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 |
54,850 |
$19.20 |
$39,940 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
7,420 |
$14.25 |
$29,650 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
5,710 |
$31.22 |
$64,930 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,080 |
$8.24 |
$17,130 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,520 |
$11.80 |
$24,550 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,340 |
$11.29 |
$23,480 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
4,120 |
$20.79 |
$43,240 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
4,080 |
$20.44 |
$42,510 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
3,010 |
$18.56 |
$38,610 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
2,770 |
$34.29 |
$71,330 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
2,590 |
$10.42 |
$21,680 |
| Production occupations |
2,580 |
$17.32 |
$36,030 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
2,370 |
$31.93 |
$66,420 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,360 |
$28.67 |
$59,630 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,880 |
$10.78 |
$22,420 |
| Management occupations |
1,700 |
$37.80 |
$78,630 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
1,520 |
$34.62 |
$72,010 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,510 |
$7.29 |
$15,150 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,330 |
$10.07 |
$20,940 |
| Cashiers |
1,310 |
$7.71 |
$16,030 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,290 |
$10.17 |
$21,140 |
| Sheet metal workers |
1,190 |
$21.53 |
$44,790 |
| Logisticians |
1,170 |
$31.76 |
$66,060 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
980 |
$7.05 |
$14,670 |
| Protective service occupations |
970 |
$16.16 |
$33,620 |
| Electronics engineers, except computer |
960 |
$37.83 |
$78,680 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
940 |
$22.18 |
$46,140 |
| Office clerks, general |
910 |
$10.90 |
$22,680 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
900 |
$23.62 |
$49,130 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
890 |
$11.19 |
$23,270 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
870 |
$9.35 |
$19,450 |
| General and operations managers |
680 |
$34.84 |
$72,460 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
680 |
$10.04 |
$20,880 |
| Food preparation workers |
620 |
$8.58 |
$17,840 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
610 |
Not available |
$24,710 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
580 |
$12.63 |
$26,280 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
510 |
$15.47 |
$32,180 |
| Teacher assistants |
510 |
Not available |
$16,970 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
500 |
$9.14 |
$19,010 |
| Customer service representatives |
450 |
$12.45 |
$25,890 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
440 |
$14.67 |
$30,500 |
| Community and social services occupations |
440 |
$18.51 |
$38,500 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
430 |
$19.57 |
$40,700 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
410 |
$14.01 |
$29,150 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
370 |
$21.98 |
$45,730 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
370 |
$38.39 |
$79,860 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
370 |
$27.40 |
$57,000 |
| Procurement clerks |
370 |
$18.62 |
$38,720 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
360 |
$34.08 |
$70,880 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
340 |
$14.15 |
$29,430 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
340 |
$22.18 |
$46,130 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
330 |
$33.31 |
$69,290 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
330 |
$9.22 |
$19,180 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
310 |
$16.32 |
$33,940 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
300 |
$24.82 |
$51,620 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
300 |
$9.42 |
$19,590 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
290 |
$15.75 |
$32,770 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
290 |
$31.25 |
$65,000 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
280 |
$16.49 |
$34,290 |
| Construction laborers |
270 |
$12.71 |
$26,440 |
| Cooks, fast food |
270 |
$8.08 |
$16,800 |
| Dishwashers |
270 |
$7.63 |
$15,880 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
270 |
$27.39 |
$56,960 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
270 |
$8.40 |
$17,460 |
| Child care workers |
260 |
$7.18 |
$14,930 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
260 |
$17.56 |
$36,530 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
260 |
$10.44 |
$21,710 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
260 |
$7.71 |
$16,040 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
260 |
$21.31 |
$44,320 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
260 |
$17.27 |
$35,930 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
250 |
$14.26 |
$29,670 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
240 |
$11.36 |
$23,630 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
230 |
$29.18 |
$60,690 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
220 |
$7.45 |
$15,500 |
| Medical secretaries |
220 |
$12.99 |
$27,030 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
220 |
$12.25 |
$25,480 |
| Carpenters |
210 |
$14.23 |
$29,590 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
210 |
$6.98 |
$14,520 |
| Electrical engineers |
200 |
$41.02 |
$85,330 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
200 |
$24.35 |
$50,660 |
| Medical assistants |
200 |
$11.82 |
$24,590 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
190 |
$36.71 |
$76,360 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
190 |
$11.15 |
$23,200 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
180 |
$46.80 |
$97,330 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
170 |
$31.80 |
$66,140 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
160 |
$10.60 |
$22,050 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
160 |
$8.17 |
$16,990 |
| Engineers, all other |
160 |
$43.64 |
$90,770 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
160 |
$24.99 |
$51,980 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
160 |
$18.62 |
$38,720 |
| Accountants and auditors |
140 |
$32.21 |
$67,000 |
| Computer support specialists |
140 |
$22.72 |
$47,250 |
| Legal occupations |
140 |
$26.50 |
$55,110 |
| Machinists |
140 |
$20.54 |
