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 |
48,590 |
$16.63 |
$34,600 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,350 |
$12.52 |
$26,050 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,250 |
$13.78 |
$28,660 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
5,140 |
$16.50 |
$34,320 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,140 |
$8.10 |
$16,850 |
| Production occupations |
3,480 |
$16.59 |
$34,500 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,320 |
$13.55 |
$28,190 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,190 |
$26.85 |
$55,840 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,010 |
$18.24 |
$37,940 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,810 |
$17.72 |
$36,860 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,070 |
$9.35 |
$19,440 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,810 |
$11.01 |
$22,900 |
| Management occupations |
1,770 |
$38.84 |
$80,780 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,520 |
$7.64 |
$15,880 |
| Cashiers |
1,500 |
$8.43 |
$17,540 |
| Registered nurses |
1,220 |
$23.52 |
$48,920 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,210 |
$16.57 |
$34,460 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,110 |
$9.52 |
$19,800 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,110 |
$11.25 |
$23,390 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,090 |
$26.92 |
$56,000 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
980 |
$33.00 |
$68,640 |
| Office clerks, general |
880 |
$10.73 |
$22,310 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
880 |
$8.34 |
$17,350 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
870 |
$7.65 |
$15,900 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
830 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
820 |
$30.29 |
$63,000 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
800 |
$8.83 |
$18,370 |
| Construction laborers |
780 |
$11.86 |
$24,680 |
| Customer service representatives |
780 |
$10.05 |
$20,910 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
760 |
$16.58 |
$34,490 |
| General and operations managers |
720 |
$41.20 |
$85,690 |
| Roustabouts, oil and gas |
720 |
$13.13 |
$27,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
690 |
$19.55 |
$40,670 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
680 |
$13.06 |
$27,160 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
640 |
$22.40 |
$46,590 |
| Chemical technicians |
600 |
$28.65 |
$59,590 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
600 |
$16.38 |
$34,070 |
| Home health aides |
590 |
$7.02 |
$14,590 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
590 |
$9.77 |
$20,320 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
550 |
$9.08 |
$18,890 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
550 |
$14.06 |
$29,250 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
510 |
$11.51 |
$23,940 |
| Teacher assistants |
510 |
Not available |
$15,610 |
| Community and social services occupations |
480 |
$18.93 |
$39,370 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
480 |
$20.49 |
$42,620 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
440 |
$9.55 |
$19,860 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
430 |
$19.96 |
$41,510 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
430 |
Not available |
$45,910 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
410 |
$25.72 |
$53,500 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
400 |
$16.21 |
$33,730 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
390 |
$15.28 |
$31,790 |
| Service unit operators, oil, gas, and mining |
360 |
$17.37 |
$36,130 |
| Child care workers |
340 |
$7.44 |
$15,470 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
330 |
$12.85 |
$26,730 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
330 |
$10.03 |
$20,860 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
310 |
$7.16 |
$14,890 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
300 |
$21.90 |
$45,560 |
| Security guards |
290 |
$11.12 |
$23,130 |
| Tellers |
290 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
280 |
$17.98 |
$37,400 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
270 |
Not available |
$43,080 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
260 |
$9.75 |
$20,290 |
| Chemical equipment operators and tenders |
250 |
$22.24 |
$46,260 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
250 |
$24.94 |
$51,880 |
| Medical secretaries |
240 |
$14.44 |
$30,030 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
220 |
$17.33 |
$36,050 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
220 |
$8.63 |
$17,960 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
220 |
$30.07 |
$62,550 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
200 |
$27.45 |
$57,090 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
200 |
$11.60 |
$24,120 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
200 |
$6.75 |
$14,050 |
| Accountants and auditors |
190 |
$24.65 |
$51,280 |
