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An internet presentation of the Occupational Outlook Handbook plus related career guidance information

Occupational Outlook Handbook | All Occupations

Occupations ranked by Median Annual Wage

2004 median annual earnings

Median annual wage (in $)Occupation
$14,050Waiters and waitresses
$14,340Gaming dealers
$14,610Shampooers
$14,690Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food
$14,700Cooks, fast food
$14,770Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
$15,190Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
$15,280Dishwashers
$15,440Bartenders
$15,550Amusement and recreation attendants
$15,630Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
$15,660Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop
$16,030Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
$16,190Legislators
$16,240Cashiers, except gaming
$16,430Graders and sorters, agricultural products
$16,540Food servers, nonrestaurant
$16,540Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
$16,710Food preparation workers
$16,760Child care workers
$16,800Parking lot attendants
$16,860Cooks, short order
$16,900Maids and housekeeping cleaners
$16,900Personal and home care aides
$16,930Entertainment attendants and related workers, all other
$17,150Packers and packagers, hand
$17,180Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
$17,220Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
$17,240Service station attendants
$17,270Farmworkers, farm and ranch animals
$17,310Motion picture projectionists
$17,330Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
$17,460Nonfarm animal caretakers
$17,490Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
$17,550Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
$17,700Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
$17,760Baggage porters and bellhops
$17,763Dancers
$17,920Sewing machine operators
$17,950Personal care and service workers, all other
$18,280Counter and rental clerks
$18,330Home health aides
$18,390Gaming and sports book writers and runners
$18,420Pharmacy aides
$18,460Agricultural equipment operators
$18,500Manicurists and pedicurists
$18,660Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
$18,680Retail salespersons
$18,740Religious workers, all other
$18,790Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
$18,900Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
$18,930Cooks, institution and cafeteria
$18,990Sewers, hand
$19,070Transportation attendants, except flight attendants and baggage porters
$19,250Funeral attendants
$19,300Crossing guards
$19,320Recreation workers
$19,330Shoe and leather workers and repairers
$19,390Tour guides and escorts
$19,400Photographic processing machine operators
$19,410Teacher assistants
$19,520Cooks, restaurant
$19,570Taxi drivers and chauffeurs
$19,600Cooks, private household
$19,630Shoe machine operators and tenders
$19,650Motor vehicle operators, all other
$19,740Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
$19,780Forest and conservation workers
$19,800Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
$19,900Grounds maintenance workers, all other
$20,040Photographic process workers
$20,090Driver/sales workers
$20,100Stock clerks and order fillers
$20,120Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
$20,180Helpers--Production workers
$20,190Couriers and messengers
$20,190Bicycle repairers
$20,320Security guards
$20,380Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders
$20,420Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
$20,420Telemarketers
$20,450Floral designers
$20,530Gaming change persons and booth cashiers
$20,540Helpers—Painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons
$20,620Helpers, construction trades, all other
$20,660Helpers—Roofers
$20,700Demonstrators and product promoters
$20,720Library assistants, clerical
$20,810Tire repairers and changers
$20,820Gaming service workers, all other
$20,850Food cooking machine operators and tenders
$20,860Slaughterers and meat packers
$20,980Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
$20,980Preschool teachers, except special education
$20,990Cooks, all other
$21,030File clerks
$21,120Tellers
$21,120Agricultural workers, all other
$21,140Woodworkers, all other
$21,160Building cleaning workers, all other
$21,200Barbers
$21,260Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
$21,310Helpers--Installation, maintenance, and repair workers
$21,330Bakers
$21,380Physical therapist aides
$21,430Residential advisors
$21,510Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers, all other
$21,580Switchboard operators, including answering service
$21,590Helpers—Carpenters
$21,830Receptionists and information clerks
$21,850Models
$21,960Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders
$21,960Public address system and other announcers
$22,030Cutters and trimmers, hand
$22,050Animal trainers
$22,090Food batchmakers
$22,130Radio and television announcers
$22,200Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
$22,210Machine feeders and offbearers
$22,330Gaming cage workers
$22,360Helpers—Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
$22,380Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service
$22,440Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
