250 |
$10.12 |
$21,050 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
250 |
$9.44 |
$19,630 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
240 |
$11.38 |
$23,660 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
240 |
$13.68 |
$28,460 |
| Chief executives |
230 |
$60.75 |
$126,360 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
220 |
$25.15 |
$52,310 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
220 |
$21.72 |
$45,170 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
220 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
210 |
$26.26 |
$54,620 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
210 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Home health aides |
210 |
$12.46 |
$25,920 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
200 |
$9.84 |
$20,480 |
| Driver/sales workers |
200 |
$17.82 |
$37,060 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
200 |
$35.33 |
$73,480 |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers |
200 |
$11.07 |
$23,030 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
200 |
$12.64 |
$26,290 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
190 |
$9.02 |
$18,760 |
| Dental hygienists |
190 |
$32.67 |
$67,950 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
190 |
$12.36 |
$25,720 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
190 |
$14.46 |
$30,070 |
| Legal occupations |
190 |
$40.46 |
$84,160 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials |
190 |
$12.05 |
$25,060 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
180 |
$20.06 |
$41,720 |
| Cost estimators |
180 |
$30.55 |
$63,540 |
| Financial managers |
180 |
$40.91 |
$85,100 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
180 |
Not available |
$63,640 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
180 |
$18.34 |
$38,150 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
170 |
Not available |
$85,660 |
| Security guards |
170 |
$12.11 |
$25,190 |
| Medical and health services managers |
160 |
$40.89 |
$85,050 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
160 |
$13.82 |
$28,740 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
150 |
$13.43 |
$27,930 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
150 |
$18.04 |
$37,520 |
| Insurance sales agents |
150 |
$21.33 |
$44,360 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
150 |
$46.52 |
$96,750 |
| Dental assistants |
140 |
$15.24 |
$31,700 |
| Electricians |
140 |
$24.42 |
$50,790 |
| Lawyers |
140 |
$47.57 |
$98,950 |
| Legal secretaries |
140 |
$17.09 |
$35,550 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
140 |
$22.00 |
$45,770 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
140 |
Not available |
$58,440 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
140 |
Not available |
$62,970 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
130 |
$29.96 |
$62,310 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
130 |
$23.26 |
$48,390 |
| Computer support specialists |
130 |
$22.48 |
$46,760 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
130 |
$10.86 |
$22,590 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
130 |
Not available |
$51,590 |
| Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic |
130 |
$16.27 |
$33,850 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
130 |
$13.56 |
$28,200 |
| Recreation workers |
130 |
$10.72 |
$22,310 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
130 |
$11.01 |
$22,890 |
| Graders and sorters, agricultural products |
120 |
$9.39 |
$19,530 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
120 |
$25.65 |
$53,350 |
| Physical therapists |
120 |
$36.48 |
$75,880 |
| Social and community service managers |
120 |
$25.56 |
$53,160 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
110 |
$16.86 |
$35,080 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
110 |
$21.00 |
$43,680 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
110 |
$22.71 |
$47,240 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
110 |
$17.01 |
$35,380 |
| Motorboat mechanics |
110 |
$19.64 |
$40,840 |
| Personal and home care aides |
110 |
$12.72 |
$26,460 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
110 |
$28.41 |
$59,090 |
| Sales managers |
110 |
$68.95 |
$143,410 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
110 |
$26.67 |
$55,480 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
100 |
$12.26 |
$25,510 |
| Cooks, fast food |
100 |
$8.81 |
$18,320 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
100 |
$11.21 |
$23,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
100 |
$33.28 |
$69,220 |
| Helpers--electricians |
100 |
$13.15 |
$27,350 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
100 |
$24.97 |
$51,940 |
| Industrial engineers |
100 |
$37.78 |
$78,580 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
100 |
$19.40 |
$40,350 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
100 |
$19.90 |
$41,380 |
| Order clerks |
100 |
$12.84 |
$26,710 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
100 |
$19.32 |
$40,180 |
| Pharmacists |
100 |
$50.00 |
$103,990 |
| Administrative services managers |
90 |
$32.71 |
$68,040 |
| Civil engineers |
90 |
$35.48 |
$73,790 |
| Coaches and scouts |
90 |
Not available |
$24,650 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
90 |
$17.49 |
$36,380 |
| Mental health counselors |
90 |
$18.30 |
$38,060 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
90 |
$24.11 |
$50,150 |
| Public relations specialists |
90 |
$25.27 |
$52,560 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
90 |
$17.93 |
$37,300 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
80 |
$17.83 |
$37,090 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
80 |
$32.20 |
$66,970 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
80 |
$19.56 |
$40,690 |
| Industrial production managers |
80 |
$43.96 |
$91,430 |
| Mechanical engineers |
80 |
$38.79 |
$80,680 |
| Roofers |
80 |
$16.13 |
$33,560 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
70 |
$19.19 |
$39,910 |
| Data entry keyers |
70 |
$14.74 |
$30,660 |
| Dietetic technicians |
70 |
$11.38 |
$23,670 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
70 |
$30.79 |
$64,040 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
70 |
$16.22 |
$33,730 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
70 |
$14.74 |
$30,660 |
| Librarians |
70 |
$30.36 |
$63,150 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
70 |
$11.46 |
$23,840 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
