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 |
56,820 |
$17.04 |
$35,430 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
10,210 |
$13.60 |
$28,290 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,640 |
$12.78 |
$26,580 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
6,080 |
$9.38 |
$19,510 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,310 |
$28.94 |
$60,190 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,640 |
$22.46 |
$46,710 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
3,540 |
$17.82 |
$37,060 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,420 |
$14.08 |
$29,280 |
| Production occupations |
3,100 |
$15.32 |
$31,850 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,260 |
$11.22 |
$23,350 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,250 |
$18.25 |
$37,950 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
2,020 |
$7.97 |
$16,580 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,990 |
$12.16 |
$25,300 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,860 |
$10.00 |
$20,800 |
| Registered nurses |
1,840 |
$28.83 |
$59,970 |
| Management occupations |
1,740 |
$36.48 |
$75,880 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,700 |
$20.07 |
$41,750 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,600 |
$10.93 |
$22,730 |
| Customer service representatives |
1,590 |
$11.32 |
$23,550 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,480 |
$27.46 |
$57,120 |
| Cashiers |
1,470 |
$9.46 |
$19,670 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,290 |
$20.05 |
$41,710 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,150 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,140 |
$12.74 |
$26,490 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,090 |
$13.56 |
$28,210 |
| Telemarketers |
1,050 |
$9.68 |
$20,130 |
| Personal and home care aides |
880 |
$9.82 |
$20,420 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
820 |
$11.20 |
$23,300 |
| Office clerks, general |
810 |
$12.44 |
$25,880 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
760 |
$11.20 |
$23,310 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
740 |
$13.79 |
$28,680 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
730 |
$12.21 |
$25,390 |
| General and operations managers |
690 |
$37.90 |
$78,840 |
| Construction laborers |
650 |
$12.36 |
$25,700 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
640 |
$33.78 |
$70,260 |
| Team assemblers |
600 |
$12.67 |
$26,360 |
| Bill and account collectors |
580 |
$9.85 |
$20,480 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
550 |
$9.42 |
$19,590 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
550 |
$17.78 |
$36,990 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
540 |
$18.34 |
$38,150 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
540 |
$15.41 |
$32,050 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
540 |
$11.54 |
$24,000 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
530 |
$21.60 |
$44,920 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
510 |
$16.01 |
$33,290 |
| Home health aides |
480 |
$9.65 |
$20,060 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
480 |
$8.28 |
$17,230 |
| Food preparation workers |
470 |
$9.39 |
$19,540 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
420 |
$17.75 |
$36,920 |
| Carpenters |
400 |
$20.22 |
$42,050 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
400 |
$25.63 |
$53,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
390 |
$15.20 |
$31,610 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
370 |
$14.91 |
$31,010 |
| Electricians |
360 |
$22.61 |
$47,030 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
350 |
$24.82 |
$51,620 |
| Teacher assistants |
350 |
Not available |
$27,520 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
340 |
$11.77 |
$24,490 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
330 |
$18.00 |
$37,430 |
| Accountants and auditors |
320 |
$29.80 |
$61,980 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
320 |
$27.06 |
$56,290 |
| Tellers |
320 |
$11.57 |
$24,060 |
| Bartenders |
300 |
$8.05 |
$16,750 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
300 |
$30.35 |
$63,120 |
| Security guards |
290 |
$13.69 |
$28,480 |
| Dishwashers |
280 |
$7.95 |
$16,530 |
| Legal occupations |
280 |
$37.06 |
$77,090 |
| Medical assistants |
270 |
$13.58 |
$28,260 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
250 |
$10.21 |
$21,250 |
| Machinists |
250 |
$15.84 |
$32,940 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
250 |
$9.80 |
$20,390 |
| Medical secretaries |
230 |
$12.24 |
$25,460 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
220 |
$15.54 |
$32,310 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
220 |
$26.71 |
$55,550 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
220 |
$19.00 |
$39,510 |
| Child care workers |
210 |
$9.10 |
$18,940 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
210 |
$15.39 |
$32,010 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
200 |
$24.36 |
$50,670 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
200 |
$13.25 |
$27,550 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
200 |
Not available |
$39,550 |
| All other information and record clerks |
190 |
$15.79 |
$32,850 |
| Mental health counselors |
190 |
$20.05 |
$41,710 |
| Bus drivers, school |
180 |
$12.22 |