| Food preparation workers |
190 |
$7.78 |
$16,190 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
190 |
$12.55 |
$26,100 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
180 |
$8.14 |
$16,930 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
170 |
$14.79 |
$30,760 |
| Driver/sales workers |
170 |
$12.58 |
$26,170 |
| Carpenters |
160 |
$12.71 |
$26,430 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
150 |
$15.51 |
$32,260 |
| Chemical engineers |
150 |
$39.41 |
$81,970 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
150 |
$15.53 |
$32,310 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
140 |
$14.47 |
$30,110 |
| Cooks, fast food |
140 |
$6.99 |
$14,530 |
| Industrial engineers |
140 |
$42.78 |
$88,980 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
140 |
$11.61 |
$24,140 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
140 |
$22.42 |
$46,630 |
| Bus drivers, school |
130 |
$9.46 |
$19,670 |
| Dishwashers |
130 |
$7.14 |
$14,860 |
| Machinists |
130 |
$15.85 |
$32,960 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
130 |
$8.99 |
$18,700 |
| Parts salespersons |
130 |
$14.37 |
$29,900 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
120 |
$8.24 |
$17,140 |
| Construction managers |
120 |
$29.40 |
$61,160 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
120 |
$7.45 |
$15,500 |
| Instructional coordinators |
120 |
$22.67 |
$47,160 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
120 |
$7.90 |
$16,440 |
| Legal occupations |
120 |
$27.11 |
$56,390 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
120 |
$13.32 |
$27,710 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
120 |
$23.83 |
$49,570 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
120 |
$34.45 |
$71,650 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
110 |
$11.89 |
$24,730 |
| File clerks |
110 |
$8.06 |
$16,760 |
| Financial managers |
110 |
$44.60 |
$92,770 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
110 |
$21.39 |
$44,490 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
110 |
$9.60 |
$19,960 |
| Helpers--production workers |
110 |
$9.98 |
$20,760 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
110 |
$15.47 |
$32,190 |
| Logisticians |
110 |
$29.07 |
$60,470 |
| Bill and account collectors |
100 |
$13.03 |
$27,100 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
100 |
$16.38 |
$34,070 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
100 |
$7.57 |
$15,750 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
100 |
$7.49 |
$15,580 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
100 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Printing machine operators |
100 |
$12.03 |
$25,020 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
90 |
$24.60 |
$51,160 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$61,430 |
| Insurance sales agents |
90 |
$27.84 |
$57,920 |
| Medical and health services managers |
90 |
$34.64 |
$72,050 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
90 |
$11.45 |
$23,830 |
| Personal and home care aides |
90 |
$7.76 |
$16,130 |
| Civil engineers |
80 |
$41.64 |
$86,610 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
80 |
$16.00 |
$33,280 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
80 |
$15.45 |
$32,130 |
| Medical assistants |
80 |
$11.21 |
$23,320 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
80 |
$15.57 |
$32,390 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
80 |
$100.02 |
$208,050 |
| Respiratory therapists |
80 |
$23.03 |
$47,900 |
| Service station attendants |
80 |
$7.52 |
$15,640 |
| Stationary engineers and boiler operators |
80 |
$27.02 |
$56,190 |
| Bartenders |
70 |
$8.13 |
$16,910 |
| Computer support specialists |
70 |
$17.06 |
$35,490 |
| Cost estimators |
70 |
$19.94 |
$41,470 |
| Dental hygienists |
70 |
$26.37 |
$54,850 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
70 |
$10.81 |
$22,480 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
70 |
$16.49 |
$34,290 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
70 |
$9.53 |
$19,820 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
70 |
$7.35 |
$15,290 |
| Chief executives |
60 |
$74.60 |
$155,170 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
60 |
$15.03 |
$31,250 |
| Dental assistants |
60 |
$12.26 |
$25,500 |
| Engineering managers |
60 |
$66.02 |
$137,330 |
| Food service managers |
60 |
$30.35 |
$63,130 |
| Pharmacists |
60 |
$54.68 |
$113,740 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
60 |
$27.46 |
$57,120 |
| Social and community service managers |
60 |
$18.52 |
$38,530 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
60 |
$30.89 |
$64,260 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
60 |
Not available |
$19,890 |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$26.89 |
$55,920 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
50 |
$19.59 |
$40,750 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
50 |
$24.13 |
$50,180 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
50 |
