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 |
46,570 |
$20.70 |
$43,050 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
8,500 |
$15.88 |
$33,020 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,780 |
$17.48 |
$36,350 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,700 |
$16.27 |
$33,830 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
3,920 |
$11.55 |
$24,030 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,930 |
$24.07 |
$50,070 |
| Production occupations |
2,780 |
$16.01 |
$33,300 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,240 |
$11.62 |
$24,160 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,190 |
$33.83 |
$70,360 |
| Management occupations |
1,870 |
$49.54 |
$103,030 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,810 |
$15.01 |
$31,220 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,700 |
$23.01 |
$47,860 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,700 |
$21.85 |
$45,440 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,430 |
$9.69 |
$20,150 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,340 |
$29.28 |
$60,890 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,320 |
$20.31 |
$42,250 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,310 |
$12.03 |
$25,030 |
| Cashiers |
1,300 |
$9.52 |
$19,790 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,230 |
$11.95 |
$24,860 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,120 |
$22.42 |
$46,640 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,100 |
$14.32 |
$29,780 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,030 |
$12.77 |
$26,550 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,010 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Customer service representatives |
1,010 |
$16.04 |
$33,350 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
1,000 |
$38.80 |
$80,710 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
930 |
$12.71 |
$26,440 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
930 |
$30.51 |
$63,460 |
| Protective service occupations |
820 |
$19.10 |
$39,730 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
730 |
$20.54 |
$42,720 |
| Registered nurses |
720 |
$36.23 |
$75,370 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
660 |
$22.63 |
$47,070 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
650 |
$13.30 |
$27,660 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
620 |
$11.90 |
$24,760 |
| Teacher assistants |
580 |
Not available |
$26,730 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
560 |
$16.52 |
$34,360 |
| General and operations managers |
560 |
$52.21 |
$108,590 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
550 |
$13.77 |
$28,630 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
520 |
$18.10 |
$37,650 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
490 |
Not available |
$57,420 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
480 |
Not available |
$54,560 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
470 |
$22.02 |
$45,800 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
450 |
$35.10 |
$73,000 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
430 |
$20.06 |
$41,720 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
410 |
$10.24 |
$21,300 |
| Tellers |
370 |
$12.68 |
$26,380 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
360 |
$13.01 |
$27,050 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
350 |
Not available |
$56,550 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
340 |
$19.23 |
$40,000 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
340 |
$14.12 |
$29,370 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
320 |
$12.65 |
$26,310 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
310 |
$51.51 |
$107,130 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
310 |
$18.49 |
$38,450 |
| Child care workers |
300 |
$10.48 |
$21,800 |
| Mental health counselors |
300 |
$16.86 |
$35,070 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
300 |
$31.19 |
$64,880 |
| Bus drivers, school |
290 |
$16.29 |
$33,890 |
| Food preparation workers |
290 |
$10.46 |
$21,750 |
| Legal occupations |
290 |
$39.07 |
$81,270 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
290 |
$16.28 |
$33,870 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
280 |
$20.66 |
$42,970 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
270 |
$16.40 |
$34,110 |
| Team assemblers |
270 |
$13.69 |
$28,480 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
260 |
$17.02 |
$35,400 |
| Fire fighters |
260 |
$18.20 |
$37,850 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
260 |
$21.16 |
$44,010 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
260 |
$12.67 |
$26,350 |
| Accountants and auditors |
250 |
$28.35 |
$58,970 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
250 |
$14.37 |
$29,890 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
250 |
$26.05 |
$54,190 |
| Social and human service assistants |
240 |
