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 |
70,030 |
$16.28 |
$33,860 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
11,890 |
$12.91 |
$26,840 |
| Sales and related occupations |
8,130 |
$12.35 |
$25,700 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
6,760 |
$8.33 |
$17,320 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
5,430 |
$12.67 |
$26,350 |
| Production occupations |
5,420 |
$17.11 |
$35,590 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
4,490 |
$17.50 |
$36,390 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,430 |
$27.01 |
$56,170 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
4,090 |
$19.79 |
$41,170 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
4,080 |
$18.28 |
$38,020 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,620 |
$10.43 |
$21,700 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
2,570 |
$7.55 |
$15,710 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
2,370 |
$27.88 |
$57,990 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,350 |
$9.92 |
$20,630 |
| Management occupations |
2,260 |
$37.87 |
$78,770 |
| Cashiers |
2,160 |
$7.93 |
$16,500 |
| Office clerks, general |
2,010 |
$11.22 |
$23,340 |
| Customer service representatives |
1,980 |
$12.05 |
$25,070 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,850 |
$10.14 |
$21,080 |
| Registered nurses |
1,700 |
$23.86 |
$49,630 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,480 |
$8.48 |
$17,630 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,390 |
$15.06 |
$31,330 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,240 |
$7.96 |
$16,560 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,210 |
$10.23 |
$21,270 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,150 |
$14.68 |
$30,530 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,130 |
$16.87 |
$35,090 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,050 |
$10.43 |
$21,690 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
1,050 |
$9.15 |
$19,030 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,020 |
$10.06 |
$20,930 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
980 |
Not available |
$44,370 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
920 |
$29.54 |
$61,450 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
900 |
$12.32 |
$25,620 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
840 |
$14.25 |
$29,640 |
| Construction laborers |
770 |
$12.78 |
$26,590 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
770 |
$23.37 |
$48,620 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
700 |
$15.99 |
$33,260 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
680 |
$12.72 |
$26,460 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
650 |
$14.78 |
$30,740 |
| General and operations managers |
630 |
$38.80 |
$80,700 |
| Carpenters |
600 |
$19.14 |
$39,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
600 |
$15.91 |
$33,100 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
580 |
$30.65 |
$63,750 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
570 |
$22.00 |
$45,760 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
570 |
Not available |
$47,600 |
| Electricians |
550 |
$21.29 |
$44,280 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
520 |
$20.78 |
$43,230 |
| Accountants and auditors |
500 |
$30.69 |
$63,830 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
480 |
$12.64 |
$26,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
480 |
$23.54 |
$48,970 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
460 |
$8.86 |
$18,430 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
460 |
$12.34 |
$25,670 |
| Home health aides |
450 |
$8.27 |
$17,190 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
430 |
$27.82 |
$57,860 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
430 |
$15.64 |
$32,530 |
| Personal and home care aides |
430 |
$7.52 |
$15,650 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
420 |
$12.38 |
$25,750 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
410 |
$18.64 |
$38,760 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
400 |
$25.81 |
$53,690 |
| Security guards |
400 |
$13.26 |
$27,580 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
390 |
$16.71 |
$34,760 |
| Team assemblers |
380 |
$11.54 |
$24,000 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
370 |
$8.16 |
$16,970 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
360 |
$9.97 |
$20,730 |
| Child care workers |
350 |
$7.86 |
$16,360 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
350 |
$9.76 |
$20,300 |
| Tellers |
350 |
$9.69 |
$20,150 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
340 |
$12.39 |
$25,770 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
340 |
$25.38 |
$52,800 |
| Food preparation workers |
340 |
$8.36 |
$17,380 |
| Legal occupations |
330 |
$26.17 |
$54,440 |
| Teacher assistants |
310 |
Not available |
$19,860 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
300 |
$9.94 |
$20,680 |
| Social and human service assistants |
300 |
