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 |
40,810 |
$16.06 |
$33,410 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,300 |
$13.16 |
$27,380 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,180 |
$13.33 |
$27,720 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
3,940 |
$8.41 |
$17,500 |
| Production occupations |
3,500 |
$14.01 |
$29,130 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,180 |
$27.23 |
$56,640 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,940 |
$17.76 |
$36,940 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,440 |
$12.43 |
$25,840 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,190 |
$11.41 |
$23,720 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,620 |
$17.28 |
$35,950 |
| Management occupations |
1,470 |
$36.88 |
$76,700 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,460 |
$11.89 |
$24,740 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,430 |
$14.56 |
$30,290 |
| Registered nurses |
1,390 |
$26.00 |
$54,090 |
| Cashiers |
1,290 |
$8.09 |
$16,820 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,240 |
$7.36 |
$15,310 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,220 |
$10.04 |
$20,890 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,170 |
$8.94 |
$18,590 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
880 |
$27.06 |
$56,280 |
| Protective service occupations |
820 |
$17.94 |
$37,310 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
810 |
$7.57 |
$15,740 |
| Office clerks, general |
800 |
$10.68 |
$22,210 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
760 |
$12.34 |
$25,660 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
670 |
$9.77 |
$20,320 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
660 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
590 |
$18.03 |
$37,500 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
580 |
$14.17 |
$29,470 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
570 |
$9.73 |
$20,240 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
560 |
Not available |
$40,830 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
550 |
$9.68 |
$20,130 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
550 |
$18.18 |
$37,820 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
520 |
$31.12 |
$64,740 |
| Customer service representatives |
520 |
$13.88 |
$28,870 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
500 |
$18.10 |
$37,660 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
490 |
$17.75 |
$36,910 |
| General and operations managers |
480 |
$43.25 |
$89,960 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
480 |
$21.36 |
$44,430 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
470 |
$18.82 |
$39,140 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
460 |
Not available |
$45,230 |
| Community and social services occupations |
440 |
$18.22 |
$37,890 |
| Teacher assistants |
430 |
Not available |
$16,080 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
400 |
$9.75 |
$20,270 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
370 |
$13.61 |
$28,310 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
370 |
Not available |
$44,020 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
360 |
$8.38 |
$17,420 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
350 |
$16.08 |
$33,440 |
| Construction laborers |
350 |
$11.71 |
$24,360 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
340 |
$9.48 |
$19,720 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
330 |
$14.54 |
$30,250 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
290 |
$9.95 |
$20,690 |
| Machinists |
280 |
$17.02 |
$35,410 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
280 |
Not available |
$20,690 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
270 |
$7.90 |
$16,440 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
270 |
$20.21 |
$42,040 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
260 |
$16.88 |
$35,110 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
250 |
$13.48 |
$28,050 |
| Accountants and auditors |
240 |
$29.97 |
$62,330 |
| Electricians |
240 |
$17.79 |
$37,010 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
230 |
$9.79 |
$20,350 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
230 |
$24.48 |
$50,910 |
| Medical assistants |
230 |
$12.94 |
$26,910 |
| Tellers |
220 |
$10.53 |
$21,900 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
210 |
$10.46 |
$21,760 |
| Team assemblers |
210 |
$11.89 |
$24,730 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
210 |
$14.62 |
$30,410 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
200 |
$9.71 |
$20,190 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
190 |
$14.32 |
$29,780 |
| Child care workers |
180 |
$8.83 |
$18,370 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
180 |
$12.39 |
$25,760 |
| Legal occupations |
180 |
$30.38 |
$63,180 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
180 |
$10.12 |
$21,050 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
170 |
$7.07 |
$14,700 |
| Fire fighters |
170 |
$17.54 |
$36,490 |
| Home health aides |
170 |
$12.33 |
$25,650 |
| Medical secretaries |
150 |
$11.50 |
$23,920 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
150 |
$9.97 |
$20,730 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
150 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
150 |
$22.57 |
$46,940 |
| Construction managers |
140 |
$19.84 |
$41,270 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
140 |
$18.80 |
$39,110 |
| Physical therapists |
140 |
$42.83 |
$89,080 |
| Food preparation workers |
130 |
$8.10 |
$16,860 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
130 |
$14.64 |
$30,450 |
| Bus drivers, school |
120 |
$8.99 |
$18,700 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
120 |
$8.11 |
$16,870 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
120 |
$9.23 |
$19,190 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
120 |
$11.66 |
$24,250 |
| Dishwashers |
120 |
$7.77 |
$16,150 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
120 |
$25.88 |
$53,820 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
120 |
$13.85 |
$28,810 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
120 |
$11.34 |
$23,590 |
| Computer support specialists |
110 |
$17.57 |
$36,550 |
| Helpers--production workers |
110 |
$9.64 |
$20,050 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
110 |
$7.45 |
$15,490 |
| Loan officers |
110 |
$29.68 |
$61,740 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
110 |
$22.70 |
$47,210 |
| Bartenders |
100 |
$8.71 |
$18,110 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
100 |
$26.07 |
$54,230 |
| Dental assistants |
100 |
$14.38 |
$29,910 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
100 |
$11.46 |
$23,830 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
100 |
Not available |