$22,570Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers
$22,620Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders
$22,660Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
$22,700Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
$22,740Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
$22,770Office clerks, general
$22,770Painting, coating, and decorating workers
$22,790Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders
$22,990Dietetic technicians
$23,010Slot key persons
$23,150Occupational therapist aides
$23,210Office machine operators, except computer
$23,250Bus drivers, school
$23,250Data entry keyers
$23,250Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders
$23,280Psychiatric aides
$23,350Manufactured building and mobile home installers
$23,370Concierges
$23,380Fence erectors
$23,420Helpers—Electricians
$23,462Actors
$23,470Grinding and polishing workers, hand
$23,520Bindery workers
$23,520Craft artists
$23,560Etchers and engravers
$23,610Furniture finishers
$23,650Pharmacy technicians
$23,670Production workers, all other
$23,670Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
$23,710Ophthalmic laboratory technicians
$23,720Construction and related workers, all other
$23,750Team assemblers
$23,840Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders
$23,880Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders
$24,010Skin care specialists
$24,070Cementing and gluing machine operators and tenders
$24,080Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic
$24,100Fishers and related fishing workers
$24,180Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
$24,270Social and human service assistants
$24,290Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers
$24,400Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks
$24,410Makeup artists, theatrical and performance
$24,430Segmental pavers
$24,450Medical equipment preparers
$24,540Truck drivers, light or delivery services
$24,570Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping
$24,610Medical assistants
$24,750Assemblers and fabricators, all other
$24,840Roustabouts, oil and gas
$24,910Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics
$24,940Library technicians
$24,940Veterinary technologists and technicians
$24,950Helpers—Brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters
$24,990Healthcare support workers, all other
$25,050Costume attendants
$25,110Order clerks
$25,160Construction laborers
$25,290Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters
$25,310Emergency medical technicians and paramedics
$25,330Proofreaders and copy markers
$25,340Fiberglass laminators and fabricators
$25,410First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers
$25,410Office and administrative support workers, all other
$25,430Conveyor operators and tenders
$25,460Coil winders, tapers, and finishers
$25,470Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors
$25,540Psychiatric technicians
$25,560Log graders and scalers
$25,590Medical records and health information technicians
$25,590Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation
$25,630Parts salespersons
$25,690Upholsterers
$25,760Refuse and recyclable material collectors
$25,840Gaming surveillance officers and gaming investigators
$25,890Butchers and meat cutters
$25,900Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
$26,080Photographers
$26,080Rock splitters, quarry
$26,110Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive
$26,150Tree trimmers and pruners
$26,210Animal control workers
$26,220Pest control workers
$26,300Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
$26,320Helpers—Extraction workers
$26,350Coaches and scouts
$26,440Electromechanical equipment assemblers
$26,490Survey researchers
$26,540Medical secretaries
$26,580Industrial truck and tractor operators
$26,610Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles
$26,670Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders
$26,730Hunters and trappers
$26,790Floor sanders and finishers
$26,860New accounts clerks
$26,910Model makers, wood
$26,950Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders
$26,960Plating and coating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
$27,020Customer service representatives
$27,040Billing and posting clerks and machine operators
$27,060Teachers and instructors, all other
$27,330Forest and conservation technicians
$27,400Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers
$27,410Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
$27,410Logging equipment operators
$27,440Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
$27,450Bill and account collectors
$27,460Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders
$27,460Travel guides
$27,500Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
$27,530Fallers
$27,640Travel agents
$27,730Tax preparers
$27,750Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks
$27,800Extruding and forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, synthetic and glass fibers
$27,810Foundry mold and coremakers
$27,820Medical appliance technicians
$27,860Farm equipment mechanics
$27,870Rehabilitation counselors
$27,950Opticians, dispensing
$27,960Electronic home entertainment equipment installers and repairers
$27,970Automotive glass installers and repairers
$27,980Terrazzo workers and finishers
