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 |
61,140 |
$18.15 |
$37,740 |
| Production occupations |
11,340 |
$16.07 |
$33,430 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,900 |
$14.30 |
$29,750 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
5,530 |
$14.22 |
$29,570 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,860 |
$15.49 |
$32,230 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,480 |
$9.42 |
$19,600 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,870 |
$20.99 |
$43,660 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,440 |
$33.10 |
$68,840 |
| Management occupations |
2,420 |
$41.92 |
$87,190 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,400 |
$21.19 |
$44,080 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,260 |
$19.55 |
$40,670 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,190 |
$11.42 |
$23,740 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
2,080 |
$25.66 |
$53,360 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
2,070 |
$27.43 |
$57,060 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,960 |
$12.56 |
$26,130 |
| Cashiers |
1,570 |
$8.88 |
$18,470 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,430 |
$13.36 |
$27,790 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,390 |
$10.70 |
$22,250 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,360 |
$8.26 |
$17,190 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,350 |
$11.33 |
$23,570 |
| Helpers--production workers |
1,260 |
$13.59 |
$28,270 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,190 |
$10.83 |
$22,530 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,080 |
$12.58 |
$26,180 |
| Team assemblers |
1,040 |
$12.98 |
$27,010 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
960 |
$19.21 |
$39,950 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
940 |
$8.85 |
$18,410 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
900 |
$28.94 |
$60,190 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
900 |
$17.07 |
$35,500 |
| Registered nurses |
830 |
$27.98 |
$58,200 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
760 |
$25.77 |
$53,610 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
760 |
$10.17 |
$21,160 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
720 |
$13.40 |
$27,870 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
700 |
$28.44 |
$59,160 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
700 |
$12.72 |
$26,470 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
650 |
$14.66 |
$30,480 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
620 |
$14.21 |
$29,560 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
610 |
$14.53 |
$30,210 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
590 |
$21.23 |
$44,160 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
590 |
$31.22 |
$64,940 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
550 |
$15.52 |
$32,280 |
| General and operations managers |
550 |
$48.72 |
$101,350 |
| Bartenders |
530 |
$8.93 |
$18,570 |
| Customer service representatives |
520 |
$14.94 |
$31,080 |
| Teacher assistants |
510 |
Not available |
$25,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
500 |
$21.15 |
$43,980 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
500 |
$14.56 |
$30,280 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
500 |
$11.96 |
$24,880 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
480 |
$20.31 |
$42,250 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
470 |
Not available |
$46,620 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
470 |
$11.61 |
$24,150 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
460 |
$15.52 |
$32,280 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
460 |
Not available |
$48,470 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
450 |
$13.55 |
$28,170 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
440 |
$16.38 |
$34,070 |
| Home health aides |
440 |
$9.57 |
$19,910 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
440 |
$9.24 |
$19,210 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
440 |
$18.07 |
$37,580 |
| Carpenters |
410 |
$19.94 |
$41,470 |
| Machinists |
390 |
$18.56 |
$38,600 |
| Community and social services occupations |
380 |
$23.17 |
$48,190 |
| Tellers |
380 |
$11.25 |
$23,410 |
| Electricians |
360 |
$23.66 |
$49,200 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
360 |
$13.31 |
$27,680 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
360 |
Not available |
$44,710 |
| Accountants and auditors |
320 |
$29.02 |
$60,360 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
310 |
$11.94 |
$24,830 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
310 |
$14.97 |
$31,140 |
| Food batchmakers |
290 |
$18.89 |
$39,290 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
280 |
$14.02 |
$29,170 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
280 |
$15.55 |
$32,350 |
| Personal and home care aides |
280 |
$9.01 |
$18,750 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
270 |
$14.17 |
$29,470 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
250 |
$14.98 |
$31,160 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
240 |
$15.22 |
$31,650 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
240 |
$10.38 |
$21,590 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
240 |
$11.15 |
$23,200 |
| Dishwashers |
230 |
$8.25 |
$17,170 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
230 |
$17.77 |
$36,960 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
230 |
$18.94 |
$39,400 |
| Computer systems analysts |
220 |
$30.79 |
$64,040 |
| Medical assistants |
220 |
$14.73 |
$30,630 |
| Construction laborers |
210 |
$18.74 |
$38,990 |
| Legal occupations |
210 |
$25.84 |
$53,740 |
| Tool and die makers |
210 |
$21.67 |
$45,070 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
200 |
$26.21 |
$54,520 |
| Food preparation workers |
200 |
$8.43 |
$17,540 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
190 |
$17.43 |
$36,260 |
| Mechanical engineers |
190 |
$32.15 |