$10.24 |
$21,290 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
290 |
$13.80 |
$28,710 |
| Driver/sales workers |
290 |
$10.90 |
$22,670 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
290 |
Not available |
$43,710 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
290 |
$20.73 |
$43,130 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
280 |
$36.38 |
$75,660 |
| Medical assistants |
280 |
$10.75 |
$22,360 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
280 |
$12.93 |
$26,890 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
270 |
$9.30 |
$19,350 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
260 |
$24.97 |
$51,940 |
| Sheet metal workers |
260 |
$20.51 |
$42,660 |
| Bartenders |
250 |
$8.15 |
$16,960 |
| Cooks, fast food |
230 |
$7.76 |
$16,140 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
230 |
$10.64 |
$22,120 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
230 |
$30.12 |
$62,640 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
220 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
220 |
$15.28 |
$31,790 |
| Chief executives |
210 |
$56.02 |
$116,530 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
210 |
$12.36 |
$25,710 |
| Insurance sales agents |
210 |
$20.71 |
$43,070 |
| Medical secretaries |
210 |
$11.72 |
$24,370 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
200 |
$11.04 |
$22,970 |
| Dishwashers |
190 |
$7.84 |
$16,300 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay |
190 |
$27.55 |
$57,310 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
180 |
$15.39 |
$32,010 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
180 |
$14.65 |
$30,470 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
180 |
$12.78 |
$26,580 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
180 |
$18.66 |
$38,820 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
170 |
$8.04 |
$16,720 |
| Fire fighters |
170 |
$20.09 |
$41,790 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
170 |
$9.12 |
$18,960 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
170 |
$11.64 |
$24,200 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
170 |
$11.94 |
$24,840 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
160 |
Not available |
$67,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
160 |
$21.94 |
$45,640 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
160 |
$14.40 |
$29,960 |
| Management analysts |
160 |
$36.86 |
$76,660 |
| Medical and health services managers |
160 |
$37.47 |
$77,940 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
160 |
$18.02 |
$37,490 |
| Food batchmakers |
150 |
$15.72 |
$32,700 |
| Industrial production managers |
150 |
$45.07 |
$93,750 |
| Loan officers |
150 |
$24.65 |
$51,280 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
150 |
Not available |
$45,060 |
| Wellhead pumpers |
150 |
$12.25 |
$25,480 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
140 |
$9.86 |
$20,510 |
| Dental assistants |
140 |
$11.81 |
$24,570 |
| Financial managers |
140 |
$36.71 |
$76,360 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
140 |
$8.36 |
$17,380 |
| Helpers--production workers |
140 |
$12.13 |
$25,240 |
| Legal secretaries |
140 |
$13.03 |
$27,110 |
| Parts salespersons |
140 |
$13.48 |
$28,040 |
| All other information and record clerks |
130 |
$16.22 |
$33,730 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
130 |
$10.43 |
$21,690 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
130 |
$14.53 |
$30,220 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
130 |
$8.54 |
$17,770 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
130 |
$26.49 |
$55,090 |
| Civil engineers |
120 |
$32.35 |
$67,290 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
120 |
$24.94 |
$51,880 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
120 |
$8.45 |
$17,570 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
120 |
$17.57 |
$36,540 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
120 |
Not available |
$45,900 |
| Machinists |
120 |
$16.54 |
$34,400 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
120 |
$20.95 |
$43,580 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
120 |
$18.78 |
$39,060 |
| Pharmacists |
120 |
$50.94 |
$105,950 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
120 |
$18.51 |
$38,500 |
| Cost estimators |
110 |
$26.61 |
$55,360 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
110 |
$8.87 |
$18,440 |
| Family and general practitioners |
110 |
$84.66 |
$176,100 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
110 |
$7.71 |
$16,040 |
| Recreation workers |
110 |
$10.52 |
$21,880 |
| Word processors and typists |
110 |
$16.28 |
$33,860 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
100 |
$15.89 |
$33,050 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
100 |
$15.83 |
$32,920 |
| Computer support specialists |
100 |
$18.65 |
$38,780 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
100 |
$28.01 |
$58,260 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
100 |
$10.42 |
