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 |
71,190 |
$16.77 |
$34,870 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
12,910 |
$13.19 |
$27,440 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
8,750 |
$9.54 |
$19,840 |
| Sales and related occupations |
8,570 |
$15.91 |
$33,090 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
4,930 |
$15.41 |
$32,060 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
4,090 |
$17.22 |
$35,810 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,860 |
$30.12 |
$62,650 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,210 |
$13.58 |
$28,240 |
| Production occupations |
3,000 |
$15.43 |
$32,090 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,830 |
$10.38 |
$21,580 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
2,720 |
$25.15 |
$52,300 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
2,670 |
$9.64 |
$20,060 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,520 |
$13.02 |
$27,090 |
| Cashiers |
2,250 |
$8.67 |
$18,030 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
2,010 |
$34.07 |
$70,870 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,900 |
$15.90 |
$33,070 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,800 |
$11.24 |
$23,380 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,700 |
$10.00 |
$20,800 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,630 |
$10.84 |
$22,550 |
| Management occupations |
1,610 |
$40.89 |
$85,050 |
| Registered nurses |
1,400 |
$24.68 |
$51,340 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
1,280 |
$13.87 |
$28,850 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,230 |
$7.95 |
$16,540 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,210 |
$12.75 |
$26,510 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,180 |
$11.39 |
$23,690 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
1,170 |
$26.04 |
$54,160 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
1,150 |
$14.27 |
$29,670 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,030 |
$8.41 |
$17,490 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
870 |
$10.77 |
$22,410 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
820 |
$19.15 |
$39,830 |
| Carpenters |
800 |
$14.83 |
$30,850 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
760 |
$19.50 |
$40,550 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
740 |
$11.78 |
$24,500 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
740 |
$10.53 |
$21,900 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
720 |
$13.88 |
$28,870 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
710 |
$9.65 |
$20,070 |
| Customer service representatives |
690 |
$11.83 |
$24,610 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
690 |
$17.09 |
$35,550 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
650 |
$10.88 |
$22,630 |
| Community and social services occupations |
640 |
$17.17 |
$35,710 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
630 |
$22.10 |
$45,970 |
| Construction laborers |
620 |
$11.70 |
$24,340 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
620 |
$9.93 |
$20,660 |
| Dishwashers |
610 |
$7.81 |
$16,240 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
610 |
$12.52 |
$26,040 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
590 |
$18.76 |
$39,020 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
580 |
$25.87 |
$53,810 |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
570 |
$14.22 |
$29,580 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
550 |
$28.30 |
$58,860 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
540 |
$19.96 |
$41,510 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
520 |
$14.42 |
$30,000 |
| Tellers |
510 |
$11.08 |
$23,050 |
| Food preparation workers |
490 |
$8.68 |
$18,060 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
480 |
$12.21 |
$25,390 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
480 |
$7.94 |
$16,510 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
480 |
$14.13 |
$29,380 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
460 |
$22.93 |
$47,680 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
460 |
$16.77 |
$34,880 |
| General and operations managers |
440 |
$38.59 |
$80,260 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
430 |
$10.08 |
$20,970 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
420 |
$17.61 |
$36,640 |
| Electricians |
420 |
$17.83 |
$37,080 |
| Legal occupations |
420 |
$24.00 |
$49,920 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
420 |
$27.44 |
$57,080 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
420 |
$13.09 |
$27,220 |
| Accountants and auditors |
410 |
$28.01 |
$58,260 |
| Computer support specialists |
390 |
$17.95 |
