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 |
36,100 |
$15.17 |
$31,550 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
5,170 |
$12.54 |
$26,090 |
| Production occupations |
4,310 |
$13.36 |
$27,780 |
| Sales and related occupations |
3,780 |
$11.83 |
$24,610 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,500 |
$11.84 |
$24,630 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
3,180 |
$8.17 |
$16,990 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,600 |
$18.03 |
$37,500 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,210 |
$17.17 |
$35,710 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,920 |
$14.14 |
$29,400 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,760 |
$10.04 |
$20,890 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
1,700 |
$30.46 |
$63,370 |
| Cashiers |
1,420 |
$7.70 |
$16,030 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,240 |
$10.39 |
$21,620 |
| Management occupations |
1,220 |
$38.77 |
$80,640 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,160 |
$12.99 |
$27,020 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,090 |
$9.30 |
$19,350 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,000 |
$10.20 |
$21,220 |
| Office clerks, general |
980 |
$9.88 |
$20,540 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
750 |
$25.24 |
$52,490 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
670 |
$14.54 |
$30,230 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
640 |
$8.46 |
$17,600 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
630 |
$27.69 |
$57,590 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
620 |
$8.37 |
$17,410 |
| Cooks, fast food |
590 |
$7.17 |
$14,920 |
| Registered nurses |
590 |
$28.11 |
$58,470 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
590 |
$12.75 |
$26,530 |
| Community and social services occupations |
550 |
$16.37 |
$34,050 |
| Team assemblers |
550 |
$14.33 |
$29,810 |
| Construction laborers |
520 |
$11.13 |
$23,150 |
| General and operations managers |
470 |
$42.44 |
$88,280 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
460 |
$7.71 |
$16,030 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
450 |
$16.66 |
$34,650 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
440 |
Not available |
$41,630 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
410 |
$7.30 |
$15,190 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
390 |
$13.97 |
$29,060 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
380 |
$9.36 |
$19,460 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
370 |
$16.53 |
$34,380 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
360 |
$11.88 |
$24,720 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
350 |
$24.42 |
$50,800 |
| Teacher assistants |
350 |
Not available |
$17,200 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
340 |
$8.15 |
$16,960 |
| Food preparation workers |
340 |
$8.00 |
$16,640 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
340 |
$9.54 |
$19,840 |
| Child care workers |
330 |
$7.16 |
$14,900 |
| Home health aides |
330 |
$7.91 |
$16,450 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
320 |
$20.79 |
$43,250 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
320 |
$12.79 |
$26,600 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
310 |
Not available |
$41,100 |
| Customer service representatives |
290 |
$12.10 |
$25,160 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
290 |
$10.08 |
$20,960 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
280 |
$20.17 |
$41,950 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
270 |
$15.20 |
$31,620 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
270 |
$11.54 |
$24,000 |
| Tellers |
260 |
$10.45 |
$21,730 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
260 |
$11.90 |
$24,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
250 |
$13.54 |
$28,150 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
230 |
Not available |
$36,760 |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
220 |
$14.52 |
$30,210 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
220 |
$23.51 |
$48,900 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
210 |
$13.69 |
$28,480 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
210 |
$25.64 |
$53,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
210 |
$21.01 |
$43,700 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
210 |
$16.77 |
$34,880 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
210 |
$13.91 |
$28,930 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
200 |
$8.78 |
$18,260 |
| Legal occupations |
180 |
$27.83 |
$57,890 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
180 |
Not available |
$17,010 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
180 |
$12.43 |
$25,850 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
160 |
$8.33 |
$17,330 |
| Dishwashers |
160 |
$7.35 |
$15,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
160 |
$23.77 |
$49,440 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
160 |
$11.16 |
$23,200 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
160 |
$15.09 |
$31,390 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
150 |
$8.67 |
$18,030 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
150 |
$15.96 |
$33,200 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
150 |
$9.02 |
$18,770 |
| Accountants and auditors |
140 |
$24.88 |
$51,760 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
140 |
$22.97 |
$47,780 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
140 |
$11.39 |
$23,690 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
130 |
$15.39 |
$32,020 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
130 |
$13.61 |
$28,320 |
| Construction managers |
130 |
$41.43 |
$86,180 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
120 |
$15.50 |
$32,240 |
| Medical assistants |
120 |
$11.23 |
$23,360 |
| Parts salespersons |
120 |
$10.90 |