$42,730 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
130 |
$13.72 |
$28,530 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
130 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
120 |
$7.30 |
$15,180 |
| Dental assistants |
120 |
$14.61 |
$30,380 |
| Electricians |
120 |
$18.37 |
$38,200 |
| Insurance sales agents |
120 |
$15.97 |
$33,230 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
120 |
$16.99 |
$35,340 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
120 |
$15.29 |
$31,790 |
| Pharmacists |
120 |
$49.77 |
$103,510 |
| Security guards |
120 |
$14.24 |
$29,630 |
| Technical writers |
120 |
$21.62 |
$44,960 |
| Training and development specialists |
120 |
$24.58 |
$51,120 |
| Dental hygienists |
110 |
$19.79 |
$41,160 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
110 |
$16.79 |
$34,930 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
110 |
$15.17 |
$31,550 |
| Legal secretaries |
110 |
$14.52 |
$30,210 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
110 |
$37.03 |
$77,020 |
| New accounts clerks |
110 |
$14.70 |
$30,580 |
| Bartenders |
100 |
$7.82 |
$16,260 |
| Civil engineers |
100 |
$39.05 |
$81,230 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
90 |
$30.84 |
$64,150 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
90 |
$8.36 |
$17,390 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
90 |
$15.78 |
$32,830 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
90 |
$21.22 |
$44,140 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
90 |
$22.16 |
$46,100 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
90 |
$15.53 |
$32,310 |
| Social and human service assistants |
90 |
$11.83 |
$24,610 |
| Chief executives |
80 |
$65.58 |
$136,410 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
80 |
$16.76 |
$34,860 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
80 |
$30.29 |
$63,000 |
| File clerks |
80 |
$9.82 |
$20,430 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
80 |
$24.94 |
$51,880 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
80 |
$8.22 |
$17,100 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
80 |
$17.42 |
$36,240 |
| Data entry keyers |
70 |
$14.36 |
$29,860 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
70 |
$24.04 |
$50,000 |
| Engineering managers |
70 |
$46.79 |
$97,330 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
70 |
$13.62 |
$28,340 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
70 |
$8.71 |
$18,110 |
| Helpers--production workers |
70 |
$9.25 |
$19,250 |
| Instructional coordinators |
70 |
$31.25 |
$65,000 |
| Recreation workers |
70 |
$16.64 |
$34,600 |
| Sales managers |
70 |
$40.52 |
$84,280 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
70 |
$9.91 |
$20,610 |
| Aerospace engineers |
60 |
$38.58 |
$80,250 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
60 |
$15.00 |
$31,190 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
60 |
$8.30 |
$17,270 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
60 |
$14.18 |
$29,500 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
60 |
$16.83 |
$35,010 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
60 |
$17.78 |
$36,980 |
| Industrial engineers |
60 |
$36.84 |
$76,630 |
| Lawyers |
60 |
$35.95 |
$74,780 |
| Medical and health services managers |
60 |
$31.24 |
$64,980 |
| Parts salespersons |
60 |
$15.16 |
$31,530 |
| Pharmacy aides |
60 |
$8.19 |
$17,030 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
60 |
$18.72 |
$38,930 |
| Administrative services managers |
50 |
$24.52 |
$51,000 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
50 |
$16.21 |
$33,710 |
| Bill and account collectors |
50 |
$12.65 |
$26,320 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
50 |
$13.08 |
$27,210 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
50 |
$15.33 |
$31,880 |
| Database administrators |
50 |
$28.64 |
$59,570 |
| Financial managers |
50 |
$49.97 |
$103,930 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
50 |
$15.96 |
$33,190 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
50 |
$26.89 |
$55,920 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
50 |
$30.94 |
$64,360 |
| Physical therapists |
50 |
$43.53 |
$90,540 |
| Dentists, general |
40 |
$84.70 |
$176,190 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
40 |
$23.10 |
$48,050 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
40 |
$17.44 |
$36,270 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
40 |
$14.01 |
$29,140 |
| Meter readers, utilities |
40 |
$15.73 |
$32,720 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
40 |
$36.09 |
$75,080 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
40 |
$7.66 |
$15,920 |
| Public relations specialists |
40 |
$26.06 |
$54,200 |
| Real estate sales agents |
40 |
$13.76 |
$28,610 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
40 |
$12.72 |
$26,460 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
40 |
$14.48 |
$30,110 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
40 |
$13.86 |
$28,820 |
| Team assemblers |
40 |
$14.50 |
$30,170 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
40 |
$11.68 |
$24,290 |
| Bakers |
30 |
$9.18 |
$19,090 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
30 |
$15.40 |
$32,030 |
| Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door |
30 |
$21.60 |
$44,930 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
30 |
$18.63 |
$38,760 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
30 |
$12.35 |
$25,700 |
| Legislators |
30 |
Not available |
$16,930 |
| Managers, all other |
30 |
$41.77 |
$86,890 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
30 |
$14.55 |
$30,260 |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers |
30 |
$13.98 |
$29,070 |
| Tool and die makers |
30 |
$26.64 |
$55,410 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
Not available |
$16.64 |
$34,600 |
| Computer systems analysts |
Not available |
$35.06 |
$72,910 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$9.41 |
$19,570 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
Not available |
$29.86 |
$62,100 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
Not available |
$11.69 |
$24,320 |
| Financial analysts |
Not available |
$26.18 |
$54,460 |
| Fire fighters |
Not available |
$15.53 |
$32,300 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$9.47 |
$19,700 |
| Home health aides |
Not available |
$7.22 |
$15,010 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
Not available |
$11.30 |
$23,510 |
| Pipelayers |
Not available |
$11.84 |
$24,630 |
| Tellers |
Not available |
$11.29 |
$23,480 |
