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 |
68,130 |
$20.90 |
$43,470 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
10,810 |
$16.94 |
$35,240 |
| Production occupations |
7,670 |
$15.71 |
$32,680 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,610 |
$16.58 |
$34,480 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
5,890 |
$26.66 |
$55,450 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,250 |
$10.45 |
$21,740 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,780 |
$36.04 |
$74,960 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,330 |
$14.74 |
$30,660 |
| Management occupations |
3,680 |
$45.88 |
$95,440 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,930 |
$14.68 |
$30,530 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,510 |
$11.99 |
$24,940 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
2,370 |
$12.04 |
$25,040 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,310 |
$22.68 |
$47,170 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,190 |
$21.74 |
$45,220 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,030 |
$13.66 |
$28,410 |
| Cashiers |
1,930 |
$10.24 |
$21,290 |
| Registered nurses |
1,930 |
$33.77 |
$70,240 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,630 |
$23.51 |
$48,890 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,500 |
$31.58 |
$65,680 |
| Teacher assistants |
1,320 |
Not available |
$28,730 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,310 |
$15.76 |
$32,780 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,280 |
$20.14 |
$41,890 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
1,260 |
$13.69 |
$28,480 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,240 |
$15.07 |
$31,340 |
| General and operations managers |
1,160 |
$50.64 |
$105,330 |
| Team assemblers |
1,140 |
$12.91 |
$26,860 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
1,060 |
Not available |
$66,070 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,010 |
$13.33 |
$27,720 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
990 |
$23.36 |
$48,590 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
980 |
$9.49 |
$19,740 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
960 |
$12.41 |
$25,810 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
860 |
$9.49 |
$19,750 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
850 |
Not available |
$66,420 |
| Customer service representatives |
840 |
$16.61 |
$34,540 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
790 |
$17.38 |
$36,150 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
770 |
$17.38 |
$36,150 |
| Home health aides |
750 |
$12.60 |
$26,220 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
730 |
$14.56 |
$30,280 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
730 |
$18.73 |
$38,960 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
730 |
$12.89 |
$26,800 |
| Food preparation workers |
720 |
$10.80 |
$22,460 |
| Child care workers |
710 |
$10.82 |
$22,500 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
710 |
$8.89 |
$18,490 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
670 |
$20.30 |
$42,230 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
660 |
$21.67 |
$45,070 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
660 |
$31.30 |
$65,110 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
620 |
Not available |
$66,300 |
| Bus drivers, school |
600 |
$14.83 |
$30,840 |
| Machinists |
590 |
$15.67 |
$32,590 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
580 |
$32.68 |
$67,970 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
570 |
$13.52 |
$28,130 |
| Legal occupations |
520 |
$35.39 |
$73,600 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
490 |
$10.18 |
$21,170 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
470 |
$14.41 |
$29,970 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
450 |
$22.04 |
$45,830 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
450 |
$29.42 |
$61,200 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
450 |
$27.95 |
$58,130 |
| Tool and die makers |
450 |
$27.01 |
$56,190 |
| Fire fighters |
440 |
$16.84 |
$35,020 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
430 |
$19.40 |
$40,360 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
420 |
$14.64 |
$30,460 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
420 |
$12.34 |
$25,660 |
| Electricians |
410 |
$26.12 |
$54,340 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
410 |
$23.60 |
$49,090 |
| Cooks, fast food |
390 |
$8.79 |
$18,280 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
390 |
$19.96 |
$41,510 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
390 |
$33.25 |
$69,160 |
| Financial managers |
380 |
$44.48 |
$92,530 |
| Personal and home care aides |
380 |
$9.80 |
$20,390 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
360 |
$14.78 |
$30,750 |
| Medical assistants |
350 |
$14.97 |
$31,150 |
| Accountants and auditors |