$28,010Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers
$28,010Broadcast technicians
$28,020Musical instrument repairers and tuners
$28,020Dredge operators
$28,030Word processors and typists
$28,080Protective service workers, all other
$28,090Correspondence clerks
$28,110Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
$28,180Animal breeders
$28,330Dental assistants
$28,370Parking enforcement workers
$28,380Medical transcriptionists
$28,400Telephone operators
$28,410Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
$28,430Court, municipal, and license clerks
$28,450Pipelayers
$28,480Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
$28,500Motorcycle mechanics
$28,530Bookbinders
$28,570Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
$28,610Timing device assemblers, adjusters, and calibrators
$28,810Semiconductor processors
$28,810Fabric and apparel patternmakers
$28,850Material moving workers, all other
$28,850Watch repairers
$28,870Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
$28,930Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers
$28,960Pourers and casters, metal
$28,980Recreational vehicle service technicians
$29,000Loan interviewers and clerks
$29,050Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks
$29,120Sailors and marine oilers
$29,240Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
$29,250Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
$29,440Meter readers, utilities
$29,510First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers
$29,550Highway maintenance workers
$29,650Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
$29,720Education, training, and library workers, all other
$29,730Bus drivers, transit and intercity
$29,730Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders
$29,730Agricultural and food science technicians
$29,730Logging workers, all other
$29,780Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders
$29,800Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
$29,840Structural metal fabricators and fitters
$29,900Printing machine operators
$29,990Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
$30,200Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners
$30,260Painters, construction and maintenance
$30,270Statistical assistants
$30,310Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall
$30,350Payroll and timekeeping clerks
$30,350First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers
$30,360Locksmiths and safe repairers
$30,380Surveying and mapping technicians
$30,430Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
$30,620Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
$30,620Artists and related workers, all other
$30,660Motorboat mechanics
$30,670Service unit operators, oil, gas, and mining
$30,680Chefs and head cooks
$30,690Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic
$30,700Directors, religious activities and education
$30,710Maintenance and repair workers, general
$30,840Roofers
$30,840Medical and clinical laboratory technicians
$30,880Self-enrichment education teachers
$30,890Procurement clerks
$30,920Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
$30,950Patternmakers, wood
$31,010Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
$31,040Agricultural inspectors
$31,060Dental laboratory technicians
$31,070Computer operators
$31,280Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
$31,320Reporters and correspondents
$31,380Sales and related workers, all other
$31,400Cement masons and concrete finishers
$31,680Communications equipment operators, all other
$31,750Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping
$31,820Museum Technicians and Conservators
$31,830Prepress technicians and workers
$31,960Massage therapists
$31,970Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators
$32,000Mechanical door repairers
$32,020Motorboat operators
$32,060Job printers
$32,110Information and record clerks, all other
$32,110Private detectives and investigators
$32,130Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors
$32,170Transportation workers, all other
$32,180Home appliance repairers
$32,320Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers
$32,330Camera and photographic equipment repairers
$32,340Desktop publishers
$32,440Plasterers and stucco masons
$32,440Tank car, truck, and ship loaders
$32,450Automotive service technicians and mechanics
$32,490Fabric menders, except garment
$32,530Community and social service specialists, all other
$32,550Lay-out workers, metal and plastic
$32,570Audio and video equipment technicians
$32,570Extraction workers, all other
$32,600Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles
$32,650Glaziers
$32,720First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers
$32,720Radio operators
$32,730Paperhangers
$32,740Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders
$32,840Maintenance workers, machinery
$32,900Recreational therapists
$32,960Mental health counselors
$32,990Audio-visual collections specialists
$33,110Eligibility interviewers, government programs
$33,210Biological technicians
$33,230Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
$33,250Loading machine operators, underground mining
$33,320Hazardous materials removal workers
$33,330Insulation workers, mechanical
$33,360Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other
$33,410Security and fire alarm systems installers