$22,670 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
110 |
$16.40 |
$34,100 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
110 |
$10.00 |
$20,790 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
110 |
$19.87 |
$41,340 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
110 |
$7.71 |
$16,030 |
| Bill and account collectors |
100 |
$11.51 |
$23,940 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
100 |
$28.32 |
$58,910 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
100 |
$15.05 |
$31,310 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
100 |
$12.71 |
$26,430 |
| Electricians |
100 |
$17.46 |
$36,320 |
| Electrical engineers |
90 |
$30.19 |
$62,790 |
| Instructional coordinators |
90 |
$27.51 |
$57,220 |
| Medical and health services managers |
90 |
$32.20 |
$66,980 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
90 |
$30.00 |
$62,400 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
90 |
$15.04 |
$31,290 |
| Pharmacists |
90 |
$44.34 |
$92,240 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
90 |
$12.61 |
$26,230 |
| Bartenders |
80 |
$7.93 |
$16,490 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
80 |
$15.30 |
$31,830 |
| Cost estimators |
80 |
$23.62 |
$49,140 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
80 |
Not available |
$65,620 |
| Fire fighters |
80 |
$12.70 |
$26,420 |
| Mechanical engineers |
80 |
$28.41 |
$59,100 |
| Dental assistants |
70 |
$15.25 |
$31,720 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
70 |
$7.18 |
$14,930 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
70 |
$11.20 |
$23,290 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
70 |
$10.77 |
$22,400 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
70 |
$17.48 |
$36,360 |
| Insurance sales agents |
70 |
$24.68 |
$51,330 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
70 |
Not available |
$42,960 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
70 |
$11.61 |
$24,160 |
| Medical secretaries |
70 |
$11.48 |
$23,870 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
70 |
$11.30 |
$23,490 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
70 |
$14.94 |
$31,070 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
70 |
$24.77 |
$51,510 |
| Recreation workers |
70 |
$11.04 |
$22,960 |
| Roofers |
70 |
$11.48 |
$23,870 |
| Dental hygienists |
60 |
$23.36 |
$48,580 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
60 |
$14.57 |
$30,300 |
| Industrial engineers |
60 |
$30.62 |
$63,680 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
60 |
$11.41 |
$23,730 |
| Lawyers |
60 |
$45.70 |
$95,060 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
60 |
$13.37 |
$27,810 |
| Machinists |
60 |
$15.87 |
$33,000 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
60 |
$13.95 |
$29,020 |
| Social and human service assistants |
60 |
$10.91 |
$22,690 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
60 |
$10.79 |
$22,450 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
50 |
$11.38 |
$23,660 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$17.76 |
$36,940 |
| Financial managers |
50 |
$38.31 |
$79,690 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
50 |
$20.05 |
$41,710 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
50 |
$9.35 |
$19,450 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
50 |
$14.97 |
$31,130 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
50 |
$22.71 |
$47,240 |
| Librarians |
50 |
$21.85 |
$45,450 |
| Loan officers |
50 |
$24.02 |
$49,970 |
| Logisticians |
50 |
$31.13 |
$64,740 |
| Management analysts |
50 |
$32.04 |
$66,650 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
50 |
$14.90 |
$30,990 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
50 |
$14.85 |
$30,890 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
50 |
$86.44 |
$179,800 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$18.12 |
$37,690 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
50 |
$16.76 |
$34,850 |
| Real estate sales agents |
50 |
$13.69 |
$28,470 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
50 |
$19.37 |
$40,290 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
50 |
$13.03 |
$27,110 |
| Administrative services managers |
40 |
$30.05 |
$62,490 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
40 |
$12.72 |
$26,460 |
| Chief executives |
40 |
$74.62 |
$155,200 |
| Computer support specialists |
40 |
$17.26 |
$35,890 |
| Engineering managers |
40 |
$45.92 |
$95,520 |
| Food service managers |
40 |
$25.35 |
$52,740 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
40 |
$7.74 |
$16,100 |
| Order clerks |
40 |
$11.87 |
$24,700 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
40 |
$15.24 |
$31,700 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
40 |
$11.52 |
$23,970 |
| Sales managers |
40 |
$39.24 |
$81,620 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
40 |
$21.28 |
$44,260 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
40 |
$16.23 |
$33,760 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
40 |
$10.07 |
$20,950 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
30 |
$19.30 |
$40,140 |
| File clerks |
30 |
$9.93 |
$20,650 |
| Internists, general |
30 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
Not available |
$18.45 |
$38,380 |
| Carpenters |
Not available |
$12.91 |
$26,850 |
| Civil engineers |
Not available |
$31.37 |
$65,260 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
Not available |
$12.30 |
$25,580 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
Not available |
$10.98 |
$22,840 |
| Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers |
Not available |
$17.83 |
$37,090 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
Not available |
$10.95 |
$22,780 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
Not available |
$16.22 |
$33,740 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$9.95 |
$20,700 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
Not available |
$17.63 |
$36,670 |