$25,430 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
180 |
$11.15 |
$23,200 |
| Dental assistants |
180 |
$15.94 |
$33,150 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
180 |
$25.23 |
$52,480 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
180 |
$13.03 |
$27,100 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
170 |
$13.47 |
$28,010 |
| Sheet metal workers |
170 |
$13.13 |
$27,310 |
| Social and human service assistants |
170 |
$12.87 |
$26,770 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
160 |
$8.06 |
$16,760 |
| Recreation workers |
160 |
$9.77 |
$20,320 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
150 |
$13.76 |
$28,630 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
150 |
$17.84 |
$37,110 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
150 |
$8.03 |
$16,700 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
150 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Civil engineers |
140 |
$37.61 |
$78,230 |
| Construction managers |
140 |
$26.64 |
$55,410 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
140 |
$26.03 |
$54,140 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
140 |
$10.23 |
$21,270 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
140 |
$13.84 |
$28,780 |
| Lawyers |
140 |
$48.35 |
$100,570 |
| Pharmacists |
140 |
$49.22 |
$102,390 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
130 |
$21.35 |
$44,410 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
120 |
$10.15 |
$21,100 |
| Insurance sales agents |
120 |
$20.77 |
$43,190 |
| Loan officers |
120 |
$23.47 |
$48,820 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
120 |
$20.35 |
$42,330 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
110 |
$12.94 |
$26,920 |
| Computer support specialists |
110 |
$20.50 |
$42,640 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
110 |
$19.21 |
$39,950 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
110 |
$8.47 |
$17,610 |
| Mechanical engineers |
110 |
$34.02 |
$70,760 |
| Medical and health services managers |
110 |
$39.46 |
$82,080 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
110 |
$21.27 |
$44,240 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
110 |
$15.75 |
$32,760 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
110 |
$22.88 |
$47,590 |
| Parts salespersons |
110 |
$14.50 |
$30,150 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
110 |
$12.38 |
$25,760 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
110 |
$18.28 |
$38,030 |
| File clerks |
100 |
$11.93 |
$24,800 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
100 |
$25.98 |
$54,040 |
| Cost estimators |
90 |
$28.27 |
$58,800 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
90 |
$9.07 |
$18,870 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
90 |
$16.82 |
$34,990 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
90 |
$12.94 |
$26,910 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
90 |
$26.41 |
$54,930 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
90 |
$21.15 |
$43,980 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
90 |
$17.77 |
$36,960 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
90 |
$17.79 |
$36,990 |
| Public relations specialists |
90 |
$20.65 |
$42,960 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Tire repairers and changers |
90 |
$8.75 |
$18,190 |
| Training and development specialists |
90 |
$20.15 |
$41,920 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
90 |
$16.94 |
$35,240 |
| Data entry keyers |
80 |
$11.03 |
$22,940 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
80 |
$17.53 |
$36,470 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
80 |
$12.40 |
$25,790 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
80 |
$25.89 |
$53,860 |
| Industrial engineers |
80 |
$35.83 |
$74,520 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
80 |
$8.81 |
$18,330 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
80 |
$68.37 |
$142,220 |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists |
80 |
$27.63 |
$57,460 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
70 |
$8.27 |
$17,190 |
| Bakers |
70 |
$12.17 |
$25,310 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
70 |
$19.06 |
$39,650 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
70 |
$11.25 |
$23,410 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
70 |
$8.95 |
$18,620 |
| Couriers and messengers |
70 |
$14.17 |
$29,470 |
| Education administrators, postsecondary |
70 |
$38.71 |
$80,510 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
70 |
$24.88 |
$51,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
70 |
$15.07 |
$31,340 |
| Librarians |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Managers, all other |
70 |
$45.07 |
$93,740 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
70 |
$15.91 |
$33,090 |
| Procurement clerks |
70 |
$17.65 |
$36,720 |
| Sales managers |
70 |
$37.04 |
$77,030 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
70 |
$36.36 |
$75,640 |
| Surgical technologists |
70 |
$19.94 |
$41,460 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
60 |
$16.98 |
$35,310 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
60 |
$44.65 |
$92,870 |
| Dentists, general |
60 |
$68.64 |
$142,760 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
60 |
$19.56 |
$40,690 |
| Glaziers |
60 |
$14.34 |
$29,830 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