$43,830 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
100 |
$25.13 |
$52,270 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
100 |
$12.72 |
$26,460 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
100 |
$13.95 |
$29,020 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
100 |
$17.42 |
$36,230 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
100 |
$18.29 |
$38,040 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
100 |
$22.01 |
$45,770 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
100 |
$16.34 |
$33,990 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
90 |
$11.83 |
$24,610 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$70,350 |
| Financial managers |
90 |
$45.16 |
$93,930 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
90 |
$7.89 |
$16,400 |
| Administrative services managers |
80 |
$25.71 |
$53,480 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
80 |
$16.59 |
$34,500 |
| Data entry keyers |
80 |
$12.42 |
$25,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
80 |
$24.72 |
$51,410 |
| Helpers--electricians |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical and health services managers |
80 |
$34.94 |
$72,680 |
| Parts salespersons |
80 |
$13.68 |
$28,440 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
70 |
$23.50 |
$48,870 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
70 |
$19.00 |
$39,530 |
| Insurance sales agents |
70 |
$31.27 |
$65,040 |
| Lawyers |
70 |
$52.52 |
$109,240 |
| Pharmacists |
70 |
$49.44 |
$102,830 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
70 |
$32.16 |
$66,890 |
| Surgical technologists |
70 |
$18.03 |
$37,500 |
| Chief executives |
60 |
$57.83 |
$120,290 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
60 |
$14.00 |
$29,110 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
60 |
$15.73 |
$32,730 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
60 |
$21.45 |
$44,610 |
| File clerks |
60 |
$9.21 |
$19,150 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
60 |
$32.04 |
$66,640 |
| Industrial engineers |
60 |
$37.43 |
$77,850 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
60 |
$21.33 |
$44,380 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
60 |
$12.47 |
$25,940 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
60 |
$28.17 |
$58,600 |
| New accounts clerks |
60 |
$13.76 |
$28,610 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
60 |
$17.54 |
$36,470 |
| Public relations specialists |
60 |
$24.65 |
$51,270 |
| Security guards |
60 |
$13.59 |
$28,260 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
60 |
Not available |
$41,250 |
| Food service managers |
50 |
$20.51 |
$42,660 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
50 |
$14.35 |
$29,840 |
| Industrial production managers |
50 |
$43.02 |
$89,470 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
50 |
$7.36 |
$15,310 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
50 |
$17.10 |
$35,570 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
50 |
$8.91 |
$18,530 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
50 |
$15.98 |
$33,250 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
50 |
$14.93 |
$31,050 |
| Printing machine operators |
50 |
$13.02 |
$27,070 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
50 |
Not available |
$41,270 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
50 |
$12.04 |
$25,040 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
50 |
$9.81 |
$20,400 |
| Tool and die makers |
50 |
$20.36 |
$42,340 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
50 |
$11.44 |
$23,800 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
50 |
Not available |
$46,420 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
50 |
$11.25 |
$23,390 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
40 |
$13.85 |
$28,800 |
| Carpenters |
40 |
$16.50 |
$34,310 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
40 |
$17.99 |
$37,420 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
40 |
$13.73 |
$28,560 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers |
40 |
$10.83 |
$22,520 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
40 |
$38.77 |
$80,650 |
| Occupational therapists |
40 |
$38.22 |
$79,500 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
40 |
$16.60 |
$34,540 |
| Pipelayers |
40 |
$15.03 |
$31,260 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
40 |
$20.21 |
$42,030 |
| Respiratory therapists |
40 |
$21.32 |
$44,350 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
40 |
$28.98 |
$60,280 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$42,380 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
30 |
$18.54 |
$38,560 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
30 |
$10.93 |
$22,740 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
30 |
$31.11 |
$64,700 |
| Coaches and scouts |
30 |
Not available |
$43,180 |
| Electrical engineers |
30 |
$59.17 |
$123,060 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
30 |
$23.18 |
$48,210 |
| Librarians |
30 |
$22.44 |
$46,680 |
| Library technicians |
30 |
$8.93 |
$18,580 |
| Market research analysts |
30 |
$22.09 |
$45,940 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
30 |
$30.01 |
$62,420 |
| Social and community service managers |
30 |
$18.68 |
$38,850 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
30 |
$9.56 |
$19,890 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
30 |
$17.76 |
$36,940 |
| Training and development specialists |
30 |
$20.70 |
$43,060 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
30 |
$24.78 |
$51,550 |
| Bill and account collectors |
Not available |
$12.42 |
$25,840 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
Not available |
$19.50 |
$40,560 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
Not available |
$38.13 |
$79,310 |
| Computer programmers |
Not available |
$36.54 |
$75,990 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$14.87 |
$30,940 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$8.32 |
$17,300 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$7.46 |
$15,520 |
| Couriers and messengers |
Not available |
$10.42 |
$21,680 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$7.95 |
$16,530 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$15.84 |
$32,940 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
Not available |
$11.26 |
$23,410 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$17.91 |
$37,260 |
| Management analysts |
Not available |
$25.19 |
$52,390 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
Not available |
$15.59 |
$32,420 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
Not available |
$11.52 |
$23,970 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$18.20 |
$37,860 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
$99.78 |
$207,540 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
Not available |
$10.07 |
$20,940 |
