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 |
92,850 |
$16.94 |
$35,220 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
13,370 |
$13.18 |
$27,420 |
| Production occupations |
12,260 |
$19.10 |
$39,720 |
| Sales and related occupations |
9,150 |
$12.40 |
$25,790 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
7,990 |
$12.53 |
$26,070 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
7,800 |
$8.26 |
$17,190 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
6,800 |
$16.52 |
$34,370 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
6,520 |
$21.59 |
$44,920 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
6,130 |
$26.02 |
$54,120 |
| Team assemblers |
4,740 |
$24.31 |
$50,570 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
4,190 |
$19.02 |
$39,570 |
| Cashiers |
3,490 |
$7.82 |
$16,270 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
3,340 |
$10.30 |
$21,420 |
| Management occupations |
3,190 |
$40.15 |
$83,510 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,760 |
$9.69 |
$20,140 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,370 |
$11.11 |
$23,110 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
2,180 |
$9.10 |
$18,930 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
2,170 |
$7.19 |
$14,960 |
| Registered nurses |
2,130 |
$27.52 |
$57,240 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,960 |
$28.93 |
$60,180 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,940 |
$13.78 |
$28,670 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,770 |
$9.96 |
$20,710 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,520 |
$10.19 |
$21,200 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
1,490 |
$9.66 |
$20,100 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,480 |
$17.75 |
$36,920 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,430 |
$9.50 |
$19,750 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,410 |
$10.96 |
$22,790 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,370 |
$7.46 |
$15,510 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,300 |
$16.09 |
$33,480 |
| General and operations managers |
1,280 |
$40.87 |
$85,000 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,270 |
$27.37 |
$56,920 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
1,190 |
$15.33 |
$31,900 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
1,160 |
$13.45 |
$27,970 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
1,130 |
$15.88 |
$33,040 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
1,000 |
Not available |
$41,430 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
930 |
Not available |
$29,650 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
860 |
$15.59 |
$32,420 |
| Construction laborers |
820 |
$11.26 |
$23,420 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
800 |
$20.43 |
$42,490 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
780 |
$17.78 |
$36,980 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
760 |
$26.92 |
$56,000 |
| Cooks, fast food |
740 |
$7.16 |
$14,900 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
740 |
$12.96 |
$26,960 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
720 |
$25.85 |
$53,760 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
720 |
$24.14 |
$50,220 |
| Customer service representatives |
700 |
$11.95 |
$24,860 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
660 |
$9.54 |
$19,850 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
650 |
$10.07 |
$20,950 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
650 |
$26.29 |
$54,690 |
| Community and social services occupations |
640 |
$19.57 |
$40,710 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
640 |
$13.57 |
$28,230 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
640 |
Not available |
$43,850 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
630 |
$26.87 |
$55,890 |
| Psychiatric aides |
610 |
$10.92 |
$22,720 |
| Electricians |
600 |
$18.23 |
$37,920 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
590 |
$9.52 |
$19,800 |
| Carpenters |
570 |
$15.19 |
$31,590 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
570 |
$15.70 |
$32,660 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
560 |
$7.79 |
$16,210 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
560 |
Not available |
$48,420 |
| Food preparation workers |
540 |
$7.49 |
$15,570 |
| Teacher assistants |
540 |
Not available |
$15,530 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
530 |
$20.30 |
$42,230 |
| Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
510 |
$15.96 |
$33,200 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
500 |
$13.82 |
$28,740 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
490 |
$9.77 |
$20,320 |
| Bus drivers, school |
480 |
$6.92 |
$14,400 |
| Helpers--production workers |
480 |
$12.96 |
$26,960 |
| Accountants and auditors |
450 |
$26.65 |
$55,430 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
430 |
$8.08 |
$16,800 |
| Child care workers |
420 |
$7.74 |
$16,090 |
| Legal occupations |
400 |
$33.31 |
$69,270 |
| Tellers |
400 |
$9.96 |
$20,710 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
390 |
$10.37 |
