Occupational Employment

and Wages, 2009

October 2010 Bulletin 2750

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

U.S. Department of Labor

Occupational Employment 

and Wages, 2009

U.S. Department of Labor 

Hilda L. Solis, Secretary

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Keith Hall, Commissioner

October 2010

Bulletin 2750
iv

Preface
v

This chartbook, Occupational Employment 

and Wages, 2009, is a product of the 

Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) 

program of the U.S. Bureau of Labor 

Statistics (BLS). The OES program produces 

employment and wage estimates for more 

than 800 occupations by geographic area 

and industry. 

For every occupation, the OES program has data on 

the total U.S. employment and the distribution of wages, 

including the mean wage and the 10th, 25th, 50th 

(median), 75th, and 90th percentiles. Occupational data 

for geographic areas include employment and wages for 

each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto 

Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Local area data 

are available for 377 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), 

34 metropolitan divisions within 11 of the largest MSAs, 

and 174 nonmetropolitan areas. National industry-specific 

estimates are available by industry sector and for 334 

industries.

The OES survey is a cooperative effort between BLS 

and the State workforce agencies. Employment and 

wage data for more than 800 occupations were collected 

from a sample of 1.2 million business establishments, 

employing more than 80 million workers, in 6 semiannual 

panels between November 2006 and May 2009. Wage 

data for all establishments were updated to the May 2009 

reference period, and employment data were updated 

to the average of the November 2008 and the May 2009 

reference periods. Information on OES sampling and 

estimation methodology is provided in the survey methods 

and reliability statement at www.bls.gov/oes/current/

methods_statement.pdf. 

Data users can create customized tables using the OES 

database search tool, or download complete OES data in 

zipped Excel format from www.bls.gov/oes/oes_dl.htm. 

Material in this publication is in the public domain and, 

with appropriate citation, may be reproduced without 

permission. Questions about OES data can be directed 

to the information phone line at (202) 691-6569 or sent to 

OESinfo@bls.gov.
vi

The information in this chartbook is possible due to the 

cooperation of more than a million business establishments 

that provide information on their workers to their State 

workforce agency and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

(BLS). State workforce agencies within each State collect 

and verify almost all data provided. BLS selects the 

sample, produces the estimates, and provides technical 

procedures and financial support to the States. BLS also 

collects a small portion of the data from employers. BLS 

produced this chartbook with contributions from Benjamin 

Cover, John Jones, Joe Kane, Clayton Lindsay, Laurie 

Salmon, Michael Soloy, George Stamas, Zachary Warren, 

and Audrey Watson. Cover art, typesetting, and layout 

were performed by Bruce Boyd and editorial services 

were provided by Maureen Soyars, both in the Office of 

Publications and Special Studies.

Acknowledgments

viii

Contents

Page Occupation Focus

2 Figure 1 Employment and mean wages for the largest occupations in the United States, May 2009

3 Figure 2 Employment and mean wages for the smallest occupations in the United States, May 2009

4 Figure 3 Percentile wages for mechanics occupations, May 2009

6 Figure 4 Employment and hourly mean wages of largest occupations with wages near the U.S. mean, May 2009

8 Figure 5 Hourly mean wages for selected construction trade occupations, May 2009

9 Figure 6 Hourly mean wages for selected construction helper occupations, May 2009

10 Figure 7 Distribution of employment by wage range for selected occupations, May 2009

12 Figure 8 Distribution of employment by industry sector for selected occupational groups

 with high unemployment rates, May 2009

13 Figure 9 Distribution of employment by industry sector for selected occupational groups

 with low unemployment rates, May 2009

14 Figure 10 Employment, mean hourly wages, and measures of concentration for selected occupations

 with high geographic concentrations, May 2009

15 Figure 11 Employment, mean hourly wages, and measures of concentration for selected occupations

 with low geographic concentrations, May 2009

Page Industry Focus

18 Figure 12 Employment and wages for occupations with the largest employment in the electric power generation industry, May 2009

19 Figure 13 Employment and wages for occupations with the largest employment in the natural gas distribution industry, May 2009

20 Figure 14 Employment of the largest occupations in the heavy and civil engineering construction industry, May 2009

21 Figure 15 Mean hourly wages of the largest occupations in the heavy and civil engineering construction industry, May 2009

22 Figure 16 Employment and wages for the largest occupations in the private sector

23 Figure 17 Employment and wages for the largest occupations in local government

24 Figure 18 Employment and wages for the largest occupations in State government

25 Figure 19 Employment and wages for the largest occupations in Federal Government

26 Figure 20 Employment shares of selected teaching occupations in elementary and secondary schools by ownership, May 2009

27 Figure 21 Wages of selected teaching occupations in elementary and secondary schools by ownership, May 2009

28 Figure 22 Industries with the highest employment concentrations for selected occupations, May 2009

30 Figure 23 Employment and hourly mean wages for the largest occupations in the newspaper, periodical,

 book, and directory publishers industry, May 2009
ix

Contents

Page State and Area Focus

34 Figure 24 Employment in production occupations, per 1,000 jobs, by State, May 2009

35 Figure 25 Mean annual wage of production occupations by State, May 2009

36 Figure 26 Employment concentrations for select occupations in the Gulf States, May 2009

38 Figure 27 States with the highest concentrations of selected occupations, May 2009

40 Figure 28 States with the highest concentrations in each engineering occupation, May 2009

42 Figure 29 Employment in architecture and engineering occupations, per 1,000 jobs, by area, May 2009

43 Figure 30 Mean annual wage of architecture and engineering occupations, by area, May 2009

44 Figure 31 Employment by occupational group in the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA, area, May 2005 and May 2009

45 Figure 32 Occupations in the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA, area, with large declines in employment between

 May 2005 to May 2009

46 Figure 33 Hourly mean wages for occupational groups in the New York metropolitan divisions

47 Figure 34 Wages of selected occupations in New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA,

 metropolitan statistical area divisions, May 2009

48 Figure 35 Distribution of employment in Palm Coast, FL; Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH; and the United States,

 by occupational group, May 2009

49 Figure 36 Hourly mean wages in Palm Coast, FL; Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH; and the United States,

 by occupational group, May 2009

50 Figure 37 Employment shares for selected occupations in Palm Coast, FL, and the United States, May 2009

51 Figure 38 Employment shares for selected occupations in Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH, and the United States, May 2009

52 Figure 39 Distribution of employment in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, by occupational groups, May 2009

53 Figure 40 Occupations with the highest concentration of employment in metropolitan areas, May 2009

54 Figure 41 Occupations found primarily in nonmetropolitan areas, May 2009

55 Figure 42 Occupations with the largest percentage wage differences between metropolitan

 and nonmetropolitan areas, May 2009
x

Organization

of charts and

applications

of OES data

The presentation of figures in this 

chartbook is intended to demonstrate 

a variety of applications of OES 

data. Figures are organized into four 

categories: the first focuses on detailed 

occupations, the second highlights 

patterns of specific industries, and the 

third and fourth focus on labor markets 

of States and local areas. Some 

examples of useful applications of

OES data:

Detailed occupational data can be used by jobseekers or 

employers to study wages for workers in certain occupations 

and to assess wage variation within and across occupations. 

Wage variation within an occupation can result from several 

factors, including industry, geographic location, or a worker’s 

individual experience or qualifications. Useful data for 

jobseekers include information on the industries or geographic 

areas that have the highest employment or the highest 

average wages for an occupation. Career and guidance 

counselors can use OES data to examine information on the 

possible occupational choices of their clients. 

Industry-specific occupational data can be used by human 

resources professionals in salary negotiations or to ensure 

that their wages are competitive with those of other 

businesses in their area or industry. Information on the 

types of jobs within an industry can be used to compare 

average staffing patterns with that of one’s own company. 

Occupational employment statistics by industry may be 

useful in assessing the impact of shifts in technology and 

other macroeconomic trends on the types of jobs available. 

BLS and State government employment projections 

programs use OES data as an input to their employment 

projections, which can be used to predict training and 

education demands. 

Geographic area information can be used to assess labor 

market features of a particular area. OES State-level data 

can be used to make assessments about the diversity of a 

State’s economy or to make comparisons among States. 

The occupational composition of employment—the mix 

of employment by occupation in a particular geographic 

area or industry—can provide clues to how a State or 

regional economy can hold up in adverse conditions that 

affect a certain sector of the economy. Differences in both 

occupational composition and occupational wage rates also 

help explain differences in average wages across States. 

For example, States with high average wages may have 

larger employment shares of high-paying occupations, 

higher wages within each occupation, or some combination 

of both factors. 

Like State data, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area data 

can be used to study the diversity of local area economies. 

