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 |
69,490 |
$17.83 |
$37,080 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
12,010 |
$14.46 |
$30,080 |
| Production occupations |
10,780 |
$15.11 |
$31,420 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,120 |
$15.57 |
$32,380 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
6,350 |
$14.47 |
$30,090 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,880 |
$9.07 |
$18,870 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
3,220 |
$32.37 |
$67,340 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
3,100 |
$26.32 |
$54,740 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
3,080 |
$20.70 |
$43,060 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
2,790 |
$20.30 |
$42,230 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,750 |
$18.65 |
$38,780 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,550 |
$11.16 |
$23,210 |
| Management occupations |
2,500 |
$41.00 |
$85,280 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,000 |
$12.32 |
$25,620 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,900 |
$10.87 |
$22,610 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,580 |
$11.08 |
$23,050 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
1,560 |
$19.12 |
$39,770 |
| Team assemblers |
1,500 |
$12.71 |
$26,440 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,440 |
$7.76 |
$16,140 |
| Cashiers |
1,400 |
$8.39 |
$17,460 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
1,360 |
$29.09 |
$60,520 |
| Registered nurses |
1,250 |
$29.39 |
$61,120 |
| Customer service representatives |
1,220 |
$14.85 |
$30,880 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,200 |
$12.68 |
$26,370 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,190 |
$10.65 |
$22,160 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,170 |
$27.07 |
$56,310 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,170 |
$16.06 |
$33,410 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,110 |
$10.82 |
$22,500 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
1,060 |
$25.59 |
$53,230 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
980 |
$14.56 |
$30,280 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
960 |
$10.89 |
$22,650 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
920 |
$8.35 |
$17,370 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
850 |
$12.41 |
$25,810 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
820 |
$11.72 |
$24,380 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
800 |
$18.37 |
$38,220 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
720 |
$23.04 |
$47,930 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
710 |
$16.61 |
$34,550 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
670 |
$14.21 |
$29,550 |
| General and operations managers |
630 |
$46.76 |
$97,260 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
620 |
$11.87 |
$24,690 |
| Bartenders |
610 |
$8.91 |
$18,540 |
| Carpenters |
590 |
$17.76 |
$36,940 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
590 |
$17.12 |
$35,610 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
570 |
$22.49 |
$46,780 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders |
570 |
$15.36 |
$31,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
550 |
$20.53 |
$42,700 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
550 |
$17.43 |
$36,250 |
| Order clerks |
540 |
$13.87 |
$28,860 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
510 |
$11.99 |
$24,940 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
490 |
Not available |
$49,930 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
490 |
$9.42 |
$19,590 |
| Machinists |
480 |
$18.04 |
$37,520 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
480 |
$14.69 |
$30,560 |
| Community and social services occupations |
450 |
$21.46 |
$44,630 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
450 |
$8.55 |
$17,790 |
| Accountants and auditors |
440 |
$28.55 |
$59,380 |
| Personal and home care aides |
440 |
$10.19 |
$21,190 |
| Helpers--production workers |
410 |
$12.27 |
$25,530 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
410 |
$16.27 |
$33,840 |
| Legal occupations |
410 |
$35.62 |
$74,100 |
| Tellers |
400 |
$10.77 |
$22,400 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
390 |
$16.84 |
$35,030 |
| Electricians |
380 |
$22.69 |
$47,200 |
| Teacher assistants |
370 |
Not available |
$23,970 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
360 |
$26.87 |
$55,900 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
350 |
$26.90 |
$55,950 |
| Security guards |
350 |
$10.01 |
$20,820 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
340 |
$27.09 |
$56,340 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
340 |
$13.82 |
$28,750 |
| Construction laborers |
320 |
$16.63 |
$34,580 |
| Home health aides |
310 |
$10.29 |
