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 |
68,890 |
$16.37 |
$34,040 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
10,850 |
$13.27 |
$27,600 |
| Production occupations |
8,780 |
$16.78 |
$34,900 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,290 |
$12.95 |
$26,940 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
6,890 |
$8.44 |
$17,560 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
5,180 |
$13.84 |
$28,780 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
5,020 |
$19.33 |
$40,200 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,040 |
$27.60 |
$57,400 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
3,100 |
$18.32 |
$38,100 |
| Protective service occupations |
2,690 |
$14.83 |
$30,850 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,600 |
$20.51 |
$42,660 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,550 |
$11.07 |
$23,020 |
| Cashiers |
2,270 |
$7.87 |
$16,370 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,190 |
$10.81 |
$22,480 |
| Management occupations |
2,170 |
$39.10 |
$81,330 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
2,080 |
$7.39 |
$15,370 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,650 |
$9.84 |
$20,480 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,590 |
$11.06 |
$23,010 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,580 |
$9.77 |
$20,330 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,520 |
$11.90 |
$24,760 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,500 |
$26.55 |
$55,220 |
| Team assemblers |
1,400 |
$13.40 |
$27,860 |
| Registered nurses |
1,330 |
$26.31 |
$54,730 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,310 |
$7.26 |
$15,090 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
1,190 |
$18.44 |
$38,340 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,120 |
$13.35 |
$27,760 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,090 |
$11.25 |
$23,400 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,080 |
$16.54 |
$34,400 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,070 |
$17.29 |
$35,970 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,060 |
$9.41 |
$19,560 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
970 |
Not available |
$19,860 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
880 |
$14.24 |
$29,620 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
860 |
Not available |
$52,080 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
790 |
$10.67 |
$22,190 |
| Security guards |
780 |
$8.22 |
$17,090 |
| Customer service representatives |
710 |
$13.73 |
$28,560 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
710 |
$16.87 |
$35,100 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
700 |
$14.31 |
$29,770 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
690 |
$17.49 |
$36,380 |
| Food preparation workers |
640 |
$8.90 |
$18,500 |
| Teacher assistants |
640 |
Not available |
$20,350 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
600 |
$23.34 |
$48,540 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
590 |
$10.15 |
$21,120 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
580 |
$16.24 |
$33,780 |
| Helpers--production workers |
580 |
$14.18 |
$29,490 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
570 |
$28.06 |
$58,360 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
570 |
$20.81 |
$43,290 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
560 |
$26.52 |
$55,160 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
550 |
Not available |
$53,090 |
| General and operations managers |
520 |
$44.98 |
$93,560 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
490 |
$8.42 |
$17,520 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
470 |
$25.46 |
$52,970 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
470 |
$18.41 |
$38,300 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
470 |
$13.77 |
$28,630 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
460 |
$15.00 |
$31,210 |
| Carpenters |
450 |
$19.33 |
$40,220 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
450 |
$19.76 |
$41,090 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
450 |
$13.18 |
$27,420 |
| Machinists |
440 |
$17.74 |
$36,900 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
430 |
$8.73 |
$18,160 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
430 |
$19.73 |
$41,040 |
| Personal and home care aides |
420 |
$8.82 |
$18,350 |
| Tellers |
420 |
$9.79 |
$20,360 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
410 |
$15.27 |
$31,750 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
400 |
$22.12 |
$46,000 |
| Medical secretaries |
390 |
$13.70 |
$28,490 |
| Bartenders |
350 |
$7.85 |
$16,320 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
350 |
$9.07 |
$18,860 |
| Accountants and auditors |
340 |
$31.54 |