60 |
$19.48 |
$40,520 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
60 |
$16.43 |
$34,180 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
60 |
$17.20 |
$35,780 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
60 |
$13.71 |
$28,510 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
60 |
$29.42 |
$61,200 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
60 |
$8.11 |
$16,860 |
| Painting, coating, and decorating workers |
60 |
$11.45 |
$23,820 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
60 |
$18.16 |
$37,770 |
| Physical therapists |
60 |
$34.83 |
$72,440 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
60 |
$19.72 |
$41,020 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
60 |
$24.39 |
$50,720 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
60 |
$19.64 |
$40,860 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$13.92 |
$28,960 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
50 |
$14.99 |
$31,180 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
50 |
$30.87 |
$64,200 |
| Dental hygienists |
50 |
$32.70 |
$68,010 |
| Financial managers |
50 |
$42.49 |
$88,370 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
50 |
$14.12 |
$29,370 |
| Food service managers |
50 |
$22.42 |
$46,620 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$17.00 |
$35,350 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
50 |
$17.22 |
$35,810 |
| Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other |
50 |
$21.81 |
$45,370 |
| Management analysts |
50 |
$33.02 |
$68,680 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
50 |
$17.63 |
$36,680 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
50 |
$15.93 |
$33,140 |
| Real estate sales agents |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Advertising sales agents |
40 |
$23.49 |
$48,860 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
40 |
$10.25 |
$21,330 |
| Computer operators |
40 |
$17.29 |
$35,960 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
40 |
$24.42 |
$50,780 |
| Cooks, short order |
40 |
$7.74 |
$16,100 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
40 |
$19.03 |
$39,570 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
40 |
$14.24 |
$29,610 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
40 |
$19.06 |
$39,650 |
| Library technicians |
40 |
$16.30 |
$33,910 |
| Occupational therapists |
40 |
$30.41 |
$63,240 |
| Printing machine operators |
40 |
$13.83 |
$28,770 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
40 |
$26.15 |
$54,400 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Social and community service managers |
40 |
$29.02 |
$60,370 |
| Social workers, all other |
40 |
$27.20 |
$56,570 |
| Stationary engineers and boiler operators |
40 |
$26.31 |
$54,720 |
| Surgeons |
40 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
40 |
$10.64 |
$22,130 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
40 |
$13.67 |
$28,440 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
40 |
$25.17 |
$52,350 |
| Word processors and typists |
40 |
$15.26 |
$31,740 |
| Administrative services managers |
30 |
$32.45 |
$67,490 |
| Coaches and scouts |
30 |
Not available |
$26,830 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
30 |
$27.10 |
$56,370 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
30 |
$24.38 |
$50,710 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
30 |
$18.58 |
$38,640 |
| Engineering managers |
30 |
$47.18 |
$98,140 |
| Family and general practitioners |
30 |
$79.50 |
$165,350 |
| Financial analysts |
30 |
$41.30 |
$85,900 |
| Floral designers |
30 |
$11.96 |
$24,870 |
| Meter readers, utilities |
30 |
$15.44 |
$32,110 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$16.01 |
$33,310 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
Not available |
$23.80 |
$49,510 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
Not available |
$30.80 |
$64,070 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$8.40 |
$17,470 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
Not available |
$18.07 |
$37,580 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
Not available |
$34.12 |
$70,960 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$10.23 |
$21,270 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
Not available |
$17.65 |
$36,710 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
Not available |
$15.78 |
$32,830 |
| Industrial production managers |
Not available |
$46.45 |
$96,620 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$11.13 |
$23,150 |
| Legal support workers, all other |
Not available |
$27.81 |
$57,840 |
| Millwrights |
Not available |
$20.86 |
$43,380 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
Not available |
$22.83 |
$47,480 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
Not available |
$13.25 |
$27,570 |
| Order clerks |
Not available |
$12.35 |
$25,700 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$20.32 |
$42,270 |
| Pipelayers |
Not available |
$12.46 |
$25,910 |
| Residential advisors |
Not available |
$11.25 |
$23,390 |
| Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$21.48 |
$44,670 |
| Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners |
Not available |
$12.54 |
$26,080 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$10.26 |
$21,340 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$28.70 |
$59,700 |