Businesses can use data to see whether it might be 

beneficial to relocate to a particular area. OES wage data 

can be used to compare wages across different areas 

as part of an analysis of labor costs. OES occupational 

employment data may indicate whether workers are 

available in occupations that the business will need. For 

example, businesses that require computer specialists or 

skilled production workers may want to identify areas that 

have high levels of employment in these occupations.
xi

OES survey 

coverage, scope, 

and concept

definitions

The OES survey covers all full- and 

part-time wage and salary workers in 

nonfarm industries. The survey does 

not include the self-employed, owners 

and partners in unincorporated firms, 

workers in private households, or 

unpaid family workers.

An occupation is a set of activities or tasks that employees are 

paid to perform. Employees who perform essentially the same 

tasks are in the same occupation, whether or not they are in 

the same industry. Workers who may be classified in more than 

one occupation are classified in the occupation that requires the 

highest level of skill. If there is no measurable difference in skill 

requirements, workers are included in the occupation in which 

they spend the most time. All occupations are classified by the 

2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.

An industry is a group of establishments that have similar 

production processes or provide similar services. For 

example, all establishments that manufacture automobiles 

are in the same industry. A given industry, or even a 

particular establishment in that industry, might have 

employees in many different occupations. The North 

American Industry Classification System (NAICS) groups 

similar establishments into industries. 

The employment shown in some of the figures is the average 

employment for May 2009 and November 2008. Employment 

is defined for the OES survey as the number of workers who 

can be classified as full- or part-time employees, including 

workers on paid vacations or other types of paid leave; workers 

on unpaid short-term absences; salaried officers, executives, 

and staff members of incorporated firms; employees 

temporarily assigned to other units; and employees for whom 

the reporting unit is their permanent duty station, regardless of 

whether that unit prepares their paycheck. 

Wages for the OES survey are straight-time, gross 

pay, exclusive of premium pay. Included are base rate; 

cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty 

pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production 

bonuses; tips; and on-call pay. Excluded are back pay, jury 

duty pay, overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, 

non-production bonuses, employer cost for supplementary 

benefits, and tuition reimbursements. 

Respondents are asked to report the number of employees 

paid within specific wage intervals, regardless of whether 

the employees work part time or full time. The responding 

establishment can reference either the hourly or the annual 

rate for full-time workers but are instructed to report the 

hourly rate for part-time workers. Intervals are defined both 

as hourly rates and the corresponding annual rates, where 

the annual rate for an occupation is calculated by multiplying 

the hourly wage rate by a typical work year of 2,080 hours. 

Geographic areas are defined by the Office of Management 

and Budget. Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin 

Islands are also surveyed; their data are not included in 

this publication, but are published on the OES Web site. 

The nationwide response rate for the May 2009 survey was 

78.2 percent based on establishments and 74.5 percent 

based on employment. More information on sampling 

and estimation methodology can be found in the survey 

methods and reliability statement on the OES Web site at 

www.bls.gov/oes/current/methods_statement.pdf.

Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

1

Occupation Focus
2

OCCUPATION

FOCUS Almost 35 million jobs, or over one-quarter of U.S. employment, are found in 15 occupations.

Employment and mean wages for the largest occupations in the United States, May 2009

F i g u r e 1

●Twelve of the largest occupations 

had wages below the U.S. mean 

annual wage of $43,460. General and 

operations managers; elementary 

school teachers, except special 

education; and registered nurses had 

wages above the U.S. average.

●The two largest occupations, retail 

salespersons and cashiers, were 

sales occupations. Five of the 15 

largest occupations were office and 

administrative support occupations, 

with combined employment of over 

10.4 million.

●Some of the largest occupations 

were concentrated in specific 

industries, while others were found 

in a wide variety of industries. For 

example, about 75 percent of waiters 

and waitresses were employed in 

full-service restaurants, and nearly 

all elementary school teachers 

were employed in elementary and 

secondary schools. General office 

clerks, however, were found in 

many industries, with their largest 

employer—local government—

accounting for less than 7 percent of 

jobs in this occupation.

Occupation Employment Percent of U.S. 

employment

Hourly mean 

wage

Annual 

mean wage

Retail salespersons 4,209,500 3.22 $11.84 $24,630

Cashiers 3,439,380 2.63 9.15 19,030

Office clerks, general 2,815,240 2.15 13.32 27,700

Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food 2,695,740 2.06 8.71 18,120

Registered nurses 2,583,770 1.98 31.99 66,530

Waiters and waitresses 2,302,070 1.76 9.80 20,380

Customer service representatives 2,195,860 1.68 15.58 32,410

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand 2,135,790 1.63 12.16 25,290

Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners 2,090,400 1.60 11.60 24,120

Stock clerks and order fillers 1,864,410 1.43 11.28 23,460

Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive 1,797,670 1.38 14.93 31,060

Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks 1,757,870 1.35 16.71 34,750

General and operations managers 1,689,680 1.29 53.15 110,550

Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer 1,550,930 1.19 18.87 39,260

Elementary school teachers, except special education 1,544,300 1.18 (

1

) 53,150

1

 Wages for some occupations that do not generally work year round, full time, are reported either as hourly wages or annual salaries, depending 

on how they are typically paid.
3

OCCUPATION

FOCUS

1

 Omits some occupations that are concentrated in private households and the agricultural sector (except logging and 

support activities for crop and animal production), which are not covered by the OES survey.

F i g u r e 2

●The 17 occupations shown in 

figure 2 accounted for less than 0.2 

percent of U.S. employment. 

●Twelve of the 17 occupations 

had wages similar to or below 

the U.S. annual mean wage of 

$43,460. Of the five occupations 

with above-average wages, three 

were life, physical, and social 

science occupations: astronomers, 

industrial-organizational 

psychologists, and geographers. 

Prosthodontists and locomotive 

firers also had above-average 

wages. 

●Several of the smallest 

occupations were specialized 

construction; installation, 

maintenance, and repair; 

production; or transportation and 

material moving occupations, 

including segmental pavers, fabric 

menders, wood model makers, and 

dredge operators.

The smallest occupations in the United States are more specialized and include 

several occupations with annual mean wages of $100,000 or more.

Employment and mean wages for the smallest occupations in the United States, May 2009

Occupation1 Employment Hourly 

mean wage

Annual 

mean wage

Prosthodontists 660 $60.29 $125,400

Fabric menders, except garment 840 13.28 27,630

Radio operators 870 20.86 43,400

Locomotive firers 960 24.71 51,400

Farm labor contractors 1,000 17.37 36,130

Segmental pavers 1,040 13.81 28,730

Mathematical technicians 1,090 21.27 44,230

Geographers 1,170 34.33 71,420

Astronomers 1,240 49.40 102,740

Models 1,510 17.51 36,420

Patternmakers, wood 1,540 18.53 38,540

Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists 1,540 18.36 38,180

Animal breeders 1,700 16.93 35,210

Industrial-organizational psychologists 1,710 49.31 102,570

Model makers, wood 1,900 16.33 33,970

Makeup artists, theatrical and performance 1,930 21.64 45,010

Dredge operators 1,990 18.43 38,330
4

OCCUPATION

FOCUS Employment opportunities for people interested in repairing mechanical devices are 

found in a number of related fields, each with differing ranges of remuneration.

Percentile wages for mechanics occupations, May 2009

F i g u r e 3

●Among the mechanics 

occupations, aircraft mechanics and 

service technicians had the highest 

average wage at $25.47 per hour, 

followed by rail car repairers at 

$22.32 per hour. Bicycle repairers 

and outdoor power equipment and 

small engine mechanics had the 

lowest average hourly wages at 

$11.65 and $14.61, respectively.

●Automotive service technicians 

had the greatest spread in wages, 

with a 10th percentile wage of $9.54 

per hour and a 90th percentile 

wage of $28.81.

●The most common of the 

mechanics occupations was 

automotive service technicians, 

with 606,990 workers employed 

nationally. Bicycle repairers (9,290 

workers) and recreational vehicle 

service technicians (10,860) were 

the least common.

$0

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

Automotive 

service 

technicians 

and 

mechanics

Bus and 

truck 

mechanics 

and diesel 

engine 

specialists

Mobile heavy 

equipment 

mechanics, 

except 

engines

Aircraft 

mechanics 

and service 

technicians

Farm 

equipment 

mechanics

Outdoor 

power 

equipment 

and other 

small engine 

mechanics

Rail car 

repairers

Motorboat 

mechanics

Motorcycle 

mechanics

Recreational 

vehicle 

service 

technicians

Bicycle 

repairers

Hourly wage rate

Occupation

75th Percentile

50th Percentile

25th Percentile
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

5
6

OCCUPATION

FOCUS Many of the largest occupations with wages near the U.S. mean 

were skilled manufacturing jobs or skilled trades.

