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 |
56,240 |
$19.54 |
$40,640 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
9,590 |
$15.26 |
$31,750 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,280 |
$16.38 |
$34,060 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
5,620 |
$22.78 |
$47,380 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,120 |
$10.29 |
$21,400 |
| Production occupations |
4,840 |
$15.61 |
$32,470 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
2,830 |
$25.86 |
$53,790 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,810 |
$31.63 |
$65,790 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,800 |
$14.20 |
$29,530 |
| Management occupations |
2,700 |
$45.41 |
$94,450 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,440 |
$12.18 |
$25,330 |
| Cashiers |
2,200 |
$9.07 |
$18,860 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,950 |
$20.25 |
$42,110 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,940 |
$19.13 |
$39,790 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,510 |
$12.34 |
$25,660 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,270 |
$10.14 |
$21,100 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,250 |
$9.13 |
$18,990 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
1,240 |
$29.66 |
$61,690 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,220 |
$14.48 |
$30,120 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,160 |
$10.82 |
$22,500 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,140 |
$14.51 |
$30,180 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
1,130 |
$22.60 |
$47,010 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,030 |
$31.39 |
$65,290 |
| Registered nurses |
1,020 |
$26.41 |
$54,940 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
990 |
Not available |
$33,210 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
890 |
$13.94 |
$29,000 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
860 |
$17.19 |
$35,760 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
860 |
$9.04 |
$18,800 |
| Teacher assistants |
840 |
Not available |
$26,170 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
830 |
$12.33 |
$25,650 |
| Customer service representatives |
800 |
$16.34 |
$33,990 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
780 |
$18.16 |
$37,760 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
750 |
Not available |
$50,640 |
| Protective service occupations |
750 |
$18.67 |
$38,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
660 |
$22.56 |
$46,930 |
| Community and social services occupations |
610 |
$20.47 |
$42,580 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
580 |
$22.05 |
$45,860 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
530 |
$16.77 |
$34,870 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
520 |
$13.13 |
$27,300 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
510 |
$11.80 |
$24,540 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
500 |
$29.37 |
$61,080 |
| General and operations managers |
480 |
$45.57 |
$94,790 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
440 |
$27.08 |
$56,330 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
440 |
$18.01 |
$37,460 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
430 |
$15.93 |
$33,140 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
420 |
$11.62 |
$24,170 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
410 |
$11.51 |
$23,940 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
410 |
$18.18 |
$37,810 |
| Electromechanical equipment assemblers |
400 |
$17.39 |
$36,180 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
400 |
$17.69 |
$36,800 |
| Managers, all other |
400 |
$47.95 |
$99,730 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
400 |
$12.78 |
$26,570 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
390 |
$17.65 |
$36,710 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
390 |
$32.39 |
$67,370 |
| Carpenters |
380 |
$18.96 |
$39,440 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
360 |
$11.89 |
$24,740 |
| Engineers, all other |
350 |
$36.63 |
$76,190 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
350 |
$12.85 |
$26,720 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
350 |
$13.57 |
$28,230 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
340 |
$20.29 |
$42,200 |
| Bartenders |
340 |
$9.78 |
$20,350 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
340 |
$24.65 |
$51,270 |
| Dishwashers |
330 |
$9.11 |
$18,960 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
330 |
Not available |
$50,800 |
| Team assemblers |
330 |
$14.66 |
$30,490 |
| Computer systems analysts |
320 |
$32.35 |
$67,290 |
| Construction laborers |
320 |
$14.18 |
$29,490 |
| Financial managers |
320 |
$43.18 |
$89,810 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
320 |
Not available |
$47,630 |
| Child care workers |
310 |
$10.00 |
$20,810 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
300 |
$15.52 |
$32,290 |
| Food preparation workers |
300 |
$9.58 |
$19,940 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
290 |
$21.16 |
$44,010 |
| Computer support specialists |
280 |
$20.14 |
$41,900 |
| Accountants and auditors |
270 |
$28.48 |
$59,230 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
270 |
$25.49 |
$53,020 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
270 |
$11.26 |
$23,410 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
270 |
$9.66 |
$20,100 |
| Telemarketers |
260 |
$16.65 |
$34,640 |
| Driver/sales workers |
220 |
$9.07 |
$18,860 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
210 |
$9.67 |
$20,100 |
| Chief executives |
200 |
$80.01 |
$166,420 |
| Electricians |
200 |
$22.45 |
$46,690 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
200 |
$9.29 |
$19,320 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
200 |
$20.55 |
$42,740 |
| Medical secretaries |
200 |
$15.78 |
$32,810 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
200 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
200 |
$38.08 |
$79,210 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
190 |
$29.52 |
$61,410 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
190 |
$16.56 |
$34,440 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
180 |
$9.41 |
