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 |
63,750 |
$15.61 |
$32,460 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
11,010 |
$12.18 |
$25,330 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
7,450 |
$8.44 |
$17,540 |
| Sales and related occupations |
7,350 |
$13.85 |
$28,810 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,690 |
$13.56 |
$28,200 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,620 |
$24.81 |
$51,610 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
3,530 |
$18.66 |
$38,820 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,070 |
$19.78 |
$41,150 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,810 |
$17.71 |
$36,840 |
| Production occupations |
2,630 |
$17.06 |
$35,490 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,430 |
$10.07 |
$20,950 |
| Management occupations |
2,370 |
$35.44 |
$73,720 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
2,350 |
$8.74 |
$18,170 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,330 |
$10.14 |
$21,090 |
| Cashiers |
2,180 |
$7.90 |
$16,440 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
2,170 |
$7.56 |
$15,730 |
| Office clerks, general |
2,120 |
$11.18 |
$23,260 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,990 |
$9.78 |
$20,340 |
| Registered nurses |
1,770 |
$22.44 |
$46,670 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,700 |
$22.56 |
$46,920 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,680 |
$14.52 |
$30,200 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,590 |
$7.68 |
$15,980 |
| Community and social services occupations |
1,400 |
$15.63 |
$32,510 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,350 |
$10.91 |
$22,680 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
1,140 |
$9.99 |
$20,790 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,120 |
$9.90 |
$20,590 |
| Customer service representatives |
1,010 |
$11.53 |
$23,990 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
940 |
$11.05 |
$22,980 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
930 |
$9.19 |
$19,110 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
810 |
$29.31 |
$60,960 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
770 |
$14.72 |
$30,620 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
730 |
$12.64 |
$26,300 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
690 |
$14.83 |
$30,850 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
680 |
Not available |
$44,390 |
| Home health aides |
660 |
$8.59 |
$17,880 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
650 |
$27.02 |
$56,200 |
| Personal and home care aides |
640 |
$8.14 |
$16,930 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
630 |
$13.58 |
$28,250 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
610 |
$19.07 |
$39,660 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
610 |
$24.67 |
$51,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
580 |
$17.18 |
$35,730 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
570 |
$16.74 |
$34,830 |
| Security guards |
570 |
$9.52 |
$19,790 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
550 |
$16.14 |
$33,570 |
| Tellers |
550 |
$9.54 |
$19,850 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
530 |
$8.99 |
$18,700 |
| General and operations managers |
530 |
$33.42 |
$69,500 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
510 |
$9.84 |
$20,460 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
500 |
$14.34 |
$29,820 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
490 |
$8.63 |
$17,940 |
| Electricians |
470 |
$23.70 |
$49,290 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
450 |
Not available |
$43,300 |
| Food preparation workers |
450 |
$8.51 |
$17,710 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
430 |
$17.21 |
$35,790 |
| Carpenters |
410 |
$15.44 |
$32,110 |
| Construction laborers |
410 |
$14.26 |
$29,660 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
410 |
$11.75 |
$24,430 |
| Accountants and auditors |
390 |
$26.75 |
$55,640 |
| Legal occupations |
390 |
$27.27 |
$56,720 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
380 |
$24.37 |
$50,690 |
| Bartenders |
370 |
$7.61 |
$15,830 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
340 |
$9.75 |
$20,290 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
330 |
$9.08 |
$18,880 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
310 |
$17.35 |
$36,090 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
300 |
$12.57 |
$26,150 |
| Dishwashers |
300 |
$7.80 |
$16,220 |
| Teacher assistants |
300 |
Not available |
$21,460 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
290 |
$13.52 |
$28,120 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
280 |
$25.54 |
$53,130 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
270 |
$8.36 |
$17,400 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
