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 |
61,320 |
$15.18 |
$31,580 |
| Office and administrative support occupations |
8,720 |
$13.43 |
$27,940 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
8,440 |
$9.21 |
$19,150 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
7,580 |
$8.50 |
$17,680 |
| Sales and related occupations |
6,220 |
$13.41 |
$27,880 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations |
4,890 |
$9.14 |
$19,020 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations |
4,030 |
$12.41 |
$25,810 |
| Construction and extraction occupations |
3,720 |
$15.34 |
$31,900 |
| Education, training, and library occupations |
3,370 |
$17.30 |
$35,980 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
2,890 |
$17.20 |
$35,780 |
| Protective service occupations |
2,650 |
$20.26 |
$42,140 |
| Production occupations |
2,460 |
$12.62 |
$26,240 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
2,430 |
$10.25 |
$21,330 |
| Management occupations |
2,110 |
$34.60 |
$71,970 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
2,090 |
$30.47 |
$63,380 |
| Cashiers |
1,920 |
$9.53 |
$19,830 |
| Business and financial operations occupations |
1,670 |
$25.56 |
$53,170 |
| Retail salespersons |
1,650 |
$12.06 |
$25,080 |
| Office clerks, general |
1,450 |
$11.65 |
$24,230 |
| Healthcare support occupations |
1,440 |
$12.45 |
$25,900 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations |
1,260 |
$25.55 |
$53,140 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
1,150 |
$10.16 |
$21,120 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
1,020 |
$15.48 |
$32,200 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
1,010 |
$8.80 |
$18,300 |
| Waiters and waitresses |
940 |
$8.87 |
$18,450 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
930 |
$10.33 |
$21,490 |
| Registered nurses |
930 |
$29.86 |
$62,110 |
| Community and social services occupations |
870 |
$19.52 |
$40,600 |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education |
860 |
Not available |
$39,290 |
| Telemarketers |
820 |
$10.14 |
$21,090 |
| General and operations managers |
770 |
$38.05 |
$79,140 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators |
760 |
$24.97 |
$51,940 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
740 |
$13.93 |
$28,980 |
| Packers and packagers, hand |
740 |
$8.75 |
$18,200 |
| Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive |
720 |
$12.12 |
$25,220 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
700 |
$18.20 |
$37,860 |
| Stock clerks and order fillers |
680 |
$10.72 |
$22,290 |
| Personal care and service occupations |
660 |
$10.42 |
$21,680 |
| Teacher assistants |
660 |
Not available |
$20,780 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
640 |
Not available |
$41,580 |
| Receptionists and information clerks |
610 |
$12.21 |
$25,390 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
600 |
$9.77 |
$20,320 |
| Correctional officers and jailers |
580 |
$17.22 |
$35,810 |
| Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop |
550 |
$7.88 |
$16,390 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
540 |
$12.90 |
$26,830 |
| Construction laborers |
520 |
$12.92 |
$26,880 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
520 |
$15.75 |
$32,770 |
| Customer service representatives |
510 |
$13.57 |
$28,220 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
510 |
$18.80 |
$39,110 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
470 |
$11.95 |
$24,850 |
| Cooks, restaurant |
460 |
$9.38 |
$19,500 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
450 |
$8.58 |
$17,840 |
| Carpenters |
440 |
$14.64 |
$30,450 |
| Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
440 |
$12.37 |
$25,730 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
430 |
$17.60 |
$36,610 |
| Home health aides |
400 |
$9.87 |
$20,520 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
390 |
$13.15 |
$27,350 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations |
340 |
$28.58 |
$59,450 |
| Helpers--production workers |
340 |
$10.84 |
$22,550 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products |
340 |
$26.26 |
$54,630 |
| Security guards |
340 |
$10.19 |
$21,200 |
| Truck drivers, light or delivery services |
330 |