Employment and hourly mean wages of largest occupations with wages 

near the U.S. mean, May 2009

F i g u r e 4

●Executive secretaries and 

administrative assistants and 

carpenters were the two largest 

occupations with mean wages 

within 5 percent of the U.S. alloccupations mean of $20.90 per 

hour. 

●The construction and extraction 

major occupational group and 

the installation, maintenance, and 

repair major occupational group 

both had three detailed occupations 

represented among the 15 largest 

occupations with wages near the 

U.S. mean.

$19.88

$19.88

$19.99

$20.00

$20.49

$20.65

$20.80

$20.93

$20.98

$21.00

$21.16

$21.24

$21.58

$21.76

$21.94

$19.00 $20.00 $21.00 $22.00 $23.00

0 500 1,000 1,500

Self-enrichment education teachers

Mental health and substance abuse social workers

Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators

Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

Correctional officers and jailers

Legal secretaries

Production, planning, and expediting clerks

Child, family, and school social workers

Carpenters

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

Executive secretaries and administrative assistants

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Sheet metal workers

First-line supervisors/managers of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand

Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Employment (in thousands)

Employment

$ Wage

U.S. hourly mean 

wage of $20.90

Occupation Hourly mean wage
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

7
8

OCCUPATION

FOCUS Workers in skilled construction trade occupations earned between 34 and 83 

percent more than workers in those occupations that assist them.

Hourly mean wages for selected construction trade occupations, May 2009

F i g u r e 5

●Mean wages were higher than 

$20.00 per hour for 6 of the 11 

construction trade occupations 

shown, but mean wages were lower 

than $15.00 per hour for all of the 

accompanying helper occupations. 

●Although the mean wage 

for plumbers, pipefitters, and 

steamfitters ($23.97) was 

significantly higher than the mean 

wage for their helpers ($13.24), the 

mean wage for pipelayers ($17.81) 

was only 34 percent higher than the 

helpers’ wages and represented 

one of the lowest wages among 

the construction trade occupations 

shown. 

$0

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

Mean wage

Occupation
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

9

OCCUPATION

FOCUS

Hourly mean wages for selected construction helper occupations, May 2009

F i g u r e 6

●Average wages varied more 

among some construction trade 

occupations than among helpers 

for the same occupations. For 

example, while electricians had 

a higher mean hourly wage (by 

$6.47, or 36 percent) than roofers, 

electricians’ helpers had a mean 

hourly wage that was only $1.69 

(14 percent) higher than the wage 

earned by roofers’ helpers.

●Electricians; plumbers, pipefitters, 

and steamfitters; and brickmasons 

and block masons were among 

the highest paid construction trade 

occupations, and their helpers were 

the highest paid helpers.

●While nearly all of the 

construction trade occupations 

shown, including carpenters and 

paperhangers, receive training 

through apprenticeship programs or 

have moderate-term and long-term 

on-the-job training, their helpers 

have only short-term on-the-job 

training.

$0

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

Helpers–electricians Helpers–pipelayers, 

plumbers, pipefitters, 

and steamfitters

Helpers–brickmasons, 

blockmasons, 

stonemasons, and tile 

and marble setters

Helpers–carpenters Helpers–painters, 

paperhangers, 

plasterers, and stucco 

masons

Helpers–roofers

Mean wage

Occupation
10

OCCUPATION

FOCUS Occupations with higher mean and median wages had a wider distribution of wages.

Distribution of employment by wage range for selected occupations, May 2009

F i g u r e 7

●Occupations with low wages had 

a narrow wage range.

●For example, the lowest paying 

occupation shown, combined food 

preparation and serving workers, 

was clustered near the minimum 

wage, with a median wage of $8.28 

per hour.

●Psychiatrists showed the largest 

variability in wages, ranging from 

$7.50 per hour to greater than $80 

per hour. 

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

<$7.50 $7.50 -

$9.49

$9.50 -

$11.99

$12.00 -

$15.24

$15.25 -

$19.24

$19.25 -

$24.49

$24.50 -

$30.99

$31.00 -

$39.24

$39.25 -

$49.74

$49.75 -

$63.24

$63.25 -

$79.99

>$79.99

Licensed practical and licensed vocational 

nurses

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80% Combined food preparation and serving 

workers, including fast food

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out 

machine setters, operators, and tenders

Percentage of occupational employment
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

11

OCCUPATION

FOCUS

Distribution of employment by wage range for selected occupations, May 2009

F i g u r e 7

Continued

●The majority of workers within an 

occupation did not earn a wage in 

the closest range to the occupation 

median, but within the nearest 

few ranges above and below the 

median. Overall, only 12 percent 

of workers earned a wage in the 

same range as the median, but 

58 percent were within two wage 

ranges above and below the range 

that contains the median.

Percentage of occupational employment

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Aerospace engineers

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

<$7.50 $7.50 -

$9.49

$9.50 -

$11.99

$12.00 -

$15.24

$15.25 -

$19.24

$19.25 -

$24.49

$24.50 -

$30.99

$31.00 -

$39.24

$39.25 -

$49.74

$49.75 -

$63.24

$63.25 -

$79.99

>$79.99

Psychiatrists

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Electrical and electronics repairers, 

powerhouse, substation, and relay
12

OCCUPATION

FOCUS Three of the five occupational groups with high unemployment rates had 70 percent or more of 

their employment in a single industry sector: construction and extraction, production, and food 

preparation and serving related occupations.

Distribution of employment by industry sector for selected occupational groups with high 

unemployment rates, May 2009

F i g u r e 8

●Building and grounds cleaning 

and maintenance occupations and 

transportation and material moving 

occupations were distributed more 

evenly across industry sectors 

than the other occupational 

groupings. The administrative and 

support services sector, which 

includes janitorial services and 

facilities support services, had 

higher employment of building and 

grounds cleaning and maintenance 

occupations than any other sector, 

but accounted for only 38 percent 

of employment in this group. 

Similarly, the largest employer of 

transportation and material moving 

occupations, the transportation and 

warehousing sector, employed less 

than 30 percent of this group.

●Of the occupational groups shown 

in the chart, food preparation and 

serving related occupations was the 

largest, with total employment of 

more than 11.2 million. Production 

occupations and transportation and 

material moving occupations each 

had employment of nearly 9 million. 0

20

40

60

80

100

Construction

and extraction (19.7)

Production (14.7) Building and grounds 

cleaning and 

maintenance (12.1)

Transportation and 

material moving (12.0)

Food preparation and 

serving related (11.6)

Percent of total employment

Other industries

Federal, State, and local government

Accommodation and food services

Healthcare and social assistance

Educational services

Administrative and support services

Transportation and warehousing

Retail trade

Wholesale trade

Manufacturing

Construction

Mining

Note: The numbers in parentheses represent the unemployment rates for selected occupational groups.
13

OCCUPATION

FOCUS Two of the occupational groups with low unemployment rates had their employment 

concentrated in the healthcare and social assistance sector, and a third had 

employment concentrated in educational services.

Distribution of employment by industry sector for selected occupational groups with low 

unemployment rates, May 2009

F i g u r e 9

●Total employment in education, 

training, and library occupations 

was approximately 8.5 million, and 

total employment in healthcare 

practitioner and technical 

occupations was approximately 7.2 

million. The remaining three groups 

each had employment of less than 

2 million.

●Community and social services; 

legal; education, training, and 

library; and healthcare practitioner 

and technical occupations each had 

half or more of their employment 

in a single industry sector. The 

most concentrated group was 

education, training, and library 

occupations, with 89 percent of this 

group employed in the educational 

services sector.

●Of the groups shown, the life, 

physical, and social science 

occupations group was the least 

concentrated in a single sector. 

About 29 percent of this group was 

employed in professional, scientific, 

and technical services, and about 

23 percent in Federal, State, and 

local government.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Healthcare 

practitioner and 

technical (2.3)

Legal (3.4) Education, training, 

and library (4.1)

Community and 

social services (4.3)

Life, physical, and 

social science (4.5)

Percent of total employment

Other industries

Federal, State, and local government

Other services (except public 

administration)

Healthcare and social assistance

Educational services

Professional, scientific, and technical 

services

Finance and insurance

Retail trade

Manufacturing

Note: The numbers in parentheses represent the unemployment rates for selected occupational groups.
14

OCCUPATION

FOCUS Political scientists had one of the highest geographic concentrations of any occupation. 

About two-thirds of political scientists were employed in a single metropolitan area—

Washington, D.C.

Employment, mean hourly wages, and measures of concentration for selected 

occupations with high geographic concentrations, May 2009

F i g u r e 10

●The figure shows some 

of the most geographically 

concentrated occupations, based 

on the Herfindahl-Hirschman index, 

commonly used to measure market 

concentration among firms in an 

industry. Here, high values of the 

Herfindahl-Hirschman index show 

that an occupation is concentrated 

in just a few geographic areas, 

while low values indicate the 

occupation is spread more evenly 

across areas.