$66,870 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
180 |
$14.48 |
$30,110 |
| Child care workers |
180 |
$9.87 |
$20,530 |
| Driver/sales workers |
180 |
$13.95 |
$29,010 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
180 |
$26.09 |
$54,270 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
180 |
$15.56 |
$32,360 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
180 |
$21.13 |
$43,960 |
| Cost estimators |
170 |
$25.66 |
$53,360 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
170 |
$9.38 |
$19,510 |
| Printing machine operators |
170 |
$17.43 |
$36,250 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
160 |
$11.94 |
$24,830 |
| Financial managers |
160 |
$50.32 |
$104,670 |
| Industrial production managers |
160 |
$43.46 |
$90,400 |
| Legislators |
160 |
Not available |
$15,840 |
| Sales managers |
160 |
$50.10 |
$104,200 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
150 |
$14.20 |
$29,540 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
150 |
$26.74 |
$55,630 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
150 |
$16.41 |
$34,130 |
| Dental assistants |
140 |
$15.16 |
$31,530 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
140 |
$29.52 |
$61,400 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
140 |
$14.52 |
$30,190 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
140 |
$9.24 |
$19,210 |
| Medical secretaries |
140 |
$13.40 |
$27,860 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
140 |
$31.47 |
$65,450 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
140 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
140 |
$12.85 |
$26,740 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
140 |
$23.44 |
$48,750 |
| Cooks, fast food |
130 |
$9.64 |
$20,060 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
130 |
$16.93 |
$35,210 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
130 |
$14.79 |
$30,770 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
130 |
$8.69 |
$18,080 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
130 |
$24.39 |
$50,720 |
| Chemical equipment operators and tenders |
120 |
$23.86 |
$49,630 |
| Chief executives |
120 |
$73.21 |
$152,270 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
120 |
$24.75 |
$51,470 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
120 |
$7.98 |
$16,600 |
| Engineering managers |
120 |
$53.13 |
$110,520 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Mechanical drafters |
120 |
$20.74 |
$43,130 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
120 |
$15.81 |
$32,880 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
120 |
$15.38 |
$31,980 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
120 |
$12.68 |
$26,380 |
| Recreation workers |
120 |
$10.28 |
$21,390 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
120 |
$11.06 |
$23,010 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
110 |
$17.01 |
$35,380 |
| Food service managers |
110 |
$17.91 |
$37,260 |
| Loan officers |
110 |
$29.36 |
$61,060 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
110 |
$10.20 |
$21,220 |
| Management analysts |
110 |
$28.81 |
$59,920 |
| Computer support specialists |
100 |
$16.70 |
$34,740 |
| Managers, all other |
100 |
$27.55 |
$57,300 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
100 |
$24.39 |
$50,720 |
| Pharmacists |
100 |
$55.16 |
$114,740 |
| Photographic processing machine operators |
100 |
$9.47 |
$19,700 |
| Production workers, all other |
100 |
$15.36 |
$31,950 |
| Administrative services managers |
90 |
$23.24 |
$48,340 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
90 |
$22.90 |
$47,630 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Data entry keyers |
90 |
$11.59 |
$24,100 |
| Insurance sales agents |
90 |
$22.49 |
$46,770 |
| Medical and health services managers |
90 |
$38.45 |
$79,970 |
| Parts salespersons |
90 |
$12.93 |
$26,890 |
| Public relations specialists |
90 |
$22.16 |
$46,100 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
90 |
$24.45 |
$50,860 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
90 |
$26.29 |
$54,690 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
90 |
$12.28 |
$25,540 |
| Sewing machine operators |
90 |
$15.23 |
$31,670 |
| Sheet metal workers |
90 |
$22.89 |
$47,600 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$50,400 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
90 |
$12.25 |
$25,490 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
80 |
$32.14 |
$66,860 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
80 |
$26.59 |
$55,310 |
| Electrical engineers |
80 |
$33.57 |
$69,830 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
80 |
$12.38 |
$25,760 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
80 |
$16.23 |
$33,760 |
| Physical therapists |
80 |
$32.79 |
$68,210 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
80 |
Not available |
$49,000 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
70 |
$18.66 |
$38,810 |
| Bakers |
70 |
$10.83 |
$22,520 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
70 |
$32.60 |
$67,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
70 |
$16.16 |
$33,610 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
70 |
$33.16 |
$68,960 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
70 |
$26.62 |
$55,370 |
| Graphic designers |
70 |
$21.11 |
$43,910 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
70 |
$8.31 |
$17,290 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
70 |
Not available |
$43,730 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
70 |
$9.55 |
$19,870 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
70 |
$17.60 |
$36,600 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
70 |
$24.03 |
$49,980 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
70 |
Not available |
$44,280 |
| Coaches and scouts |
60 |
Not available |
$23,180 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
60 |
$13.77 |
$28,640 |
| Dental hygienists |
60 |
$29.58 |
$61,530 |
| Dentists, general |
60 |
$78.18 |
