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

Highest employment to lowest employment occupations

Decatur, AL

This list of OES occupational earnings and employment estimates for the Decatur, Alabama, area is ordered by occupational employment. The occupation title is a link to the section of the Occupational Outlook Handbook that includes the occupation. (In some cases two or more OES occupations are included together in one OOH article.)

Occupations ranked by employment

Decatur, Alabama

Metropolitan area, all industries, May 2005

EmploymentOccupationMedian annual wageMean annual wage
56,280All Occupations
(area) (ind)
$25,900$31,190
11,370Production occupations
(area) (ind)
$26,990$29,900
7,860Office and administrative support occupations
(area) (ind)
$23,290$25,770
5,220Transportation and material moving occupations
(area) (ind)
$24,270$27,090
4,890Sales and related occupations
(area) (ind)
$19,790$25,160
4,470Food preparation and serving related occupations
(area) (ind)
$13,600$14,800
3,450Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
(area) (ind)
$35,540$38,540
3,150Education, training, and library occupations
(area) (ind)
$36,370$34,100
2,940Construction and extraction occupations
(area) (ind)
$29,940$31,000
2,460Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
(area) (ind)
$38,180$47,340
1,930Retail salespersons
(area) (ind)
$18,420$22,250
1,870Management occupations
(area) (ind)
$62,920$69,990
1,570Business and financial operations occupations
(area) (ind)
$46,300$52,210
1,530Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer
(area) (ind)
$34,360$35,750
1,510Team assemblers
(area) (ind)
$17,380$19,390
1,480Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food
(area) (ind)
$13,120$13,280
1,420Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations
(area) (ind)
$17,730$20,070
1,400Healthcare support occupations
(area) (ind)
$19,020$21,840
1,050Protective service occupations
(area) (ind)
$25,710$28,580
1,000Architecture and engineering occupations
(area) (ind)
$58,400$59,310
990Office clerks, general
(area) (ind)
$20,230$21,040
960Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
(area) (ind)
$18,940$20,600
950Maintenance and repair workers, general
(area) (ind)
$37,670$38,090
880Helpers--production workers
(area) (ind)
$28,850$29,840
870Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive
(area) (ind)
$23,560$24,690
870Registered nurses
(area) (ind)
$41,910$43,790
800Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
(area) (ind)
$25,820$27,580
750Elementary school teachers, except special education
(area) (ind)
$41,050$41,880
730Waiters and waitresses
(area) (ind)
$12,720$12,650
710General and operations managers
(area) (ind)
$56,960$71,120
690Customer service representatives
(area) (ind)
$23,300$25,050
690Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education
(area) (ind)
$40,550$40,800
660Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
(area) (ind)
$17,050$17,660
650Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
(area) (ind)
$25,550$26,100
640Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
(area) (ind)
$17,330$17,740
610First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers
(area) (ind)
$51,790$56,600
600Stock clerks and order fillers
(area) (ind)
$19,370$19,870
600First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers
(area) (ind)
$34,270$37,430
490First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers
(area) (ind)
$27,950$30,550
470Packers and packagers, hand
(area) (ind)
$18,370$17,950
450Truck drivers, light or delivery services
(area) (ind)
$25,600$27,950
440Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
(area) (ind)
$35,760$43,200
440First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers
(area) (ind)
$21,840$22,300
440Business operations specialists, all other
(area) (ind)
$78,050$73,970
400Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
(area) (ind)
$22,230$23,860
400Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
(area) (ind)
$28,120$28,710
390Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
(area) (ind)
$30,330$30,430
360Industrial truck and tractor operators
(area) (ind)
$23,270$24,150
360Carpenters
(area) (ind)
$28,960$29,230
340Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks
(area) (ind)
$25,760$27,720
330Community and social services occupations
(area) (ind)
$35,740$37,440
320First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers
(area) (ind)
$46,240$50,540
320Electricians
(area) (ind)
$33,720$37,220
320Cooks, institution and cafeteria
(area) (ind)
$14,000$15,280
320Police and sheriff's patrol officers
(area) (ind)
