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 |
39,110 |
$19.80 |
$41,190 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
6,410 |
$15.28 |
$31,790 |
| Sales and related occupations |
4,130 |
$14.46 |
$30,080 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
4,120 |
$28.82 |
$59,940 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
3,510 |
$9.54 |
$19,840 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
2,490 |
$14.66 |
$30,500 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,200 |
$35.78 |
$74,410 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
2,080 |
$24.31 |
$50,570 |
| Production occupations |
1,710 |
$15.87 |
$33,010 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,670 |
$11.20 |
$23,290 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
1,620 |
$19.89 |
$41,370 |
| Management occupations |
1,580 |
$41.32 |
$85,950 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,470 |
$13.12 |
$27,290 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
1,340 |
$13.54 |
$28,160 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
1,160 |
$9.47 |
$19,690 |
| Cashiers |
1,140 |
$10.90 |
$22,680 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,060 |
$27.95 |
$58,140 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
1,020 |
$8.94 |
$18,600 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
990 |
$8.90 |
$18,510 |
| Protective service occupations |
980 |
$22.97 |
$47,780 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
960 |
$10.91 |
$22,690 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
920 |
Not available |
$72,830 |
| Registered nurses |
790 |
$30.96 |
$64,390 |
| Community and social services occupations |
770 |
$20.96 |
$43,610 |
| Office clerks, general |
750 |
$13.08 |
$27,200 |
| Teacher assistants |
650 |
Not available |
$28,530 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
610 |
$34.86 |
$72,510 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
550 |
$12.24 |
$25,450 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
550 |
$11.39 |
$23,680 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
540 |
$15.43 |
$32,080 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
520 |
$9.03 |
$18,790 |
| General and operations managers |
500 |
$43.27 |
$90,000 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
500 |
$10.49 |
$21,810 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
490 |
$12.53 |
$26,060 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
430 |
$20.35 |
$42,320 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
430 |
$21.43 |
$44,560 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
430 |
Not available |
$80,580 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
420 |
$17.14 |
$35,650 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
420 |
$13.12 |
$27,280 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
420 |
$16.87 |
$35,090 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education |
400 |
Not available |
$70,250 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
400 |
$19.76 |
$41,110 |
| Customer service representatives |
390 |
$13.28 |
$27,630 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
390 |
$15.56 |
$32,360 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
370 |
$29.69 |
$61,760 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
360 |
$9.61 |
$19,990 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
350 |
$29.93 |
$62,250 |
| Medical assistants |
340 |
$13.18 |
$27,410 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
340 |
$29.09 |
$60,520 |
| Cooks, fast food |
330 |
$8.55 |
$17,790 |
| Medical secretaries |
310 |
$13.57 |
$28,230 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
300 |
$32.73 |
$68,070 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
290 |
$31.81 |
$66,160 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
270 |
$18.28 |
$38,030 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
270 |
$17.68 |
$36,780 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
270 |
$14.69 |
$30,550 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
270 |
$11.74 |
$24,430 |
| Civil engineers |
260 |
$38.48 |
$80,040 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
260 |
$30.43 |
$63,290 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
260 |
$12.49 |
$25,970 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
250 |
$10.62 |
$22,090 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
250 |
$12.28 |
$25,540 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
250 |
$14.12 |
$29,360 |
| Tellers |
250 |
$11.88 |
$24,720 |
| Construction laborers |
240 |
$20.43 |
$42,490 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
240 |
$11.37 |
$23,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
240 |
$31.65 |
$65,820 |
| Security guards |
240 |
$10.20 |
$21,220 |
| Carpenters |
230 |
$28.99 |
$60,310 |
| Child care workers |
230 |