$15.81 |
$32,890 |
| Bartenders |
230 |
$11.54 |
$24,010 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
230 |
$29.18 |
$60,680 |
| Construction laborers |
220 |
$18.11 |
$37,680 |
| Home health aides |
210 |
$12.34 |
$25,670 |
| Civil engineers |
200 |
$31.28 |
$65,050 |
| Computer programmers |
180 |
$30.14 |
$62,690 |
| Dishwashers |
180 |
$9.08 |
$18,890 |
| Electronics engineers, except computer |
180 |
$50.59 |
$105,220 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
180 |
$37.56 |
$78,130 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
180 |
$11.60 |
$24,130 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
170 |
$24.09 |
$50,110 |
| Computer support specialists |
170 |
$27.90 |
$58,030 |
| Lawyers |
160 |
$52.94 |
$110,120 |
| Medical secretaries |
160 |
$17.09 |
$35,540 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
160 |
$25.82 |
$53,710 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
160 |
$19.46 |
$40,470 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
150 |
$26.81 |
$55,760 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
150 |
$33.05 |
$68,750 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
150 |
$27.16 |
$56,490 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
140 |
$30.37 |
$63,170 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
140 |
$26.49 |
$55,100 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
140 |
$13.45 |
$27,980 |
| Machinists |
140 |
$15.59 |
$32,430 |
| Order clerks |
140 |
$16.27 |
$33,830 |
| Printing machine operators |
140 |
$16.87 |
$35,100 |
| Chief executives |
130 |
$68.26 |
$141,970 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
130 |
$47.35 |
$98,500 |
| Bill and account collectors |
120 |
$15.98 |
$33,250 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
120 |
$36.79 |
$76,520 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
120 |
$13.99 |
$29,100 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
120 |
$17.11 |
$35,580 |
| Medical assistants |
120 |
$13.97 |
$29,060 |
| Sales managers |
120 |
$57.88 |
$120,380 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
120 |
$27.32 |
$56,820 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
110 |
$9.67 |
$20,110 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
110 |
$17.94 |
$37,310 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
110 |
$21.68 |
$45,090 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
110 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
110 |
$12.95 |
$26,940 |
| Coaches and scouts |
100 |
Not available |
$35,360 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$83,790 |
| Financial managers |
100 |
$54.68 |
$113,730 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
100 |
$46.78 |
$97,290 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
100 |
$17.48 |
$36,360 |
| Loan officers |
100 |
$30.15 |
$62,710 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
100 |
$32.48 |
$67,560 |
| Security guards |
100 |
$14.38 |
$29,910 |
| Administrative services managers |
90 |
$35.60 |
$74,060 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
90 |
$16.28 |
$33,860 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
90 |
$15.76 |
$32,790 |
| Electricians |
90 |
$28.30 |
$58,860 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
90 |
$9.53 |
$19,820 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
90 |
$28.04 |
$58,320 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
90 |
$10.19 |
$21,190 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
90 |
$30.53 |
$63,500 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
90 |
Not available |
$56,050 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
80 |
$26.41 |
$54,930 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
80 |
$35.27 |
$73,350 |
| Food service managers |
80 |
$28.26 |
$58,790 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
80 |
$22.71 |
$47,240 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
80 |
$16.34 |
$33,990 |
| Training and development specialists |
80 |
$29.70 |
$61,780 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
80 |
$20.34 |
$42,310 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
70 |
$20.33 |
$42,290 |
| Dental assistants |
70 |
$19.87 |
$41,330 |
| Driver/sales workers |
70 |
$21.11 |
$43,910 |
| Engineering managers |
70 |
$62.80 |
$130,620 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
70 |
$20.21 |
$42,030 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
70 |
$9.96 |
$20,710 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
70 |
$18.51 |
$38,510 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
70 |
$17.21 |
$35,790 |
| Mechanical engineers |
70 |
$45.29 |
$94,200 |
| Medical and health services managers |
70 |
$48.00 |
$99,840 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
70 |
$10.03 |
$20,870 |
| Pharmacists |
70 |
$51.65 |
$107,430 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
70 |
$17.88 |
