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 |
62,170 |
$17.03 |
$35,420 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
10,460 |
$13.91 |
$28,940 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
7,090 |
$9.61 |
$20,000 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,750 |
$15.05 |
$31,300 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
5,940 |
$17.34 |
$36,070 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,910 |
$32.15 |
$66,870 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,750 |
$18.09 |
$37,630 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,520 |
$14.44 |
$30,040 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,900 |
$11.02 |
$22,920 |
| Management occupations |
2,820 |
$35.06 |
$72,930 |
| Production occupations |
2,740 |
$15.12 |
$31,450 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,340 |
$12.26 |
$25,500 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,280 |
$19.01 |
$39,550 |
| Cashiers |
2,230 |
$10.06 |
$20,920 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
2,010 |
$11.79 |
$24,520 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,810 |
$13.67 |
$28,440 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,800 |
$17.55 |
$36,510 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,660 |
$24.79 |
$51,550 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,590 |
$9.37 |
$19,490 |
| Registered nurses |
1,310 |
$30.18 |
$62,770 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,100 |
$11.42 |
$23,750 |
| Construction laborers |
1,060 |
$14.30 |
$29,740 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,050 |
$13.04 |
$27,120 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
970 |
$16.07 |
$33,420 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
940 |
$10.85 |
$22,570 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
940 |
$9.16 |
$19,060 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
930 |
Not available |
$43,340 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
910 |
$8.92 |
$18,550 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
850 |
$11.46 |
$23,840 |
| General and operations managers |
830 |
$42.39 |
$88,160 |
| Carpenters |
810 |
$18.37 |
$38,220 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
810 |
$15.57 |
$32,390 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
770 |
$11.81 |
$24,550 |
| Customer service representatives |
740 |
$14.94 |
$31,080 |
| Food preparation workers |
720 |
$9.84 |
$20,460 |
| Community and social services occupations |
680 |
$18.81 |
$39,120 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
680 |
$11.79 |
$24,520 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
680 |
$20.41 |
$42,450 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
680 |
$11.09 |
$23,070 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
670 |
$18.88 |
$39,270 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
620 |
$11.49 |
$23,910 |
| Fire fighters |
590 |
$18.12 |
$37,690 |
| Dishwashers |
580 |
$8.26 |
$17,190 |
| Teacher assistants |
580 |
Not available |
$21,880 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
570 |
$16.63 |
$34,590 |
| Security guards |
560 |
$11.39 |
$23,690 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
520 |
$19.98 |
$41,560 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
520 |
$16.30 |
$33,900 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
480 |
$16.64 |
$34,610 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
480 |
$10.77 |
$22,400 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
480 |
Not available |
$43,230 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
470 |
$13.10 |
$27,250 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
470 |
$29.78 |
$61,950 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
460 |
$24.62 |
$51,210 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
450 |
$27.09 |
$56,350 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
430 |
$9.33 |
$19,410 |
| Bartenders |
420 |
$8.54 |
$17,770 |
| Personal and home care aides |
420 |
$8.83 |
$18,360 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
410 |
$23.19 |
$48,220 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
390 |
$19.92 |
$41,430 |
| Cooks, fast food |
390 |
$8.54 |
$17,770 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
370 |
$9.57 |
$19,900 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
370 |
$12.34 |
$25,680 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
360 |
$23.26 |
$48,370 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
360 |
$19.19 |
$39,910 |
| Team assemblers |
360 |
$11.37 |
$23,660 |
| Accountants and auditors |
350 |
$27.89 |
$58,020 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
340 |
$16.51 |
$34,350 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
330 |
$13.00 |
$27,040 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
320 |
$11.91 |
$24,770 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
300 |
$8.26 |
$17,180 |
| Electricians |
280 |
$19.56 |
$40,680 |
| Legal occupations |
280 |
$32.34 |
$67,270 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
280 |
$20.73 |
$43,120 |
| Medical assistants |
280 |
$12.92 |
$26,880 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
280 |
Not available |
$39,690 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
280 |
$21.03 |
$43,740 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
280 |
$15.18 |
$31,570 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
260 |
$9.08 |
$18,890 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
250 |
$24.16 |
$50,260 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
240 |
$15.63 |
$32,510 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
240 |
$18.64 |
$38,770 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
240 |
$24.02 |
$49,950 |
| Home health aides |
240 |
$11.88 |
$24,700 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
230 |
$14.51 |
$30,180 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
230 |
$25.41 |
$52,850 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
230 |
$8.14 |
$16,940 |
| Bus drivers, school |