$11.15 |
$23,190 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
220 |
$9.42 |
$19,600 |
| Dishwashers |
220 |
$8.60 |
$17,880 |
| Driver/sales workers |
220 |
$11.95 |
$24,850 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
210 |
$27.30 |
$56,790 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
210 |
$21.65 |
$45,030 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
210 |
$9.75 |
$20,270 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
190 |
Not available |
$106,130 |
| Dental assistants |
170 |
$15.98 |
$33,230 |
| Healthcare support workers, all other |
170 |
$14.10 |
$29,330 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
170 |
$30.74 |
$63,930 |
| Fire fighters |
160 |
$26.60 |
$55,330 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
160 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Accountants and auditors |
150 |
$26.50 |
$55,120 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
140 |
$14.58 |
$30,330 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
140 |
Not available |
$78,820 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
140 |
$26.46 |
$55,040 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
130 |
$19.72 |
$41,010 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
130 |
$30.60 |
$63,650 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
130 |
$24.47 |
$50,900 |
| Helpers--production workers |
130 |
$11.36 |
$23,630 |
| Recreation workers |
130 |
$10.87 |
$22,620 |
| All other information and record clerks |
120 |
$15.08 |
$31,370 |
| Computer support specialists |
120 |
$20.00 |
$41,600 |
| Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders |
120 |
$13.36 |
$27,780 |
| Food preparation workers |
120 |
$9.29 |
$19,320 |
| Legal secretaries |
120 |
$16.06 |
$33,400 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
120 |
$9.59 |
$19,950 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators |
120 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Social and human service assistants |
120 |
$13.28 |
$27,630 |
| Bartenders |
110 |
$9.64 |
$20,060 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
110 |
$14.15 |
$29,420 |
| Dental hygienists |
110 |
$44.38 |
$92,310 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
110 |
$10.61 |
$22,060 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
110 |
$8.62 |
$17,930 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
110 |
$17.19 |
$35,750 |
| Electricians |
100 |
$21.21 |
$44,110 |
| Legal occupations |
100 |
$33.56 |
$69,810 |
| Medical and health services managers |
100 |
$35.89 |
$74,640 |
| Parts salespersons |
100 |
$13.58 |
$28,240 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
100 |
$17.00 |
$35,350 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
90 |
$21.69 |
$45,110 |
| Management analysts |
90 |
$27.56 |
$57,320 |
| Surveyors |
90 |
$37.70 |
$78,410 |
| Team assemblers |
90 |
$13.02 |
$27,080 |
| Bus drivers, school |
80 |
$16.49 |
$34,300 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
80 |
$17.26 |
$35,890 |
| Chief executives |
80 |
$65.64 |
$136,530 |
| Cost estimators |
80 |
$31.02 |
$64,520 |
| Financial managers |
80 |
$44.37 |
$92,290 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
80 |
$20.56 |
$42,760 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
80 |
$10.83 |
$22,520 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
70 |
$8.42 |
$17,510 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
70 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
70 |
$15.97 |
$33,220 |
| Pharmacists |
70 |
$60.93 |
$126,740 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
70 |
$16.31 |
$33,930 |
| Roofers |
70 |
$18.94 |
$39,400 |
| Sales managers |
70 |
$48.23 |
$100,310 |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
70 |
Not available |
$66,200 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
70 |
$16.71 |
$34,760 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
60 |
$25.62 |
$53,280 |
| Bill and account collectors |
60 |
$14.32 |
$29,780 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
60 |
$10.04 |
$20,890 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
60 |
$18.91 |
$39,340 |
| File clerks |
60 |
$12.62 |
$26,250 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
60 |
$17.83 |
$37,090 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
60 |
$17.90 |
$37,240 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
60 |
$29.22 |
$60,780 |
| Food service managers |
60 |
$22.82 |
$47,460 |
| Glaziers |
60 |
$17.15 |
$35,670 |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders |
60 |
$14.84 |
$30,870 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
60 |
$20.23 |
$42,090 |
| Pest control workers |
60 |
$15.08 |
$31,360 |
| Tree trimmers and pruners |
60 |
$15.61 |
$32,470 |
| Vocational education teachers, postsecondary |
60 |
$33.79 |
$70,290 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