$37,190 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
70 |
$26.22 |
$54,540 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
70 |
$42.28 |
$87,950 |
| Upholsterers |
70 |
$18.51 |
$38,510 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
70 |
$19.93 |
$41,460 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$38.33 |
$79,720 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
60 |
$10.92 |
$22,720 |
| Crossing guards |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Dental hygienists |
60 |
$34.91 |
$72,620 |
| Environmental engineers |
60 |
$36.93 |
$76,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
60 |
$20.46 |
$42,550 |
| Industrial engineers |
60 |
$40.47 |
$84,170 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
60 |
$10.54 |
$21,920 |
| New accounts clerks |
60 |
$17.99 |
$37,430 |
| Parts salespersons |
60 |
$17.86 |
$37,150 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
60 |
$20.02 |
$41,650 |
| Public relations specialists |
60 |
$28.35 |
$58,970 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
60 |
$16.56 |
$34,450 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
60 |
$15.66 |
$32,570 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$18.02 |
$37,470 |
| Bindery workers |
50 |
$14.33 |
$29,810 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
50 |
$21.72 |
$45,180 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
50 |
$10.10 |
$21,010 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
50 |
$69.15 |
$143,840 |
| Insurance sales agents |
50 |
$39.92 |
$83,040 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
50 |
Not available |
$50,140 |
| Legal secretaries |
50 |
$21.51 |
$44,740 |
| Occupational therapists |
50 |
$32.77 |
$68,160 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
50 |
$14.82 |
$30,820 |
| Recreation workers |
50 |
$11.27 |
$23,430 |
| Social and community service managers |
50 |
$24.08 |
$50,090 |
| Telemarketers |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Bakers |
40 |
$13.42 |
$27,910 |
| Computer systems analysts |
40 |
$38.03 |
$79,110 |
| Construction managers |
40 |
$55.30 |
$115,030 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
40 |
$16.19 |
$33,680 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
40 |
$27.70 |
$57,610 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
40 |
$21.43 |
$44,580 |
| Graphic designers |
40 |
$22.54 |
$46,880 |
| Librarians |
40 |
$27.96 |
$58,150 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
40 |
$19.96 |
$41,520 |
| Market research analysts |
40 |
$32.88 |
$68,390 |
| Marketing managers |
40 |
$53.76 |
$111,820 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
40 |
$34.74 |
$72,260 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
40 |
$21.12 |
$43,940 |
| Photographers |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners |
40 |
$19.19 |
$39,920 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$60,640 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
40 |
$35.22 |
$73,260 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
40 |
$14.02 |
$29,160 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
30 |
$19.97 |
$41,540 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
30 |
$17.40 |
$36,190 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
30 |
$20.75 |
$43,150 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
30 |
$32.96 |
$68,560 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
30 |
$11.61 |
$24,140 |
| Library technicians |
30 |
$13.76 |
$28,610 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers |
30 |
$12.29 |
$25,570 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials |
30 |
$9.64 |
$20,050 |
| Real estate sales agents |
30 |
$20.05 |
$41,700 |
| Carpenters |
Not available |
$22.84 |
$47,500 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$17.79 |
$37,010 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$9.24 |
$19,230 |
| Data entry keyers |
Not available |
$11.19 |
$23,280 |
| Environmental science and protection technicians, including health |
Not available |
$24.47 |
$50,890 |
| File clerks |
Not available |
$10.51 |
$21,850 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$20.57 |
$42,780 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$13.08 |
$27,200 |
| Instructional coordinators |
Not available |
$42.61 |
$88,620 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
Not available |
$13.37 |
$27,800 |
| Personal and home care aides |
Not available |
$11.51 |
$23,940 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
Not available |
$13.43 |
$27,930 |
| Photographic processing machine operators |
Not available |
$9.85 |
$20,490 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
$100.98 |
$210,030 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
Not available |
$11.75 |
$24,450 |
| Sewing machine operators |
Not available |
$14.43 |
$30,020 |
| Tax preparers |
Not available |
$16.97 |
$35,300 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$60,420 |