$37,330 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
390 |
$18.29 |
$38,050 |
| Home health aides |
370 |
$9.44 |
$19,630 |
| Cooks, fast food |
350 |
$7.64 |
$15,900 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
350 |
$16.39 |
$34,090 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
330 |
$12.70 |
$26,420 |
| Mechanical engineers |
330 |
$41.66 |
$86,660 |
| Personal care and service workers, all other |
330 |
$10.33 |
$21,490 |
| Insurance sales agents |
320 |
$34.62 |
$72,010 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
310 |
$7.89 |
$16,410 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
310 |
$15.28 |
$31,780 |
| Security guards |
300 |
$10.79 |
$22,450 |
| Child care workers |
290 |
$9.14 |
$19,020 |
| Computer systems analysts |
290 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Loan officers |
290 |
$25.58 |
$53,200 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
270 |
$8.61 |
$17,900 |
| Electronics engineers, except computer |
260 |
$43.80 |
$91,100 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
260 |
$15.65 |
$32,560 |
| Real estate sales agents |
260 |
$23.80 |
$49,510 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
260 |
$16.82 |
$34,990 |
| Fire fighters |
250 |
$14.18 |
$29,490 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
250 |
$24.40 |
$50,760 |
| Bartenders |
240 |
$9.58 |
$19,920 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
240 |
$23.33 |
$48,530 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
240 |
$10.34 |
$21,510 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
230 |
$12.48 |
$25,960 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
230 |
$17.89 |
$37,210 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
220 |
$13.98 |
$29,080 |
| Helpers--production workers |
210 |
$13.30 |
$27,650 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
210 |
$21.70 |
$45,130 |
| Management analysts |
210 |
$31.63 |
$65,790 |
| Parts salespersons |
210 |
$12.28 |
$25,530 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
190 |
$12.04 |
$25,040 |
| Pharmacists |
190 |
$53.79 |
$111,880 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
180 |
$9.96 |
$20,720 |
| Medical assistants |
180 |
$11.83 |
$24,600 |
| Team assemblers |
180 |
$12.06 |
$25,080 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
170 |
$11.40 |
$23,710 |
| Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
170 |
$13.21 |
$27,470 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
170 |
$27.30 |
$56,790 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
170 |
$12.24 |
$25,460 |
| All other information and record clerks |
160 |
$14.95 |
$31,110 |
| Bill and account collectors |
160 |
$14.68 |
$30,540 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
160 |
$27.66 |
$57,520 |
| Medical secretaries |
160 |
$13.08 |
$27,200 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
160 |
$12.66 |
$26,340 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
160 |
$27.16 |
$56,500 |
| File clerks |
150 |
$13.75 |
$28,600 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
150 |
$14.52 |
$30,190 |
| Physical therapists |
150 |
$35.32 |
$73,470 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
150 |
$16.90 |
$35,140 |
| Recreation workers |
150 |
$10.84 |
$22,550 |
| Roofers |
150 |
$15.94 |
$33,160 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
140 |
$24.89 |
$51,780 |
| Helpers--electricians |
140 |
$11.61 |
$24,140 |
| Lawyers |
140 |
$33.61 |
$69,920 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
140 |
$38.03 |
$79,100 |
| Surgical technologists |
140 |
$15.90 |
$33,080 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
130 |
$16.05 |
$33,390 |
| Cost estimators |
130 |
$22.87 |
$47,570 |
| Engineers, all other |
130 |
$36.67 |
$76,260 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
130 |
$106.19 |
$220,870 |
| Training and development specialists |
130 |
$19.19 |
$39,920 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
120 |
$16.78 |
$34,900 |
| Civil engineers |
120 |
$37.50 |
$78,000 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
120 |
$9.82 |
$20,420 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
120 |
$23.60 |
$49,090 |
| Driver/sales workers |
120 |
$14.16 |
$29,460 |
| Pest control workers |
120 |
$12.05 |
$25,070 |
| Pharmacy aides |
120 |
$9.29 |
$19,330 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
110 |
$15.00 |
$31,200 |
| Coaches and scouts |
110 |
Not available |
$39,990 |
| Dental assistants |
110 |
$14.17 |
$29,470 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
110 |
$24.36 |
$50,660 |
| Electrical engineers |
110 |
$35.08 |
$72,970 |
| Chief executives |
100 |
$85.37 |
$177,570 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
100 |