$21,560 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
370 |
$15.81 |
$32,890 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
370 |
$9.28 |
$19,290 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
370 |
$20.62 |
$42,880 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
370 |
$13.08 |
$27,200 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
370 |
$14.95 |
$31,090 |
| Bill and account collectors |
360 |
$11.61 |
$24,150 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
360 |
$26.97 |
$56,100 |
| Home health aides |
320 |
$8.23 |
$17,110 |
| Security guards |
320 |
$11.69 |
$24,310 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
310 |
$27.59 |
$57,400 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
290 |
$12.66 |
$26,340 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
290 |
$12.65 |
$26,300 |
| Coaches and scouts |
280 |
Not available |
$41,990 |
| Bartenders |
270 |
$8.02 |
$16,680 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
270 |
$7.45 |
$15,490 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
270 |
$15.08 |
$31,370 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
270 |
$14.44 |
$30,040 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
250 |
$9.53 |
$19,820 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
250 |
$11.33 |
$23,570 |
| Medical assistants |
250 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Pharmacy technicians |
250 |
$12.15 |
$25,260 |
| Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door |
230 |
$24.10 |
$50,140 |
| Loan officers |
230 |
$30.53 |
$63,510 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
230 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Civil engineers |
220 |
$31.16 |
$64,810 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
220 |
$12.98 |
$27,000 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
220 |
$21.74 |
$45,220 |
| Dishwashers |
210 |
$7.80 |
$16,220 |
| Lawyers |
210 |
$46.77 |
$97,270 |
| Machinists |
210 |
$13.41 |
$27,880 |
| Pharmacists |
210 |
$51.52 |
$107,150 |
| Production workers, all other |
210 |
$12.24 |
$25,450 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
200 |
$15.13 |
$31,460 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
200 |
$9.11 |
$18,950 |
| Medical secretaries |
200 |
$11.66 |
$24,260 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
200 |
$21.44 |
$44,580 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
190 |
$13.50 |
$28,080 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
190 |
$18.13 |
$37,710 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
190 |
$25.71 |
$53,470 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
190 |
$13.87 |
$28,850 |
| Management analysts |
190 |
$50.93 |
$105,940 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
190 |
$13.59 |
$28,260 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
180 |
$12.54 |
$26,090 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
180 |
$19.11 |
$39,760 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
170 |
$17.18 |
$35,740 |
| Computer support specialists |
170 |
$20.11 |
$41,830 |
| Construction managers |
170 |
$33.84 |
$70,390 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
170 |
$7.58 |
$15,770 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
170 |
$8.32 |
$17,310 |
| Logging equipment operators |
170 |
$14.58 |
$30,320 |
| Personal and home care aides |
170 |
$8.62 |
$17,920 |
| Sheet metal workers |
170 |
$15.22 |
$31,670 |
| Driver/sales workers |
160 |
$14.26 |
$29,670 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
160 |
$16.57 |
$34,460 |
| Parts salespersons |
160 |
$12.32 |
$25,620 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
160 |
$15.42 |
$32,080 |
| Chief executives |
150 |
$78.87 |
$164,040 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
150 |
$18.89 |
$39,290 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
150 |
$17.99 |
$37,410 |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
150 |
$14.96 |
$31,120 |
| Industrial engineers |
150 |
$35.13 |
$73,070 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
150 |
$15.25 |
$31,710 |
| Printing machine operators |
150 |
$11.11 |
$23,120 |
| Dental assistants |
140 |
$12.85 |
$26,730 |
| Dental hygienists |
140 |
$20.75 |
$43,160 |
| File clerks |
140 |
$9.38 |
$19,510 |
| Financial managers |
140 |
$45.97 |
$95,620 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
140 |
$11.62 |
$24,160 |
| Food service managers |
140 |
$23.02 |
$47,880 |
| Helpers--electricians |
140 |
$11.47 |
$23,860 |
| Pipelayers |
140 |
$12.62 |
$26,250 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
140 |
$9.65 |
$20,080 |
| Recreation workers |
140 |
$9.80 |
$20,390 |
| All other information and record clerks |
130 |
$14.88 |
$30,960 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
130 |
Not available |
$74,800 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
130 |
$22.44 |
$46,680 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
130 |
$11.91 |
$24,770 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
120 |
$15.64 |
$32,530 |
| Data entry keyers |
120 |
$10.19 |
$21,200 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
120 |
$7.84 |