$19,580 |
| Metal workers and plastic workers, all other |
180 |
$13.58 |
$28,240 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
170 |
$12.85 |
$26,730 |
| Machinists |
170 |
$20.31 |
$42,240 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
170 |
$31.26 |
$65,020 |
| Tellers |
170 |
$11.97 |
$24,890 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
160 |
$36.75 |
$76,430 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
160 |
$20.40 |
$42,440 |
| Medical assistants |
160 |
$14.21 |
$29,550 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production workers, all other |
150 |
$10.30 |
$21,420 |
| Recreation workers |
150 |
$11.53 |
$23,980 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
140 |
$8.31 |
$17,290 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
140 |
$22.83 |
$47,480 |
| Food service managers |
140 |
$25.15 |
$52,310 |
| Legal occupations |
140 |
$45.06 |
$93,720 |
| Management analysts |
140 |
$37.43 |
$77,860 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
140 |
$18.38 |
$38,220 |
| Parts salespersons |
140 |
$16.18 |
$33,650 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
140 |
$25.84 |
$53,740 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
130 |
$59.30 |
$123,340 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
130 |
$37.14 |
$77,260 |
| Cooks, short order |
130 |
$10.48 |
$21,800 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
130 |
$13.66 |
$28,420 |
| Dental assistants |
130 |
$19.78 |
$41,140 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
130 |
$16.10 |
$33,500 |
| Insurance sales agents |
130 |
$27.89 |
$58,020 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
130 |
$22.37 |
$46,530 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
120 |
$15.53 |
$32,300 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
120 |
$11.33 |
$23,570 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
120 |
$8.61 |
$17,910 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
120 |
$23.72 |
$49,340 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
120 |
$15.90 |
$33,080 |
| Mechanical engineers |
120 |
$27.95 |
$58,140 |
| Medical and health services managers |
120 |
$42.99 |
$89,410 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
120 |
$11.29 |
$23,490 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
120 |
$20.83 |
$43,330 |
| Security guards |
120 |
$12.30 |
$25,590 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
120 |
$10.41 |
$21,650 |
| Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders |
120 |
$14.62 |
$30,410 |
| Coil winders, tapers, and finishers |
110 |
$12.59 |
$26,190 |
| Dental hygienists |
110 |
$37.71 |
$78,440 |
| Loan officers |
110 |
$23.69 |
$49,270 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
110 |
Not available |
$46,880 |
| Computer programmers |
100 |
$28.87 |
$60,060 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
100 |
$25.25 |
$52,510 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
100 |
$25.00 |
$51,990 |
| Legal secretaries |
100 |
$17.04 |
$35,440 |
| Marketing managers |
100 |
$37.54 |
$78,080 |
| Physical therapists |
100 |
$35.33 |
$73,490 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
100 |
$22.11 |
$45,990 |
| All other information and record clerks |
90 |
$10.71 |
$22,270 |
| Editors |
90 |
$21.82 |
$45,380 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
90 |
$19.83 |
$41,250 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
90 |
$14.16 |
$29,460 |
| Library technicians |
90 |
$14.98 |
$31,160 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
90 |
$14.83 |
$30,850 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
90 |
$18.52 |
$38,530 |
| Printing machine operators |
90 |
$15.36 |
$31,950 |
| Public relations specialists |
90 |
$22.76 |
$47,330 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
90 |
$11.78 |
$24,500 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
90 |
$13.47 |
$28,020 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
80 |
$21.45 |
$44,610 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
80 |
Not available |
$76,000 |
| Electrical engineers |
80 |
$30.90 |
$64,260 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
80 |
$21.68 |
$45,090 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
80 |
$17.65 |
$36,720 |
| Industrial engineers |
80 |
$31.87 |
$66,290 |
| Librarians |
80 |
$22.09 |
$45,950 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
80 |
$10.07 |
$20,950 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
80 |
$21.09 |
$43,870 |
| Sales managers |
80 |
$49.64 |
$103,250 |
| Bill and account collectors |
70 |
$15.15 |
$31,510 |
| Data entry keyers |
70 |
$13.36 |
$27,800 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
70 |
$22.34 |
$46,460 |
| Financial analysts |
70 |
$30.85 |
$64,160 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
70 |
Not available |
$43,600 |
| Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
70 |
$16.63 |
$34,590 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
70 |
$12.10 |
$25,180 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
70 |
$14.51 |
$30,170 |
| Pharmacists |
70 |
$58.88 |
$122,460 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
70 |
$25.79 |
$53,650 |
| Residential advisors |
70 |
$14.04 |
$29,200 |
| Social and human service assistants |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Administrative services managers |
60 |
$39.85 |
$82,890 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
60 |
$15.14 |
$31,480 |
| Coaches and scouts |
60 |
Not available |
$57,580 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
60 |
$34.61 |
$71,980 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
60 |
$21.32 |
$44,350 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
60 |
$13.29 |
$27,640 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$19.83 |
$41,250 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
60 |
$16.58 |
$34,480 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
60 |
$18.75 |
$39,000 |
| Graphic designers |
60 |
$18.87 |
$39,260 |
| Helpers--production workers |
60 |
$12.55 |
$26,100 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$10.17 |
$21,150 |
| Industrial production managers |
60 |
$35.74 |
$74,340 |
| Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other |
60 |
$20.94 |
$43,550 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
60 |
$16.44 |
$34,190 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
60 |
$13.09 |
$27,220 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
60 |
$24.16 |
$50,260 |
| New accounts clerks |
60 |
$14.44 |
$30,020 |
| Order clerks |
60 |
$15.56 |
$32,360 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
60 |
$13.32 |
$27,700 |
| Security and fire alarm systems installers |
60 |
$18.24 |
$37,930 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
60 |
$22.75 |
$47,320 |
| Surgeons |
60 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$28.43 |
$59,130 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$53,170 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
50 |
$15.41 |
$32,050 |
| Civil engineers |
50 |
$38.62 |
$80,320 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
50 |
$11.01 |
$22,890 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
50 |
$26.59 |
$55,310 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
50 |
$21.32 |
$44,350 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
50 |
$20.22 |
$42,050 |
| Cost estimators |
50 |
$25.11 |
$52,240 |
| Engineering managers |
50 |
$60.66 |
$126,170 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
50 |
$14.27 |
$29,670 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
50 |
$27.95 |
$58,150 |
| Instructional coordinators |
50 |
$29.18 |
$60,690 |
| Market research analysts |
50 |
$27.98 |
$58,190 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
50 |
$25.40 |
$52,830 |
| Occupational therapists |
50 |
$31.95 |
$66,450 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
50 |
$21.07 |
$43,830 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
50 |
$17.33 |
$36,050 |
| Postal service clerks |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
50 |
$17.00 |
$35,350 |
| Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders |
50 |
$11.89 |
$24,730 |
| Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers, all other |
50 |
$12.37 |
$25,720 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
50 |
$20.20 |
$42,020 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
40 |
$20.26 |
$42,150 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
40 |
$13.52 |
$28,110 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
40 |
$16.32 |
$33,950 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
40 |
$15.34 |
$31,910 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
40 |
$18.65 |
$38,780 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
40 |
$21.06 |
$43,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
40 |
$33.28 |
$69,210 |
| Human resources managers, all other |
40 |
$47.17 |
$98,120 |
| Insurance underwriters |
40 |
$32.23 |
$67,030 |
| Legislators |
40 |
Not available |
$18,570 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
40 |
$24.95 |
$51,890 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
40 |
$15.91 |
$33,080 |
| Personal and home care aides |
40 |
$9.72 |
$20,210 |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$18.27 |
$38,010 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
40 |
Not available |
$44,630 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
40 |
$29.71 |
$61,790 |
| Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers |
40 |
$11.51 |
$23,940 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
40 |
$22.83 |
$47,480 |
| Bakers |
30 |
$12.78 |
$26,590 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
30 |
$23.05 |
$47,940 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
30 |
$9.69 |
$20,150 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
30 |
$25.26 |
$52,530 |
| Food preparation and serving related workers, all other |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other |
30 |
$30.96 |
$64,400 |
| Mechanical engineering technicians |
30 |
$21.49 |
$44,700 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$17.78 |
$36,980 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
30 |
$14.87 |
$30,920 |
| Purchasing managers |
30 |
$43.79 |
$91,080 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
30 |
Not available |
$50,200 |
| Veterinarians |
30 |
$37.63 |
$78,280 |
| Advertising sales agents |
Not available |
$22.18 |
$46,140 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
Not available |
$20.40 |
$42,440 |
| Bus drivers, school |
Not available |
$13.45 |
$27,970 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$8.54 |
$17,770 |
| Counselors, all other |
Not available |
$41.32 |
$85,950 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
Not available |
$19.62 |
$40,810 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
Not available |
$21.77 |
$45,280 |
| Fiberglass laminators and fabricators |
Not available |
$16.35 |
$34,000 |
| Fire fighters |
Not available |
$15.21 |
$31,640 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$12.96 |
$26,950 |
| Home health aides |
Not available |
$11.13 |
$23,160 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
Not available |
$13.50 |
$28,070 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.34 |
$27,740 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
Not available |
$10.27 |
$21,350 |
| Lawyers |
Not available |
$72.56 |
$150,930 |
| Marriage and family therapists |
Not available |
$21.75 |
$45,250 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
Not available |
$22.14 |
$46,050 |
| Mental health counselors |
Not available |
$16.08 |
$33,440 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$18.46 |
$38,390 |
| Personal care and service workers, all other |
Not available |
$12.91 |
$26,850 |
| Photographers |
Not available |
$19.68 |
$40,930 |
| Physician assistants |
Not available |
$39.21 |
$81,560 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
$100.04 |
$208,070 |
| Respiratory therapists |
Not available |
$27.82 |
$57,870 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
Not available |
$55.62 |
$115,680 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$9.61 |
$19,990 |
| Sewing machine operators |
Not available |
$12.44 |
$25,880 |
| Social and community service managers |
Not available |
$26.05 |
$54,190 |
| Word processors and typists |
Not available |
$12.53 |
$26,050 |