$19.26 |
$40,060 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
100 |
$12.09 |
$25,160 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
100 |
$24.75 |
$51,490 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
100 |
$13.43 |
$27,930 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
100 |
$16.04 |
$33,370 |
| New accounts clerks |
100 |
$13.88 |
$28,870 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
100 |
$16.56 |
$34,450 |
| Sales managers |
100 |
$50.05 |
$104,110 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
100 |
$16.52 |
$34,360 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
100 |
$9.33 |
$19,400 |
| Bus drivers, school |
90 |
$13.44 |
$27,950 |
| Construction managers |
90 |
$46.55 |
$96,810 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
90 |
$12.43 |
$25,850 |
| Data entry keyers |
90 |
$11.14 |
$23,180 |
| Graphic designers |
90 |
$17.02 |
$35,410 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
90 |
$12.89 |
$26,810 |
| Legal secretaries |
90 |
$14.18 |
$29,490 |
| Machinists |
90 |
$15.89 |
$33,050 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
90 |
$21.39 |
$44,480 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
90 |
$23.72 |
$49,340 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
90 |
$26.51 |
$55,140 |
| Social and human service assistants |
90 |
$12.87 |
$26,780 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
90 |
Not available |
$40,610 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
80 |
$18.31 |
$38,090 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
80 |
$26.69 |
$55,520 |
| Logisticians |
80 |
$31.73 |
$65,990 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
80 |
$15.34 |
$31,900 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
80 |
$9.48 |
$19,720 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
80 |
$11.70 |
$24,330 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
80 |
$29.11 |
$60,540 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
80 |
$15.97 |
$33,210 |
| Word processors and typists |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Administrative services managers |
70 |
$47.42 |
$98,630 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
70 |
$15.72 |
$32,690 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
70 |
$15.67 |
$32,600 |
| Construction and related workers, all other |
70 |
$14.04 |
$29,200 |
| Dental hygienists |
70 |
$27.20 |
$56,570 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
70 |
$14.04 |
$29,210 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
70 |
$20.89 |
$43,450 |
| Food service managers |
70 |
$24.33 |
$50,610 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
70 |
$18.65 |
$38,790 |
| Instructional coordinators |
70 |
$22.55 |
$46,900 |
| Managers, all other |
70 |
$39.28 |
$81,700 |
| Material moving workers, all other |
70 |
$13.18 |
$27,410 |
| Mental health counselors |
70 |
$16.09 |
$33,470 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
70 |
$25.59 |
$53,230 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
70 |
$17.55 |
$36,510 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
70 |
$14.38 |
$29,900 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
70 |
$16.70 |
$34,740 |
| Advertising sales agents |
60 |
$23.01 |
$47,870 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
60 |
$18.44 |
$38,350 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
60 |
$19.68 |
$40,940 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
60 |
$13.89 |
$28,900 |
| Fiberglass laminators and fabricators |
60 |
$12.53 |
$26,050 |
| Floral designers |
60 |
$10.01 |
$20,830 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$15.48 |
$32,200 |
| Industrial engineers |
60 |
$34.38 |
$71,500 |
| Librarians |
60 |
$23.09 |
$48,030 |
| Library technicians |
60 |
$15.70 |
$32,660 |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other |
60 |
$11.91 |
$24,780 |
| Operations research analysts |
60 |
$32.56 |
$67,720 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
60 |
$15.76 |
$32,780 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
60 |
$21.12 |
$43,930 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Printing machine operators |
60 |
$14.79 |
$30,770 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
60 |
$13.65 |
$28,400 |
| Public relations specialists |
60 |
$22.72 |
$47,250 |
| Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks |
60 |
$11.18 |
$23,260 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
60 |
$34.53 |
$71,820 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
60 |
$11.28 |
$23,460 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
50 |
$10.57 |
$21,990 |
| Chemists |
50 |
$25.01 |
$52,030 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
