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 |
58,040 |
$15.77 |
$32,810 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
10,100 |
$12.69 |
$26,390 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,540 |
$12.48 |
$25,960 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
5,470 |
$8.16 |
$16,970 |
| Production occupations |
5,020 |
$13.64 |
$28,370 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
4,200 |
$19.46 |
$40,480 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
4,120 |
$17.91 |
$37,260 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
4,000 |
$25.42 |
$52,880 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,490 |
$13.56 |
$28,200 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,740 |
$15.44 |
$32,110 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
2,300 |
$10.06 |
$20,930 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,930 |
$10.21 |
$21,240 |
| Protective service occupations |
1,920 |
$16.50 |
$34,310 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,790 |
$7.46 |
$15,520 |
| Management occupations |
1,740 |
$38.40 |
$79,860 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,730 |
$25.09 |
$52,180 |
| Cashiers |
1,670 |
$8.12 |
$16,890 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,590 |
$9.72 |
$20,230 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,410 |
$9.02 |
$18,770 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
1,350 |
$11.78 |
$24,500 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,190 |
$10.06 |
$20,920 |
| Registered nurses |
1,160 |
$25.75 |
$53,550 |
| Customer service representatives |
1,140 |
$10.75 |
$22,370 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
1,070 |
$9.36 |
$19,460 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
1,070 |
$7.91 |
$16,460 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
1,060 |
$21.16 |
$44,000 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,030 |
$10.82 |
$22,500 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
910 |
$27.36 |
$56,900 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
850 |
$14.13 |
$29,380 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
840 |
$16.27 |
$33,850 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
800 |
Not available |
$42,970 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
790 |
$14.99 |
$31,170 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
730 |
$9.46 |
$19,680 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
710 |
$9.56 |
$19,880 |
| General and operations managers |
690 |
$44.11 |
$91,760 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
660 |
Not available |
$45,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
580 |
$18.45 |
$38,380 |
| Teacher assistants |
560 |
Not available |
$16,120 |
| Community and social services occupations |
530 |
$19.85 |
$41,300 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
530 |
$18.49 |
$38,470 |
| Personal and home care aides |
520 |
$7.28 |
$15,140 |
| Home health aides |
500 |
$8.29 |
$17,250 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
500 |
$12.65 |
$26,310 |
| Team assemblers |
500 |
$9.39 |
$19,530 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
490 |
Not available |
$43,620 |
| Construction laborers |
480 |
$9.65 |
$20,070 |
| Dishwashers |
470 |
$7.32 |
$15,240 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
470 |
$16.54 |
$34,400 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
470 |
$12.25 |
$25,470 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
470 |
$10.24 |
$21,290 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
470 |
$12.81 |
$26,640 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
450 |
$22.24 |
$46,250 |
| Accountants and auditors |
440 |
$27.03 |
$56,210 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
430 |
$8.13 |
$16,910 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
420 |
$25.72 |
$53,500 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
420 |
$19.96 |
$41,510 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
410 |
$16.75 |
$34,850 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
400 |
$14.50 |
$30,170 |
| Food preparation workers |
390 |
$6.97 |
$14,500 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
390 |
$20.38 |
$42,400 |
| Tellers |
380 |
$11.46 |
$23,840 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
370 |
$10.89 |
$22,660 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
360 |
$9.15 |
$19,020 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
360 |
Not available |
$47,740 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
330 |
$16.32 |
$33,940 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
310 |
$10.01 |
$20,820 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
310 |
$16.75 |
$34,840 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
300 |
$25.76 |
$53,590 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
300 |
$22.67 |
$47,160 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
300 |
$10.26 |
$21,330 |
| Security guards |
300 |
$8.26 |
$17,190 |
| Fire fighters |
290 |
$22.30 |
$46,390 |
| Helpers--production workers |
260 |
$9.69 |
$20,150 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
250 |
$23.05 |
$47,950 |
| Machinists |
250 |
$16.36 |
$34,040 |
| Medical assistants |
230 |
$12.32 |
$25,620 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
230 |
$14.61 |
$30,390 |
| Instructional coordinators |
210 |
$30.46 |
$63,370 |
| Legal occupations |
210 |
$36.37 |
$75,650 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
200 |
$12.91 |
$26,860 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
190 |
$16.22 |
$33,750 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
190 |
$8.60 |
$17,880 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
190 |
$9.53 |
$19,810 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
