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 |
50,710 |
$16.52 |
$34,370 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
8,630 |
$13.05 |
$27,150 |
| Production occupations |
6,620 |
$14.85 |
$30,880 |
| Sales and related occupations |
5,760 |
$14.64 |
$30,460 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,160 |
$9.24 |
$19,230 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
3,850 |
$12.97 |
$26,980 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,210 |
$22.46 |
$46,710 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,930 |
$28.75 |
$59,790 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,170 |
$18.47 |
$38,410 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,140 |
$16.30 |
$33,910 |
| Retail salespersons |
2,140 |
$12.99 |
$27,030 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,910 |
$11.09 |
$23,070 |
| Cashiers |
1,700 |
$8.21 |
$17,070 |
| Management occupations |
1,550 |
$38.70 |
$80,490 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,510 |
$11.71 |
$24,350 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,430 |
$11.82 |
$24,590 |
| Customer service representatives |
1,330 |
$11.88 |
$24,720 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,260 |
$22.46 |
$46,710 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,180 |
$8.48 |
$17,640 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
1,180 |
$9.83 |
$20,440 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
1,120 |
$10.86 |
$22,590 |
| Registered nurses |
1,020 |
$26.54 |
$55,200 |
| Community and social services occupations |
990 |
$17.79 |
$36,990 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
940 |
$10.86 |
$22,590 |
| Team assemblers |
930 |
$11.83 |
$24,600 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
910 |
$12.34 |
$25,670 |
| Protective service occupations |
830 |
$21.23 |
$44,160 |
| Home health aides |
800 |
$9.34 |
$19,420 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
790 |
$8.65 |
$18,000 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
740 |
Not available |
$46,230 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
700 |
$10.92 |
$22,720 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
690 |
$25.49 |
$53,030 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
670 |
$17.83 |
$37,090 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
630 |
$14.03 |
$29,190 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
620 |
$10.56 |
$21,960 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
610 |
$24.08 |
$50,090 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
540 |
$17.45 |
$36,300 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
520 |
$24.78 |
$51,540 |
| Helpers--production workers |
480 |
$11.59 |
$24,110 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
470 |
$10.53 |
$21,900 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
440 |
$28.23 |
$58,720 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
440 |
$17.19 |
$35,750 |
| Machinists |
440 |
$18.14 |
$37,730 |
| Teacher assistants |
410 |
Not available |
$18,880 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
400 |
$13.93 |
$28,980 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
380 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Bartenders |
380 |
$9.15 |
$19,040 |
| Carpenters |
370 |
$15.98 |
$33,240 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
370 |
Not available |
$43,520 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
340 |
$13.78 |
$28,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
320 |
$18.86 |
$39,230 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
310 |
$20.45 |
$42,530 |
| General and operations managers |
310 |
$40.80 |
$84,860 |
| Tellers |
310 |
$10.20 |
$21,220 |
| Accountants and auditors |
300 |
$25.24 |
$52,500 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
300 |
$18.52 |
$38,510 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
300 |
$11.18 |
$23,260 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
290 |
$17.49 |
$36,370 |
| Child care workers |
280 |
$8.20 |
$17,060 |
| Driver/sales workers |
280 |
$11.98 |
$24,930 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
280 |
$11.19 |
$23,270 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
270 |
$9.61 |
$19,990 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
270 |
Not available |
$51,280 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
270 |
$12.14 |
$25,260 |
| Construction laborers |
260 |
$13.30 |
$27,660 |
| Electricians |
250 |
$17.43 |
$36,250 |
| Social and human service assistants |
250 |
$13.17 |
$27,400 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
240 |
$13.04 |
$27,130 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
240 |
$14.60 |
$30,370 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
230 |
$25.70 |
$53,470 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
220 |
$18.23 |
$37,910 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
210 |
$10.01 |
$20,810 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
210 |
$15.99 |
$33,260 |
| Food preparation workers |
200 |
$9.31 |
$19,350 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
200 |
$11.84 |
$24,630 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
190 |
$12.89 |
$26,820 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
190 |
$16.13 |
$33,550 |
| Legal occupations |
190 |
$31.18 |
$64,860 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
180 |
$11.46 |
$23,840 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
180 |
$14.87 |
$30,930 |
| Advertising sales agents |
170 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Dishwashers |