$21,670 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
100 |
$16.45 |
$34,220 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
100 |
$11.87 |
$24,690 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
100 |
$10.35 |
$21,530 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
100 |
$18.33 |
$38,130 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
100 |
$18.45 |
$38,380 |
| Roofers |
100 |
$17.51 |
$36,430 |
| Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners |
100 |
$15.12 |
$31,450 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
100 |
$26.26 |
$54,620 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$41,700 |
| Administrative services managers |
90 |
$38.26 |
$79,580 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
90 |
$10.66 |
$22,170 |
| Cooks, short order |
90 |
$8.15 |
$16,960 |
| Dental hygienists |
90 |
$23.51 |
$48,900 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
90 |
$21.81 |
$45,350 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
90 |
$13.71 |
$28,520 |
| Managers, all other |
90 |
$39.28 |
$81,710 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
90 |
$21.37 |
$44,440 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
90 |
$17.37 |
$36,130 |
| Respiratory therapists |
90 |
$20.36 |
$42,350 |
| Sales managers |
90 |
$39.52 |
$82,200 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$48,000 |
| Bill and account collectors |
80 |
$12.28 |
$25,530 |
| Business teachers, postsecondary |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
80 |
$15.15 |
$31,510 |
| Electrical engineers |
80 |
$39.97 |
$83,140 |
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Industrial engineers |
80 |
$33.71 |
$70,120 |
| Lawyers |
80 |
$44.36 |
$92,280 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
80 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Sewing machine operators |
80 |
$8.64 |
$17,970 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
80 |
$9.27 |
$19,280 |
| Training and development specialists |
80 |
$22.05 |
$45,870 |
| Chemical engineers |
70 |
$44.07 |
$91,660 |
| Computer science teachers, postsecondary |
70 |
Not available |
$31,520 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
70 |
$15.25 |
$31,730 |
| Data entry keyers |
70 |
$11.91 |
$24,780 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
70 |
$7.94 |
$16,520 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
70 |
$42.54 |
$88,490 |
| Food service managers |
70 |
$19.82 |
$41,230 |
| Graphic designers |
70 |
$17.93 |
$37,290 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
70 |
$13.59 |
$28,260 |
| Librarians |
70 |
$20.54 |
$42,730 |
| Mechanical engineers |
70 |
$34.63 |
$72,040 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
70 |
$15.44 |
$32,120 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
70 |
$12.08 |
$25,120 |
| Mental health counselors |
70 |
$16.11 |
$33,510 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
70 |
$8.43 |
$17,530 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
70 |
$13.63 |
$28,340 |
| Physical therapists |
70 |
$42.36 |
$88,120 |
| Printing machine operators |
70 |
$15.27 |
$31,760 |
| Rotary drill operators, oil and gas |
70 |
$16.51 |
$34,350 |
| Roustabouts, oil and gas |
70 |
$11.11 |
$23,110 |
| Surgical technologists |
70 |
$14.64 |
$30,450 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
70 |
$18.69 |
$38,880 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
70 |
$8.02 |
$16,680 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
70 |
Not available |
$40,160 |
| Advertising sales agents |
60 |
$18.69 |
$38,870 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
60 |
$11.68 |
$24,300 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
60 |
$20.30 |
$42,220 |
| Couriers and messengers |
60 |
$9.41 |
$19,580 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
60 |
$13.36 |
$27,780 |
| Education teachers, postsecondary |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$23.69 |
$49,280 |
| Floral designers |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Funeral attendants |
60 |
$7.90 |
$16,420 |
| Instructional coordinators |
60 |
$29.64 |
$61,660 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
60 |
$11.03 |
$22,950 |
| Mechanical drafters |
60 |
$16.08 |
$33,440 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
60 |
$11.35 |
$23,610 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
60 |
$14.47 |
$30,090 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
60 |
$24.83 |
$51,640 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
60 |
$15.53 |
$32,300 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
60 |
$11.68 |
$24,300 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
60 |
Not available |
$40,970 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
60 |
$26.14 |
$54,360 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
60 |
$18.66 |
$38,820 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
50 |
$7.83 |
$16,290 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
50 |
$11.40 |