190 |
$8.03 |
$16,700 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
190 |
$8.27 |
$17,200 |
| Roustabouts, oil and gas |
190 |
$14.68 |
$30,530 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
190 |
$11.62 |
$24,180 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
190 |
$14.96 |
$31,120 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
180 |
$25.10 |
$52,200 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
170 |
$8.18 |
$17,010 |
| Child care workers |
170 |
$7.59 |
$15,790 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
170 |
$25.24 |
$52,490 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
170 |
$19.66 |
$40,890 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
170 |
$22.12 |
$46,020 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
160 |
$17.69 |
$36,790 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
160 |
$7.14 |
$14,860 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Cooks, fast food |
150 |
$7.72 |
$16,050 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
150 |
$24.98 |
$51,960 |
| Parts salespersons |
150 |
$15.85 |
$32,960 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
150 |
$10.98 |
$22,840 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
150 |
$19.90 |
$41,400 |
| Bartenders |
140 |
$9.77 |
$20,310 |
| Electricians |
140 |
$21.57 |
$44,870 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
140 |
$11.91 |
$24,760 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
140 |
$14.81 |
$30,800 |
| Loan officers |
140 |
$27.58 |
$57,370 |
| Rotary drill operators, oil and gas |
140 |
$19.32 |
$40,180 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
130 |
$15.64 |
$32,530 |
| Driver/sales workers |
130 |
$11.12 |
$23,120 |
| Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
130 |
$10.82 |
$22,510 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
130 |
$11.69 |
$24,310 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
130 |
$16.15 |
$33,590 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
130 |
$14.12 |
$29,360 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
130 |
$12.15 |
$25,270 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
130 |
$21.82 |
$45,390 |
| Wellhead pumpers |
130 |
$19.31 |
$40,150 |
| Bill and account collectors |
120 |
$12.80 |
$26,620 |
| Carpenters |
120 |
$15.06 |
$31,330 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
120 |
Not available |
$61,980 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
120 |
$29.57 |
$61,510 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
120 |
$7.49 |
$15,580 |
| Pharmacists |
120 |
$50.99 |
$106,060 |
| Computer support specialists |
110 |
$19.43 |
$40,420 |
| Dental assistants |
110 |
$13.50 |
$28,080 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
110 |
$19.29 |
$40,110 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
110 |
$12.17 |
$25,310 |
| Medical secretaries |
110 |
$10.50 |
$21,840 |
| Occupational therapists |
110 |
$17.97 |
$37,380 |
| Service station attendants |
110 |
$10.14 |
$21,090 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
110 |
$9.98 |
$20,760 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
100 |
$12.75 |
$26,520 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
100 |
$13.60 |
$28,280 |
| Lawyers |
100 |
$57.38 |
$119,350 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
100 |
$12.45 |
$25,900 |
| Physical therapists |
100 |
$42.89 |
$89,210 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
100 |
Not available |
$42,490 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
90 |
$8.63 |
$17,940 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
90 |
$12.39 |
$25,770 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
90 |
$13.94 |
$28,980 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
90 |
$12.55 |
$26,110 |
| Management analysts |
90 |
$24.19 |
$50,320 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
90 |
$14.39 |
$29,930 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
90 |
$16.95 |
$35,250 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
90 |
$27.71 |
$57,630 |
| Vocational education teachers, secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$49,740 |
| Bus drivers, school |
80 |
$10.42 |
$21,670 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
80 |
$16.84 |
$35,020 |
| Librarians |
80 |
$22.77 |
$47,370 |
| Medical and health services managers |
80 |
$34.98 |
$72,770 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
80 |
$13.52 |
$28,120 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
80 |
$13.64 |
$28,370 |
| Security and fire alarm systems installers |
80 |
$15.81 |
$32,880 |
| Construction managers |
70 |
$23.68 |
$49,250 |
| Dental hygienists |
70 |
$27.73 |
$57,680 |
| Financial managers |
70 |
$43.39 |
$90,260 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
70 |
$19.30 |
$40,150 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
70 |
$15.89 |
$33,040 |
| Food service managers |
70 |
$24.44 |
$50,840 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
70 |
$16.75 |
$34,850 |
| Legal secretaries |
70 |
$19.75 |
$41,080 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
70 |
$13.25 |
$27,560 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
70 |
$90.42 |
$188,070 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Printing machine operators |
70 |
$12.94 |
$26,910 |
| Recreation workers |
70 |
$11.81 |
$24,570 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
70 |
$24.72 |
$51,410 |
| Surgical technologists |
70 |
$15.02 |
$31,230 |
| Tax preparers |
70 |
$14.05 |
$29,230 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
60 |
$14.57 |
$30,300 |
| Chief executives |
60 |
$48.53 |
$100,940 |
| Civil engineers |
60 |
$34.26 |
$71,270 |
| Coaches and scouts |
60 |
Not available |
$26,190 |
| Computer systems analysts |
60 |
$26.03 |