$33,420Earth drillers, except oil and gas
$33,510Derrick operators, oil and gas
$33,520Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer
$33,590Metal workers and plastic workers, all other
$33,600Correctional officers and jailers
$33,670Choreographers
$33,670Traffic technicians
$33,680Hoist and winch operators
$33,720Supervisors, farming, fishing, and forestry workers
$33,760Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
$33,860Interpreters and translators
$33,870Bailiffs
$33,920Mental health and substance abuse social workers
$33,930Wellhead pumpers
$33,940Athletic trainers
$33,960Machinists
$33,970Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
$33,970Loan counselors
$33,990Law clerks
$34,010Surgical technologists
$34,030Drywall and ceiling tile installers
$34,090Carpet installers
$34,100Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
$34,220Mining machine operators, all other
$34,230Healthcare technologists and technicians, all other
$34,250Cargo and freight agents
$34,360Social science research assistants
$34,570Music directors and composers
$34,690Automotive body and related repairers
$34,798Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers, all other
$34,800Engine and other machine assemblers
$34,820Child, family, and school social workers
$34,880Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
$34,900Carpenters
$34,960Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators
$34,970Executive secretaries and administrative assistants
$34,980Stonemasons
$34,990Counselors, all other
$35,120Painters, transportation equipment
$35,150Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers
$35,160Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
$35,240Brokerage clerks
$35,240Commercial divers
$35,330Riggers
$35,340First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
$35,340Environmental science and protection technicians, including health
$35,360Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
$35,410Tile and marble setters
$35,450Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
$35,540Embalmers
$35,560Sheet metal workers
$35,590Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
$35,670Real estate sales agents
$35,700Explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
$35,730Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program
$35,780Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
$35,800Set and exhibit designers
$36,260Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
$36,340Production, planning, and expediting clerks
$36,390Tire builders
$36,470Archivists
$36,680Airfield operations specialists
$36,690Clergy
$36,720Legal secretaries
$36,720Radio mechanics
$36,740Respiratory therapy technicians
$36,980Broadcast news analysts
$37,000Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
$37,128Musicians and singers
$37,140Patternmakers, metal and plastic
$37,170Continuous mining machine operators
$37,220Medical equipment repairers
$37,260First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers, all other
$37,360Mine cutting and channeling machine operators
$37,390Bridge and lock tenders
$37,410Crane and tower operators
$37,610Camera operators, television, video, and motion picture
$37,610Shuttle car operators
$37,640Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons
$37,660Lodging managers
$37,840Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other
$37,890Physical therapist assistants
$38,030Graphic designers
$38,060Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators
$38,110Sound engineering technicians
$38,150Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
$38,160Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators
$38,170Chemical technicians
$38,280First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand
$38,330Fire fighters
$38,430Occupational therapist assistants
$38,460Mathematical technicians
$38,480Civil engineering technicians
$38,480Health educators
$38,550Environmental engineering technicians
$38,690Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
$38,870Chemical equipment operators and tenders
$38,890Roof bolters, mining
$38,980Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors
$38,980Marriage and family therapists
$39,050Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists
$39,060Industrial machinery mechanics
$39,070Tapers
$39,130Paralegals and legal assistants
$39,190Architectural and civil drafters
$39,430Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
$39,440Social workers, all other
$39,600Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
$39,610Food service managers
$39,620Meeting and convention planners
$39,980Property, real estate, and community association managers
$40,040Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment
$40,080Medical and public health social workers
$40,170Numerical tool and process control programmers
$40,180Therapists, all other
$40,260Geological and petroleum technicians
$40,300Advertising sales agents
$40,330Telecommunications line installers and repairers
$40,430Computer support specialists
$40,440Farmers and ranchers
$40,510Rail car repairers
$40,670Interior designers
$40,710Rail transportation workers, all other
$40,840Gaming supervisors
$40,850Media and communication workers, all other
$40,950Postal service clerks
$41,030First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers
$41,120Media and communication equipment workers, all other
$41,190Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists
$41,290Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
$41,400Kindergarten teachers, except special education
$41,440Electro-mechanical technicians
$41,600Farm and home management advisors
$41,720Insurance sales agents
$41,740Brickmasons and blockmasons
$41,800Plant and system operators, all other
$41,860Drafters, all other
$42,130Occupational health and safety technicians
$42,150Legal support workers, all other
$42,230Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products
$42,250Designers, all other
$42,300Electricians
$42,430Structural iron and steel workers
$42,600Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
$42,740Tool and die makers
$42,780Fish and game wardens
$42,920Court reporters
$42,980Surveyors
$43,000Mechanical drafters
$43,140Respiratory therapists
$43,160Elementary school teachers, except special education
$43,180Electrical and electronics drafters
$43,350Radiologic technologists and technicians
$43,390Appraisers and assessors of real estate
$43,400Mechanical engineering technicians
$43,440Flight attendants
$43,490Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents
$43,570Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school
$43,590Industrial engineering technicians
$43,590Film and video editors
$43,620Curators
$43,630Dietitians and nutritionists
$43,670Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education
$43,670Construction and building inspectors
$43,710Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
$43,720Millwrights
$43,720Purchasing agents and buyers, farm products
$43,820Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators
$43,830Public relations specialists
$43,890Editors
$43,890Anthropologists and archeologists
$43,990Vocational education teachers, middle school
$44,010Forensic science technicians
$44,150Stationary engineers and boiler operators
$44,160Special education teachers, middle school
$44,200Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other
$44,220Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
$44,250Model makers, metal and plastic
$44,290Pile-driver operators
$44,310Avionics technicians
$44,350Writers and authors
$44,450Postal service mail carriers
$44,490Historians
$44,570Training and development specialists
$44,570Signal and track switch repairers
$44,640Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators
$44,720First-line supervisors/managers of correctional officers
$44,740First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers
$44,810First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators
$44,830Chemical plant and system operators
$45,100Boilermakers
$45,210Police and sheriff's patrol officers
$45,290Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
$45,330Insurance appraisers, auto damage
$45,390Emergency management specialists
$45,400Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
$45,430Transit and railroad police
$45,570Educational, vocational, and school counselors
$45,650Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education
$45,700Special education teachers, secondary school
$45,730Medical and clinical laboratory technologists
$45,900Librarians
$45,920Vocational education teachers, secondary school
$45,960Funeral directors
$46,080Cartographers and photogrammetrists
$46,310Electrical and electronic engineering technicians
$46,340Railroad conductors and yardmasters
$46,340Fire inspectors and investigators
$46,810Social and community service managers
$47,000Sales representatives, services, all other
$47,260Credit analysts
$47,390Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation
$47,490Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
$47,530Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other
$47,680Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products
$48,230Foresters
$48,310Athletes and sports competitors
$48,550Insurance underwriters
$48,790Instructional coordinators
$48,830Loan officers
$49,100Electrical power-line installers and repairers
$49,290Subway and streetcar operators
$49,440Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other
$49,540Financial specialists, all other
$49,840Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
$49,920Animal scientists
$49,940Cost estimators
$50,260Orthotists and prosthetists
$50,330Zoologists and wildlife biologists
$50,340First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers
$50,340Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
$50,360Multi-media artists and animators
$50,380Transportation inspectors
$50,450First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers
$50,490Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
$50,540Locomotive engineers and operators
$50,580Postmasters and mail superintendents
$50,680Gas plant operators
$50,700Farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers
$50,770Accountants and auditors
$50,840Food scientists and technologists
$51,080Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
$51,200Soil and plant Scientists
$51,470Audiologists
$51,570Occupational health and safety specialists
$51,800Postsecondary teachers
$52,310Commercial and industrial designers
$52,330Registered nurses
$52,410Speech-language pathologists