●Nearly 96 percent of subway and 

streetcar operators—an occupation 

associated with urban public 

transportation—were employed in 

just 10 metropolitan areas.

●Three of the occupations with 

high geographic concentrations 

were associated with mining 

and natural resource extraction: 

petroleum engineers; loading 

machine operators, underground 

mining; and shuttle car operators. 

●Several other occupations were 

associated with textile and apparel 

manufacturing, including fashion 

designers and fabric and apparel 

patternmakers.

Occupation Employment

Mean 

hourly 

wage

HerfindahlHirschman 

index

Percent of occupational 

employment in the 10 

metropolitan or nonmetropolitan 

areas with highest employment 

of this occupation

Political scientists 3,970 $48.58 4748.9 89.2

Subway and streetcar operators 6,050 25.38 2783.8 95.9

Fashion designers 15,780 35.78 2327.8 78.0

Fabric and apparel patternmakers 6,640 20.64 1643.8 68.8

Prosthodontists 660 60.29 1357.1 80.3

Economists 13,160 46.31 1275.8 57.4

Petroleum engineers 25,540 57.67 1226.8 63.1

Agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes 11,700 42.04 1123.4 68.4

Loading machine operators, underground mining 3,570 21.14 1109.1 68.4

Film and video editors 17,550 30.62 1040.3 59.1

Shuttle car operators 3,520 22.31 980.5 77.0

Gaming supervisors 24,760 23.52 889.2 57.7

Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders 12,980 11.82 880.2 55.6

Astronomers 1,240 49.40 877.9 69.3

Segmental pavers 1,040 13.81 854.0 76.3
15

OCCUPATION

FOCUS Postmasters and mail superintendents was one of the most geographically 

dispersed occupations. The 10 areas with the highest employment of this 

occupation accounted for less than 12 percent of occupational employment.

Employment, mean hourly wages, and measures of concentration for selected 

occupations with low geographic concentrations, May 2009

F i g u r e 11

●Several of the occupations 

shown have job duties specifically 

associated with building, 

maintaining, and operating utilities 

and other infrastructure, including 

highway maintenance workers, 

electrical power line installers and 

repairers, and water and liquid 

waste treatment plant and system 

operators. Two other occupations—

excavating and loading machine 

and dragline operators, and 

operating engineers and other 

construction equipment operators—

also had significant employment 

in utility systems construction 

and highway, street, and bridge 

construction. 

●The figure also includes three 

occupations associated with natural 

resource preservation: foresters, 

fish and game wardens, and 

conservation scientists.

Occupation Employment

Mean 

hourly 

wage

HerfindahlHirschman 

index

Percent of occupational 

employment in the 10 

metropolitan or nonmetropolitan 

areas with highest employment 

of this occupation

Postmasters and mail superintendents 24,890 $28.65 44.4 11.9

Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators 57,990 18.53 55.7 14.2

Agricultural inspectors 14,030 20.12 58.4 15.0

Highway maintenance workers 139,490 16.98 59.5 15.6

Electrical power-line installers and repairers 108,980 26.86 59.6 16.1

Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics 26,010 14.61 60.2 16.2

Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators 109,090 19.99 60.6 16.9

Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood 41,750 13.12 63.9 15.0

Fish and game wardens 7,530 26.42 65.2 17.4

Cooks, institution and cafeteria 383,540 11.48 65.5 18.0

Foresters 10,230 26.55 66.9 15.9

Correctional officers and jailers 455,350 20.49 68.3 16.7

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators 368,200 21.24 69.4 19.2

Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks 224,360 10.16 70.1 19.4

Conservation scientists 16,810 29.41 71.9 19.8

Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

17

Industry Focus
18

INDUSTRY

FOCUS Out of all the industries, the electric power generation industry had one of the 

highest annual mean wages with $63,400, and made up approximately 72 

percent of the employment in the utilities sector.

Employment and wages for occupations with the largest employment in the electric power 

generation industry, May 2009

F i g u r e 12

●The five occupations with 

the highest employment made 

up nearly a third of the total 

employment in this industry. 

The occupation with the largest 

employment, electrical power-line 

installers and repairers, made 

up nearly 13 percent of the total 

employment in this industry.

●Some of the higher paying 

occupations in this industry were 

various types of managers; lawyers 

($145,900); petroleum engineers 

($125,850); securities, commodities, 

and financial services sales agents 

($106,080); economists ($102,320); 

nuclear engineers ($97,060); and 

computer hardware engineers 

($94,110). 

●The annual mean wage for the 

industry was $63,400. Ninety-five 

out of 370 reported occupations 

had wages higher than the industry 

average.

$59,100

$61,740

$37,360

$62,430

$84,710

$73,360

$40,260

$57,870

$57,280

0 20,000 40,000 60,000

Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Power plant operators

Customer service representatives

Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay

Electrical engineers

First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers

Meter readers, utilities

Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

Electricians

Employment

Mean annual wage

Occupations
19

INDUSTRY

FOCUS Similar to the electric power generation industry, the natural gas distribution industry 

had one of the higher annual mean wages out of all industries, with $62,030.

Employment and wages for occupations with the largest employment in the natural gas 

distribution industry, May 2009

F i g u r e 13

●Many of the occupations in this 

industry are specific to the industry. 

●The 10 occupations with the 

highest employment made up almost 

42 percent of the total employment 

in this industry. Electrical power-line 

installers and repairers made up only 

2 percent of the total employment in 

this industry. This is in contrast to the 

electric power generation industry 

where electrical power-line installers 

and repairers had the highest 

employment.

●Some of the highest paying 

occupations in this industry were 

various types of managers; lawyers 

($155,530); petroleum engineers 

($105,470); securities, commodities, 

and financial services sales agents 

($104,380); computer software 

engineers, systems software 

($98,570); sales representatives, 

wholesale and manufacturing, 

technical and scientific products 

($97,820); and network systems 

and data communications analysts 

($93,270). There were 92 out of 284 

reported occupations with annual 

mean wages greater than $62,030, 

the annual mean wage of the 

industry.

$45,420

$52,500

$54,030

$41,210

$55,750

$73,450

$78,770

$62,170

$68,510

$47,590

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000

Customer service representatives

Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Meter readers, utilities

Gas plant operators

Business operations specialists, all other

Electrical power-line installers and repairers

First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers

First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers

Maintenance and repair workers, general

Employment

Mean annual wage

Occupations
20

INDUSTRY

FOCUS Eight occupations made up over half of employment in heavy and civil engineering construction.

Employment of the largest occupations in the heavy and civil engineering 

construction industry, May 2009

F i g u r e 14

●Heavy and civil engineering 

construction accounted for nearly 

922,000 jobs in May 2009. Over 

one-half of those jobs consisted of 

the eight occupations shown in figure 

14. These occupations represent the 

types of jobs that are associated with 

infrastructure investment projects, 

such as construction of water systems, 

highways, bridges, electric power 

lines, subways, and dams. 

●Construction laborers was one 

of the largest occupations in each 

of the heavy and civil engineering 

construction industries. Of the four 

industries, highway, street, and bridge 

construction had the highest share 

of construction laborers—about 25 

percent of industry employment.

●Other occupations were more 

concentrated in specific heavy 

and civil engineering construction 

industries. For example, nearly all 

electrical power-line installers and 

repairers employed in heavy and civil 

engineering construction worked in 

utility system construction, while about 

two-thirds of truck drivers in heavy 

and civil engineering construction 

worked in highway, street, and bridge 

construction.

0

25,000

50,000

75,000

100,000

125,000

150,000

175,000

200,000

Construction 

laborers

Operating 

engineers and 

other construction 

equipment 

operators

First-line 

supervisors of 

construction 

trades and 

extraction workers

Truck drivers, 

heavy and tractortrailer

Electrical powerline installers and 

repairers

Carpenters Pipelayers Construction 

managers

Employment

Highway, street, and bridge construction

Land subdivision

Utility system construction

Other heavy and civil engineering construction

Industry
21

INDUSTRY

FOCUS Truck drivers earned less in heavy and civil engineering construction than across 

all industries, while carpenters and construction laborers earned more.

Mean hourly wages of the largest occupations in the heavy and civil engineering 

construction industry, May 2009

F i g u r e 15

●Five of the eight occupations 

shown in figure 15 had wages that 

were above the U.S. all-occupations 

mean of $20.90 per hour or $43,460 

per year. Construction laborers; 

pipelayers; and truck drivers, heavy 

and tractor-trailer, had wages below 

the U.S. average.

●Truck drivers and electrical powerline installers and repairers earned 

less in heavy and civil engineering 

construction than they did across 

all industries. For the remaining 

occupations shown, wages in 

the heavy and civil engineering 

construction industry were above 

or similar to the wages for these 

occupations across all industries.