$23,720 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
50 |
$20.78 |
$43,230 |
| Crane and tower operators |
50 |
$17.29 |
$35,970 |
| Demonstrators and product promoters |
50 |
$13.41 |
$27,890 |
| Derrick operators, oil and gas |
50 |
$13.22 |
$27,500 |
| Engineering managers |
50 |
$47.37 |
$98,530 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
50 |
$14.50 |
$30,160 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
50 |
$12.60 |
$26,210 |
| Funeral directors |
50 |
$29.90 |
$62,180 |
| Legislators |
50 |
Not available |
$27,320 |
| New accounts clerks |
50 |
$14.10 |
$29,330 |
| Physician assistants |
50 |
$41.31 |
$85,930 |
| Public relations specialists |
50 |
$26.67 |
$55,470 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
50 |
$12.56 |
$26,130 |
| Service unit operators, oil, gas, and mining |
50 |
$13.94 |
$29,000 |
| Social and community service managers |
50 |
$17.72 |
$36,850 |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Coaches and scouts |
40 |
Not available |
$34,500 |
| Computer operators |
40 |
$15.48 |
$32,200 |
| Computer programmers |
40 |
$27.00 |
$56,150 |
| Computer systems analysts |
40 |
$35.01 |
$72,820 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
40 |
$8.86 |
$18,440 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
40 |
$9.58 |
$19,920 |
| Medical equipment preparers |
40 |
$11.92 |
$24,800 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
40 |
$12.16 |
$25,290 |
| Pest control workers |
40 |
$14.01 |
$29,140 |
| Photographic processing machine operators |
40 |
$10.01 |
$20,830 |
| Physical therapist aides |
40 |
$9.44 |
$19,630 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
40 |
$18.37 |
$38,220 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Power plant operators |
40 |
$23.96 |
$49,840 |
| Production workers, all other |
40 |
$13.11 |
$27,270 |
| Real estate sales agents |
40 |
$25.06 |
$52,130 |
| Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
40 |
$15.51 |
$32,260 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
40 |
$14.09 |
$29,300 |
| Surgeons |
40 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
40 |
$8.95 |
$18,610 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
40 |
$11.47 |
$23,850 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
40 |
$16.65 |
$34,630 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
30 |
$16.77 |
$34,890 |
| Construction managers |
30 |
$37.14 |
$77,260 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
30 |
$21.84 |
$45,420 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
30 |
$22.42 |
$46,630 |
| File clerks |
30 |
$9.30 |
$19,340 |
| Foundry mold and coremakers |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Library technicians |
30 |
$11.05 |
$22,980 |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other |
30 |
$9.35 |
$19,450 |
| Ophthalmic laboratory technicians |
30 |
$10.68 |
$22,210 |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists |
30 |
$17.50 |
$36,390 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
30 |
$12.95 |
$26,930 |
| Bus drivers, school |
Not available |
$10.76 |
$22,370 |
| Chemical equipment operators and tenders |
Not available |
$24.91 |
$51,820 |
| Chemical plant and system operators |
Not available |
$29.19 |
$60,720 |
| Chemical technicians |
Not available |
$24.11 |
$50,150 |
| Chemists |
Not available |
$32.11 |
$66,790 |
| Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
Not available |
$12.15 |
$25,270 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
Not available |
$24.44 |
$50,840 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
Not available |
$12.98 |
$26,990 |
| Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors |
Not available |
$25.99 |
$54,050 |
| Health educators |
Not available |
$16.08 |
$33,450 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
Not available |
$20.39 |
$42,400 |
| Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall |
Not available |
$17.58 |
$36,560 |
| Job printers |
Not available |
$10.77 |
$22,410 |
| Metal workers and plastic workers, all other |
Not available |
$11.72 |
$24,370 |
| Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$15.06 |
$31,330 |
| Order clerks |
Not available |
$9.84 |
$20,470 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$18.09 |
$37,620 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
Not available |
$11.39 |
$23,680 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
Not available |
$10.22 |
$21,260 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
Not available |
$13.45 |
$27,980 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
Not available |
$16.43 |
$34,180 |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
Not available |
$10.83 |
$22,530 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$7.97 |
$16,590 |
| Stationary engineers and boiler operators |
Not available |
$21.31 |
$44,330 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
Not available |
$25.88 |
$53,830 |
| Telemarketers |
Not available |
$11.00 |
$22,870 |
