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 |
40,030 |
$18.50 |
$38,480 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
6,930 |
$15.41 |
$32,050 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,950 |
$11.36 |
$23,640 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,800 |
$15.67 |
$32,600 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,590 |
$25.23 |
$52,480 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,230 |
$12.56 |
$26,130 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,100 |
$22.08 |
$45,930 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,000 |
$32.39 |
$67,370 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
2,000 |
$13.67 |
$28,430 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
1,900 |
$13.97 |
$29,050 |
| Cashiers |
1,820 |
$9.62 |
$20,020 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,640 |
$18.77 |
$39,040 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,630 |
$13.60 |
$28,290 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,620 |
$13.03 |
$27,110 |
| Management occupations |
1,440 |
$43.92 |
$91,350 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,390 |
$10.05 |
$20,900 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,310 |
$26.09 |
$54,270 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,200 |
$10.55 |
$21,950 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
990 |
$10.50 |
$21,840 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
960 |
$27.89 |
$58,020 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
890 |
$12.54 |
$26,090 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
890 |
$15.44 |
$32,110 |
| Production occupations |
870 |
$16.65 |
$34,630 |
| Community and social services occupations |
780 |
$20.82 |
$43,310 |
| Office clerks, general |
710 |
$11.95 |
$24,860 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
690 |
$17.18 |
$35,730 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
680 |
Not available |
$62,380 |
| Registered nurses |
610 |
$30.24 |
$62,890 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
590 |
$12.38 |
$25,750 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
570 |
$16.14 |
$33,570 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
550 |
$13.06 |
$27,160 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
540 |
$34.83 |
$72,450 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
520 |
Not available |
$59,440 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
500 |
$13.14 |
$27,340 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
490 |
$20.19 |
$42,000 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
470 |
$11.14 |
$23,180 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
450 |
$11.90 |
$24,750 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
440 |
$11.31 |
$23,530 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
420 |
$18.58 |
$38,650 |
| Bartenders |
390 |
$11.63 |
$24,200 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
380 |
$8.75 |
$18,210 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
380 |
$23.07 |
$47,980 |
| General and operations managers |
380 |
$60.95 |
$126,780 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
380 |
$12.60 |
$26,210 |
| Carpenters |
370 |
$21.96 |
$45,680 |
| Home health aides |
350 |
$11.01 |
$22,910 |
| Customer service representatives |
330 |
$16.56 |
$34,440 |
| Food preparation workers |
330 |
$10.04 |
$20,890 |
| Teacher assistants |
330 |
Not available |
$23,220 |
| Construction laborers |
320 |
$19.87 |
$41,340 |
| Tellers |
310 |
$12.53 |
$26,070 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
290 |
$14.55 |
$30,260 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
280 |
$29.10 |
$60,520 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
280 |
Not available |
$60,120 |
| Word processors and typists |
280 |
$15.04 |
$31,280 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
270 |
$8.66 |
$18,010 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
260 |
$19.50 |
$40,550 |
| Security guards |
260 |
$11.89 |
$24,730 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
250 |
$14.02 |
$29,160 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
250 |
$18.96 |
$39,440 |
| Cooks, short order |
240 |
$11.98 |
$24,930 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
240 |
$9.27 |
$19,280 |
| Dishwashers |
240 |
$9.47 |
$19,710 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
230 |
$20.45 |
$42,540 |
| Legal occupations |
230 |
$35.83 |
$74,530 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
230 |
$22.29 |
$46,350 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
230 |
$11.72 |
$24,370 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
220 |
$32.30 |
$67,180 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
220 |
$26.59 |
$55,320 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
210 |
$19.78 |
$41,140 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
200 |
$9.54 |
$19,840 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
200 |
$18.19 |
$37,830 |
| Accountants and auditors |
190 |
$29.57 |
$61,500 |
| Personal care and service workers, all other |
190 |
$11.42 |
$23,760 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
180 |
$30.82 |
$64,100 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
180 |
$9.93 |
$20,660 |
| Recreation workers |
180 |
$12.94 |
$26,910 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
170 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
170 |
Not available |
$38,700 |
| Child care workers |
160 |
$10.40 |
$21,630 |
| Bus drivers, school |
150 |
$12.71 |
$26,430 |
| Driver/sales workers |
150 |
$13.21 |
$27,480 |
| Electricians |
150 |
$22.42 |
$46,640 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
150 |
$28.88 |
$60,080 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
140 |
$10.03 |
$20,870 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
140 |
$24.18 |
$50,280 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
140 |
$26.53 |
$55,180 |
| Lawyers |
140 |
$40.03 |
$83,260 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
130 |
$15.69 |
$32,630 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
130 |
$11.20 |
$23,300 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
130 |
$8.81 |
$18,320 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
120 |
$29.41 |
$61,160 |
| Lodging managers |
120 |
$20.28 |
$42,180 |
| Motorboat mechanics |
120 |
$17.71 |
$36,840 |
| Service station attendants |
120 |
$8.41 |
$17,500 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
110 |
$18.20 |
$37,850 |
| Financial managers |
110 |
$42.63 |
$88,680 |
| Legal secretaries |
110 |
$19.68 |
$40,940 |