50 |
$12.62 |
$26,250 |
| Commercial pilots |
50 |
Not available |
$69,860 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
50 |
$26.40 |
$54,900 |
| Crane and tower operators |
50 |
$19.88 |
$41,340 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
50 |
$16.85 |
$35,050 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
50 |
$21.93 |
$45,620 |
| Financial managers |
50 |
$45.51 |
$94,670 |
| First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers, all other |
50 |
$19.05 |
$39,630 |
| Helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons |
50 |
$11.24 |
$23,370 |
| Market research analysts |
50 |
$24.11 |
$50,140 |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers |
50 |
$11.41 |
$23,730 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
50 |
$15.72 |
$32,690 |
| Stationary engineers and boiler operators |
50 |
$23.84 |
$49,590 |
| Zoologists and wildlife biologists |
50 |
$29.80 |
$61,990 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
40 |
$34.44 |
$71,640 |
| Couriers and messengers |
40 |
$14.61 |
$30,380 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
40 |
$13.28 |
$27,610 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
40 |
$18.45 |
$38,380 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
40 |
$29.30 |
$60,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
40 |
$20.23 |
$42,070 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
40 |
$30.63 |
$63,720 |
| Legislators |
40 |
Not available |
$39,200 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
40 |
$9.59 |
$19,940 |
| Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other |
40 |
$18.14 |
$37,720 |
| Motorboat mechanics |
40 |
$17.78 |
$36,980 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
40 |
$14.94 |
$31,080 |
| Personal financial advisors |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Pipelayers |
40 |
$15.09 |
$31,380 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$18.16 |
$37,770 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
40 |
$9.22 |
$19,190 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
40 |
$11.60 |
$24,140 |
| Avionics technicians |
30 |
$25.60 |
$53,260 |
| Chemical technicians |
30 |
$17.99 |
$37,410 |
| Computer programmers |
30 |
$26.78 |
$55,700 |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$15.54 |
$32,320 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
30 |
$14.64 |
$30,440 |
| Food preparation and serving related workers, all other |
30 |
$11.29 |
$23,490 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
30 |
$12.79 |
$26,600 |
| Lodging managers |
30 |
$31.32 |
$65,150 |
| Medical and health services managers |
30 |
$60.38 |
$125,580 |
| Painters, transportation equipment |
30 |
$15.80 |
$32,860 |
| Urban and regional planners |
30 |
$33.46 |
$69,600 |
| Aerospace engineers |
Not available |
$49.61 |
$103,180 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
Not available |
$20.74 |
$43,130 |
| Architects, except landscape and naval |
Not available |
$37.46 |
$77,910 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
Not available |
$18.75 |
$39,000 |
| Bakers |
Not available |
$8.94 |
$18,590 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
Not available |
$13.41 |
$27,900 |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
Not available |
$17.87 |
$37,160 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
Not available |
$47.77 |
$99,370 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$18.96 |
$39,440 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$8.69 |
$18,080 |
| Environmental engineers |
Not available |
$31.79 |
$66,120 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
Not available |
$13.08 |
$27,210 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
Not available |
$9.05 |
$18,830 |
| Health diagnosing and treating practitioners, all other |
Not available |
$34.19 |
$71,120 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
Not available |
$14.43 |
$30,020 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$10.49 |
$21,820 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
Not available |
$9.30 |
$19,350 |
| Logging equipment operators |
Not available |
$13.08 |
$27,210 |
| Order clerks |
Not available |
$13.66 |
$28,420 |
| Physician assistants |
Not available |
$52.89 |
$110,010 |
| Private detectives and investigators |
Not available |
$15.06 |
$31,320 |
| Psychologists, all other |
Not available |
$24.51 |
$50,980 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
Not available |
$22.99 |
$47,810 |
| Tax preparers |
Not available |
$9.03 |
$18,770 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$16.38 |
$34,060 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
Not available |
$10.25 |
$21,320 |