$13.48 |
$28,040 |
| Agricultural equipment operators |
310 |
$10.60 |
$22,050 |
| Accountants and auditors |
300 |
$26.73 |
$55,600 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
300 |
$24.71 |
$51,400 |
| Electricians |
300 |
$19.89 |
$41,370 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
300 |
$21.33 |
$44,360 |
| Bartenders |
290 |
$9.38 |
$19,510 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations |
280 |
$26.04 |
$54,160 |
| Business operations specialists, all other |
270 |
$27.68 |
$57,570 |
| Tellers |
270 |
$11.30 |
$23,500 |
| Food preparation workers |
260 |
$8.95 |
$18,620 |
| Medical assistants |
260 |
$14.35 |
$29,840 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
250 |
$14.66 |
$30,490 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians |
240 |
$24.91 |
$51,820 |
| Legal occupations |
230 |
$31.00 |
$64,480 |
| Counter and rental clerks |
220 |
$11.27 |
$23,440 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers |
210 |
$26.40 |
$54,910 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
210 |
$32.29 |
$67,170 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers |
190 |
$14.00 |
$29,130 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
190 |
$28.99 |
$60,290 |
| Billing and posting clerks and machine operators |
180 |
$13.44 |
$27,950 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks |
180 |
$15.67 |
$32,600 |
| Fire fighters |
180 |
$17.20 |
$35,780 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders |
180 |
$9.37 |
$19,480 |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons |
170 |
$14.25 |
$29,640 |
| Dishwashers |
170 |
$8.15 |
$16,950 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of farming, fishing, and forestry workers |
170 |
$21.57 |
$44,860 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
170 |
$20.71 |
$43,070 |
| Plasterers and stucco masons |
170 |
$12.82 |
$26,670 |
| Preschool teachers, except special education |
170 |
$8.92 |
$18,560 |
| Bus drivers, school |
160 |
$11.71 |
$24,350 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
160 |
$8.58 |
$17,840 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics |
160 |
$17.64 |
$36,700 |
| Parts salespersons |
150 |
$13.22 |
$27,500 |
| Postal service mail carriers |
150 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
140 |
$18.39 |
$38,240 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
140 |
$12.16 |
$25,290 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
140 |
$16.80 |
$34,950 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
140 |
$7.82 |
$16,270 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
140 |
$8.58 |
$17,850 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
140 |
$19.70 |
$40,980 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks |
130 |
$14.09 |
$29,310 |
| Bill and account collectors |
120 |
$15.14 |
$31,480 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
120 |
$8.45 |
$17,570 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
120 |
$23.00 |
$47,830 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan |
120 |
$12.86 |
$26,750 |
| Lawyers |
120 |
$37.59 |
$78,190 |
| Management analysts |
120 |
$33.85 |
$70,400 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance |
120 |
$13.55 |
$28,190 |
| Sheet metal workers |
120 |
$13.67 |
$28,440 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
110 |
$15.94 |
$33,150 |
| Glaziers |
110 |
$10.56 |
$21,960 |
| Legal secretaries |
110 |
$15.58 |
$32,400 |
| Medical and health services managers |
110 |
$31.95 |
$66,450 |
| Pharmacy technicians |
110 |
$12.88 |
$26,800 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
110 |
$11.47 |
$23,860 |
| Sales managers |
110 |
$33.65 |
$70,000 |
| Administrative services managers |
100 |
$30.27 |
$62,950 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
100 |
$23.56 |
$49,000 |
| Bakers |
100 |
$9.65 |
$20,080 |
| Cost estimators |
100 |
$23.53 |
$48,950 |
| Health educators |
100 |
$17.04 |
$35,450 |
| Managers, all other |
100 |
$38.05 |
$79,150 |
| Recreation workers |
100 |
$12.17 |
$25,310 |
| Butchers and meat cutters |
90 |
$12.55 |
$26,100 |
| Computer support specialists |
90 |
$19.83 |
$41,250 |
| Dental assistants |
90 |
$14.78 |
$30,740 |
| Education administrators, elementary and secondary school |