| Managers, all other |
110 |
$42.53 |
$88,460 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
110 |
$17.02 |
$35,410 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
110 |
$42.57 |
$88,550 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
100 |
$13.08 |
$27,200 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$93,200 |
| Food service managers |
100 |
$30.93 |
$64,330 |
| Medical secretaries |
100 |
$16.20 |
$33,690 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
100 |
$24.05 |
$50,030 |
| Dental hygienists |
90 |
$35.48 |
$73,810 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
90 |
$14.00 |
$29,110 |
| Insurance sales agents |
90 |
$28.09 |
$58,420 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
90 |
$27.81 |
$57,840 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
90 |
$9.31 |
$19,360 |
| Pharmacists |
90 |
$55.62 |
$115,680 |
| Sales managers |
90 |
$46.14 |
$95,970 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
90 |
Not available |
$57,410 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
90 |
$12.83 |
$26,690 |
| Administrative services managers |
80 |
$34.19 |
$71,110 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
80 |
$18.74 |
$38,990 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
80 |
$60.10 |
$125,010 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
80 |
$50.06 |
$104,120 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
80 |
$14.79 |
$30,760 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
80 |
$15.87 |
$33,010 |
| Legislators |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Pharmacy technicians |
80 |
$13.38 |
$27,840 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
80 |
$15.84 |
$32,940 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
70 |
$27.46 |
$57,120 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
70 |
$30.41 |
$63,250 |
| Marriage and family therapists |
70 |
$25.52 |
$53,070 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
70 |
$12.05 |
$25,070 |
| Order clerks |
70 |
$11.83 |
$24,610 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
60 |
$20.87 |
$43,410 |
| Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
60 |
$18.89 |
$39,290 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
60 |
$35.79 |
$74,440 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
60 |
$19.34 |
$40,220 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
60 |
$18.70 |
$38,900 |
| Postal service clerks |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
60 |
Not available |
$58,670 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
60 |
$23.74 |
$49,380 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
50 |
$24.70 |
$51,380 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$19.23 |
$39,990 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
50 |
$26.14 |
$54,360 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
50 |
$8.83 |
$18,370 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
50 |
$27.70 |
$57,620 |
| Dental assistants |
50 |
$16.98 |
$35,320 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
50 |
$25.22 |
$52,470 |
| File clerks |
50 |
$9.37 |
$19,480 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
50 |
$25.55 |
$53,150 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
50 |
$12.60 |
$26,210 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
50 |
Not available |
$53,790 |
| Librarians |
50 |
$26.44 |
$54,990 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
50 |
$17.81 |
$37,050 |
| Medical assistants |
50 |
$12.89 |
$26,810 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
50 |
$16.32 |
$33,940 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
50 |
$19.61 |
$40,790 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
50 |
$16.36 |
$34,030 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
50 |
$17.49 |
$36,370 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
50 |
$12.86 |
$26,760 |
| All other information and record clerks |
40 |
$17.22 |
$35,820 |
| Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels |
40 |
$23.48 |
$48,830 |
| Civil engineers |
40 |
$39.30 |
$81,740 |
| Coaches and scouts |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
40 |
$21.92 |
$45,600 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
40 |
$33.95 |
$70,630 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
40 |
$28.48 |
$59,230 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
40 |
$20.38 |
$42,400 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
40 |
$17.14 |
$35,650 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
40 |
$17.09 |
$35,550 |
| Medical and health services managers |
40 |
$43.33 |
$90,140 |
| New accounts clerks |
40 |
$18.21 |
$37,880 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
40 |
$16.94 |
$35,240 |
| Physical therapists |
40 |
$37.47 |
$77,930 |
| Social and human service assistants |
40 |
$13.48 |
$28,030 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
40 |
$9.32 |
$19,390 |
| Bakers |
30 |
$13.58 |
$28,240 |
| Computer support specialists |
30 |
$23.01 |
$47,860 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
30 |
$15.62 |
$32,490 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
30 |
$18.94 |
$39,390 |
| Food batchmakers |
30 |
$12.05 |
$25,060 |
| Parts salespersons |
30 |
$15.81 |
$32,890 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
30 |
$25.58 |
$53,200 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
30 |
$25.33 |
$52,680 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
Not available |
$15.94 |
$33,160 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
Not available |
$21.86 |
$45,470 |
| Computer operators |
Not available |
$19.28 |
$40,100 |
| Construction managers |
Not available |
$57.10 |
$118,780 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$8.63 |
$17,950 |
| Crossing guards |
Not available |
$13.54 |
$28,160 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$19.16 |
$39,850 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$13.15 |
$27,360 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
Not available |
$14.05 |
$29,220 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
Not available |
$12.55 |
$26,100 |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers |
Not available |
$10.12 |
$21,050 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
$88.43 |
$183,940 |
| Real estate sales agents |
Not available |
$21.76 |
$45,270 |
| Roofers |
Not available |
$25.81 |
$53,680 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
Not available |
$25.12 |
$52,250 |
| Skin care specialists |
Not available |
$12.99 |
$27,020 |
| Travel agents |
Not available |
$13.53 |
$28,140 |