$37,830$37,000
310Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
(area) (ind)
$62,100$59,130
310Receptionists and information clerks
(area) (ind)
$17,780$17,750
300Construction laborers
(area) (ind)
$21,690$24,880
290Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
(area) (ind)
$24,810$24,910
290First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers
(area) (ind)
$43,370$43,590
290Cooks, fast food
(area) (ind)
$13,420$13,440
290Security guards
(area) (ind)
$16,480$18,870
280Bill and account collectors
(area) (ind)
$21,820$24,440
280Maids and housekeeping cleaners
(area) (ind)
$14,100$14,650
280Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
(area) (ind)
$28,540$32,440
270Machinists
(area) (ind)
$35,510$35,140
270Food preparation workers
(area) (ind)
$13,860$14,770
260Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
(area) (ind)
$22,870$28,570
260Life, physical, and social science occupations
(area) (ind)
$41,170$46,380
260Computer and mathematical occupations
(area) (ind)
$52,280$54,590
260Accountants and auditors
(area) (ind)
$40,950$44,820
250Automotive service technicians and mechanics
(area) (ind)
$29,650$30,190
240Billing and posting clerks and machine operators
(area) (ind)
$25,920$25,880
240Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
(area) (ind)
$21,500$25,430
230Tellers
(area) (ind)
$20,850$21,480
230Cooks, restaurant
(area) (ind)
$17,780$18,050
210Pharmacists
(area) (ind)
$82,770$78,090
200Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
(area) (ind)
$30,030$29,670
190Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
(area) (ind)
$33,760$34,320
190Executive secretaries and administrative assistants
(area) (ind)
$37,030$42,220
190Cooks, short order
(area) (ind)
$14,700$14,300
180Millwrights
(area) (ind)
$33,490$34,450
180Industrial machinery mechanics
(area) (ind)
$31,660$32,850
180Sheet metal workers
(area) (ind)
$28,820$28,400
180Child care workers
(area) (ind)
$13,200$13,820
170Driver/sales workers
(area) (ind)
$28,700$30,150
170Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic
(area) (ind)
$25,820$29,400
160First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators
(area) (ind)
$45,800$46,520
160Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
(area) (ind)
$24,890$27,270
160Structural metal fabricators and fitters
(area) (ind)
$27,970$29,230
160Postal service mail carriers
(area) (ind)
$42,630$42,380
160Correctional officers and jailers
(area) (ind)
$24,280$25,890
160Medical assistants
(area) (ind)
$21,190$20,920
150Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
(area) (ind)
$18,310$17,790
150Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop
(area) (ind)
$12,920$13,030
150Pharmacy technicians
(area) (ind)
$20,960$20,910
140Cement masons and concrete finishers
(area) (ind)
$26,100$26,930
140Loan interviewers and clerks
(area) (ind)
$22,390$23,810
140Psychiatric aides
(area) (ind)
$20,790$20,670
130Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
(area) (ind)
$16,800$17,150
130Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
(area) (ind)
$30,760$30,740
130Production, planning, and expediting clerks
(area) (ind)
$32,500$34,290
130Payroll and timekeeping clerks
(area) (ind)
$27,260$26,820
130Counter and rental clerks
(area) (ind)
$19,430$20,940
120Kindergarten teachers, except special education
(area) (ind)
$42,470$42,690
120Engineers, all other
(area) (ind)
$84,020$82,760
120Loan officers
(area) (ind)
$43,580$44,090
120Industrial production managers
(area) (ind)
$70,730$79,660
110Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
(area) (ind)
$32,200$32,140
110Legal secretaries
(area) (ind)
$28,420$30,640
110Order clerks
(area) (ind)
$21,790$23,480
110Pest control workers
(area) (ind)
$26,820$27,280
110Legal occupations
(area) (ind)
$69,940$81,630
110Engineering technicians, except drafters, all other
(area) (ind)
$61,620$57,270
110Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other
(area) (ind)
$13,480$23,060
110Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products
(area) (ind)
$48,810$50,000
100Crane and tower operators
(area) (ind)
$29,100$30,940
100Sewing machine operators
(area) (ind)
$18,380$17,570
100Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
(area) (ind)
$31,690$30,020
100Maintenance workers, machinery
(area) (ind)
$22,450$27,840
100Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
(area) (ind)
$14,890$14,470
100Sales representatives, services, all other
(area) (ind)
$37,260$33,630
100Insurance sales agents
(area) (ind)
$32,930$40,540
100Parts salespersons
(area) (ind)
$17,860$24,320
100Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