●Construction laborers, pipelayers, 

and operating engineers earned 

slightly more in highway, street, 

and bridge construction than in the 

other heavy and civil engineering 

construction industries. Land 

subdivision was the highest 

paying heavy and civil engineering 

construction industry for construction 

managers and first-line supervisors/

managers of construction trades and 

extraction workers.

$0.00

$10.00

$20.00

$30.00

$40.00

$50.00

$60.00

Construction 

laborers

Operating 

engineers and 

other 

construction 

equipment 

operators

First-line 

supervisors of 

construction 

trades and 

extraction 

workers

Truck drivers, 

heavy and 

tractor-trailer

Electrical 

power-line 

installers and 

repairers

Carpenters Pipelayers Construction 

managers

Mean hourly wage

Highway, st

construction

Land subdiv

Utility syste

Other heavy 

engineering 

Industry

0

25,000

50,000

75,000

100,000

125,000

150,000

175,000

200,000

Construction 

laborers

Operating 

engineers and 

other construction 

equipment 

operators

First-line 

supervisors of 

construction 

trades and 

extraction workers

Truck drivers, 

heavy and tractortrailer

Electrical powerline installers and 

repairers

Carpenters Pipelayers Construction 

managers

Employment

Highway, street, and bridge construction

Land subdivision

Utility system construction

Other heavy and civil engineering construction

Industry
22

INDUSTRY

FOCUS The largest occupations in the private sector tended to be lower paying occupations, 

while the largest occupations in the public sector tended to have above-average wages.

Employment and wages for the largest occupations in the private sector

F i g u r e 16 

●The largest occupations in the 

private sector, such as cashiers 

and food service workers, were 

relatively low-paying occupations, 

with wages for all but registered 

nurses below the U.S. mean wage. 

●Most of the large occupations 

were service-related occupations 

or office and administrative support 

occupations. 

●Employment in the private sector 

was more widely dispersed by 

occupation than the public sector, 

with the largest occupations 

accounting for 22 percent of 

employment.

$11.84

$9.10

$8.61

$ 9.80

$13.08

$15.55

$32.07

$12.11

$11.15

$16.62

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

4,500,000

Retail 

salespersons

Cashiers Combined food 

preparation and 

serving workers, 

including fast 

food

Waiters and 

waitresses

Office clerks, 

general

Customer 

service 

representatives

Registered 

nurses

Laborers and 

freight, stock, 

and material 

movers, hand

Stock clerks and 

order fillers

Bookkeeping, 

accounting, and 

auditing clerks

Employment
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

23

INDUSTRY

FOCUS

Employment and wages for the largest occupations in local government

F i g u r e 17

●The education occupations 

shown in figure 17 accounted for 

30 percent of employment in local 

government. Other occupations 

in local government were related 

to education and include school 

bus drivers, special education 

teachers, education administrators, 

and kindergarten teachers, among 

others. 

●Protective service occupations, 

such as police and sheriff’s 

patrol officers, fire fighters, and 

correctional officers, were among 

the largest occupations in local 

government. 

●Wages for many of the largest 

occupations in local government 

were above the U.S. average.

$54,110

$24,580

$55,740

$54,220

$55,070

$28,230

$36,380

$29,380

$32,560

$47,860

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

Elementary 

school teachers, 

except special 

education

Teacher 

assistants

Secondary 

school teachers, 

except special 

and vocational 

education

Middle school 

teachers, 

except special 

and vocational 

education

Police and 

sheriff's patrol 

officers

Janitors and 

cleaners, except 

maids and 

housekeeping 

cleaners

Teachers and 

instructors, all 

other

Office clerks, 

general

Secretaries, 

except legal, 

medical, and 

executive

Fire fighters

Employment
24

INDUSTRY

FOCUS

Employment and wages for the largest occupations in State government

F i g u r e 18

●Many of the largest occupations 

in State government were 

occupations with above-average 

wages. 

●Of the government sectors, 

State government had the widest 

dispersion of employment by 

occupation, with the largest 

occupation accounting for 27 

percent of employment. 

●Most of the largest occupations 

in the government sectors were 

related to education or protective 

services. 

●Education occupations in State 

government were predominantly in 

postsecondary education. 

$43,720

$29,430

$65,020

$40,630

$33,260

$58,020

$31,800

$68,240

$25,780

$57,380

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

Correctional 

officers and 

jailers

Office clerks, 

general

Registered 

nurses

Executive 

secretaries and 

administrative 

assistants

Secretaries, 

except legal, 

medical, and 

executive

Business 

operations 

specialists, all 

other

Graduate 

teaching 

assistants

Postsecondary 

teachers, all 

other

Janitors and 

cleaners, 

except maids 

and 

housekeeping 

cleaners

Police and 

sheriff's patrol 

officers

Employment

Registered nurses was one of the largest occupations 

in both the private and public sectors.
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

25

INDUSTRY

FOCUS

Employment and wages for the largest occupations in Federal Government

F i g u r e 19

●The largest occupations in 

the Federal Government were 

in the Postal Service, including 

Postal Service mail carriers (12.7 

percent), Postal Service mail 

sorters, processors, and processing 

machine operators (6.1 percent), 

and Postal Service clerks (2.7 

percent).

●As compared with other sectors, 

most of the large occupations 

were higher paying in the Federal 

Government, including computer 

specialists, all other ($88,920), 

management analysts ($84,290), 

and registered nurses ($77,780).

$48,940

$76,350

$48,260

$51,990

$39,530

$51,920

$88,920

$77,780

$84,290

$75,550

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

Postal service 

mail carriers

Business 

operations 

specialists, all 

other

Postal service 

mail sorters, 

processors, and 

processing 

machine 

operators

Compliance 

officers, except 

agriculture, 

construction, 

health and 

safety, and 

transportation

All other 

information and 

record clerks

Postal service 

clerks

Computer 

specialists, all 

other

Registered 

nurses

Management 

analysts

Detectives and 

criminal 

investigators

Employment
26

INDUSTRY

FOCUS Elementary school teachers, except special education, was the largest occupation 

in elementary and secondary schools, and accounted for 16 to 18 percent of 

employment in the industry, depending on the ownership of the school.

Employment shares of selected teaching occupations in elementary and 

secondary schools by ownership, May 2009

F i g u r e 2 0

●The next largest occupation, 

secondary school teachers, except 

special and vocational education, 

was relatively more prevalent in 

private schools than State or local 

government schools. 

●School bus drivers made up 

2.9 percent of employment in 

local government elementary and 

secondary schools, and only 0.8 

percent and 0.3 percent in private 

and State government schools, 

respectively.

●Local government schools 

employed a significantly higher 

share of teacher assistants in this 

industry. Teacher assistants made 

up 12 percent of the employment 

for local government elementary 

and secondary schools, while they 

made up 10 percent of private 

schools and 9.6 percent of State 

government-owned schools.

●Privately owned schools 

employed the largest share 

of education administrators, 

elementary and secondary school.

0 5 10 15 20

Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school

Education administrators, elementary and secondary school

Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive

Bus drivers, school

Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners

Teachers and instructors, all other

Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education

Teacher assistants

Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education

Elementary school teachers, except special education

Percentage

Occupation

State Local Private
27

INDUSTRY

FOCUS For most teaching occupations in elementary and secondary schools, wages tended 

to be higher in local and State government-owned schools than in private schools.

Wages of selected teaching occupations in elementary and 

secondary schools by ownership, May 2009

F i g u r e 2 1

●This wage difference was 

greatest in lower grades. 

●Wages were higher for vocational 

education teachers and preschool 

teachers in State governmentowned schools than in local 

government or privately owned 

schools. 

●Librarians in privately owned 

schools had lower wages than 

librarians in State and local 

government-owned elementary and 

secondary schools. 

●Mean wages for teacher 

assistants did not vary much by 

ownership, ranging from $23,920 in 

private schools to $25,780 in State 

elementary and secondary schools.

●Among private elementary and 

secondary schools, teachers in 

more advanced levels of education 

generally earned higher wages. 

●Special education teachers in the 

private sector had higher wages 

than those teachers in the same 

grade levels who did not teach 

special education.

$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

$60,000

$70,000

Preschool 

teachers, 

except 

special 

education

Kindergarten 

teachers, 

except 

special 

education

Elementary 

school 

teachers, 

except 

special 

education

Middle 

school 

teachers, 

except 

special and 

vocational 

education

Vocational 

education 

teachers, 

middle 

school

Secondary 

school 

teachers, 

except 

special and 

vocational 

education

Vocational 

education 

teachers, 

secondary 

school

Special 

education 

teachers, 

middle 

school

Special 

education 

teachers, 

secondary 

school

Librarians Teacher 

assistants

Mean annual wage State Local Private

Occupation 
28

INDUSTRY

FOCUS Employment in smaller, more specialized occupations was generally concentrated in one 

industry while employment in less specialized occupations was found in many industries.