$65,600 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
340 |
$9.97 |
$20,740 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
340 |
$15.13 |
$31,470 |
| Construction laborers |
330 |
$16.89 |
$35,140 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
310 |
$9.99 |
$20,770 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
310 |
$18.65 |
$38,800 |
| Printing machine operators |
310 |
$15.39 |
$32,010 |
| Dishwashers |
290 |
$7.73 |
$16,080 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
280 |
$15.06 |
$31,320 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
280 |
$9.83 |
$20,450 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
280 |
$25.51 |
$53,070 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
280 |
$24.62 |
$51,210 |
| Child care workers |
270 |
$8.08 |
$16,810 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
270 |
$16.70 |
$34,730 |
| Cooks, short order |
270 |
$7.75 |
$16,130 |
| Electricians |
270 |
$26.60 |
$55,340 |
| Fire fighters |
270 |
$18.31 |
$38,090 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
260 |
$16.34 |
$33,980 |
| Driver/sales workers |
250 |
$13.46 |
$28,000 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
230 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
220 |
$11.20 |
$23,290 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
220 |
$17.83 |
$37,080 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
210 |
$13.92 |
$28,950 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
210 |
$13.68 |
$28,450 |
| Legal occupations |
210 |
$26.25 |
$54,610 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
210 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Cooks, fast food |
200 |
$6.96 |
$14,470 |
| Medical and health services managers |
200 |
$37.10 |
$77,170 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
200 |
$23.56 |
$49,010 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
190 |
$18.81 |
$39,120 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
190 |
$7.92 |
$16,460 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
190 |
$9.19 |
$19,110 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
180 |
$8.48 |
$17,650 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
180 |
$12.94 |
$26,920 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
180 |
$9.80 |
$20,380 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
180 |
$17.11 |
$35,590 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
180 |
$12.70 |
$26,410 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
180 |
$19.99 |
$41,580 |
| Bus drivers, school |
170 |
$12.33 |
$25,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
170 |
$29.16 |
$60,650 |
| Industrial production managers |
170 |
$45.35 |
$94,330 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
170 |
$18.76 |
$39,030 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
170 |
Not available |
$61,300 |
| Social and human service assistants |
170 |
$11.72 |
$24,390 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
160 |
$8.24 |
$17,140 |
| Medical assistants |
160 |
$13.36 |
$27,790 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
150 |
$7.74 |
$16,100 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
150 |
$13.04 |
$27,130 |
| Mechanical engineers |
150 |
$26.78 |
$55,710 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
140 |
$22.84 |
$47,510 |
| Home health aides |
140 |
$10.81 |
$22,480 |
| Legal secretaries |
140 |
$11.12 |
$23,120 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
140 |
$15.68 |
$32,610 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
130 |
$21.05 |
$43,780 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
130 |
$21.89 |
$45,520 |
| Physical therapists |
130 |
$38.18 |
$79,410 |
| Recreation workers |
130 |
$12.78 |
$26,590 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
120 |
$27.79 |
$57,800 |
| File clerks |
120 |
$11.41 |
$23,740 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
120 |
$34.54 |
$71,830 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
120 |
$15.31 |
$31,840 |
| Lawyers |
120 |
$28.87 |
$60,060 |
| Loan officers |
120 |
$25.58 |
$53,210 |
| Pharmacists |
120 |
$50.12 |
$104,240 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Public relations specialists |
120 |
$17.29 |
$35,960 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
120 |
$26.66 |
$55,440 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
110 |
$18.98 |
$39,490 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
110 |
$8.60 |
$17,900 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
110 |
$11.00 |
$22,870 |
| Computer support specialists |
110 |
$16.63 |
$34,590 |
| Dental assistants |
110 |
$12.71 |
$26,430 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
110 |
Not available |
$73,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
110 |
$15.51 |