(area) (ind)
$16,330$17,050
100Preschool teachers, except special education
(area) (ind)
$20,290$22,050
100Management analysts
(area) (ind)
$54,320$70,130
100Financial managers
(area) (ind)
$72,370$72,080
90Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
(area) (ind)
$21,800$25,080
90Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
(area) (ind)
$35,660$35,010
90Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
(area) (ind)
$18,250$20,640
90Medical secretaries
(area) (ind)
$19,670$20,300
90Mechanical engineers
(area) (ind)
$67,960$65,930
90Education administrators, elementary and secondary school
(area) (ind)
$72,310$71,090
90Chief executives
(area) (ind)
$124,710$128,580
80Tool and die makers
(area) (ind)
$38,990$39,030
80Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other
(area) (ind)
$64,820$64,540
80Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
(area) (ind)
$33,350$35,170
80File clerks
(area) (ind)
$17,530$18,460
80First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers
(area) (ind)
$52,140$56,000
80Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
(area) (ind)
$14,050$13,930
80Dishwashers
(area) (ind)
$13,760$13,930
80Librarians
(area) (ind)
$42,120$39,060
80Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school
(area) (ind)
$41,080$40,750
80Vocational education teachers, secondary school
(area) (ind)
$47,090$46,900
80Industrial engineers
(area) (ind)
$63,480$66,800
80Cost estimators
(area) (ind)
$50,450$52,140
80Engineering managers
(area) (ind)
$82,320$81,160
80Construction managers
(area) (ind)
$60,360$59,100
70First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand
(area) (ind)
$32,780$34,140
70Tire repairers and changers
(area) (ind)
$24,000$23,690
70First-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers
(area) (ind)
$25,460$27,010
70Home health aides
(area) (ind)
$16,910$17,450
70Lawyers
(area) (ind)
$106,940$93,990
70Medical and public health social workers
(area) (ind)
$32,260$33,680
70Educational, vocational, and school counselors
(area) (ind)
$51,700$51,840
70Chemical technicians
(area) (ind)
$34,250$37,910
70Computer programmers
(area) (ind)
$62,590$67,880
60Dental laboratory technicians
(area) (ind)
$25,050$26,790
60Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
(area) (ind)
$16,410$16,190
60Printing machine operators
(area) (ind)
$27,070$28,100
60Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
(area) (ind)
$20,590$20,890
60Data entry keyers
(area) (ind)
$17,870$18,640
60Switchboard operators, including answering service
(area) (ind)
$19,010$19,040
60Recreation workers
(area) (ind)
$21,220$22,580
60First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
(area) (ind)
$27,380$30,590
60First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers
(area) (ind)
$25,740$27,280
60Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
(area) (ind)
$15,280$14,980
60Physical therapist assistants
(area) (ind)
$40,590$42,130
60Emergency medical technicians and paramedics
(area) (ind)
n.a.n.a.
60Teachers and instructors, all other
(area) (ind)
$72,790$67,500
60Special education teachers, secondary school
(area) (ind)
$41,100$41,130
60Social and human service assistants
(area) (ind)
$20,300$25,510
60Surveying and mapping technicians
(area) (ind)
$22,740$24,660
60Civil engineers
(area) (ind)
$52,990$55,550
60Computer support specialists
(area) (ind)
$21,790$25,550
60Sales managers
(area) (ind)
$73,260$75,320
50Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers
(area) (ind)
$22,970$24,400
50Automotive body and related repairers
(area) (ind)
$34,330$38,370
50Painters, construction and maintenance
(area) (ind)
$30,930$29,740
50Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
(area) (ind)
$25,320$25,040
50Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
(area) (ind)
$60,280$66,930
50Entertainment attendants and related workers, all other
(area) (ind)
$16,260$16,590
50Food servers, nonrestaurant
(area) (ind)
$15,930$17,510
50Chefs and head cooks
(area) (ind)
$23,860$22,300
50Medical records and health information technicians
(area) (ind)
$20,450$21,730
50Radiologic technologists and technicians
(area) (ind)
$37,250$36,930
50Medical and clinical laboratory technicians
(area) (ind)
$29,010$30,450
50Child, family, and school social workers
(area) (ind)
$31,380$31,930
50Civil engineering technicians
(area) (ind)
$32,560$32,310
50Architectural and civil drafters
(area) (ind)
$32,140$33,560
50Electrical engineers
(area) (ind)
$74,940$69,780
50Computer systems analysts
(area) (ind)
$61,870$62,530
50Managers, all other
(area) (ind)
$55,840$55,130
50Medical and health services managers
