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 |
40,190 |
$16.51 |
$34,350 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
5,930 |
$13.39 |
$27,860 |
| Production occupations |
5,300 |
$13.83 |
$28,770 |
| Sales and related occupations |
3,940 |
$12.89 |
$26,820 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
3,690 |
$8.06 |
$16,770 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,260 |
$29.74 |
$61,850 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,070 |
$12.05 |
$25,070 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,990 |
$20.51 |
$42,660 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,830 |
$11.09 |
$23,070 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,810 |
$17.90 |
$37,230 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,590 |
$10.18 |
$21,170 |
| Management occupations |
1,560 |
$39.81 |
$82,800 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,230 |
$7.27 |
$15,120 |
| Registered nurses |
1,220 |
$27.64 |
$57,490 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,180 |
$10.25 |
$21,330 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,100 |
$10.80 |
$22,470 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,010 |
$16.49 |
$34,290 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,000 |
$15.31 |
$31,840 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
910 |
$27.01 |
$56,190 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
880 |
Not available |
$51,330 |
| Cashiers |
830 |
$8.21 |
$17,080 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
750 |
$10.44 |
$21,710 |
| Team assemblers |
730 |
$12.13 |
$25,220 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
720 |
$10.11 |
$21,030 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
710 |
$15.91 |
$33,100 |
| Office clerks, general |
690 |
$10.72 |
$22,290 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
650 |
$7.89 |
$16,400 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
630 |
$9.26 |
$19,260 |
| General and operations managers |
600 |
$37.29 |
$77,560 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
580 |
$12.22 |
$25,420 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
560 |
$11.07 |
$23,030 |
| Community and social services occupations |
530 |
$17.51 |
$36,430 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
470 |
$17.71 |
$36,850 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
440 |
$13.24 |
$27,530 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
430 |
$15.12 |
$31,460 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
410 |
$22.22 |
$46,220 |
| Customer service representatives |
410 |
$13.44 |
$27,950 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
410 |
$20.26 |
$42,150 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
410 |
$16.48 |
$34,280 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
380 |
$17.53 |
$36,470 |
| Helpers--production workers |
370 |
$11.68 |
$24,290 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
360 |
$22.68 |
$47,170 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
350 |
$13.11 |
$27,270 |
| Food preparation workers |
350 |
$7.91 |
$16,450 |
| Teacher assistants |
350 |
Not available |
$17,220 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
330 |
$22.67 |
$47,160 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
330 |
$13.60 |
$28,280 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
310 |
$28.31 |
$58,880 |
| Medical assistants |
310 |
$13.27 |
$27,610 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
310 |
$13.80 |
$28,710 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
290 |
$10.21 |
$21,240 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
280 |
$16.92 |
$35,200 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
280 |
$11.58 |
$24,080 |
| Security guards |
270 |
$11.29 |
$23,480 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
260 |
$13.29 |
$27,650 |
| Legal occupations |
230 |
$32.76 |
$68,150 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
220 |
$8.56 |
$17,800 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
200 |
$15.87 |
$33,010 |
| Dishwashers |
200 |
$7.27 |
$15,110 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
200 |
$11.18 |
$23,250 |
| Tellers |
200 |
$10.67 |
$22,180 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
190 |
$8.04 |
$16,720 |
| Electricians |
180 |
$20.36 |
$42,340 |
| Medical secretaries |
180 |
$13.65 |
$28,390 |
| Chief executives |
170 |
$66.51 |
$138,340 |
| Computer support specialists |
170 |
$16.38 |
$34,080 |
| Machinists |
170 |
$11.79 |
$24,530 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
170 |
$9.21 |
$19,160 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
170 |
$13.70 |
$28,490 |
| Construction laborers |
160 |
$11.40 |
$23,720 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
160 |
$23.62 |
$49,130 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
150 |
$8.12 |
$16,880 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
150 |
$26.51 |
$55,150 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
150 |
$16.77 |
$34,870 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
150 |
$18.63 |
$38,760 |
| Accountants and auditors |
140 |
$29.80 |
$61,980 |
| Bill and account collectors |
140 |
$14.68 |
$30,540 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
140 |
$11.72 |
$24,370 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
130 |
$13.75 |
$28,610 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
130 |
$7.85 |
$16,330 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
130 |
$11.13 |
$23,150 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
130 |
$14.83 |
$30,840 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
130 |
$13.75 |
$28,610 |
| Child care workers |
120 |
$7.64 |
$15,890 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
120 |
$8.10 |
$16,860 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
120 |
$14.05 |
$29,230 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
120 |
$18.07 |
$37,590 |
| Administrative services managers |
110 |
$27.87 |
$57,960 |
| Business teachers, postsecondary |
110 |
Not available |
$38,450 |
| Parts salespersons |
110 |
$17.45 |
$36,300 |
| Pharmacists |
110 |
$51.25 |
$106,600 |
| Sewing machine operators |
110 |