$21,410 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
300 |
$23.79 |
$49,480 |
| Bus drivers, school |
290 |
$14.41 |
$29,970 |
| Computer systems analysts |
280 |
$30.74 |
$63,940 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
280 |
$17.50 |
$36,410 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
280 |
$23.03 |
$47,900 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
270 |
$11.37 |
$23,650 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
260 |
$10.34 |
$21,500 |
| Medical assistants |
260 |
$14.40 |
$29,950 |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood |
260 |
$12.18 |
$25,340 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
250 |
$33.76 |
$70,220 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
250 |
$12.59 |
$26,180 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
250 |
$19.78 |
$41,150 |
| Parts salespersons |
240 |
$13.15 |
$27,360 |
| Computer support specialists |
230 |
$19.38 |
$40,320 |
| Financial managers |
230 |
$46.37 |
$96,440 |
| Cost estimators |
220 |
$26.02 |
$54,120 |
| Driver/sales workers |
220 |
$14.70 |
$30,580 |
| Fire fighters |
220 |
$14.98 |
$31,160 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
220 |
$11.80 |
$24,540 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
210 |
$15.21 |
$31,630 |
| Food preparation workers |
210 |
$8.68 |
$18,050 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
210 |
$11.10 |
$23,090 |
| All other information and record clerks |
200 |
$12.50 |
$26,010 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
200 |
$12.74 |
$26,490 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
200 |
$14.41 |
$29,970 |
| Sales managers |
200 |
$41.10 |
$85,480 |
| Computer programmers |
190 |
$25.87 |
$53,820 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
190 |
$9.59 |
$19,940 |
| Mechanical engineers |
190 |
$30.66 |
$63,780 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
190 |
$17.00 |
$35,350 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
190 |
$21.38 |
$44,480 |
| Civil engineers |
180 |
$27.38 |
$56,950 |
| Dental assistants |
180 |
$13.78 |
$28,670 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
180 |
$26.99 |
$56,140 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
180 |
$12.07 |
$25,100 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
180 |
$9.17 |
$19,070 |
| Industrial engineers |
180 |
$32.83 |
$68,280 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
180 |
$12.56 |
$26,120 |
| Management analysts |
180 |
$31.25 |
$65,000 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
170 |
$14.64 |
$30,440 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
170 |
$10.76 |
$22,380 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
170 |
$11.75 |
$24,430 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
170 |
$28.67 |
$59,630 |
| Industrial production managers |
170 |
$46.93 |
$97,610 |
| Lawyers |
170 |
$61.43 |
$127,760 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
170 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
170 |
$22.06 |
$45,880 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
160 |
$19.59 |
$40,750 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
160 |
$17.50 |
$36,400 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
160 |
$28.73 |
$59,750 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
160 |
$18.06 |
$37,570 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
160 |
Not available |
$49,990 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
160 |
$34.83 |
$72,450 |
| Cooks, fast food |
150 |
$8.49 |
$17,670 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
150 |
$17.03 |
$35,410 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
150 |
$34.09 |
$70,900 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
150 |
$18.90 |
$39,310 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
150 |
$12.28 |
$25,540 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
140 |
$13.84 |
$28,800 |
| Financial analysts |
140 |
$30.49 |
$63,420 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
140 |
$18.65 |
$38,790 |
| Loan officers |
140 |
$30.59 |
$63,620 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
140 |
$27.56 |
$57,330 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
140 |
$24.06 |
$50,050 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
130 |
$9.48 |
$19,720 |
| Graphic designers |
130 |
$17.08 |
$35,530 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
130 |
$20.41 |
$42,450 |
| Insurance sales agents |
130 |
$22.49 |
$46,780 |
| Legislators |
130 |
Not available |
$16,160 |
| Millwrights |
130 |
$23.98 |
$49,870 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
130 |
$12.83 |
$26,690 |
| Chief executives |
120 |
$75.79 |
$157,650 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
120 |
$10.70 |
$22,250 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
120 |
$7.99 |