270 |
$24.11 |
$50,150 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
270 |
$21.95 |
$45,650 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
270 |
$9.37 |
$19,500 |
| Social and human service assistants |
260 |
$8.75 |
$18,210 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
250 |
$9.36 |
$19,460 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
240 |
$7.51 |
$15,620 |
| Cooks, fast food |
240 |
$7.82 |
$16,270 |
| Chief executives |
230 |
$52.68 |
$109,570 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
220 |
$19.32 |
$40,190 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
210 |
$19.61 |
$40,790 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
210 |
$7.40 |
$15,390 |
| Insurance sales agents |
210 |
$21.78 |
$45,310 |
| Child care workers |
200 |
$7.96 |
$16,560 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
200 |
$7.77 |
$16,160 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
200 |
$20.94 |
$43,560 |
| Medical assistants |
200 |
$10.71 |
$22,270 |
| Bus drivers, school |
190 |
$11.74 |
$24,410 |
| Computer support specialists |
190 |
$17.38 |
$36,160 |
| Driver/sales workers |
190 |
$9.15 |
$19,030 |
| Medical secretaries |
190 |
$11.65 |
$24,230 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
190 |
$11.86 |
$24,670 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
190 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
190 |
$11.37 |
$23,650 |
| Financial managers |
180 |
$39.36 |
$81,870 |
| Machinists |
180 |
$16.43 |
$34,180 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
170 |
$10.04 |
$20,870 |
| Fire fighters |
170 |
$10.88 |
$22,630 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
170 |
Not available |
$41,930 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
170 |
$25.04 |
$52,080 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
170 |
$19.03 |
$39,580 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
160 |
$30.39 |
$63,220 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
160 |
$20.61 |
$42,870 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
160 |
$15.97 |
$33,210 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
160 |
$10.28 |
$21,380 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
150 |
$19.04 |
$39,610 |
| Couriers and messengers |
140 |
$9.93 |
$20,650 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
140 |
$27.31 |
$56,810 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
140 |
$17.87 |
$37,160 |
| Recreation workers |
140 |
$8.81 |
$18,320 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
130 |
$11.66 |
$24,250 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
130 |
$12.62 |
$26,250 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
130 |
$8.21 |
$17,070 |
| Lawyers |
130 |
$43.03 |
$89,490 |
| Parts salespersons |
130 |
$12.93 |
$26,900 |
| Pharmacists |
130 |
$47.86 |
$99,560 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
130 |
$13.41 |
$27,900 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
130 |
$22.18 |
$46,120 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
120 |
$17.13 |
$35,630 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
120 |
$20.07 |
$41,740 |
| Coaches and scouts |
120 |
Not available |
$32,030 |
| Cooks, short order |
120 |
$9.60 |
$19,970 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
120 |
$10.34 |
$21,500 |
| Industrial production managers |
120 |
$36.63 |
$76,190 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
120 |
$11.93 |
$24,820 |
| Medical and health services managers |
120 |
$32.47 |
$67,530 |
| Sales managers |
120 |
$37.09 |
$77,150 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
120 |
Not available |
$39,520 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
120 |
$8.86 |
$18,430 |
| Dental hygienists |
110 |
$21.67 |
$45,070 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
110 |
Not available |
$70,400 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
110 |
$20.69 |
$43,030 |
| Funeral attendants |
110 |
$8.88 |
$18,480 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
110 |
$15.86 |
$32,980 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
110 |
$8.19 |
$17,030 |
| Respiratory therapists |
110 |
$21.27 |
$44,240 |
| Roofers |
110 |
$19.44 |
$40,440 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
110 |
Not available |
$43,680 |
| Bill and account collectors |
100 |
$13.86 |
$28,820 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
100 |
$8.33 |
$17,330 |
| Computer systems analysts |
100 |
$29.05 |
$60,430 |
| Dental assistants |
100 |
$11.21 |
$23,320 |
| Family and general practitioners |
100 |
$81.73 |
$169,990 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
100 |
$12.87 |
$26,760 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
100 |
$22.26 |
$46,290 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