340 |
$30.51 |
$63,460 |
| Construction laborers |
340 |
$18.45 |
$38,370 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
320 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Tellers |
300 |
$12.89 |
$26,810 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
280 |
$12.99 |
$27,020 |
| Social and human service assistants |
280 |
$16.76 |
$34,860 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
260 |
$31.17 |
$64,830 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
260 |
$13.92 |
$28,960 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
260 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Recreation workers |
260 |
$12.08 |
$25,120 |
| Chief executives |
250 |
$73.15 |
$152,140 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
250 |
$12.15 |
$25,270 |
| Lawyers |
250 |
$47.49 |
$98,770 |
| Carpenters |
240 |
$22.95 |
$47,730 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
240 |
$11.10 |
$23,080 |
| Dishwashers |
230 |
$9.47 |
$19,700 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
230 |
$30.93 |
$64,340 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
220 |
$19.94 |
$41,480 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
210 |
$16.33 |
$33,960 |
| Medical secretaries |
210 |
$18.21 |
$37,880 |
| Physical therapists |
210 |
$35.17 |
$73,160 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
210 |
$14.21 |
$29,560 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
200 |
$16.47 |
$34,260 |
| Coaches and scouts |
200 |
Not available |
$40,080 |
| Computer support specialists |
200 |
$21.78 |
$45,300 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
200 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Bartenders |
190 |
$9.75 |
$20,280 |
| Pharmacists |
190 |
$47.05 |
$97,870 |
| Medical and health services managers |
180 |
$48.05 |
$99,950 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
180 |
$15.52 |
$32,290 |
| Sales managers |
180 |
$48.76 |
$101,410 |
| Social and community service managers |
180 |
$24.12 |
$50,170 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
170 |
$24.43 |
$50,820 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
170 |
$31.16 |
$64,800 |
| Dental assistants |
170 |
$19.50 |
$40,550 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
170 |
$14.83 |
$30,850 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
170 |
Not available |
$54,920 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
160 |
$27.69 |
$57,590 |
| Driver/sales workers |
160 |
$13.14 |
$27,330 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
160 |
$27.71 |
$57,630 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
160 |
$23.63 |
$49,140 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
160 |
$27.03 |
$56,220 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
150 |
$19.71 |
$40,990 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
150 |
$12.15 |
$25,270 |
| Community and social service specialists, all other |
150 |
$18.34 |
$38,140 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
150 |
$33.41 |
$69,490 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
150 |
$15.99 |
$33,260 |
| Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
150 |
$18.81 |
$39,120 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
150 |
$24.46 |
$50,870 |
| Administrative services managers |
140 |
$29.32 |
$60,980 |
| Bill and account collectors |
140 |
$17.10 |
$35,560 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
140 |
$13.41 |
$27,900 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
140 |
$13.79 |
$28,690 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
140 |
Not available |
$104,560 |
| Food service managers |
140 |
$26.37 |
$54,840 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
140 |
$23.11 |
$48,070 |
| Insurance sales agents |
140 |
$38.64 |
$80,370 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
140 |
$11.56 |
$24,040 |
| Legal secretaries |
140 |
$17.66 |
$36,730 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
140 |
$18.47 |
$38,430 |
| Industrial production managers |
130 |
$40.29 |
$83,810 |
| Roofers |
130 |
$24.83 |
$51,660 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
130 |
$23.56 |
$49,000 |
| Security guards |
130 |
$13.90 |
$28,910 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
130 |
Not available |
$70,470 |
| All other information and record clerks |
120 |
$15.32 |
$31,870 |
| Bakers |
120 |
$11.61 |
$24,160 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
120 |
$30.22 |
$62,860 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
120 |
$12.12 |
$25,200 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
120 |
$13.66 |
$28,410 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
110 |
$40.85 |
$84,960 |
| Dental hygienists |
110 |
$34.43 |
$71,610 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
110 |
$18.13 |
$37,700 |
| Parts salespersons |
110 |
$20.31 |
$42,250 |
