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 |
55,100 |
$14.65 |
$30,470 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
10,030 |
$12.32 |
$25,620 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,220 |
$11.41 |
$23,730 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
6,020 |
$7.99 |
$16,620 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
5,410 |
$12.61 |
$26,240 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,970 |
$19.75 |
$41,080 |
| Production occupations |
3,660 |
$12.19 |
$25,350 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,160 |
$27.41 |
$57,020 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,590 |
$10.20 |
$21,210 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,440 |
$14.93 |
$31,060 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,410 |
$16.62 |
$34,560 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
2,090 |
$7.27 |
$15,120 |
| Management occupations |
1,980 |
$35.82 |
$74,510 |
| Customer service representatives |
1,970 |
$9.91 |
$20,610 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,890 |
$10.73 |
$22,310 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,810 |
$9.47 |
$19,690 |
| Cashiers |
1,810 |
$8.06 |
$16,750 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,490 |
$11.55 |
$24,020 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,440 |
$14.19 |
$29,520 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,410 |
$8.97 |
$18,660 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,160 |
$24.54 |
$51,050 |
| Registered nurses |
1,070 |
$25.23 |
$52,480 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,070 |
$7.18 |
$14,920 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
970 |
$10.20 |
$21,210 |
| General and operations managers |
910 |
$34.25 |
$71,240 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
910 |
$18.79 |
$39,080 |
| Office clerks, general |
870 |
$10.16 |
$21,130 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
820 |
$13.84 |
$28,790 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
800 |
$11.73 |
$24,390 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
770 |
$9.29 |
$19,330 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
760 |
$12.85 |
$26,730 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
760 |
$9.22 |
$19,170 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
730 |
$20.10 |
$41,800 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
720 |
$15.27 |
$31,750 |
| Community and social services occupations |
700 |
$18.43 |
$38,330 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
700 |
$13.95 |
$29,010 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
690 |
$9.79 |
$20,360 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
680 |
$9.37 |
$19,480 |
| Cooks, fast food |
680 |
$7.76 |
$16,140 |
| Helpers--production workers |
640 |
$9.37 |
$19,490 |
| Teacher assistants |
640 |
Not available |
$16,090 |
| Construction laborers |
530 |
$12.61 |
$26,220 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
530 |
Not available |
$51,060 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
470 |
$7.86 |
$16,350 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
450 |
$15.58 |
$32,400 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
430 |
$15.05 |
$31,300 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
430 |
$10.63 |
$22,110 |
| Team assemblers |
420 |
$11.08 |
$23,050 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
380 |
Not available |
$45,070 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
360 |
$16.08 |
$33,440 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
360 |
$9.56 |
$19,890 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
360 |
$11.30 |
$23,510 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
330 |
$15.79 |
$32,850 |
| Child care workers |
320 |
$6.87 |
$14,290 |
| Dishwashers |
310 |
$7.22 |
$15,020 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
300 |
$6.93 |
$14,420 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
300 |
$21.84 |
$45,420 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
280 |
$16.61 |
$34,550 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
280 |
$12.69 |
$26,390 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
280 |
$10.29 |
$21,410 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
280 |
$7.11 |
$14,780 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
280 |
Not available |
$47,620 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
270 |
$23.10 |
$48,040 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
260 |
$8.00 |
$16,640 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
250 |
$16.61 |
$34,550 |
| Carpenters |
250 |
$13.99 |
$29,110 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
250 |
$22.70 |
$47,220 |
| Medical assistants |
250 |
$12.52 |
$26,050 |
| Security guards |
250 |
$10.53 |
$21,890 |
| Accountants and auditors |
240 |
$26.25 |
$54,610 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
240 |
$24.17 |
$50,280 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
240 |
$22.53 |
$46,860 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
230 |
$8.33 |
$17,320 |
| Medical secretaries |
230 |
$14.03 |
$29,180 |
| Tellers |
230 |
$10.29 |
$21,400 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
220 |
$7.09 |
$14,750 |
| Electricians |
210 |
$18.65 |
$38,780 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
210 |