70 |
$17.68 |
$36,780 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
70 |
$34.86 |
$72,510 |
| New accounts clerks |
70 |
$13.96 |
$29,030 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
70 |
$78.43 |
$163,130 |
| Production workers, all other |
70 |
$14.51 |
$30,170 |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
70 |
$12.59 |
$26,200 |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
60 |
$26.73 |
$55,590 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
60 |
$15.54 |
$32,320 |
| Bill and account collectors |
60 |
$20.51 |
$42,660 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
60 |
$21.88 |
$45,510 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$12.18 |
$25,330 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
60 |
$19.95 |
$41,500 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
60 |
$14.40 |
$29,940 |
| File clerks |
60 |
$11.26 |
$23,420 |
| Food service managers |
60 |
$28.76 |
$59,820 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
60 |
$18.88 |
$39,270 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
60 |
$18.73 |
$38,970 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
60 |
$21.23 |
$44,150 |
| Library technicians |
60 |
$15.44 |
$32,110 |
| Market research analysts |
60 |
$23.56 |
$49,010 |
| Occupational therapists |
60 |
$35.10 |
$73,010 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
60 |
$21.21 |
$44,120 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
60 |
$25.21 |
$52,430 |
| Sewers, hand |
60 |
$9.88 |
$20,560 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
60 |
$37.44 |
$77,870 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
60 |
$12.23 |
$25,440 |
| All other information and record clerks |
50 |
$16.08 |
$33,450 |
| Bakers |
50 |
$12.05 |
$25,070 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
50 |
$18.12 |
$37,680 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
50 |
$14.90 |
$30,980 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
50 |
$24.95 |
$51,890 |
| Dentists, general |
50 |
$91.10 |
$189,500 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
50 |
$18.88 |
$39,270 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
50 |
$14.69 |
$30,560 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$19.62 |
$40,810 |
| Health educators |
50 |
$18.85 |
$39,200 |
| Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
50 |
$13.73 |
$28,550 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
50 |
$16.45 |
$34,210 |
| Management analysts |
50 |
$29.48 |
$61,320 |
| Mechanical engineering technicians |
50 |
$24.04 |
$50,000 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
50 |
$16.91 |
$35,170 |
| Parts salespersons |
50 |
$15.92 |
$33,120 |
| Physician assistants |
50 |
$47.61 |
$99,020 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
50 |
$16.62 |
$34,570 |
| Postal service clerks |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Printing machine operators |
50 |
$16.36 |
$34,020 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
50 |
$12.96 |
$26,960 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
50 |
$15.06 |
$31,320 |
| Advertising sales agents |
40 |
$25.25 |
$52,520 |
| Coil winders, tapers, and finishers |
40 |
$12.81 |
$26,630 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
40 |
$24.11 |
$50,140 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
40 |
$46.30 |
$96,310 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
40 |
$36.68 |
$76,290 |
| Cutters and trimmers, hand |
40 |
$12.65 |
$26,320 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
40 |
$11.84 |
$24,630 |
| Editors |
40 |
$31.34 |
$65,180 |
| Engineering managers |
40 |
$51.76 |
$107,660 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
40 |
$20.96 |
$43,590 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
40 |
$43.26 |
$89,980 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
40 |
$17.51 |
$36,420 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
40 |
$17.92 |
$37,270 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$29.30 |
$60,940 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
40 |
$13.60 |
$28,290 |
| Marketing managers |
40 |
$53.37 |
$111,010 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
40 |
$11.60 |
$24,120 |
| Painters, transportation equipment |
40 |
$19.16 |
$39,850 |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$16.16 |
$33,610 |
| Real estate sales agents |
40 |
$24.55 |
$51,070 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
40 |
$20.91 |
$43,500 |
| Sales engineers |
40 |
$39.93 |
$83,060 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
40 |
$10.32 |
$21,470 |
| Tool and die makers |
40 |
$24.79 |
$51,560 |
| Training and development specialists |
40 |
$22.56 |
$46,920 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
40 |
$14.60 |
$30,370 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
30 |
$26.06 |
$54,200 |
| Computer systems analysts |
30 |
$38.51 |
$80,110 |
| Conservation scientists |
30 |
$21.61 |
$44,960 |
| Construction managers |
30 |
$53.04 |
$110,330 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
30 |
$19.34 |
$40,220 |
| Mechanical drafters |
30 |
$22.39 |
$46,570 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
30 |
$14.78 |
$30,750 |
| Building cleaning workers, all other |
Not available |
$14.28 |
$29,700 |
| Counselors, all other |
Not available |
$19.14 |
$39,800 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
Not available |
$18.77 |
$39,040 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
Not available |
$19.81 |
$41,200 |
| Family and general practitioners |
Not available |
$97.22 |
$202,210 |
| Helpers--production workers |
Not available |
$11.71 |
$24,360 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
Not available |
$13.54 |
$28,160 |
| Massage therapists |
Not available |
$17.57 |
$36,550 |
| Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics |
Not available |
$12.68 |
$26,370 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$18.64 |
$38,780 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$25.41 |
$52,850 |
| Security and fire alarm systems installers |
Not available |
$24.79 |
$51,560 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$15.20 |
$31,610 |
| Sheet metal workers |
Not available |
$25.19 |
$52,390 |
| Surgical technologists |
Not available |
$22.83 |
$47,490 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$26.50 |
$55,110 |
| Telemarketers |
Not available |
$14.27 |
$29,690 |
| Tree trimmers and pruners |
Not available |
$18.15 |
$37,750 |