170 |
$8.56 |
$17,810 |
| Order clerks |
170 |
$11.07 |
$23,020 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
170 |
$16.91 |
$35,160 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
170 |
$25.18 |
$52,380 |
| Printing machine operators |
170 |
$15.23 |
$31,680 |
| Civil engineers |
160 |
$32.09 |
$66,750 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
160 |
$8.98 |
$18,680 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
160 |
$9.34 |
$19,420 |
| Medical secretaries |
160 |
$11.46 |
$23,840 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
160 |
$15.70 |
$32,660 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Chief executives |
150 |
$61.95 |
$128,860 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
150 |
$11.06 |
$23,010 |
| Insurance sales agents |
150 |
$27.44 |
$57,070 |
| Medical and health services managers |
150 |
$44.43 |
$92,420 |
| Medical assistants |
150 |
$16.41 |
$34,120 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
140 |
$21.80 |
$45,340 |
| Legal secretaries |
140 |
$12.58 |
$26,180 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
140 |
$10.43 |
$21,690 |
| Loan officers |
140 |
$22.30 |
$46,380 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
140 |
$22.70 |
$47,210 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
130 |
$13.80 |
$28,710 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
130 |
$16.80 |
$34,950 |
| Parts salespersons |
130 |
$14.53 |
$30,220 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
120 |
$12.24 |
$25,450 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
120 |
$13.91 |
$28,930 |
| Computer support specialists |
120 |
$17.97 |
$37,370 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers |
120 |
$19.20 |
$39,930 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
120 |
$24.15 |
$50,220 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
120 |
Not available |
$50,240 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
110 |
$23.17 |
$48,190 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
110 |
$26.17 |
$54,440 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
110 |
$16.26 |
$33,830 |
| Lawyers |
110 |
$39.93 |
$83,060 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
110 |
$14.16 |
$29,450 |
| Security guards |
110 |
$12.74 |
$26,500 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers |
110 |
$24.21 |
$50,360 |
| Bakers |
100 |
$14.72 |
$30,620 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
100 |
$15.94 |
$33,150 |
| Cooks, short order |
100 |
$8.87 |
$18,440 |
| Data entry keyers |
100 |
$10.05 |
$20,900 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
100 |
$20.51 |
$42,650 |
| Physical therapists |
100 |
$37.97 |
$78,980 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
100 |
$20.55 |
$42,750 |
| Recreation workers |
100 |
$10.41 |
$21,660 |
| Word processors and typists |
100 |
$14.95 |
$31,100 |
| Bus drivers, school |
90 |
$11.00 |
$22,890 |
| Dental assistants |
90 |
$14.75 |
$30,690 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
90 |
$7.75 |
$16,120 |
| Family and general practitioners |
90 |
$97.55 |
$202,910 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
90 |
$14.59 |
$30,360 |
| Financial managers |
90 |
$33.60 |
$69,890 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
90 |
$17.47 |
$36,330 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
90 |
$8.13 |
$16,900 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
90 |
Not available |
$48,740 |
| Library technicians |
90 |
$12.23 |
$25,450 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
90 |
$18.91 |
$39,330 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
90 |
$11.73 |
$24,410 |
| Social and community service managers |
90 |
$25.71 |
$53,470 |
| Cost estimators |
80 |
$19.85 |
$41,280 |
| Industrial production managers |
80 |
$35.65 |
$74,150 |
| Librarians |
80 |
$27.57 |
$57,340 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
80 |
$14.94 |
$31,080 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
80 |
$12.38 |
$25,750 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
80 |
$19.53 |
$40,630 |
| Sewing machine operators |
80 |
$8.85 |
$18,400 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
80 |
$17.15 |
$35,670 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
70 |
$20.85 |
$43,360 |
| Computer systems analysts |
70 |
$28.10 |
$58,450 |
| Dental hygienists |
70 |
$25.64 |
$53,340 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
70 |
$30.29 |
$63,000 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
70 |
$19.76 |
$41,100 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
70 |
$36.82 |
$76,590 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
70 |
$27.23 |
$56,640 |
| Industrial engineers |
70 |
$33.86 |
$70,430 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
70 |
$10.23 |
$21,290 |
| Legislators |
70 |
Not available |
$19,130 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technicians |
70 |
$15.24 |
$31,700 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts |
70 |
$29.01 |
$60,330 |
| Pharmacists |
70 |
$42.59 |
$88,590 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Sales managers |
70 |
$41.18 |
$85,650 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
70 |
$10.31 |
$21,430 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
60 |
$18.65 |
$38,790 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
60 |
$14.85 |
$30,880 |
| Bill and account collectors |
60 |
$12.23 |
$25,440 |
| Computer programmers |
60 |
$27.73 |
$57,670 |
| Crane and tower operators |
60 |
$16.26 |
$33,810 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