220 |
$11.41 |
$23,730 |
| Construction managers |
220 |
$31.25 |
$65,000 |
| Driver/sales workers |
210 |
$13.33 |
$27,730 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
210 |
$15.98 |
$33,240 |
| Child care workers |
190 |
$9.42 |
$19,580 |
| Cooks, short order |
190 |
$9.13 |
$18,980 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
190 |
$17.06 |
$35,490 |
| Medical secretaries |
190 |
$13.12 |
$27,290 |
| Order clerks |
190 |
$13.95 |
$29,020 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
190 |
$15.02 |
$31,250 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
180 |
$9.76 |
$20,300 |
| Machinists |
180 |
$15.48 |
$32,190 |
| Management analysts |
180 |
$24.14 |
$50,210 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
180 |
$9.49 |
$19,730 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
180 |
$24.45 |
$50,850 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
170 |
$10.73 |
$22,310 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
170 |
$18.81 |
$39,120 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
160 |
$18.17 |
$37,790 |
| Computer support specialists |
160 |
$17.06 |
$35,490 |
| Dental assistants |
160 |
$16.95 |
$35,260 |
| Financial managers |
160 |
$39.50 |
$82,150 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
150 |
$14.88 |
$30,950 |
| Dentists, general |
150 |
$76.32 |
$158,740 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
150 |
$18.20 |
$37,860 |
| Sales managers |
150 |
$38.73 |
$80,550 |
| Cost estimators |
140 |
$21.61 |
$44,940 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
140 |
$10.09 |
$20,980 |
| Food service managers |
140 |
$22.17 |
$46,110 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
140 |
Not available |
$41,680 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
140 |
$9.20 |
$19,140 |
| Roofers |
140 |
$13.66 |
$28,410 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
130 |
$14.37 |
$29,890 |
| Managers, all other |
130 |
$32.80 |
$68,230 |
| Pharmacists |
130 |
$47.73 |
$99,280 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
130 |
$25.11 |
$52,230 |
| Social and human service assistants |
130 |
$15.48 |
$32,210 |
| Administrative services managers |
120 |
$22.76 |
$47,340 |
| Bill and account collectors |
120 |
$16.04 |
$33,370 |
| File clerks |
120 |
$12.48 |
$25,950 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
120 |
$14.37 |
$29,890 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
110 |
$27.43 |
$57,060 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
110 |
$16.56 |
$34,440 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
110 |
$11.48 |
$23,870 |
| Instructional coordinators |
110 |
$20.13 |
$41,880 |
| Occupational therapists |
110 |
$34.31 |
$71,360 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
110 |
$17.30 |
$35,980 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
110 |
$20.73 |
$43,110 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
110 |
$28.08 |
$58,400 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
110 |
$15.57 |
$32,390 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
110 |
Not available |
$27,640 |
| All other information and record clerks |
100 |
$15.82 |
$32,900 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
100 |
$23.71 |
$49,310 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
100 |
$18.64 |
$38,770 |
| Dental hygienists |
100 |
$35.35 |
$73,540 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
100 |
$13.91 |
$28,940 |
| Lawyers |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical and health services managers |
100 |
$36.94 |
$76,840 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
100 |
$12.94 |
$26,920 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
100 |
$13.30 |
$27,670 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
100 |
$101.66 |
$211,460 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
100 |
$11.08 |
$23,040 |
| Training and development specialists |
100 |
$19.60 |
$40,760 |
| Advertising sales agents |
90 |
$25.49 |
$53,020 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
90 |
$15.53 |
$32,300 |
| Computer operators |
90 |
$9.01 |
$18,740 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
90 |
$16.83 |
$35,020 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
90 |
$25.11 |
$52,240 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
90 |
$18.04 |
$37,520 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
90 |
$13.81 |
$28,730 |
| Physical therapists |
90 |
$35.39 |
$73,620 |
| Plasterers and stucco masons |
90 |
$14.28 |
$29,710 |
| Librarians |
80 |
$24.82 |
$51,620 |
| Loan officers |
80 |
$31.70 |
$65,930 |
| Marketing managers |
80 |
$28.26 |
$58,790 |
| Parts salespersons |
80 |
$15.75 |
$32,770 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
80 |
$16.58 |
$34,500 |
| Bakers |
70 |
$13.12 |
$27,290 |
| Civil engineers |
70 |
$36.46 |
$75,830 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
70 |
$20.65 |
$42,950 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
70 |
Not available |
$66,810 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
70 |
$13.10 |
$27,250 |
| Library technicians |
70 |
$14.40 |
$29,950 |
| Market research analysts |
70 |
$29.50 |
$61,370 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
70 |
$26.95 |
$56,060 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
70 |
$15.88 |
$33,030 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
70 |
$12.17 |
$25,320 |
| Parking lot attendants |
70 |
$9.89 |
$20,570 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
70 |
$16.74 |
$34,810 |
| Postal service clerks |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Procurement clerks |
70 |
$15.17 |
$31,560 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
70 |
$22.99 |
$47,820 |
| Recreation workers |
70 |
$14.67 |
$30,510 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
70 |
$21.92 |
$45,600 |
| Social and community service managers |
70 |
$22.24 |
$46,250 |
| Baggage porters and bellhops |
60 |
$9.34 |
$19,420 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
60 |
$19.41 |
$40,360 |
| Chief executives |