$54,140 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
60 |
$13.10 |
$27,250 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
60 |
$26.85 |
$55,860 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
60 |
$13.75 |
$28,610 |
| Physical therapist aides |
60 |
$9.39 |
$19,520 |
| Real estate sales agents |
60 |
$28.62 |
$59,540 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
60 |
$8.09 |
$16,820 |
| Training and development specialists |
60 |
$17.40 |
$36,200 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
60 |
$16.61 |
$34,550 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
50 |
$19.69 |
$40,960 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
50 |
$21.17 |
$44,040 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
50 |
$12.28 |
$25,540 |
| Data entry keyers |
50 |
$11.22 |
$23,330 |
| Demonstrators and product promoters |
50 |
$10.18 |
$21,170 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
50 |
$27.66 |
$57,530 |
| Industrial engineers |
50 |
$41.35 |
$86,010 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
50 |
Not available |
$42,040 |
| Mechanical engineers |
50 |
$36.03 |
$74,940 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
50 |
$14.92 |
$31,020 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
50 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales managers |
50 |
$41.13 |
$85,540 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
50 |
$15.49 |
$32,220 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
50 |
$9.82 |
$20,420 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
50 |
$10.46 |
$21,750 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
50 |
$10.74 |
$22,340 |
| Administrative services managers |
40 |
$37.01 |
$76,980 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
40 |
$30.01 |
$62,410 |
| Computer programmers |
40 |
$29.42 |
$61,190 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
40 |
$23.44 |
$48,740 |
| Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders |
40 |
$12.46 |
$25,920 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
40 |
$24.84 |
$51,670 |
| Floral designers |
40 |
$9.99 |
$20,770 |
| Logisticians |
40 |
$29.05 |
$60,430 |
| Medical equipment repairers |
40 |
$15.35 |
$31,940 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
40 |
$13.65 |
$28,400 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
40 |
$23.56 |
$49,010 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
40 |
$20.58 |
$42,800 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
40 |
$15.16 |
$31,540 |
| Office machine operators, except computer |
40 |
$11.44 |
$23,800 |
| Opticians, dispensing |
40 |
$12.21 |
$25,400 |
| Order clerks |
40 |
$14.10 |
$29,330 |
| Pharmacy aides |
40 |
$10.24 |
$21,290 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$15.63 |
$32,500 |
| Social and community service managers |
40 |
$22.95 |
$47,740 |
| Social and human service assistants |
40 |
$11.12 |
$23,120 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$42,890 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
40 |
$9.48 |
$19,710 |
| Veterinarians |
40 |
$41.75 |
$86,830 |
| Avionics technicians |
30 |
$25.00 |
$51,990 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
30 |
$24.60 |
$51,170 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
30 |
$16.33 |
$33,960 |
| Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other |
30 |
$25.45 |
$52,940 |
| File clerks |
30 |
$9.49 |
$19,750 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
30 |
$21.39 |
$44,500 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
30 |
$28.67 |
$59,630 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
30 |
$21.77 |
$45,290 |
| Library technicians |
30 |
$9.09 |
$18,900 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers |
30 |
$8.93 |
$18,570 |
| Physician assistants |
30 |
$41.72 |
$86,780 |
| Public relations specialists |
30 |
$24.46 |
$50,880 |
| Surveyors |
30 |
$23.03 |
$47,910 |
| Bakers |
Not available |
$8.19 |
$17,040 |
| Barbers |
Not available |
$13.63 |
$28,350 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
Not available |
$31.37 |
$65,250 |
| Cooks, short order |
Not available |
$6.86 |
$14,260 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
Not available |
$6.92 |
$14,400 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
Not available |
$14.60 |
$30,370 |
| Derrick operators, oil and gas |
Not available |
$15.28 |
$31,790 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
Not available |
$14.54 |
$30,250 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
Not available |
$20.19 |
$41,990 |
| Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles |
Not available |
$12.57 |
$26,140 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
Not available |
$13.54 |
$28,150 |
| Gaming and sports book writers and runners |
Not available |
$11.52 |
$23,950 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
Not available |
$7.39 |
$15,370 |
| Industrial production managers |
Not available |
$40.98 |
$85,250 |
| Insurance sales agents |
Not available |
$20.76 |
$43,180 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
Not available |
$16.67 |
$34,670 |
| Mechanical drafters |
Not available |
$22.67 |
$47,150 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
Not available |
$22.90 |
$47,620 |
| New accounts clerks |
Not available |
$14.61 |
$30,390 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
Not available |
$15.51 |
$32,270 |
| Petroleum engineers |
Not available |
$27.19 |
$56,560 |
| Respiratory therapists |
Not available |
$21.11 |
$43,920 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
Not available |
$31.66 |
$65,860 |
| Service unit operators, oil, gas, and mining |
Not available |
$18.87 |
$39,240 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
Not available |
$22.69 |
$47,190 |