Not available |
$48,460 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
210 |
$15.47 |
$32,180 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
200 |
$12.05 |
$25,060 |
| Legal occupations |
200 |
$27.37 |
$56,920 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
200 |
$9.27 |
$19,280 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
190 |
$17.15 |
$35,680 |
| Bus drivers, school |
180 |
$7.24 |
$15,050 |
| Food preparation workers |
180 |
$8.50 |
$17,680 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
170 |
$9.05 |
$18,830 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
170 |
$27.16 |
$56,500 |
| Cooks, short order |
160 |
$7.94 |
$16,510 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
160 |
$13.04 |
$27,110 |
| Order clerks |
150 |
$13.56 |
$28,200 |
| Bill and account collectors |
140 |
$13.21 |
$27,480 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
140 |
$15.42 |
$32,080 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
140 |
$24.31 |
$50,560 |
| Chief executives |
140 |
$58.72 |
$122,140 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
140 |
$8.84 |
$18,390 |
| Driver/sales workers |
140 |
$12.90 |
$26,830 |
| Legal secretaries |
140 |
$13.16 |
$27,360 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
140 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
140 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
130 |
$15.02 |
$31,240 |
| Fiberglass laminators and fabricators |
130 |
$11.09 |
$23,060 |
| Helpers--electricians |
130 |
$9.55 |
$19,850 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
130 |
$19.29 |
$40,120 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
130 |
$17.24 |
$35,860 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
130 |
$11.95 |
$24,850 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
130 |
$23.38 |
$48,620 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
120 |
$8.00 |
$16,630 |
| Dental assistants |
120 |
$13.87 |
$28,850 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
120 |
$21.09 |
$43,880 |
| Logging equipment operators |
120 |
$15.66 |
$32,570 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
120 |
$9.01 |
$18,750 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
120 |
$14.29 |
$29,720 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
120 |
$17.84 |
$37,100 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
120 |
Not available |
$53,350 |
| Administrative services managers |
110 |
$20.86 |
$43,390 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
110 |
$21.45 |
$44,610 |
| Medical and health services managers |
110 |
$37.36 |
$77,710 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
110 |
$21.78 |
$45,300 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
100 |
$10.80 |
$22,460 |
| Cost estimators |
100 |
$24.43 |
$50,820 |
| Data entry keyers |
100 |
$9.96 |
$20,730 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$70,800 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
100 |
$17.98 |
$37,400 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
100 |
$12.85 |
$26,730 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
100 |
$21.97 |
$45,700 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
100 |
$11.09 |
$23,060 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
100 |
$13.83 |
$28,760 |
| Pharmacists |
100 |
$46.54 |
$96,810 |
| Training and development specialists |
100 |
$22.07 |
$45,900 |
| Bartenders |
90 |
$7.39 |
$15,370 |
| Computer support specialists |
90 |
$18.16 |
$37,780 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
90 |
$6.85 |
$14,250 |
| Financial managers |
90 |
$52.56 |
$109,330 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
90 |
$19.18 |
$39,890 |
| Instructional coordinators |
90 |
$25.18 |
$52,380 |
| Insurance sales agents |
90 |
$14.38 |
$29,920 |
| Loan officers |
90 |
$30.20 |
$62,810 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
90 |
$11.84 |
$24,620 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
90 |
$14.29 |
$29,730 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
90 |
$10.28 |
$21,390 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
80 |
$13.53 |
$28,140 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
80 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Coaches and scouts |
80 |
Not available |
$35,110 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
80 |
$12.73 |
$26,470 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
80 |
$7.26 |
$15,090 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
80 |
$20.04 |
$41,690 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$16.39 |
$34,100 |
| Parts salespersons |
80 |
$15.26 |
$31,750 |
| Recreation workers |
80 |
$9.85 |
$20,480 |
| Sales managers |
80 |
$42.78 |
$88,980 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
80 |
$23.62 |
$49,120 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
80 |
$20.72 |
$43,100 |
| Family and general practitioners |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
70 |
$8.41 |
$17,490 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
70 |
$9.73 |
$20,240 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
70 |
$11.01 |
$22,890 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
70 |
Not available |
$48,140 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
70 |
$17.46 |
$36,310 |
| Occupational therapists |
70 |
$42.55 |
$88,500 |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists |
70 |
$15.91 |
$33,090 |
| Real estate sales agents |
70 |
$16.20 |
$33,690 |
| Social and human service assistants |
70 |
$11.60 |
$24,130 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
70 |
$24.95 |
$51,900 |
| Telemarketers |
70 |
$8.16 |
$16,960 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
70 |
$11.66 |
$24,250 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
60 |
$14.93 |
$31,050 |
| Couriers and messengers |
60 |
$7.38 |
$15,350 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
60 |
$15.54 |
$32,310 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
60 |
$21.65 |
$45,040 |
| Glaziers |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Highway maintenance workers |
60 |
$10.73 |
$22,310 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$14.14 |
$29,410 |
| Lawyers |
60 |
$43.11 |
$89,680 |
| Millwrights |
60 |
$18.95 |
$39,410 |
| Pest control workers |
60 |
$13.21 |
$27,470 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
60 |
$11.25 |
$23,400 |
| Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers |
60 |
$8.04 |
$16,720 |
| Bakers |
50 |
$10.16 |
$21,130 |
| Construction managers |
50 |
$31.35 |
$65,200 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
50 |
$13.09 |
$27,230 |
| Dentists, general |
50 |
$83.43 |
$173,540 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
50 |
$15.34 |
$31,910 |
| File clerks |
50 |
$8.65 |
$18,000 |
| Floral designers |
50 |
$9.80 |
$20,390 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
50 |
$14.04 |
$29,200 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
50 |
$23.48 |
$48,850 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
50 |
$21.88 |
$45,510 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
50 |
$13.45 |
$27,980 |
| Printing machine operators |
50 |
$11.70 |
$24,330 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$18.33 |
$38,130 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
50 |
Not available |
$49,530 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
50 |
$13.31 |
$27,690 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
50 |
$14.10 |
$29,320 |
| Advertising sales agents |
40 |
$24.56 |
$51,090 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
40 |
$19.52 |
$40,590 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
40 |
$16.69 |
$34,710 |
| Graphic designers |
40 |
$15.56 |
$32,370 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
40 |
$23.98 |
$49,880 |
| Industrial engineers |
40 |
$32.44 |
$67,470 |
| Industrial production managers |
40 |
$42.26 |
$87,900 |
| Legislators |
40 |
Not available |
$14,730 |
| Librarians |
40 |
$26.74 |
$55,630 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
40 |
$8.35 |
$17,360 |
| Machinists |
40 |
$14.20 |
$29,530 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
40 |
$14.16 |
$29,450 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
40 |
$12.85 |
$26,730 |
| Mental health counselors |
40 |
$17.49 |
$36,380 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
40 |
$11.93 |
$24,800 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
40 |
$11.24 |
$23,390 |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$16.99 |
$35,340 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
40 |
$14.83 |
$30,840 |
| Respiratory therapists |
40 |
$22.43 |
$46,660 |
| Sheet metal workers |
40 |
$13.86 |
$28,820 |
| Social and community service managers |
40 |
$20.81 |
$43,280 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
30 |
$16.99 |
$35,340 |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
30 |
$24.40 |
$50,750 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
30 |
$13.37 |
$27,800 |
| Computer systems analysts |
30 |
$27.87 |
$57,980 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
30 |
$25.58 |
$53,200 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
30 |
$11.59 |
$24,100 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
30 |
$15.60 |
$32,440 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
30 |
$15.76 |
$32,780 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
Not available |
$12.30 |
$25,590 |
| Crane and tower operators |
Not available |
$21.54 |
$44,800 |
| Dental hygienists |
Not available |
$28.42 |
$59,120 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
Not available |
$9.01 |
$18,750 |
| Graders and sorters, agricultural products |
Not available |
$7.01 |
$14,580 |
| Home health aides |
Not available |
$8.51 |
$17,700 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
Not available |
$11.85 |
$24,640 |
| Law clerks |
Not available |
$16.45 |
$34,210 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
Not available |
$12.00 |
$24,960 |
| Management analysts |
Not available |
$28.03 |
$58,300 |
| New accounts clerks |
Not available |
$15.51 |
$32,270 |
| Physical therapists |
Not available |
$41.64 |
$86,610 |
| Physician assistants |
Not available |
$38.99 |
$81,090 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
Not available |
$16.60 |
$34,520 |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials |
Not available |
$8.70 |
$18,090 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$8.42 |
$17,510 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
Not available |
Not available |
$52,070 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
Not available |
$34.74 |
$72,250 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$21,180 |