Industries with the highest employment concentrations for selected occupations, May 2009

F i g u r e 2 2

●More than half a million heavy 

and tractor-trailer truck drivers 

were employed in general freight 

trucking, which accounted for 36 

percent of this occupation’s total 

national employment. Twenty-six 

percent of accountants and auditors, 

another fairly large occupation, 

were employed in accounting, tax 

preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll 

services. 

●Logging equipment operators 

had the lowest level of employment 

(23,630) among all the occupations 

shown in figure 22, and the logging 

industry employed 83 percent of 

logging equipment operators.

●Sheet metal workers and welders, 

cutters, solderers, and brazers 

frequently work with metal materials, 

but the industries with the highest 

employment for each occupation 

differed markedly. While building 

equipment contractors employed 

nearly half of all sheet metal workers, 

architectural and structural metals 

manufacturing employed only 13 

percent of welders, cutters, solderers, 

and brazers.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Chiropractors Hairdressers, 

hairstylists, and 

cosmetologists

Logging 

equipment 

operators

Reporters and 

correspondents

Dishwashers Sheet metal 

workers

Truck drivers, 

heavy and 

tractor-trailer

Accountants and 

auditors

Order clerks Welders, cutters, 

solderers, and 

brazers

Percent of occupational employment

Occupation

Offices of other health practitioners Personal care services

Logging Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers

Full-service restaurants Building equipment contractors

General freight trucking Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services

Electronic shopping and mail-order houses Architectural and structural metals manufacturing

Industry
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

29
30

INDUSTRY

FOCUS Editors accounted for 11 percent of employment in the newspaper, 

periodical, book, and directory publishers industry.

Employment and hourly mean wages for the largest occupations in the newspaper, periodical, 

book, and directory publishers industry, May 2009

F i g u r e 2 3

●Two of the largest occupations 

in the industry were editors 

(employment of 61,110) and 

advertising sales agents (49,090). 

●Of the 46,130 reporters and 

correspondents nationwide, 71 

percent of them, or 32,810, were 

employed in this industry. 

●Only 3 of the 10 largest 

occupations had hourly wages 

above the average for all 

occupations in this industry 

($23.54): editors; general and 

operations managers; and sales 

representatives, wholesale and 

manufacturing, except technical and 

scientific products.

$61.17

$30.08

$13.38

$13.26

$15.88

$18.51

$20.00

$18.81

$21.94

$28.17

0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000

General and operations managers

Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing

Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service

Office clerks, general

Customer service representatives

Printing machine operators

Graphic designers

Reporters and correspondents

Advertising sales agents

Editors

Employment

Occupation

$61.17

$30.08

$13.38

$13.26

$15.88

$18.51

$20

0 10,000 20,000 30,0

General and operations managers

Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing

Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service

Office clerks, general

Customer service representatives

Printing machine operators

Graphic designers

Reporters and correspondents

Advertising sales agents

Editors

Occupation
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

31

Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

33

State and Area Focus
34

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS States with higher concentrations of employment in production occupations were in the Midwest 

along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Production workers accounted for at least 10 percent of 

employment in Wisconsin, Indiana, Arkansas, Iowa, Alabama, and South Carolina.

Employment in production occupations, per 1,000 jobs, by State, May 2009

F i g u r e 2 4

●Montana, Florida, Alaska, New 

Mexico, Maryland, Nevada, and 

Hawaii had less than 4 percent 

of their total employment in these 

occupations.

●Wisconsin had a high level 

of employment in the following 

production occupations: team 

assemblers (35,320); first-line 

supervisors/managers of production 

and operating workers (19,780); 

machinists (15,920); and inspectors, 

testers, sorters, samplers, and 

weighers (15,420).

●The largest production 

occupations in Hawaii were bakers 

(1,380), laundry and dry-cleaning 

workers (1,290), and first-line 

supervisors/managers of production 

and operating workers (1,280). 

● Team assembler was one of the 

largest production occupations in 

most States.

At the national level, employment in production occupations, per 1,000 jobs was 68 per 1,000.

Employment per 1,000

11-38

39-57

58-73

74-88

89-114
35

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS

Wages were near average in States with high concentrations of 

production workers.

Mean annual wage of production occupations by State, May 2009

F i g u r e 2 5 

●The States with the highest 

average wages for production 

occupations were Wyoming 

($42,680), Alaska ($39,910), 

Washington ($38,640), Connecticut 

($38,190), and Michigan ($37,500).

●The States with the lowest 

average wages for these 

occupations were Arkansas 

($28,660), South Dakota ($28,710), 

Mississippi ($29,420), Georgia 

($29,990), and Idaho ($30,480).

●The highest average wages in 

Wyoming, Alaska, Washington, 

Connecticut, and Michigan may 

be explained by their dominant 

industries. Wyoming and Alaska 

have high-paying production 

occupations in the oil and gas 

extraction industries. Washington 

and Connecticut have high-paying 

production occupations in the 

aerospace product and parts 

manufacturing industries, and 

Michigan has high-paying jobs in 

motor vehicle manufacturing and 

related industries.

Mean annual wage

$28,660-$30,580

$30,581-$33,050

$33,051-$35,110

$35,111-$39,910

$39,911-$46,130

National mean annual wage $33,290
36

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS The five States bordering the Gulf of Mexico—Alabama, Florida, 

Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas—represented about 17 percent of 

the total employment in the United States.

Employment concentrations for select occupations in the Gulf States, May 2009

F i g u r e 2 6

●Employment concentration of 

cashiers in all five Gulf States 

was higher than the average 

employment concentration of 

cashiers in the United States. 

Measured as employment per 1,000 

jobs, Mississippi had the highest 

concentration of employment in 

this occupation, and Alabama, 

Louisiana, and Florida had the 

third, fourth, and seventh highest 

concentrations respectively. 

Over 19 percent of the total U.S. 

employment in this occupation was 

located in these five States.

●Only Florida and Texas 

had concentrations of retail 

salespersons that were higher than 

the U.S. average. Although Florida 

had the highest concentration of 

employment in this occupation 

among the five Gulf States, it had 

only the 15th highest concentration 

when compared with all States.

●Mississippi had the highest 

concentration of fast-food cooks 

among all States, with almost 11 

out of every 1,000 jobs in the State 

in this occupation, over twice the 

average U.S. concentration. 0 10 20 30 40

Waiters and waitresses

Stock clerks and order fillers

Retail salespersons

Registered nurses

Maintenance and repair workers, general

Cooks, restaurant

Cooks, fast food

Cashiers

Employment per 1,000 jobs

Alabama

Florida

Louisiana

Mississippi

Texas

United States

State

Occupation
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

37
38

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS New York had the highest concentration of fashion designers. With 6,990 fashioner 

designers, New York employed over 44 percent of the fashion designers in the country.

States with the highest concentrations of selected occupations, May 2009

F i g u r e 2 7

●States had higher concentrations of 

different occupations depending on 

the dominant industries in each State.

●California had the highest 

concentration of parking enforcement 

workers of all States, with over twice 

the employment in this occupation per 

1,000 jobs compared with the U.S. 

average. California employed over 25 

percent of the parking enforcement 

workers in the Nation.

●Telemarketers accounted for more 

employment in Utah than in any 

other State, accounting for almost 

8 in 1,000 jobs in Utah, compared 

with just over 2 per 1,000 jobs in the 

United States. 

●Montana had the highest 

concentration of bartenders in the 

country, with over three times as 

many bartenders per 1,000 jobs as 

the U.S. average.

●South Dakota had the highest 

concentration of bill and account 

collectors, with almost four times the 

national average.

Occupation State

Employment 

per 1,000 jobs 

in State

Employment 

per 1,000 jobs 

in United States

Employment 

level 

in State

Industrial production managers Michigan 2.16 1.13 8,410

Meeting and convention planners District of Columbia 3.03 0.39 1,930

Insurance underwriters Connecticut 2.20 0.75 3,620

Atmospheric and space scientists Colorado 0.55 0.06 1,220

Mental health counselors Pennsylvania 2.75 0.82 15,340

Fashion designers New York 0.82 0.12 6,990

Optometrists Hawaii 0.49 0.20 290

Home health aides North Carolina 19.50 7.31 75,990

Parking enforcement workers California 0.17 0.07 2,420

Crossing guards New Jersey 1.44 0.52 5,540

Bartenders Montana 12.34 3.77 5,330

Pest control workers Florida 1.32 0.49 9,730

Gaming dealers Nevada 18.99 0.67 22,400

Telemarketers Utah 7.79 2.36 9,240

Bill and account collectors South Dakota 11.80 3.09 4,640

Mine cutting and channeling machine operators West Virginia 2.33 0.06 1,640

Slaughterers and meat packers Nebraska 6.47 0.75 5,930
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

39
40

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS Several engineering occupations, including electronics, environmental, petroleum, 

aerospace, and chemical engineers were most highly concentrated in small States.