$16,620 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
120 |
$15.72 |
$32,700 |
| Mechanical drafters |
120 |
$22.03 |
$45,830 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
120 |
$23.40 |
$48,660 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
120 |
$13.23 |
$27,530 |
| Administrative services managers |
110 |
$28.23 |
$58,720 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
110 |
$9.41 |
$19,580 |
| Commercial and industrial designers |
110 |
$26.59 |
$55,310 |
| Dental hygienists |
110 |
$27.27 |
$56,720 |
| Dishwashers |
110 |
$7.82 |
$16,270 |
| File clerks |
110 |
$12.21 |
$25,400 |
| Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic |
110 |
$15.51 |
$32,250 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
110 |
$15.98 |
$33,240 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
100 |
$14.23 |
$29,600 |
| Child care workers |
100 |
$8.93 |
$18,580 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
100 |
$24.76 |
$51,510 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
100 |
$43.65 |
$90,800 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
100 |
$8.53 |
$17,740 |
| Medical and health services managers |
100 |
$38.85 |
$80,800 |
| Medical secretaries |
100 |
$15.12 |
$31,450 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
100 |
$19.98 |
$41,550 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
100 |
$16.75 |
$34,840 |
| Advertising sales agents |
90 |
$19.56 |
$40,680 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
90 |
$17.58 |
$36,580 |
| Computer operators |
90 |
$18.91 |
$39,320 |
| Engineering managers |
90 |
$41.32 |
$85,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
90 |
$18.46 |
$38,410 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
90 |
$12.36 |
$25,720 |
| Managers, all other |
90 |
$38.64 |
$80,370 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
90 |
$15.42 |
$32,080 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
90 |
$11.38 |
$23,670 |
| Surgical technologists |
90 |
$19.76 |
$41,090 |
| Bill and account collectors |
80 |
$15.33 |
$31,880 |
| Credit analysts |
80 |
$25.35 |
$52,720 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
80 |
$15.81 |
$32,880 |
| Library technicians |
80 |
$12.98 |
$26,990 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
80 |
$11.12 |
$23,140 |
| Market research analysts |
80 |
$27.25 |
$56,680 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
80 |
$31.17 |
$64,830 |
| Pharmacists |
80 |
$53.18 |
$110,620 |
| Public relations specialists |
80 |
$25.66 |
$53,370 |
| Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$18.53 |
$38,540 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
80 |
$11.85 |
$24,640 |
| Training and development specialists |
80 |
$24.05 |
$50,030 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
80 |
$14.10 |
$29,330 |
| Data entry keyers |
70 |
$11.65 |
$24,240 |
| Database administrators |
70 |
$34.02 |
$70,760 |
| Demonstrators and product promoters |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Food service managers |
70 |
$15.62 |
$32,480 |
| Graders and sorters, agricultural products |
70 |
$8.75 |
$18,200 |
| Insurance underwriters |
70 |
$29.36 |
$61,080 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
70 |
$14.12 |
$29,370 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
70 |
$26.53 |
$55,180 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
70 |
$14.22 |
$29,580 |
| Physical therapists |
70 |
$29.82 |
$62,030 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
70 |
$18.94 |
$39,390 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
70 |
Not available |
$29,300 |
| Telemarketers |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
60 |
$29.28 |
$60,910 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
60 |
$21.14 |
$43,970 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
60 |
$16.25 |
$33,800 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
60 |
$17.70 |
$36,810 |
| Floral designers |
60 |
$9.59 |
$19,940 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other |
60 |
$18.13 |
$37,710 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
60 |
$16.76 |
$34,860 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
60 |
$9.94 |
$20,670 |
| Personal financial advisors |
60 |
$32.89 |
$68,410 |
| Recreation workers |
60 |
$10.49 |
$21,830 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
60 |
$9.88 |
$20,550 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
60 |
$23.56 |
$49,010 |
| Bus drivers, transit and intercity |
50 |
$14.96 |
$31,110 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
50 |
$24.21 |
$50,360 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
50 |
$23.80 |
$49,500 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
50 |
$20.20 |
$42,020 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
50 |
$25.93 |
$53,940 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