90 |
Not available |
$78,780 |
| Engineering managers |
90 |
$33.76 |
$70,230 |
| File clerks |
90 |
$10.13 |
$21,060 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
90 |
$20.05 |
$41,700 |
| Pharmacists |
90 |
$54.56 |
$113,480 |
| Stonemasons |
90 |
$13.11 |
$27,270 |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
90 |
$16.34 |
$33,990 |
| Civil engineers |
80 |
$35.50 |
$73,840 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
80 |
$13.19 |
$27,430 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators |
80 |
$15.28 |
$31,790 |
| Farm equipment mechanics |
80 |
$14.63 |
$30,430 |
| Financial managers |
80 |
$37.22 |
$77,420 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers |
80 |
$21.70 |
$45,140 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
80 |
$24.37 |
$50,690 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians |
80 |
$25.07 |
$52,150 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
80 |
$31.75 |
$66,030 |
| All other information and record clerks |
70 |
$17.13 |
$35,620 |
| Appraisers and assessors of real estate |
70 |
$19.89 |
$41,360 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
70 |
$14.70 |
$30,570 |
| Construction and building inspectors |
70 |
$20.56 |
$42,770 |
| Construction managers |
70 |
$36.43 |
$75,780 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs |
70 |
$17.15 |
$35,670 |
| Engineers, all other |
70 |
$44.76 |
$93,100 |
| Farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers |
70 |
$41.37 |
$86,040 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand |
70 |
$21.72 |
$45,180 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
70 |
$11.07 |
$23,030 |
| Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers |
70 |
$11.79 |
$24,520 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping |
70 |
$16.74 |
$34,830 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
70 |
$19.66 |
$40,880 |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education |
70 |
Not available |
$40,510 |
| Medical records and health information technicians |
70 |
$12.18 |
$25,330 |
| Medical secretaries |
70 |
$12.67 |
$26,360 |
| Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers |
70 |
$15.40 |
$32,040 |
| Protective service workers, all other |
70 |
$15.38 |
$31,990 |
| Social and community service managers |
70 |
$26.12 |
$54,340 |
| Agricultural inspectors |
60 |
$17.68 |
$36,780 |
| Automotive body and related repairers |
60 |
$10.58 |
$22,010 |
| Child care workers |
60 |
$8.35 |
$17,360 |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
60 |
$13.94 |
$28,980 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant |
60 |
$8.49 |
$17,650 |
| Food service managers |
60 |
$22.33 |
$46,440 |
| Instructional coordinators |
60 |
$22.07 |
$45,900 |
| Mechanical engineers |
60 |
$33.63 |
$69,950 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
60 |
$22.13 |
$46,040 |
| Pest control workers |
60 |
$13.60 |
$28,280 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers |
60 |
$21.85 |
$45,450 |
| Real estate sales agents |
60 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school |
60 |
Not available |
$38,150 |
| Special education teachers, secondary school |
60 |
Not available |
$48,360 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping |
60 |
$12.63 |
$26,270 |
| Computer programmers |
50 |
$27.01 |
$56,180 |
| Data entry keyers |
50 |
$12.15 |
$25,280 |
| Electronic home entertainment equipment installers and repairers |
50 |
$14.46 |
$30,080 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health |
50 |
$28.79 |
$59,890 |
| Graders and sorters, agricultural products |
50 |
$9.12 |
$18,980 |
| Helpers--carpenters |
50 |
$10.21 |
$21,240 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
50 |
$8.40 |
$17,480 |
| Librarians |
50 |
$20.34 |
$42,310 |
| Lodging managers |
50 |
$20.08 |
$41,770 |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
50 |
$12.87 |
$26,760 |
| Meter readers, utilities |
50 |
$9.70 |
$20,180 |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
50 |
$21.65 |
$45,030 |
| Network and computer systems administrators |
50 |
$27.09 |
$56,350 |
| Order clerks |
50 |
$11.79 |
$24,520 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants |
50 |
$19.80 |
$41,190 |