$10.49 |
$21,820 |
| Training and development specialists |
110 |
$24.08 |
$50,100 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
100 |
$29.82 |
$62,030 |
| Dental assistants |
100 |
$14.07 |
$29,250 |
| Insurance sales agents |
100 |
$22.57 |
$46,950 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Advertising sales agents |
90 |
$18.91 |
$39,320 |
| Carpenters |
90 |
$17.05 |
$35,470 |
| Computer systems analysts |
90 |
$23.17 |
$48,180 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$81,950 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
90 |
$12.20 |
$25,370 |
| Medical and health services managers |
90 |
$35.44 |
$73,720 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
90 |
$22.50 |
$46,800 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
80 |
$24.02 |
$49,960 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
80 |
$22.38 |
$46,550 |
| File clerks |
80 |
$9.45 |
$19,660 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
80 |
$9.97 |
$20,730 |
| Lawyers |
80 |
$55.50 |
$115,430 |
| Sales managers |
80 |
$50.12 |
$104,250 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
70 |
$12.30 |
$25,580 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
70 |
$24.94 |
$51,870 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
70 |
$17.15 |
$35,670 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
70 |
$18.61 |
$38,700 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
70 |
$24.39 |
$50,730 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
70 |
$19.00 |
$39,520 |
| Recreation workers |
70 |
$15.22 |
$31,660 |
| Residential advisors |
70 |
$9.23 |
$19,200 |
| Respiratory therapists |
70 |
$20.62 |
$42,880 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
70 |
$16.40 |
$34,120 |
| Social and human service assistants |
70 |
$13.55 |
$28,190 |
| Surgical technologists |
70 |
$19.97 |
$41,530 |
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary |
60 |
Not available |
$30,820 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
60 |
$15.30 |
$31,820 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
60 |
$16.03 |
$33,330 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
60 |
$21.34 |
$44,380 |
| Helpers--electricians |
60 |
$9.61 |
$19,990 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$7.61 |
$15,830 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
60 |
$20.47 |
$42,580 |
| Management analysts |
60 |
$40.97 |
$85,210 |
| Printing machine operators |
60 |
$14.49 |
$30,130 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
60 |
$15.39 |
$32,010 |
| Tool and die makers |
60 |
$20.63 |
$42,910 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
50 |
$26.30 |
$54,710 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
50 |
$13.33 |
$27,740 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
50 |
$45.31 |
$94,250 |
| Financial managers |
50 |
$40.98 |
$85,240 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
50 |
$22.40 |
$46,590 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
50 |
$12.55 |
$26,090 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
50 |
$16.70 |
$34,740 |
| Librarians |
50 |
$26.66 |
$55,450 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
50 |
$11.73 |
$24,410 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
50 |
$16.14 |
$33,560 |
| Order clerks |
50 |
$13.96 |
$29,050 |
| Physical therapists |
50 |
$33.02 |
$68,680 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
50 |
$23.34 |
$48,550 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
50 |
$11.56 |
$24,050 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
40 |
$29.74 |
$61,860 |
| Coaches and scouts |
40 |
Not available |
$32,140 |
| Dental hygienists |
40 |
$28.27 |
$58,800 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
40 |
$12.70 |
$26,410 |
| Financial analysts |
40 |
$45.37 |
$94,370 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$26.36 |
$54,820 |
| Loan officers |
40 |
$30.66 |
$63,780 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
40 |
$15.24 |
$31,710 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
40 |
$26.71 |
$55,550 |
| Occupational therapists |
40 |
$30.64 |
$63,730 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
40 |
$14.44 |
$30,040 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
40 |
$14.98 |
$31,150 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
40 |
$21.72 |
$45,180 |
| Psychiatric aides |
40 |
$13.32 |
$27,700 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
40 |
$25.80 |
$53,660 |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary |
30 |
Not available |
$46,220 |
| Computer programmers |
30 |
$36.95 |
$76,860 |
| Couriers and messengers |
30 |
$10.22 |
$21,250 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
30 |
$28.18 |
$58,620 |
| Industrial engineers |
30 |
$26.36 |
$54,830 |
| Industrial production managers |
30 |
$39.21 |
$81,560 |
| Managers, all other |
30 |
$36.50 |
$75,920 |
| Service station attendants |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sheet metal workers |
30 |
$16.77 |
$34,870 |
| Bartenders |
Not available |
$7.10 |
$14,760 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
Not available |
$15.95 |
$33,170 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
Not available |
$23.25 |
$48,360 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$8.35 |
$17,380 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
Not available |
$7.52 |
$15,640 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
Not available |
$17.37 |
$36,140 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
Not available |
$16.64 |
$34,620 |
| Home health aides |
Not available |
$8.79 |
$18,270 |
| Internists, general |
Not available |
$103.07 |
$214,390 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$11.34 |
$23,600 |
| Mechanical engineers |
Not available |
$33.17 |
$68,990 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
Not available |
Not available |
$49,810 |
| Painters, transportation equipment |
Not available |
$18.87 |
$39,250 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Real estate sales agents |
Not available |
$17.16 |
$35,690 |
| Tax preparers |
Not available |
$14.80 |
$30,780 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$20,850 |