60 |
$72.46 |
$150,710 |
| Chiropractors |
60 |
$19.75 |
$41,070 |
| Coaches and scouts |
60 |
Not available |
$36,510 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
60 |
$24.22 |
$50,380 |
| Earth drillers, except oil and gas |
60 |
$19.25 |
$40,030 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
60 |
$12.22 |
$25,420 |
| Helpers--production workers |
60 |
$11.63 |
$24,190 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$17.92 |
$37,260 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
60 |
$13.95 |
$29,020 |
| Lodging managers |
60 |
$22.95 |
$47,740 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
60 |
$28.14 |
$58,530 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
60 |
$9.97 |
$20,750 |
| Veterinarians |
60 |
$23.88 |
$49,660 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
60 |
$12.28 |
$25,540 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
50 |
$17.88 |
$37,190 |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
50 |
$18.58 |
$38,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
50 |
$21.20 |
$44,090 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
50 |
$21.97 |
$45,700 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$17.67 |
$36,750 |
| Industrial production managers |
50 |
$35.51 |
$73,870 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
50 |
$11.68 |
$24,290 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
50 |
$19.30 |
$40,140 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
50 |
$14.28 |
$29,700 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
50 |
$16.69 |
$34,710 |
| Pest control workers |
50 |
$16.62 |
$34,580 |
| Printing machine operators |
50 |
$14.59 |
$30,340 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
50 |
$20.25 |
$42,110 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
40 |
$18.52 |
$38,520 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$21.10 |
$43,880 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
40 |
$39.96 |
$83,120 |
| Crossing guards |
40 |
$8.73 |
$18,150 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
40 |
$18.44 |
$38,360 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
40 |
$15.34 |
$31,910 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
40 |
$16.71 |
$34,750 |
| Engineering managers |
40 |
$46.79 |
$97,320 |
| Home appliance repairers |
40 |
$13.00 |
$27,040 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers |
40 |
$13.70 |
$28,500 |
| Motorcycle mechanics |
40 |
$15.15 |
$31,510 |
| Physician assistants |
40 |
$39.35 |
$81,840 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
40 |
$15.27 |
$31,770 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
40 |
$19.52 |
$40,600 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
40 |
$22.87 |
$47,560 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
40 |
$24.27 |
$50,480 |
| Surveyors |
40 |
$23.27 |
$48,410 |
| Advertising and promotions managers |
30 |
$32.01 |
$66,570 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
30 |
$13.52 |
$28,120 |
| Data entry keyers |
30 |
$14.02 |
$29,160 |
| Environmental engineering technicians |
30 |
$21.30 |
$44,310 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
30 |
$35.86 |
$74,590 |
| Furniture finishers |
30 |
$14.90 |
$30,990 |
| Grinding and polishing workers, hand |
30 |
$11.36 |
$23,630 |
| Legislators |
30 |
Not available |
$16,110 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
30 |
$23.81 |
$49,530 |
| Meter readers, utilities |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Optometrists |
30 |
$45.97 |
$95,630 |
| Painters, transportation equipment |
30 |
$18.78 |
$39,050 |
| Photographers |
30 |
$9.95 |
$20,690 |
| Public relations specialists |
30 |
$15.49 |
$32,220 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
30 |
$18.43 |
$38,330 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
30 |
Not available |
$52,460 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
30 |
$23.57 |
$49,020 |
| Telemarketers |
30 |
$9.84 |
$20,460 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
Not available |
$20.63 |
$42,920 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
Not available |
$9.26 |
$19,260 |
| Architects, except landscape and naval |
Not available |
$23.08 |
$48,010 |
| Carpet installers |
Not available |
$12.72 |
$26,450 |
| Commercial pilots |
Not available |
Not available |
$49,990 |
| Compensation and benefits managers |
Not available |
$50.47 |
$104,970 |
| Computer programmers |
Not available |
$24.53 |
$51,030 |
| Computer systems analysts |
Not available |
$19.43 |
$40,400 |
| Family and general practitioners |
Not available |
$93.50 |
$194,480 |
| Financial analysts |
Not available |
$20.35 |
$42,320 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
Not available |
$13.56 |
$28,210 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$12.78 |
$26,570 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$11.75 |
$24,450 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
Not available |
$26.97 |
$56,090 |
| Mental health counselors |
Not available |
$20.25 |
$42,120 |
| Personal care and service workers, all other |
Not available |
$11.97 |
$24,890 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
Not available |
$23.94 |
$49,800 |
| Pipelayers |
Not available |
$16.22 |
$33,750 |
| Respiratory therapists |
Not available |
$25.39 |
$52,820 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
Not available |
$16.68 |
$34,690 |
| Sheet metal workers |
Not available |
$15.37 |
$31,970 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
Not available |
$27.27 |
$56,730 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
Not available |
$17.15 |
$35,680 |
| Tapers |
Not available |
$16.17 |
$33,630 |
| Tax preparers |
Not available |
$22.05 |
$45,860 |
| Tellers |
Not available |
$11.78 |
$24,510 |
| Tile and marble setters |
Not available |
$18.17 |
$37,790 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$11.74 |
$24,430 |
| Tour guides and escorts |
Not available |
$14.89 |
$30,980 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
Not available |
$19.94 |
$41,470 |