50 |
$17.13 |
$35,640 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
50 |
$32.79 |
$68,190 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
50 |
$14.10 |
$29,320 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
50 |
$13.80 |
$28,690 |
| Marketing managers |
50 |
$46.57 |
$96,860 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
50 |
$24.19 |
$50,320 |
| Printing machine operators |
50 |
$16.66 |
$34,650 |
| Respiratory therapists |
50 |
$22.80 |
$47,430 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
50 |
$18.36 |
$38,180 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
50 |
$15.18 |
$31,580 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
50 |
$22.87 |
$47,570 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
50 |
$12.81 |
$26,650 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
50 |
$41.55 |
$86,430 |
| Bakers |
40 |
$11.78 |
$24,500 |
| Construction managers |
40 |
$55.80 |
$116,060 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
40 |
$13.16 |
$27,380 |
| Dental laboratory technicians |
40 |
$20.01 |
$41,610 |
| Drafters, all other |
40 |
$18.40 |
$38,270 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$83,010 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
40 |
$26.15 |
$54,390 |
| Electrical engineers |
40 |
$32.74 |
$68,100 |
| Furniture finishers |
40 |
$11.60 |
$24,130 |
| Logisticians |
40 |
$30.70 |
$63,870 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
40 |
$19.96 |
$41,520 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
40 |
$23.30 |
$48,470 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
40 |
$16.53 |
$34,380 |
| Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics |
40 |
$12.34 |
$25,660 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
40 |
$18.54 |
$38,550 |
| Photographers |
40 |
$16.18 |
$33,650 |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$15.82 |
$32,910 |
| Service station attendants |
40 |
$9.58 |
$19,920 |
| Slaughterers and meat packers |
40 |
$12.17 |
$25,310 |
| Social and community service managers |
40 |
$18.79 |
$39,090 |
| Veterinarians |
40 |
$36.47 |
$75,870 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
30 |
$17.61 |
$36,630 |
| Electronics engineers, except computer |
30 |
$36.53 |
$75,970 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
30 |
$14.19 |
$29,510 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
30 |
$9.96 |
$20,710 |
| Human resources managers, all other |
30 |
$41.13 |
$85,550 |
| Librarians |
30 |
$26.35 |
$54,810 |
| Mental health counselors |
30 |
$22.84 |
$47,500 |
| Occupational therapists |
30 |
$27.92 |
$58,070 |
| Purchasing managers |
30 |
$32.06 |
$66,680 |
| Sewing machine operators |
30 |
$9.87 |
$20,520 |
| Surveyors |
30 |
$23.51 |
$48,910 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
30 |
$14.03 |
$29,180 |
| Architects, except landscape and naval |
Not available |
$32.37 |
$67,320 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
Not available |
$12.06 |
$25,080 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
Not available |
$19.93 |
$41,450 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
Not available |
$19.56 |
$40,690 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$15.11 |
$31,430 |
| Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door |
Not available |
$23.10 |
$48,040 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$10.26 |
$21,350 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$11.12 |
$23,120 |
| Couriers and messengers |
Not available |
$9.46 |
$19,670 |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$14.17 |
$29,460 |
| Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$15.50 |
$32,250 |
| Food batchmakers |
Not available |
$14.08 |
$29,290 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$13.80 |
$28,710 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
Not available |
$20.58 |
$42,810 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
Not available |
$14.58 |
$30,330 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$18.69 |
$38,870 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
Not available |
$16.81 |
$34,960 |
| Painting, coating, and decorating workers |
Not available |
$11.13 |
$23,150 |
| Pharmacy aides |
Not available |
$8.45 |
$17,580 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
$95.40 |
$198,430 |
| Production workers, all other |
Not available |
$11.18 |
$23,260 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
Not available |
Not available |
$36,320 |
| Sheet metal workers |
Not available |
$25.48 |
$53,000 |
| Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers |
Not available |
$11.95 |
$24,850 |
| Tool and die makers |
Not available |
$21.77 |
$45,280 |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$15.56 |
$32,360 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
Not available |
$12.34 |
$25,670 |
