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 |
11,010 |
$9.63 |
$20,030 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
1,520 |
$7.91 |
$16,450 |
| Sales and related occupations |
1,190 |
$7.67 |
$15,950 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
1,090 |
$8.22 |
$17,090 |
| Production occupations |
900 |
$8.34 |
$17,350 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
880 |
$8.09 |
$16,820 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
820 |
$7.06 |
$14,680 |
| Protective service occupations |
620 |
$7.95 |
$16,540 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
490 |
$6.94 |
$14,440 |
| Retail salespersons |
480 |
$7.06 |
$14,680 |
| Cashiers |
460 |
$6.83 |
$14,200 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
460 |
$13.13 |
$27,320 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
400 |
$10.81 |
$22,480 |
| Security guards |
340 |
$7.85 |
$16,320 |
| Cooks, fast food |
320 |
$6.83 |
$14,210 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
300 |
$7.35 |
$15,280 |
| Management occupations |
270 |
$22.02 |
$45,790 |
| Construction laborers |
260 |
$7.07 |
$14,700 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
230 |
$7.21 |
$15,000 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
220 |
$7.88 |
$16,380 |
| Office clerks, general |
200 |
$7.16 |
$14,890 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
200 |
$6.86 |
$14,280 |
| Registered nurses |
190 |
$10.52 |
$21,880 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
190 |
$7.24 |
$15,060 |
| Community and social services occupations |
180 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
170 |
$6.94 |
$14,440 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
150 |
$6.72 |
$13,980 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
140 |
$11.37 |
$23,660 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
140 |
$9.98 |
$20,760 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
130 |
$7.89 |
$16,410 |
| Pharmacy aides |
130 |
$6.96 |
$14,490 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
130 |
$8.17 |
$16,980 |
| Carpenters |
120 |
$9.42 |
$19,600 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
120 |
$10.29 |
$21,400 |
| Food preparation workers |
110 |
$6.65 |
$13,840 |
| Medical secretaries |
100 |
$6.93 |
$14,410 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
90 |
$6.66 |
$13,860 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
90 |
$9.87 |
$20,520 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
90 |
$12.80 |
$26,620 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
90 |
$7.47 |
$15,550 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
90 |
$7.08 |
$14,730 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
80 |
$6.54 |
$13,610 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
80 |
$10.59 |
$22,030 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
70 |
$7.82 |
$16,270 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
70 |
$8.61 |
$17,910 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
70 |
$6.81 |
$14,170 |
| Tellers |
70 |
$7.55 |
$15,700 |
| Bakers |
60 |
$7.36 |
$15,300 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
60 |
$8.74 |
$18,180 |
| Customer service representatives |
60 |
$8.66 |
$18,020 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
60 |
$9.04 |
$18,800 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
60 |
$10.95 |
$22,770 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
60 |
$7.19 |
$14,960 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
50 |
$22.26 |
$46,300 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
50 |
$7.35 |
$15,280 |
| Bus drivers, school |
50 |
$7.26 |
$15,090 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
50 |
$7.12 |
$14,820 |
| Electricians |
50 |
$9.44 |
$19,620 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
50 |
$14.59 |
$30,350 |
| Parts salespersons |
50 |
$7.15 |
$14,870 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
50 |
$8.78 |
$18,270 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
40 |
$8.52 |
$17,720 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
40 |
$6.92 |
$14,390 |
| Medical and clinical laboratory technologists |
40 |
$13.44 |
$27,940 |
| Recreation workers |
40 |
$7.18 |
$14,930 |
| Accountants and auditors |
30 |
$11.78 |
$24,500 |
| Bill and account collectors |
30 |
$8.15 |
$16,950 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
30 |
$9.81 |
$20,410 |
| Dental assistants |
30 |
$6.92 |
$14,390 |
| Managers, all other |
30 |
$10.80 |
$22,460 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
30 |
$6.80 |
$14,150 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters |
Not available |
$7.64 |
$15,900 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
Not available |
$9.50 |
$19,770 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
Not available |
$10.55 |
$21,950 |