(area) (ind)
$71,620$80,840
50Purchasing managers
(area) (ind)
$45,540$51,650
50Administrative services managers
(area) (ind)
$30,060$36,640
40Machine feeders and offbearers
(area) (ind)
$25,940$26,110
40Photographic processing machine operators
(area) (ind)
$18,570$18,680
40Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
(area) (ind)
$22,180$21,560
40Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters
(area) (ind)
$20,900$21,390
40Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
(area) (ind)
$27,800$30,140
40Highway maintenance workers
(area) (ind)
$26,900$26,180
40Helpers--carpenters
(area) (ind)
$20,850$21,070
40Office and administrative support workers, all other
(area) (ind)
$21,360$23,160
40Advertising sales agents
(area) (ind)
$37,210$37,530
40Bartenders
(area) (ind)
$13,080$13,420
40Medical transcriptionists
(area) (ind)
$24,970$23,590
40Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
(area) (ind)
$36,230$37,590
40Industrial engineering technicians
(area) (ind)
$46,750$46,670
40Environmental engineers
(area) (ind)
$72,180$94,240
40Chemical engineers
(area) (ind)
$78,780$77,670
40Appraisers and assessors of real estate
(area) (ind)
$37,780$42,200
40Training and development specialists
(area) (ind)
$36,930$36,640
40Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists
(area) (ind)
$28,790$35,020
30Job printers
(area) (ind)
$31,370$31,100
30Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
(area) (ind)
$26,960$31,810
30Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers
(area) (ind)
$30,800$31,970
30Construction and building inspectors
(area) (ind)
$35,350$38,140
30Helpers, construction trades, all other
(area) (ind)
$16,880$17,530
30Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
(area) (ind)
$20,580$20,850
30Postal service clerks
(area) (ind)
$44,330$44,030
30Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers
(area) (ind)
$23,850$23,990
30Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks
(area) (ind)
$21,160$22,630
30Real estate sales agents
(area) (ind)
n.a.n.a.
30First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives
(area) (ind)
$51,600$52,650
30Speech-language pathologists
(area) (ind)
$47,230$48,350
30Physical therapists
(area) (ind)
$61,610$61,200
30Graphic designers
(area) (ind)
$26,190$32,380
30Chemists
(area) (ind)
$71,740$74,250
30Electrical and electronic engineering technicians
(area) (ind)
$49,150$50,940
30Mechanical drafters
(area) (ind)
$38,200$38,220
30Food service managers
(area) (ind)
$34,480$36,460
30Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
(area) (ind)
$51,480$61,110
30Computer and information systems managers
(area) (ind)
$70,970$77,320
30Marketing managers
(area) (ind)
$84,400$93,820
n.a.Refuse and recyclable material collectors
(area) (ind)
$20,310$22,160
n.a.Bus drivers, transit and intercity
(area) (ind)
$13,380$14,110
n.a.Painting, coating, and decorating workers
(area) (ind)
$23,640$24,730
n.a.Chemical plant and system operators
(area) (ind)
$48,600$46,830
n.a.Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators
(area) (ind)
$32,510$34,130
n.a.Woodworkers, all other
(area) (ind)
$16,360$16,550
n.a.Fabric and apparel patternmakers
(area) (ind)
$20,380$20,230
n.a.Metal workers and plastic workers, all other
(area) (ind)
$18,610$18,810
n.a.Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders
(area) (ind)
$20,950$22,220
n.a.Drywall and ceiling tile installers
(area) (ind)
$26,140$26,390
n.a.Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping
(area) (ind)
$24,800$25,470
n.a.Sales and related workers, all other
(area) (ind)
$20,700$24,500
n.a.Cashiers
(area) (ind)
$15,140$15,720
n.a.Personal and home care aides
(area) (ind)
$15,990$15,870
n.a.Personal care and service occupations
(area) (ind)
$16,140$18,110
n.a.Dental assistants
(area) (ind)
$39,790$37,490
n.a.Internists, general
(area) (ind)
>$145K$177,920
n.a.Family and general practitioners
(area) (ind)
>$145K$164,860
n.a.Floral designers
(area) (ind)
$23,420$23,510
n.a.Instructional coordinators
(area) (ind)
$62,940$60,810
n.a.Computer software engineers, applications
(area) (ind)
$78,260$69,490
n.a.Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products
(area) (ind)
$41,220$39,470
n.a.Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program
(area) (ind)
$27,580$28,050
n.a.Human resources managers, all other
(area) (ind)
$81,280$79,990
n.a.Training and development managers
(area) (ind)
$62,290$58,760
n.a.Legislators
(area) (ind)
$12,820$13,980

source: Occupational Employment Statistics Program; about these estimates

The Decatur, Alabama metropolitan area consists of:

Lawrence County
Morgan County