| Pipelayers |
50 |
$14.88 |
$30,940 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
50 |
$18.62 |
$38,720 |
| Respiratory therapists |
50 |
$24.51 |
$50,980 |
| Social and human service assistants |
50 |
$14.82 |
$30,830 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors |
50 |
$21.98 |
$45,720 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service |
50 |
$10.99 |
$22,870 |
| Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators |
50 |
$20.34 |
$42,310 |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
40 |
$19.90 |
$41,400 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
40 |
$15.77 |
$32,800 |
| Dentists, general |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers |
40 |
$16.78 |
$34,900 |
| Highway maintenance workers |
40 |
$14.99 |
$31,180 |
| Library technicians |
40 |
$12.87 |
$26,760 |
| Machinists |
40 |
$17.97 |
$37,370 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers |
40 |
$10.48 |
$21,800 |
| Postal service clerks |
40 |
Not available |
Not available |
| Surveying and mapping technicians |
40 |
$27.68 |
$57,580 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
40 |
$10.54 |
$21,920 |
| Tire repairers and changers |
40 |
$9.82 |
$20,430 |
| Training and development specialists |
40 |
$17.47 |
$36,340 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
40 |
$35.12 |
$73,050 |
| Word processors and typists |
40 |
$14.38 |
$29,910 |
| Assemblers and fabricators, all other |
30 |
$9.64 |
$20,050 |
| Chief executives |
30 |
$55.79 |
$116,040 |
| Civil engineering technicians |
30 |
$24.94 |
$51,870 |
| Computer and information systems managers |
30 |
$42.40 |
$88,200 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers |
30 |
$32.89 |
$68,420 |
| Graphic designers |
30 |
$17.06 |
$35,480 |
| Helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons |
30 |
$10.42 |
$21,670 |
| Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other |
30 |
$25.54 |
$53,120 |
| Legislators |
30 |
Not available |
$25,760 |
| Physician assistants |
30 |
$39.01 |
$81,140 |
| Procurement clerks |
30 |
$15.41 |
$32,050 |
| Surveyors |
30 |
$23.01 |
$47,860 |
| Urban and regional planners |
30 |
$25.25 |
$52,520 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants |
Not available |
$10.29 |
$21,400 |
| Cooks, fast food |
Not available |
$8.30 |
$17,260 |
| Driver/sales workers |
Not available |
$13.01 |
$27,060 |
| Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers |
Not available |
$9.05 |
$18,820 |
| Emergency medical technicians and paramedics |
Not available |
$13.64 |
$28,370 |
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists |
Not available |
$17.82 |
$37,060 |
| Fence erectors |
Not available |
$13.64 |
$28,360 |
| Financial specialists, all other |
Not available |
$24.48 |
$50,920 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
Not available |
$12.58 |
$26,160 |
| Food batchmakers |
Not available |
$9.53 |
$19,830 |
| Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters |
Not available |
$10.89 |
$22,650 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
Not available |
$13.47 |
$28,020 |
| Insurance sales agents |
Not available |
$19.11 |
$39,750 |
| Internists, general |
Not available |
$92.27 |
$191,920 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks |
Not available |
$18.98 |
$39,470 |
| Loan officers |
Not available |
$23.44 |
$48,750 |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers |
Not available |
$11.98 |
$24,920 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators |
Not available |
$20.31 |
$42,230 |
| Personal and home care aides |
Not available |
$9.69 |
$20,160 |
| Physicians and surgeons, all other |
Not available |
$80.55 |
$167,540 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
Not available |
$13.13 |
$27,300 |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists |
Not available |
$19.31 |
$40,160 |
| Roofers |
Not available |
$14.91 |
$31,020 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
Not available |
$15.65 |
$32,560 |
| Tile and marble setters |
Not available |
$15.82 |
$32,900 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
Not available |
$14.87 |
$30,930 |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing |
Not available |
$11.07 |
$23,030 |