100 |
$15.10 |
$31,400 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
100 |
$12.80 |
$26,620 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
100 |
$13.87 |
$28,840 |
| Public relations specialists |
100 |
$13.48 |
$28,040 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$39,990 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
100 |
$10.03 |
$20,870 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
100 |
Not available |
$49,040 |
| Administrative services managers |
90 |
$29.44 |
$61,230 |
| Chemical technicians |
90 |
$17.54 |
$36,480 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
90 |
$33.57 |
$69,820 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
90 |
$8.44 |
$17,550 |
| Food service managers |
90 |
$22.79 |
$47,390 |
| Managers, all other |
90 |
$37.28 |
$77,530 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
90 |
$13.43 |
$27,930 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
90 |
$24.43 |
$50,800 |
| Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary |
90 |
Not available |
$47,510 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
90 |
$12.11 |
$25,180 |
| Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
80 |
$10.86 |
$22,580 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
80 |
$45.39 |
$94,410 |
| Computer programmers |
80 |
$27.42 |
$57,040 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
80 |
$19.96 |
$41,530 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
80 |
$15.09 |
$31,390 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
80 |
Not available |
$45,460 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
80 |
$12.02 |
$25,010 |
| Power plant operators |
80 |
$29.93 |
$62,250 |
| Service station attendants |
80 |
$8.28 |
$17,230 |
| Social and community service managers |
80 |
$21.88 |
$45,510 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
70 |
$19.30 |
$40,150 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
70 |
$21.43 |
$44,580 |
| Demonstrators and product promoters |
70 |
$10.70 |
$22,260 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
70 |
$15.00 |
$31,200 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
70 |
$16.94 |
$35,240 |
| Market research analysts |
70 |
$19.82 |
$41,220 |
| Physical therapists |
70 |
$33.60 |
$69,890 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
70 |
$22.13 |
$46,040 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
60 |
$16.82 |
$34,980 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
60 |
$11.48 |
$23,870 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
60 |
$18.27 |
$38,000 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
60 |
$30.80 |
$64,060 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
60 |
$14.49 |
$30,150 |
| Cost estimators |
60 |
$24.82 |
$51,620 |
| File clerks |
60 |
$12.10 |
$25,170 |
| Legislators |
60 |
Not available |
$37,950 |
| Librarians |
60 |
$17.67 |
$36,750 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
60 |
$11.39 |
$23,690 |
| Mental health counselors |
60 |
$16.15 |
$33,600 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$15.82 |
$32,910 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$16.81 |
$34,970 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers |
60 |
$12.43 |
$25,850 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
60 |
$14.31 |
$29,770 |
| Advertising sales agents |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Bakers |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Business teachers, postsecondary |
50 |
Not available |
$61,710 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
50 |
$16.62 |
$34,560 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
50 |
$13.19 |
$27,440 |
| Education administrators, postsecondary |
50 |
$32.63 |
$67,870 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$15.21 |
$31,640 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
50 |
$9.26 |
$19,260 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
50 |
$16.78 |
$34,900 |
| Industrial engineers |
50 |
$33.48 |
$69,640 |
| Loan officers |
50 |
$22.88 |
$47,600 |
| Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service |
50 |
$10.13 |
$21,060 |
| Mechanical drafters |
50 |
$16.46 |
$34,240 |
| Mechanical engineers |
50 |
$30.04 |
$62,470 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
50 |
$16.11 |
$33,510 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
50 |
$17.89 |
$37,200 |
| Meeting and convention planners |
50 |
$16.62 |
$34,570 |
| New accounts clerks |
50 |
$11.60 |
$24,120 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
50 |
$8.55 |
$17,780 |
| Parking lot attendants |
50 |
$7.50 |
$15,610 |
| Pharmacy aides |
50 |
$9.25 |
$19,240 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production workers, all other |
50 |
$16.30 |
$33,900 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