| Plating and coating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
110 |
$14.37 |
$29,900 |
| Data entry keyers |
100 |
$14.21 |
$29,560 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
100 |
$23.95 |
$49,810 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
100 |
$20.13 |
$41,860 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
100 |
$33.90 |
$70,520 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
100 |
$19.85 |
$41,300 |
| Librarians |
100 |
$30.51 |
$63,460 |
| Loan officers |
100 |
$36.34 |
$75,590 |
| Marketing managers |
100 |
$44.16 |
$91,850 |
| Mechanical engineers |
100 |
$37.89 |
$78,800 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
100 |
$21.51 |
$44,730 |
| Mental health counselors |
100 |
$17.18 |
$35,740 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
100 |
$22.29 |
$46,360 |
| Residential advisors |
100 |
$13.66 |
$28,420 |
| Cost estimators |
90 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Highway maintenance workers |
90 |
$22.94 |
$47,700 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
90 |
$15.27 |
$31,770 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
90 |
$21.28 |
$44,260 |
| Managers, all other |
90 |
$48.63 |
$101,150 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
90 |
$19.96 |
$41,510 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
90 |
$11.56 |
$24,040 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
90 |
$20.34 |
$42,300 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
90 |
$17.30 |
$35,990 |
| Surgeons |
90 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
90 |
$12.32 |
$25,630 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$14.24 |
$29,620 |
| Cooks, short order |
80 |
$9.49 |
$19,740 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
80 |
$9.54 |
$19,840 |
| File clerks |
80 |
$11.98 |
$24,910 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
80 |
$18.90 |
$39,300 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers |
80 |
$9.04 |
$18,800 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
80 |
$18.09 |
$37,630 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
80 |
$33.41 |
$69,480 |
| Occupational therapists |
80 |
$38.74 |
$80,570 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
80 |
$21.41 |
$44,540 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
80 |
$19.58 |
$40,720 |
| Printing machine operators |
80 |
$16.75 |
$34,830 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
80 |
$27.10 |
$56,370 |
| Computer programmers |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Computer systems analysts |
70 |
$34.70 |
$72,170 |
| Construction managers |
70 |
$46.69 |
$97,120 |
| Editors |
70 |
$26.57 |
$55,270 |
| Electrical engineers |
70 |
$36.13 |
$75,140 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
70 |
$26.86 |
$55,880 |
| Engineering managers |
70 |
$53.73 |
$111,760 |
| Graphic designers |
70 |
$20.85 |
$43,370 |
| Helpers--electricians |
70 |
$15.51 |
$32,260 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
70 |
$10.58 |
$22,010 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
70 |
$18.09 |
$37,630 |
| Management analysts |
70 |
$37.68 |
$78,380 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
70 |
$13.32 |
$27,700 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
70 |
$16.72 |
$34,770 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Speech-language pathologists |
70 |
$40.06 |
$83,330 |
| Telemarketers |
70 |
$14.48 |
$30,120 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
70 |
$16.61 |
$34,540 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
60 |
$20.04 |
$41,680 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
60 |
$33.47 |
$69,610 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
60 |
$56.50 |
$117,520 |
| Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program |
60 |
$22.75 |
$47,330 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
60 |
$28.66 |
$59,620 |
| Financial analysts |
60 |
$35.36 |
$73,550 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
60 |
$18.24 |
$37,930 |
| Industrial engineers |
60 |
$34.65 |
$72,070 |
| Library technicians |
60 |
$14.27 |
$29,670 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
60 |
$11.38 |
$23,660 |
| Physician assistants |
60 |
$47.03 |
$97,820 |
| Postal service clerks |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
60 |
$29.55 |
$61,470 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
60 |
$22.36 |
$46,510 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
50 |
$16.94 |
$35,230 |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
50 |
$28.76 |
$59,810 |
| Chemists |
50 |
$34.63 |
$72,040 |
| Civil engineers |
50 |
$38.12 |
$79,290 |
| Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders |
50 |
$12.81 |
$26,650 |
| Computer operators |
50 |
$17.06 |
$35,490 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
50 |
$29.60 |
$61,580 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
50 |