$162,620 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$77,020 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
60 |
$24.97 |
$51,940 |
| Family and general practitioners |
60 |
$63.16 |
$131,380 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$22.63 |
$47,070 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$15.79 |
$32,850 |
| Legal secretaries |
60 |
$16.15 |
$33,590 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
60 |
$14.58 |
$30,320 |
| Occupational therapists |
60 |
$31.13 |
$64,760 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
50 |
$15.34 |
$31,910 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
50 |
$21.61 |
$44,950 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
50 |
$16.67 |
$34,670 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
50 |
$16.92 |
$35,190 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
50 |
$12.33 |
$25,650 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
50 |
$12.74 |
$26,510 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
50 |
$17.17 |
$35,700 |
| Interpreters and translators |
50 |
$18.25 |
$37,970 |
| Lawyers |
50 |
$37.25 |
$77,480 |
| Librarians |
50 |
$23.13 |
$48,100 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
50 |
$10.60 |
$22,050 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
50 |
$16.38 |
$34,070 |
| Numerical tool and process control programmers |
50 |
$21.03 |
$43,750 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
50 |
$17.33 |
$36,040 |
| Roofers |
50 |
$15.27 |
$31,770 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
50 |
$30.94 |
$64,370 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
50 |
$35.64 |
$74,130 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
50 |
$9.98 |
$20,760 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
50 |
Not available |
$50,420 |
| Advertising sales agents |
40 |
$26.28 |
$54,660 |
| Desktop publishers |
40 |
$18.56 |
$38,600 |
| Engine and other machine assemblers |
40 |
$17.77 |
$36,960 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
40 |
$16.30 |
$33,910 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
40 |
$18.24 |
$37,930 |
| Market research analysts |
40 |
$31.42 |
$65,350 |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other |
40 |
$9.14 |
$19,010 |
| Order clerks |
40 |
$14.03 |
$29,180 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
40 |
$17.40 |
$36,190 |
| Social and human service assistants |
40 |
$19.09 |
$39,700 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
40 |
$21.22 |
$44,130 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
40 |
$14.55 |
$30,270 |
| Bill and account collectors |
30 |
$14.73 |
$30,630 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
30 |
$16.50 |
$34,310 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
30 |
$16.23 |
$33,750 |
| Human resources managers, all other |
30 |
$40.98 |
$85,240 |
| Marketing managers |
30 |
$52.67 |
$109,560 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
30 |
$23.43 |
$48,740 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
30 |
$8.44 |
$17,550 |
| Respiratory therapists |
30 |
$26.18 |
$54,450 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
30 |
$19.62 |
$40,810 |
| Architects, except landscape and naval |
Not available |
$29.27 |
$60,890 |
| Budget analysts |
Not available |
$31.87 |
$66,280 |
| Bus drivers, school |
Not available |
$11.23 |
$23,360 |
| Chemical technicians |
Not available |
$20.93 |
$43,540 |
| Civil engineers |
Not available |
$32.22 |
$67,010 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$16.15 |
$33,600 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
Not available |
$17.41 |
$36,220 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
Not available |
$21.88 |
$45,510 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
Not available |
$49.96 |
$103,910 |
| Computer programmers |
Not available |
$27.33 |
$56,850 |
| Conservation scientists |
Not available |
$29.40 |
$61,160 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$8.43 |
$17,540 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$9.54 |
$19,850 |
| Database administrators |
Not available |
$39.82 |
$82,840 |
| Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$16.01 |
$33,310 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
Not available |
$19.40 |
$40,350 |
| Financial analysts |
Not available |
$37.45 |
$77,900 |
| Fire fighters |
Not available |
$16.92 |
$35,190 |
| Food cooking machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$12.51 |
$26,020 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
Not available |
$15.47 |
$32,190 |
| Helpers--electricians |
Not available |
$12.73 |
$26,480 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
Not available |
$18.13 |
$37,720 |
| Industrial engineers |
Not available |
$30.61 |
$63,680 |
| Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$14.78 |
$30,750 |
| Logisticians |
Not available |
$29.92 |
$62,230 |
| Materials engineers |
Not available |
$41.67 |
$86,680 |
| Mechanical engineering technicians |
Not available |
$21.06 |
$43,800 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
Not available |
$27.42 |
$57,040 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
Not available |
$13.79 |
$28,680 |
| Personal financial advisors |
Not available |
$30.87 |
$64,200 |
| Plating and coating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$12.68 |
$26,360 |
| Protective service occupations |
Not available |
$15.83 |
$32,920 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
Not available |
$17.87 |
$37,160 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
Not available |
$36.28 |
$75,460 |
| Security guards |
Not available |
$13.60 |
$28,280 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$8.99 |
$18,690 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
Not available |
$17.19 |
$35,760 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
Not available |
$8.96 |
$18,640 |
| Training and development managers |
Not available |
$52.09 |
$108,340 |
| Training and development specialists |
Not available |
$22.42 |
$46,640 |