$16,310 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
120 |
$18.66 |
$38,820 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
120 |
$14.27 |
$29,680 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
120 |
$33.10 |
$68,840 |
| Insurance sales agents |
120 |
$30.81 |
$64,080 |
| Medical and health services managers |
120 |
$43.63 |
$90,750 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
120 |
$15.04 |
$31,290 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
120 |
$12.06 |
$25,080 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
120 |
$21.59 |
$44,900 |
| Sewing machine operators |
120 |
$9.69 |
$20,150 |
| Computer systems analysts |
110 |
$31.75 |
$66,030 |
| Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders |
110 |
$16.64 |
$34,620 |
| Mechanical engineers |
110 |
$40.90 |
$85,060 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
110 |
$19.12 |
$39,760 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
110 |
$15.29 |
$31,800 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
110 |
$91.46 |
$190,230 |
| Sales managers |
110 |
$52.09 |
$108,350 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
110 |
$20.17 |
$41,940 |
| Surveyors |
110 |
$22.12 |
$46,020 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
110 |
$11.74 |
$24,430 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
110 |
$15.81 |
$32,890 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
100 |
$16.89 |
$35,130 |
| Cost estimators |
100 |
$23.26 |
$48,390 |
| Couriers and messengers |
100 |
$8.87 |
$18,450 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
100 |
$15.92 |
$33,110 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
100 |
Not available |
$37,180 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
100 |
$13.92 |
$28,960 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
100 |
$13.35 |
$27,760 |
| Order clerks |
100 |
$13.05 |
$27,140 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
100 |
$13.56 |
$28,210 |
| Physical therapists |
100 |
$36.77 |
$76,480 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
100 |
Not available |
$42,580 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
100 |
$20.79 |
$43,250 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
100 |
$10.20 |
$21,210 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
90 |
$27.88 |
$57,990 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
90 |
$15.11 |
$31,420 |
| Engineering managers |
90 |
$43.32 |
$90,110 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
90 |
$12.43 |
$25,860 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
90 |
$14.32 |
$29,780 |
| Industrial production managers |
90 |
$45.26 |
$94,150 |
| Librarians |
90 |
$19.58 |
$40,730 |
| Library technicians |
90 |
$12.00 |
$24,960 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
90 |
$25.53 |
$53,110 |
| Pharmacy aides |
90 |
$7.63 |
$15,860 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
90 |
$18.59 |
$38,670 |
| Roofers |
90 |
$12.74 |
$26,500 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
90 |
$19.18 |
$39,900 |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
90 |
$10.01 |
$20,820 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
90 |
$13.10 |
$27,250 |
| Advertising sales agents |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
80 |
$13.82 |
$28,750 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
80 |
$12.15 |
$25,270 |
| Computer programmers |
80 |
$33.39 |
$69,450 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
80 |
$17.24 |
$35,860 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
80 |
$15.89 |
$33,040 |
| Family and general practitioners |
80 |
$41.49 |
$86,290 |
| Graphic designers |
80 |
$15.62 |
$32,500 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
80 |
$11.54 |
$24,010 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
80 |
$27.33 |
$56,850 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
80 |
$27.03 |
$56,230 |
| Real estate sales agents |
80 |
$14.84 |
$30,860 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
70 |
$18.39 |
$38,250 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
70 |
$35.29 |
$73,400 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
70 |
$23.11 |
$48,070 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
70 |
$25.09 |
$52,180 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
70 |
$12.08 |
$25,120 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
70 |
$14.43 |
$30,010 |
| Managers, all other |
70 |
$33.86 |
$70,420 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
70 |
$26.01 |
$54,110 |
| Residential advisors |
70 |
$10.43 |
$21,690 |
| Rotary drill operators, oil and gas |
70 |
$20.30 |
$42,220 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
70 |
$23.94 |
$49,790 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
60 |
$7.54 |
$15,680 |
| Dentists, general |
60 |
$50.89 |
$105,850 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
60 |
$24.02 |
$49,950 |
| Floral designers |
60 |
$9.71 |
$20,200 |
| Internists, general |
60 |
$99.23 |
$206,400 |
| Millwrights |
60 |
$18.89 |
$39,280 |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$25.17 |
$52,360 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