$26.62 |
$55,370 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
50 |
$11.08 |
$23,050 |
| Lawyers |
50 |
$36.44 |
$75,790 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
50 |
$31.25 |
$65,000 |
| Occupational therapists |
50 |
$29.35 |
$61,040 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
50 |
$11.50 |
$23,920 |
| Physical therapists |
50 |
$42.13 |
$87,640 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
50 |
$14.46 |
$30,070 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$17.80 |
$37,030 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
50 |
$20.59 |
$42,820 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
50 |
$15.82 |
$32,900 |
| Social and human service assistants |
50 |
$14.40 |
$29,950 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
50 |
$12.78 |
$26,570 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
50 |
$16.49 |
$34,300 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
50 |
$34.07 |
$70,860 |
| Administrative services managers |
40 |
$40.68 |
$84,600 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
40 |
$7.77 |
$16,160 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
40 |
$16.48 |
$34,270 |
| Bakers |
40 |
$7.95 |
$16,540 |
| Chemists |
40 |
$37.06 |
$77,080 |
| Data entry keyers |
40 |
$10.90 |
$22,660 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
40 |
$21.01 |
$43,700 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
40 |
$24.94 |
$51,880 |
| Environmental engineers |
40 |
$29.38 |
$61,120 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
40 |
$16.00 |
$33,290 |
| Food batchmakers |
40 |
$7.49 |
$15,570 |
| Helpers--extraction workers |
40 |
$13.73 |
$28,550 |
| Industrial production managers |
40 |
$46.81 |
$97,370 |
| Librarians |
40 |
$21.86 |
$45,460 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
40 |
$14.10 |
$29,320 |
| Management analysts |
40 |
$31.21 |
$64,910 |
| Petroleum engineers |
40 |
$55.74 |
$115,950 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales managers |
40 |
$38.36 |
$79,800 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
40 |
$27.11 |
$56,380 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
40 |
$44.47 |
$92,500 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
40 |
$17.10 |
$35,580 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
30 |
$21.54 |
$44,800 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
30 |
$24.60 |
$51,160 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
30 |
$19.27 |
$40,080 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
30 |
$15.46 |
$32,150 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
30 |
$15.62 |
$32,490 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
30 |
$23.50 |
$48,870 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
30 |
$31.23 |
$64,950 |
| New accounts clerks |
30 |
$12.89 |
$26,810 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
30 |
$9.38 |
$19,520 |
| Order clerks |
30 |
$11.56 |
$24,040 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
30 |
$18.96 |
$39,430 |
| Surveyors |
30 |
$26.27 |
$54,640 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
30 |
$10.09 |
$20,990 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
Not available |
$19.04 |
$39,600 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
Not available |
$11.05 |
$22,980 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$8.43 |
$17,540 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$6.89 |
$14,340 |
| Electricians |
Not available |
$19.50 |
$40,560 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
Not available |
$35.83 |
$74,530 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
Not available |
$9.04 |
$18,800 |
| Helpers--electricians |
Not available |
$12.64 |
$26,290 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$10.26 |
$21,350 |
| Home appliance repairers |
Not available |
$11.59 |
$24,110 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.02 |
$27,080 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
Not available |
$13.64 |
$28,370 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
Not available |
$21.11 |
$43,920 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
Not available |
$22.58 |
$46,970 |
| Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic |
Not available |
$13.00 |
$27,030 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
Not available |
$10.22 |
$21,260 |
| Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers |
Not available |
$22.20 |
$46,180 |
| Physical therapist aides |
Not available |
$9.49 |
$19,740 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$21.58 |
$44,900 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
Not available |
$10.71 |
$22,290 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
Not available |
$22.85 |
$47,530 |
| Recreation workers |
Not available |
$9.58 |
$19,930 |
| Rotary drill operators, oil and gas |
Not available |
$26.21 |
$54,520 |
| Sheet metal workers |
Not available |
$13.91 |
$28,940 |
| Tax preparers |
Not available |
$11.62 |
$24,170 |