$52,480Conservation scientists
$52,490Diagnostic medical sonographers
$52,500Aerospace engineering and operations technicians
$52,530Power plant operators
$52,840Producers and directors
$53,120Landscape architects
$53,450Urban and regional planners
$53,460Business operation specialists, all other
$53,490Technical writers
$53,790Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
$53,870Commercial pilots
$53,990Detectives and criminal investigators
$54,660Occupational therapists
$54,760Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators
$54,800Epidemiologists
$54,840Microbiologists
$54,950Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists
$54,950Ship engineers
$55,080Agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes
$55,430Life scientists, all other
$55,840Fashion designers
$56,040Budget analysts
$56,060Chemists
$56,140Market research analysts
$56,270Biological scientists, all other
$56,450Nuclear medicine technologists
$56,520Agricultural engineers
$57,110Logisticians
$57,330Power distributors and dispatchers
$57,700Radiation therapists
$57,870Sociologists
$57,970Health diagnosing and treating practitioners, all other
$58,190Network and computer systems administrators
$58,350Dental hygienists
$58,490Social scientists and related workers, all other
$58,580Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
$58,580Gaming managers
$58,620Statisticians
$58,710Elevator installers and repairers
$58,720Real estate brokers
$58,920First-line supervisors/managers of fire fighting and prevention workers
$58,970Geographers
$59,200Nuclear technicians
$59,300First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers
$59,480Computer specialists, all other
$60,180Physical therapists
$60,190Operations research analysts
$60,250Education administrators, all other
$60,290Administrative services managers
$60,300Architects, except landscape and naval
$60,310Financial examiners
$60,600Network systems and data communications analysts
$60,650Database administrators
$61,320Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
$61,510Hydrologists
$61,910Financial analysts
$62,360Mathematical scientists, all other
$62,700Personal financial advisors
$62,890Computer programmers
$63,450Management analysts
$63,610Advertising and promotions managers
$63,730Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
$63,840Art directors
$64,090Nuclear power reactor operators
$64,230Civil engineers
$64,430First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives
$64,690Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
$65,020Industrial engineers
$66,320Mechanical engineers
$66,460Computer systems analysts
$66,480Environmental engineers
$66,530Compensation and benefits managers
$66,590Veterinarians
$66,600Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
$67,110Materials engineers
$67,430Medical and health services managers
$67,460Training and development managers
$67,690Biomedical engineers
$68,340Education administrators, postsecondary
$68,730Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
$68,930Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
$68,950Biochemists and biophysicists
$69,200Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
$69,410Physician assistants
$69,870Construction managers
$69,910Chiropractors
$70,000Public relations managers
$70,100Atmospheric and space scientists
$70,620Sales engineers
$71,400Industrial-organizational psychologists
$71,610Electrical engineers
$71,910Psychologists, all other
$72,040Marine engineers and naval architects
$72,390Materials scientists
$72,450Purchasing managers
$72,780Economists
$73,000Industrial production managers
$74,190Education administrators, elementary and secondary school
$74,430Engineers, all other
$74,980Computer software engineers, applications
$75,770Electronics engineers, except computer
$76,340Actuaries
$76,770Chemical engineers
$77,290Managers, all other
$77,420General and operations managers
$79,100Aerospace engineers
$79,740Computer software engineers, systems software
$80,150Physical scientists, all other
$81,150Computer hardware engineers
$81,240Mathematicians
$81,810Human resources managers, all other
$81,880Financial managers
$84,220Sales managers
$84,880Nuclear engineers
$84,900Pharmacists
$85,190Computer and information scientists, research
$86,750Political scientists
$87,450Physicists
$87,640Marketing managers
$88,410Optometrists
$88,500Petroleum engineers
$88,660Natural sciences managers
$92,570Computer and information systems managers
$93,070Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
$94,400Podiatrists
$94,930Lawyers
$97,630Engineering managers
$102,030Air traffic controllers
$123,060Dentists, general
$126,130Dentists, all other specialists
$129,250Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
$140,350Chief executives

source: Employment Matrix; about this section

Questions? See mean, median, percentile: understanding the statistics.

The median earnings shown for physicians and surgeons is for physicians in family practice (without obstetrics). Physicians in other specialties may have higher earnings. Because estimates in this table come from more than one source the degree to which they can be compared to one another is limited.

Also see Occupations ranked by median annual wage in the 2004-05 edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook
Visit the ocouha weblog