50 |
$18.11 |
$37,660 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
50 |
$12.70 |
$26,410 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
50 |
$22.49 |
$46,780 |
| Editors |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
50 |
$29.43 |
$61,210 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
50 |
$19.29 |
$40,130 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other |
50 |
$17.10 |
$35,570 |
| Helpers--extraction workers |
50 |
$10.25 |
$21,320 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
50 |
$23.23 |
$48,320 |
| New accounts clerks |
50 |
$15.01 |
$31,220 |
| Personal financial advisors |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Photographers |
50 |
$11.04 |
$22,970 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
50 |
$24.12 |
$50,180 |
| Social workers, all other |
50 |
$26.23 |
$54,560 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
50 |
Not available |
$44,910 |
| Tax preparers |
50 |
$17.28 |
$35,950 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
50 |
$9.06 |
$18,850 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
50 |
$15.40 |
$32,030 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
50 |
$18.45 |
$38,380 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
40 |
$18.72 |
$38,930 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$27.51 |
$57,230 |
| Computer operators |
40 |
$13.26 |
$27,590 |
| Database administrators |
40 |
$24.07 |
$50,070 |
| Earth drillers, except oil and gas |
40 |
$23.81 |
$49,530 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
40 |
$27.59 |
$57,390 |
| Helpers, construction trades, all other |
40 |
$9.93 |
$20,650 |
| Legislators |
40 |
Not available |
$14,510 |
| Market research analysts |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Mental health counselors |
40 |
$17.53 |
$36,470 |
| Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers |
40 |
$41.58 |
$86,480 |
| Photographic processing machine operators |
40 |
$11.36 |
$23,620 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
40 |
$17.16 |
$35,690 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
40 |
$38.76 |
$80,630 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
40 |
$52.07 |
$108,300 |
| Social and community service managers |
40 |
$22.86 |
$47,540 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$42,610 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
40 |
$26.37 |
$54,850 |
| Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents |
40 |
$23.61 |
$49,100 |
| Brokerage clerks |
30 |
$14.97 |
$31,150 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
30 |
$29.25 |
$60,840 |
| Credit analysts |
30 |
$18.09 |
$37,640 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$16.33 |
$33,960 |
| Dental laboratory technicians |
30 |
$13.05 |
$27,140 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
30 |
$20.50 |
$42,650 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
30 |
$20.88 |
$43,430 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of fire fighting and prevention workers |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Interior designers |
30 |
$19.19 |
$39,910 |
| Mechanical drafters |
30 |
$15.32 |
$31,860 |
| Occupational therapists |
30 |
$29.84 |
$62,070 |
| Procurement clerks |
30 |
$12.42 |
$25,830 |
| Security and fire alarm systems installers |
30 |
$15.30 |
$31,820 |
| Surgeons |
30 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Architects, except landscape and naval |
Not available |
$33.27 |
$69,200 |
| Bus drivers, transit and intercity |
Not available |
$8.76 |
$18,230 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
Not available |
$25.39 |
$52,820 |
| Construction and related workers, all other |
Not available |
$12.03 |
$25,020 |
| Conveyor operators and tenders |
Not available |
$13.52 |
$28,120 |
| Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks |
Not available |
$15.83 |
$32,930 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$12.02 |
$24,990 |
| Derrick operators, oil and gas |
Not available |
$17.53 |
$36,460 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
Not available |
$9.78 |
$20,340 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
Not available |
$15.19 |
$31,590 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$9.63 |
$20,040 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$15.21 |
$31,630 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
Not available |
$9.71 |
$20,190 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
Not available |
$13.04 |
$27,120 |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation |
Not available |
$10.17 |
$21,160 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$17.95 |
$37,330 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
Not available |
$11.32 |
$23,540 |
| Public relations specialists |
Not available |
$18.70 |
$38,890 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$9.37 |
$19,490 |
| Service unit operators, oil, gas, and mining |
Not available |
$18.14 |
$37,730 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
Not available |
$9.02 |
$18,750 |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$13.93 |
$28,970 |