States with the highest concentrations in each engineering occupation, May 2009

F i g u r e 2 8

●Petroleum engineers accounted 

for more jobs per thousand in 

Alaska than in any other State. 

Alaska had over 3.5 petroleum 

engineers for every 1,000 jobs. 

Alaska also had the highest 

concentration of civil engineers and 

health and safety engineers.

●Michigan had the highest 

concentration of industrial engineers 

and mechanical engineers. 

Michigan employed over three times 

the number of industrial engineers 

and over four times the number of 

mechanical engineers per 1,000 jobs 

compared with the U.S. average. 

●The highest concentration 

of marine engineers and naval 

architects was found in Virginia. 

Virginia employed over eight times 

the number of workers in this 

occupation per 1,000 jobs as the 

U.S. average, and accounted for 23 

percent of U.S. employment in this 

occupation.

●Nuclear engineers were also most 

highly concentrated in Virginia, 

with four times as many nuclear 

engineers employed in Virginia per 

1,000 jobs as the U.S. average.

Occupation State

Employment 

per 1,000 

jobs in State

Employment 

per 1,000 

jobs in 

United States

Employment 

level 

in State

Aerospace engineers Kansas 2.46 0.54 3,320

Agricultural engineers North Dakota 0.15 0.02 50

Biomedical engineers Utah 0.52 0.11 620

Chemical engineers Delaware 1.26 0.22 520

Civil engineers Alaska 4.58 1.99 1,410

Computer hardware engineers Colorado 1.45 0.50 3,240

Electrical engineers Idaho 2.59 1.16 1,590

Electronics engineers, except computer Rhode Island 2.35 1.04 1,080

Environmental engineers Wyoming 1.51 0.39 430

Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors Alaska 0.50 0.18 160

Industrial engineers Michigan 5.14 1.60 20,000

Marine engineers and naval architects Virginia 0.34 0.04 1,210

Materials engineers Washington 0.50 0.17 1,400

Mechanical engineers Michigan 7.53 1.78 29,330

Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers Wyoming 0.79 0.05 220

Nuclear engineers Virginia 0.52 0.13 1,860

Petroleum engineers Alaska 3.58 0.20 1,100
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

41
42

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS Architecture and engineering occupations accounted for 13 percent of 

employment in the St. Mary’s County, MD, but only 0.4 percent of the 

total employment in the Merced, CA, metropolitan area.

Employment in architecture and engineering occupations, per 1,000 jobs, by area, May 2009

F i g u r e 2 9

●St. Mary’s County, MD, had 

a total of 5,060 architecture 

and engineering jobs. Three 

of the largest architecture and 

engineering occupations in the area 

were aerospace engineers (with 

employment of 850); electronics 

engineers, except computer (840); 

and electrical and electronic 

engineering technicians (560).

●Other areas with high 

concentrations of employment 

in architecture and engineering 

occupations were Huntsville, AL 

(85 employed per 1,000 jobs); Palm 

Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL (66 

per 1,000 jobs); Columbus, IN (61 

per 1,000 jobs).

●Nationally, the largest architecture 

and engineering occupations were 

civil, mechanical, and industrial 

engineers. In contrast, some of 

the areas with high concentrations 

of architecture and engineering 

occupations had more employment 

in different types of engineers, such 

as computer engineers in the San 

Jose-Sunnyville-Santa Clara, CA, 

metropolitan area and aerospace 

engineers in St. Mary’s County, MD, 

and Huntsville, AL.

Employment per 1,000

data not released

equal to or less than 17

18-26

27-41

42-66

67-127
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

43

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS

Mean annual wage of architecture and engineering occupations, by area, May 2009

F i g u r e 3 0

●The areas with the highest 

mean wages for architecture and 

engineering occupations included 

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, 

CA, ($99,300), which also had 

one of the highest employment 

concentrations; Anchorage, AK 

($95,330); and the northeastern 

Virginia nonmetropolitan area 

($92,890).

●In the San Jose-SunnyvaleSanta Clara, CA, metropolitan 

area, occupations with high wages 

included chemical engineers 

($121,220); aerospace engineers 

($120,460); computer hardware 

engineers ($119,880); and nuclear 

engineers ($115,020).

Mean annual wage

data not released

$47,920-$58,030

$58,031-$64,210

$64,211-$70,570

$70,571-$79,360

$79,361-$99,300
44

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS Employment declined in almost all occupational groups in the New Orleans 

metropolitan area between May 2005 and May 2009.

Employment by occupational group in the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA, 

area, May 2005 and May 2009

F i g u r e 31

●The greatest employment 

declines were in office and 

administrative support occupations, 

which dropped by 24,130, from 

105,580 jobs to 81,450. 

●Other groups with large declines 

included food preparation and 

serving occupations and sales and 

related occupations. 

●Personal care and service 

occupations had the largest percent 

decrease, dropping 38 percent, 

from 18,440 jobs to 11,430.

●Architecture and engineering 

occupations was the only 

occupational group with significant 

growth, as employment increased 

over 18 percent, from 8,960 jobs to 

10,630. 0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

Employment

Occupation

May 2005 May 2009
45

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS

Employment declined in about 65 percent of detailed occupations in the 

New Orleans metropolitan area between May 2005 and May 2009.

Occupations in the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA, area, with large declines 

in employment between May 2005 to May 2009

F i g u r e 3 2

●General office clerks was the 

occupation with the largest decline, 

with employment declining by 6,150, 

from 13,130 jobs to 6,980.

●Merchandise display and window 

trimmers had the largest decline in 

percent of employment, falling over 

80 percent, from 410 jobs to 80.

●The occupations with the largest 

declines were service-related 

occupations such as food service, 

transportation services and office 

and administrative services. 

●Detailed occupations with 

increases in employment included 

construction-related occupations 

such as construction laborers 

and electricians, and petroleumrelated occupations such as 

petroleum engineers and petroleum 

pump system operators, refinery 

operators, and gaugers.

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

Employment

Occupation

May 2005 May 2009
46

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS Within the New York metropolitan area, the New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ, 

division had the highest wages overall and in 12 of the 22 occupational groups.

Hourly mean wages for occupational groups in the New York metropolitan divisions

F i g u r e 3 3

●The New York-White PlainsWayne, NY-NJ, division had the 

lowest wages in four occupational 

groups including community and 

social services occupations; 

healthcare support occupations, 

production occupations; and 

protective service occupations. 

●The Nassau-Suffolk, NY, 

metropolitan division had the lowest 

overall average wages, but had 

the highest wages for six groups, 

including healthcare support 

occupations; protective service 

occupations; education, library, and 

training occupations; and building 

and groundskeeping occupations. 

●The Edison-New Brunswick, NJ, 

metropolitan division had the lowest 

average wages for 12 of the 22 major 

occupational groups and the highest 

average wages for architecture 

and engineering occupations and 

production occupations. 

●The Newark-Union, NJ-PA, 

metropolitan division had the 

highest wages for computer and 

mathematical science occupations; 

life, physical, and social science 

occupations; and community and 

social services occupations.

$0.00 $10.00 $20.00 $30.00 $40.00 $50.00

Computer and mathematical science 

Community and social services 

Architecture and engineering 

Production

Protective service

Healthcare support 

Education, training, and library 

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media 

Business and financial operations 

Food preparation and serving related 

All occupations

New York-White PlainsWayne, NY-NJ, 

metropolitan division

Newark-Union, NJ-PA, 

metropolitan division

Edison-New Brunswick, 

NJ, metropolitan division

Nassau-Suffolk, NY, 

metropolitan division

Hourly Mean Wage

Occupational Group
47

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS Wages for financial analysts varied widely based on their geographical 

location within the New York metropolitan area.

Wages of selected occupations in New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA, 

metropolitan statistical area divisions, May 2009

F i g u r e 3 4

●Financial analysts in the New 

York-Wayne-White Plains, NY-NJ, 

metropolitan division earned an 

average of $53.83 an hour, while 

those in Newark-Union, NJ-PA, 

Edison-New Brunswick, NJ, and 

Nassau-Suffolk, NY, earned $40.18, 

$38.03, and $37.40, respectively.

●The hourly average wage of 

$37.71 for musicians and singers 

in New York-White Plains, NY-NJ, 

metropolitan division was more 

than twice as high as the estimate 

of $15.06 in the Newark-Union, NJPA, metropolitan division.

● An hourly wage of $18.58 for 

driver/sales workers in NassauSuffolk, NY, metropolitan division 

was significantly higher than 

the other divisions of the New 

York-Northern New Jersey-Long 

Island, NY-NJ-PA, metropolitan 

statistical area.