60 |
$21.22 |
$44,130 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$88,300 |
| File clerks |
60 |
$10.65 |
$22,140 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$20.60 |
$42,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
60 |
$18.83 |
$39,160 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
60 |
$9.08 |
$18,880 |
| Mental health counselors |
60 |
$16.62 |
$34,570 |
| Roofers |
60 |
$15.54 |
$32,320 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Administrative services managers |
50 |
$31.88 |
$66,300 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
50 |
$21.94 |
$45,630 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
50 |
$23.21 |
$48,280 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
50 |
$14.35 |
$29,840 |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
50 |
$14.13 |
$29,390 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
50 |
$21.25 |
$44,200 |
| Engineering managers |
50 |
$46.74 |
$97,220 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
50 |
$34.51 |
$71,770 |
| Graphic designers |
50 |
$15.88 |
$33,030 |
| Industrial engineering technicians |
50 |
$14.85 |
$30,890 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
50 |
$12.29 |
$25,570 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
50 |
$17.48 |
$36,350 |
| Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents |
50 |
$15.97 |
$33,210 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
50 |
$8.14 |
$16,930 |
| Tool and die makers |
50 |
$18.25 |
$37,970 |
| Computer software engineers, applications |
40 |
$30.50 |
$63,430 |
| Construction managers |
40 |
$28.49 |
$59,270 |
| Cooks, fast food |
40 |
$8.49 |
$17,660 |
| Couriers and messengers |
40 |
$11.52 |
$23,950 |
| Crossing guards |
40 |
$10.86 |
$22,590 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
40 |
$15.18 |
$31,560 |
| Electronics engineers, except computer |
40 |
$30.78 |
$64,020 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
40 |
$18.53 |
$38,550 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
40 |
$8.69 |
$18,080 |
| Food service managers |
40 |
$22.23 |
$46,240 |
| Health educators |
40 |
$15.00 |
$31,200 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
40 |
$10.25 |
$21,320 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
40 |
$15.20 |
$31,620 |
| Mechanical drafters |
40 |
$19.23 |
$40,000 |
| Mechanical engineers |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Medical equipment repairers |
40 |
$14.52 |
$30,210 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
40 |
$8.45 |
$17,580 |
| Occupational therapists |
40 |
$27.81 |
$57,850 |
| Physician assistants |
40 |
$34.28 |
$71,290 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Production workers, all other |
40 |
$13.07 |
$27,180 |
| Real estate sales agents |
40 |
$16.45 |
$34,210 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
40 |
$17.63 |
$36,670 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
40 |
Not available |
$58,140 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
40 |
Not available |
$55,610 |
| Training and development specialists |
40 |
$19.05 |
$39,630 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
40 |
$11.50 |
$23,920 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
40 |
$21.25 |
$44,190 |
| All other information and record clerks |
30 |
$11.86 |
$24,680 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
30 |
$14.67 |
$30,510 |
| Chemical technicians |
30 |
$20.60 |
$42,850 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
30 |
$36.81 |
$76,570 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists |
30 |
$22.72 |
$47,250 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
30 |
$40.15 |
$83,500 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
30 |
$11.84 |
$24,620 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers |
30 |
$24.28 |
$50,500 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists |
30 |
$22.57 |
$46,950 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment |
30 |
$22.33 |
$46,450 |
| Management analysts |
30 |
$32.53 |
$67,660 |
| Managers, all other |
30 |
$37.68 |
$78,380 |
| Medical transcriptionists |
30 |
$12.32 |
$25,630 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
30 |
$14.41 |
$29,970 |
| Public relations specialists |
30 |
$21.63 |
$45,000 |
| Sales and related workers, all other |
30 |
$13.45 |
$27,970 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters |
30 |
$11.46 |
$23,840 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
30 |
$16.68 |
$34,700 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
30 |
$26.06 |
$54,210 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
Not available |
$10.15 |
$21,120 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders |
Not available |
$12.42 |
$25,840 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers |
Not available |
$17.63 |
$36,660 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
Not available |
$11.03 |
$22,930 |
| Food batchmakers |
Not available |
$19.14 |
$39,800 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
Not available |
$12.54 |
$26,090 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
Not available |
$18.31 |
$38,070 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers |
Not available |
$13.30 |
$27,670 |
| Personal and home care aides |
Not available |
$9.57 |
$19,910 |
| Prepress technicians and workers |
Not available |
$16.44 |
$34,200 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
Not available |
$12.46 |
$25,920 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
Not available |
$11.39 |
$23,680 |