$32,270 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
110 |
$10.77 |
$22,410 |
| Managers, all other |
110 |
$25.87 |
$53,810 |
| Roofers |
110 |
$20.16 |
$41,920 |
| Bill and account collectors |
100 |
$14.53 |
$30,210 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
100 |
$23.62 |
$49,140 |
| Food service managers |
100 |
$23.32 |
$48,500 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
100 |
$11.32 |
$23,550 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
100 |
$26.20 |
$54,500 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
100 |
$14.71 |
$30,590 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
100 |
$15.40 |
$32,040 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
100 |
$25.51 |
$53,070 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
100 |
$13.36 |
$27,790 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
100 |
$24.08 |
$50,080 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
100 |
$13.73 |
$28,560 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$55,580 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
90 |
$18.05 |
$37,530 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
90 |
$14.14 |
$29,420 |
| Financial managers |
90 |
$43.74 |
$90,970 |
| Insurance sales agents |
90 |
$19.82 |
$41,230 |
| Librarians |
90 |
$25.21 |
$52,440 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Parts salespersons |
90 |
$12.87 |
$26,760 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
90 |
$14.78 |
$30,750 |
| Sales managers |
90 |
$41.11 |
$85,510 |
| Sheet metal workers |
90 |
$23.44 |
$48,750 |
| All other information and record clerks |
80 |
$18.03 |
$37,510 |
| Chief executives |
80 |
$64.86 |
$134,900 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
80 |
$29.38 |
$61,110 |
| Couriers and messengers |
80 |
$9.02 |
$18,750 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
80 |
$19.50 |
$40,550 |
| Industrial engineers |
80 |
$33.62 |
$69,930 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
80 |
$13.13 |
$27,310 |
| Library technicians |
80 |
$12.31 |
$25,610 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
80 |
$15.52 |
$32,290 |
| Tax preparers |
80 |
$15.93 |
$33,140 |
| Training and development specialists |
80 |
$24.19 |
$50,310 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
70 |
$8.43 |
$17,530 |
| Construction managers |
70 |
$35.96 |
$74,800 |
| Conveyor operators and tenders |
70 |
$18.08 |
$37,600 |
| Cost estimators |
70 |
$25.28 |
$52,580 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
70 |
$16.89 |
$35,140 |
| Family and general practitioners |
70 |
$88.04 |
$183,120 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
70 |
$12.84 |
$26,710 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
70 |
$7.03 |
$14,630 |
| New accounts clerks |
70 |
$12.06 |
$25,080 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
70 |
$9.30 |
$19,350 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
70 |
Not available |
$49,550 |
| Surgical technologists |
70 |
$18.68 |
$38,850 |
| Administrative services managers |
60 |
$27.19 |
$56,550 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
60 |
$11.26 |
$23,410 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
60 |
$17.76 |
$36,940 |
| Coaches and scouts |
60 |
Not available |
$32,550 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
60 |
$41.34 |
$85,980 |
| Computer programmers |
60 |
$27.11 |
$56,390 |
| Data entry keyers |
60 |
$11.42 |
$23,740 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
60 |
$18.72 |
$38,940 |
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary |
60 |
Not available |
$50,040 |
| Farmworkers, farm and ranch animals |
60 |
$13.29 |
$27,650 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
60 |
$13.77 |
$28,630 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
60 |
$9.06 |
$18,850 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
60 |
$75.02 |
$156,040 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
60 |
$11.66 |
$24,250 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
60 |
$14.61 |
$30,390 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
60 |
$14.72 |
$30,620 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
60 |
$41.31 |
$85,920 |
| Bakers |
50 |
$9.57 |
$19,910 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
50 |
$28.12 |
$58,480 |
| Computer operators |
50 |
$19.69 |
$40,950 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
50 |
$30.06 |
$62,530 |
| Computer systems analysts |
50 |
$27.36 |
$56,900 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
50 |
$18.11 |
$37,670 |
| Engineering managers |
50 |
$52.24 |
$108,650 |
| Fallers |
50 |
$12.17 |
$25,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers, all other |
50 |
$14.84 |
$30,870 |
| Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders |
50 |
$16.05 |