$27.02 |
$56,200 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
50 |
$14.96 |
$31,110 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
50 |
$26.85 |
$55,850 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
50 |
Not available |
$58,640 |
| Public relations specialists |
50 |
$25.43 |
$52,890 |
| Purchasing managers |
50 |
$36.27 |
$75,430 |
| Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents |
50 |
$38.46 |
$80,000 |
| Training and development specialists |
50 |
$24.17 |
$50,270 |
| Travel agents |
50 |
$16.27 |
$33,850 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
40 |
$18.64 |
$38,760 |
| Chemical engineers |
40 |
$39.57 |
$82,300 |
| Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
40 |
$12.93 |
$26,890 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
40 |
$27.05 |
$56,260 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
40 |
$18.74 |
$38,980 |
| Dentists, general |
40 |
More than $70 |
More than $145,600 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
40 |
$33.65 |
$69,990 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
40 |
$33.93 |
$70,570 |
| Education administrators, postsecondary |
40 |
$43.59 |
$90,670 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
40 |
$20.95 |
$43,590 |
| Funeral attendants |
40 |
$12.63 |
$26,260 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
40 |
$23.62 |
$49,130 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other |
40 |
$29.28 |
$60,890 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
40 |
$11.11 |
$23,110 |
| Human resources managers, all other |
40 |
$39.78 |
$82,750 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
40 |
$31.46 |
$65,440 |
| Recreational therapists |
40 |
$20.66 |
$42,980 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
40 |
$21.15 |
$44,000 |
| Sewing machine operators |
40 |
$10.90 |
$22,680 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
40 |
$11.98 |
$24,910 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
40 |
$17.14 |
$35,640 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
30 |
$26.93 |
$56,020 |
| Compensation and benefits managers |
30 |
$43.50 |
$90,480 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
30 |
$18.86 |
$39,230 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
30 |
$25.59 |
$53,240 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
30 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Obstetricians and gynecologists |
30 |
$82.29 |
$171,150 |
| Physical therapist aides |
30 |
$12.92 |
$26,870 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
30 |
$46.76 |
$97,270 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
30 |
Not available |
$60,410 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
Not available |
$9.89 |
$20,580 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
Not available |
$16.79 |
$34,920 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
Not available |
$23.84 |
$49,580 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
Not available |
$43.45 |
$90,380 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
Not available |
$23.20 |
$48,250 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$16.54 |
$34,410 |
| Funeral directors |
Not available |
$28.28 |
$58,820 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$11.51 |
$23,940 |
| Health diagnosing and treating practitioners, all other |
Not available |
$41.21 |
$85,710 |
| Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$19.10 |
$39,730 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
Not available |
$13.30 |
$27,670 |
| Helpers--production workers |
Not available |
$10.22 |
$21,270 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
Not available |
$18.79 |
$39,070 |
| Internists, general |
Not available |
$94.25 |
$196,040 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
Not available |
$11.18 |
$23,250 |
| Market research analysts |
Not available |
$26.82 |
$55,780 |
| New accounts clerks |
Not available |
$14.28 |
$29,710 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
Not available |
$24.47 |
$50,900 |
| Order clerks |
Not available |
$15.18 |
$31,570 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$11.64 |
$24,210 |
| Personal care and service workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.42 |
$27,920 |
| Personal financial advisors |
Not available |
$55.83 |
$116,130 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
$43.86 |
$91,230 |
| Production workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.57 |
$28,230 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
Not available |
$19.82 |
$41,210 |
| Service station attendants |
Not available |
$10.08 |
$20,970 |
| Sheet metal workers |
Not available |
$21.63 |
$45,000 |
| Stonemasons |
Not available |
$21.16 |
$44,010 |
| Tree trimmers and pruners |
Not available |
$13.41 |
$27,880 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
Not available |
Not available |
$61,980 |