50 |
$19.34 |
$40,230 |
| Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists |
50 |
$39.02 |
$81,150 |
| Computer specialists, all other |
50 |
$48.69 |
$101,270 |
| Computer systems analysts |
50 |
$28.72 |
$59,750 |
| Construction managers |
50 |
$42.84 |
$89,100 |
| Engineers, all other |
50 |
$44.72 |
$93,030 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
50 |
$36.95 |
$76,850 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
50 |
$30.09 |
$62,590 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
50 |
$17.55 |
$36,510 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
50 |
$29.63 |
$61,630 |
| Order clerks |
50 |
$13.43 |
$27,920 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
50 |
$18.27 |
$38,010 |
| Sales representatives, services, all other |
50 |
$31.72 |
$65,980 |
| Sheet metal workers |
50 |
$22.71 |
$47,230 |
| Speech-language pathologists |
50 |
$40.96 |
$85,190 |
| Administrative services managers |
40 |
$30.25 |
$62,910 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
40 |
$26.26 |
$54,630 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
40 |
$14.33 |
$29,800 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
40 |
$26.84 |
$55,830 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
40 |
$15.92 |
$33,120 |
| Librarians |
40 |
$28.39 |
$59,050 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
40 |
$15.37 |
$31,970 |
| Managers, all other |
40 |
$36.43 |
$75,770 |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other |
40 |
$14.22 |
$29,580 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
40 |
$16.21 |
$33,710 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Procurement clerks |
40 |
$16.84 |
$35,020 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
40 |
$23.90 |
$49,710 |
| Special education teachers, middle school |
40 |
Not available |
$60,060 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers |
40 |
$23.89 |
$49,680 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
40 |
$15.01 |
$31,230 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
40 |
$26.34 |
$54,790 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software |
30 |
$39.53 |
$82,220 |
| Family and general practitioners |
30 |
$76.15 |
$158,390 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of farming, fishing, and forestry workers |
30 |
$16.84 |
$35,030 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers |
30 |
$19.44 |
$40,430 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
30 |
$15.70 |
$32,650 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
30 |
$9.21 |
$19,160 |
| Instructional coordinators |
30 |
$35.62 |
$74,080 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
30 |
$9.98 |
$20,750 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
30 |
$28.07 |
$58,380 |
| Social and community service managers |
30 |
$31.53 |
$65,590 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
30 |
$10.93 |
$22,740 |
| Training and development specialists |
30 |
$20.07 |
$41,750 |
| Urban and regional planners |
30 |
$28.26 |
$58,770 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
Not available |
$13.25 |
$27,560 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
Not available |
$14.99 |
$31,180 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
Not available |
$17.80 |
$37,030 |
| Education, training, and library workers, all other |
Not available |
$21.82 |
$45,390 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
Not available |
$17.12 |
$35,620 |
| Engineering managers |
Not available |
$49.13 |
$102,200 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
Not available |
$10.07 |
$20,940 |
| Graders and sorters, agricultural products |
Not available |
$8.82 |
$18,340 |
| Home health aides |
Not available |
$10.45 |
$21,740 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
Not available |
$11.58 |
$24,080 |
| Lawyers |
Not available |
$33.33 |
$69,320 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
Not available |
$14.10 |
$29,320 |
| Library technicians |
Not available |
$15.10 |
$31,410 |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers |
Not available |
$10.21 |
$21,230 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
Not available |
$26.08 |
$54,250 |
| New accounts clerks |
Not available |
$16.27 |
$33,830 |
| Pharmacy aides |
Not available |
$10.86 |
$22,590 |
| Production workers, all other |
Not available |
$14.89 |
$30,960 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
Not available |
$23.72 |
$49,340 |
| Self-enrichment education teachers |
Not available |
$22.04 |
$45,840 |
| Tax preparers |
Not available |
$24.15 |
$50,230 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other |
Not available |
Not available |
$57,900 |
| Tile and marble setters |
Not available |
$17.80 |
$37,020 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
Not available |
$12.17 |
$25,320 |