50 |
$22.93 |
$47,690 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
50 |
$11.99 |
$24,940 |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
50 |
$23.29 |
$48,430 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
50 |
$9.68 |
$20,140 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
50 |
$23.84 |
$49,590 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
40 |
$11.43 |
$23,780 |
| Civil engineers |
40 |
$29.05 |
$60,410 |
| Dentists, general |
40 |
$82.19 |
$170,960 |
| Electrical engineers |
40 |
$39.37 |
$81,890 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
40 |
$20.64 |
$42,940 |
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary |
40 |
Not available |
$45,190 |
| Floral designers |
40 |
$9.14 |
$19,000 |
| Funeral directors |
40 |
$21.53 |
$44,780 |
| Library technicians |
40 |
$12.49 |
$25,980 |
| Marketing managers |
40 |
$53.88 |
$112,080 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
40 |
$13.36 |
$27,800 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
40 |
$30.59 |
$63,630 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
40 |
$14.39 |
$29,930 |
| Order clerks |
40 |
$12.67 |
$26,360 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
40 |
$17.75 |
$36,910 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Postmasters and mail superintendents |
40 |
$27.40 |
$56,990 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
40 |
$18.14 |
$37,730 |
| Real estate sales agents |
40 |
$21.36 |
$44,420 |
| Sheet metal workers |
40 |
$15.93 |
$33,140 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
40 |
$16.74 |
$34,820 |
| Surgical technologists |
40 |
$14.61 |
$30,380 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
40 |
$10.02 |
$20,850 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
40 |
$28.71 |
$59,710 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
40 |
$32.62 |
$67,850 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
40 |
$21.72 |
$45,170 |
| All other information and record clerks |
30 |
$14.75 |
$30,690 |
| Carpet installers |
30 |
$11.50 |
$23,920 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
30 |
$27.69 |
$57,600 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
30 |
$18.04 |
$37,520 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
30 |
$13.16 |
$27,380 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
30 |
$24.85 |
$51,690 |
| Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors |
30 |
$28.40 |
$59,070 |
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary |
30 |
Not available |
$66,160 |
| Management analysts |
30 |
$29.43 |
$61,210 |
| Occupational therapists |
30 |
$29.75 |
$61,870 |
| Physical therapist aides |
30 |
$11.06 |
$23,010 |
| Physical therapist assistants |
30 |
$20.60 |
$42,850 |
| Physician assistants |
30 |
$38.20 |
$79,460 |
| Social workers, all other |
30 |
$16.51 |
$34,330 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
30 |
$25.85 |
$53,760 |
| Tax preparers |
30 |
$8.58 |
$17,850 |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$12.59 |
$26,190 |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
Not available |
$18.55 |
$38,580 |
| Clergy |
Not available |
$26.36 |
$54,840 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
Not available |
$18.79 |
$39,090 |
| Credit analysts |
Not available |
$24.85 |
$51,680 |
| Data entry keyers |
Not available |
$8.65 |
$17,990 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
Not available |
$26.81 |
$55,770 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
Not available |
$24.40 |
$50,750 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
Not available |
$17.20 |
$35,780 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
Not available |
$22.83 |
$47,480 |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other |
Not available |
$19.62 |
$40,820 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
Not available |
$12.75 |
$26,520 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$11.55 |
$24,030 |
| Helpers--extraction workers |
Not available |
$20.43 |
$42,500 |
| Helpers--production workers |
Not available |
$11.29 |
$23,490 |
| Home appliance repairers |
Not available |
$11.65 |
$24,220 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
Not available |
$14.69 |
$30,560 |
| Legal secretaries |
Not available |
$12.48 |
$25,960 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
Not available |
$13.70 |
$28,490 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
Not available |
$23.42 |
$48,720 |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other |
Not available |
$11.93 |
$24,810 |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$68,660 |
| Sewing machine operators |
Not available |
$9.06 |
$18,850 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$25.08 |
$52,170 |
| Word processors and typists |
Not available |
$20.41 |
$42,450 |