$33,390 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$16.19 |
$33,670 |
| Health educators |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
50 |
$12.31 |
$25,610 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
50 |
$14.30 |
$29,730 |
| Legislators |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical and public health social workers |
50 |
$20.20 |
$42,020 |
| Painting, coating, and decorating workers |
50 |
$11.62 |
$24,170 |
| Respiratory therapists |
50 |
$24.20 |
$50,340 |
| Social and community service managers |
50 |
$24.87 |
$51,740 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
50 |
Not available |
$58,160 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
50 |
$34.77 |
$72,320 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
50 |
$7.67 |
$15,950 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
50 |
$21.39 |
$44,500 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
40 |
$13.09 |
$27,230 |
| Chemists |
40 |
$27.25 |
$56,670 |
| Civil engineers |
40 |
$29.79 |
$61,960 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
40 |
$29.01 |
$60,330 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$20.54 |
$42,720 |
| Editors |
40 |
$21.34 |
$44,380 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
40 |
$23.25 |
$48,370 |
| Electrical engineers |
40 |
$39.26 |
$81,660 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
40 |
$16.14 |
$33,560 |
| Entertainment attendants and related workers, all other |
40 |
$8.57 |
$17,820 |
| Financial analysts |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Funeral attendants |
40 |
$9.10 |
$18,940 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other |
40 |
$22.72 |
$47,260 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
40 |
$9.64 |
$20,050 |
| Instructional coordinators |
40 |
$26.71 |
$55,570 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
40 |
Not available |
$56,640 |
| Management analysts |
40 |
$31.48 |
$65,470 |
| Market research analysts |
40 |
$25.65 |
$53,360 |
| Medical equipment repairers |
40 |
$16.93 |
$35,220 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
40 |
$19.14 |
$39,810 |
| Occupational therapists |
40 |
$44.31 |
$92,160 |
| Personal financial advisors |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Physical therapist assistants |
40 |
$24.96 |
$51,920 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Postmasters and mail superintendents |
40 |
$23.78 |
$49,470 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
40 |
$11.42 |
$23,750 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
40 |
$13.10 |
$27,250 |
| Social workers, all other |
40 |
$14.59 |
$30,350 |
| Stationary engineers and boiler operators |
40 |
$21.68 |
$45,100 |
| Tool and die makers |
40 |
$18.63 |
$38,740 |
| Advertising sales agents |
30 |
$14.99 |
$31,180 |
| Commercial and industrial designers |
30 |
$23.07 |
$47,980 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
30 |
$26.20 |
$54,490 |
| Floral designers |
30 |
$10.04 |
$20,870 |
| Job printers |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
30 |
$16.12 |
$33,540 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
30 |
$25.93 |
$53,930 |
| Pest control workers |
30 |
$14.50 |
$30,170 |
| Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other |
30 |
$19.19 |
$39,910 |
| Procurement clerks |
30 |
$16.86 |
$35,070 |
| Production workers, all other |
30 |
$14.10 |
$29,330 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
30 |
$22.23 |
$46,240 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
30 |
$8.91 |
$18,530 |
| Anesthesiologists |
Not available |
$81.89 |
$170,340 |
| Bindery workers |
Not available |
$12.40 |
$25,780 |
| Broadcast technicians |
Not available |
$15.58 |
$32,400 |
| Carpet installers |
Not available |
$14.21 |
$29,550 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$9.43 |
$19,610 |
| Crossing guards |
Not available |
$7.62 |
$15,860 |
| Dental hygienists |
Not available |
$36.07 |
$75,030 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
Not available |
$8.54 |
$17,750 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
Not available |
$15.52 |
$32,270 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
Not available |
$11.53 |
$23,990 |
| Mechanical drafters |
Not available |
$17.00 |
$35,350 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
Not available |
$10.66 |
$22,180 |
| Personal care and service workers, all other |
Not available |
$8.94 |
$18,600 |
| Power plant operators |
Not available |
$29.01 |
$60,350 |
| Sewers, hand |
Not available |
$10.85 |
$22,580 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
Not available |
$23.01 |
$47,860 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
Not available |
$14.50 |
$30,170 |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers |
Not available |
$17.24 |
$35,850 |