●Average hourly wages for stock 

clerks and order fillers were very 

similar among the four areas, 

ranging from $11.42 to $11.57.

$0.00 $10.00 $20.00 $30.00 $40.00 $50.00 $60.00

Stock clerks and order fillers

Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Retail salespersons

Occupational therapists

Actuaries

Electrical engineers

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants

Driver/sales workers

Financial analysts

Musicians and singers

Newark-Union, NJ-PA, 

metropolitan division

New York-Wayne-White 

Plains, NY-NJ, metropolitan 

division

Nassau-Suffolk, NY, 

metropolitan division

Edison-New Brunswick, NJ, 

metropolitan division

Hourly Mean Wage

Occupation
48

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS Both Palm Coast, FL, a fast-growing metropolitan area, and Weirton-Steubenville, 

a slow-growing area, had below-average employment shares of most high-paying 

occupational groups.

Distribution of employment in Palm Coast, FL; Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH; 

and the United States, by occupational group, May 2009

F i g u r e 3 5

●Palm Coast, FL, was one of the 

fastest growing metropolitan areas 

in recent years: between 2000 and 

2009, its population increased by 

nearly 84 percent, according to 

the U.S. Census Bureau. WeirtonSteubenville, WV-OH, had one of 

the most rapid population declines 

over the same period, with its 

population falling by more than 8 

percent.

●Compared with the United States, 

both Palm Coast and WeirtonSteubenville had below-average 

employment shares of most of the 

highest paying occupational groups, 

including management, business 

and financial operations, computer 

and mathematical science, 

architecture and engineering, and 

legal occupations. 

●Building and grounds cleaning 

and maintenance occupations 

made up 6.6 percent of employment 

in Palm Coast, double the 

U.S. employment share of 3.3 

percent for this group. Production 

occupations made up over 10 

percent of employment in WeirtonSteubenville, compared with less 

than 7 percent of U.S. employment.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Percent of employment

Palm Coast, FL Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH United States

$0.00

$5.00

$10.00

$15.00

$20.00

$25.00

$30.00

$35.00

$40.00

$45.00

$50.00

Hourly mean wage

Palm Coast, FL Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH United States
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

49

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS

Hourly mean wages in Palm Coast, FL; Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH; 

and the United States, by occupational group, May 2009

F i g u r e 3 6

●In both Palm Coast, FL, and 

Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH, 

wages were below or similar to 

the corresponding U.S. averages 

for nearly all occupational groups. 

Production occupations in 

Weirton-Steubenville were the sole 

exception.

●Palm Coast had higher wages 

than Weirton-Steubenville for the 

majority of occupational groups. 

Mean wages in Palm Coast were at 

least $6.00 higher than in WeirtonSteubenville for legal, arts, design, 

entertainment, sports, and media; 

community and social services; and 

business and financial operations 

occupations.

●Mean wages were nearly $5.00 

higher in Weirton-Steubenville 

than in Palm Coast for architecture 

and engineering occupations and 

installation, maintenance, and repair 

occupations.

$0.00

$5.00

$10.00

$15.00

$20.00

$25.00

$30.00

$35.00

$40.00

$45.00

$50.00

Hourly mean wage

Palm Coast, FL Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH United States
50

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS Palm Coast, FL, had an above-average employment share of landscaping 

and groundskeeping workers, while Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH, had 

above-average shares of several production occupations.

Employment shares for selected occupations in Palm Coast, FL, 

and the United States, May 2009

F i g u r e 3 7

●As a share of total employment, 

Palm Coast, FL, had approximately 

16 times as many real estate 

brokers and 5 times as many 

landscaping and groundskeeping 

workers as the United States as 

a whole. Palm Coast also had 

above-average employment shares 

of hairdressers, hairstylists, and 

cosmetologists; brickmasons and 

blockmasons; and travel agents.

●Security guards accounted for 

only about 2 out of every 1,000 jobs 

in Palm Coast, compared with 8 out 

of every 1,000 jobs in the United 

States. Employment shares in Palm 

Coast were less than half of those 

in the United States for computer 

support specialists; home health 

aides; heavy and tractor-trailer truck 

drivers; and laborers and hand 

freight, stock, and material movers.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Landscaping and 

groundskeeping 

workers

Real estate 

brokers

Hairdressers, 

hairstylists, and 

cosmetologists

Brickmasons and 

blockmasons

Travel agents Computer 

support 

specialists

Home health 

aides

Security guards Truck drivers, 

heavy and 

tractor-trailer

Laborers and 

freight, stock, 

and material 

movers, hand

Employment per 1,000 jobs

Palm Coast, FL United States

Occupation
Occupational Employment and Wages 2009

51

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS

Employment shares for selected occupations in Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH, 

and the United States, May 2009

F i g u r e 3 8

●Electrical and electronics 

repairers, powerhouse, substation, 

and relay made up nearly 4 jobs 

out of every 1,000 in WeirtonSteubenville, WV-OH, but less 

than one job out of every 5,000 

in the United States as a whole. 

Weirton-Steubenville also had 

above-average employment shares 

of service station attendants and 

several production occupations, 

including water and liquid waste 

treatment plant and system 

operators; plating and coating 

machine setters, operators, and 

tenders, metal and plastic; and 

painting, coating, and decorating 

workers.

●Secondary school teachers, 

except special and vocational 

education, made up fewer than 

2 jobs per 1,000 in WeirtonSteubenville, compared with about 

8 jobs per 1,000 in the United 

States. Other occupations with 

below-average employment shares 

in Weirton-Steubenville included 

loan officers; customer service 

representatives; and two IT-related 

occupations, computer support 

specialists and computer software 

engineers, applications.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Service station 

attendants

Electrical and 

electronics 

repairers, 

powerhouse, 

substation, and 

relay

Water and liquid 

waste treatment 

plant and 

system 

operators

Plating and 

coating machine 

setters, 

operators, and 

tenders, metal 

and plastic

Painting, 

coating, and 

decorating 

workers

Loan officers Computer 

programmers

Computer 

software 

engineers, 

applications

Secondary 

school teachers, 

except special 

and vocational 

education

Customer 

service 

representatives

Employment per 1,000 jobs

Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH United States

Occupation
52

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS Nonmetropolitan areas had higher shares of employment in production 

occupations than metropolitan areas.

Distribution of employment in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, 

by occupational groups, May 2009

F i g u r e 3 9

●As a share of total employment, 

metropolitan areas had more 

than twice as many legal jobs as 

nonmetropolitan areas, and more 

than three times as many computer 

and mathematical science jobs.

●Compared with nonmetropolitan 

areas, metropolitan areas also had 

higher shares of management; 

business and financial operations; 

architecture and engineering; and 

arts, design, entertainment, sports, 

and media occupations.

●Production occupations 

made up 10.6 percent of 

employment in nonmetropolitan 

areas, but only 6.3 percent of 

employment in metropolitan areas. 

Nonmetropolitan areas also had 

higher employment shares of 

farming, fishing, and forestry; 

construction and extraction; 

installation, maintenance, and 

repair; and transportation and 

material moving occupations.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Percent of employment

Metropolitan areas Nonmetropolitan areas

Occupational Group
53

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS Four occupations associated with finance and insurance had 96 percent or more of 

employment in metropolitan areas: actuaries; insurance appraisers, auto damage; 

financial analysts; and brokerage clerks.

Occupations with the highest concentration of employment in metropolitan areas, May 2009

F i g u r e 4 0

●The New York-Northern New 

Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA, 

metropolitan area had the highest 

employment of all four occupations, 

with nearly one out of every five 

financial analysts and one out of 

every four brokerage clerks located 

in this area.

●Five life, physical, and social 

science occupations were found 

almost entirely in metropolitan 

areas: political scientists; 

biochemists and biophysicists; 

medical scientists, except 

epidemiologists; sociologists; 

and industrial-organizational 

psychologists. 

●Several occupations associated 

with air travel and public 

transportation were concentrated 

almost exclusively in metropolitan 

areas. Other occupations 

concentrated in metropolitan areas 

included several IT occupations, 

such as semiconductor processors 

and computer hardware engineers, 

as well as two personal care 

occupations, shampooers and 

manicurists and pedicurists.

96.0 96.5 97.0 97.5 98.0 98.5 99.0 99.5 100.0

Industrial-organizational psychologists

Computer software engineers, applications

Sociologists

Brokerage clerks

Parking lot attendants

Manicurists and pedicurists

Prosthodontists

Financial analysts

Computer software engineers, systems software

Insurance appraisers, auto damage

Medical scientists, except epidemiologists

Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers

Actuaries

Computer hardware engineers

Shampooers

Biochemists and biophysicists

Semiconductor processors

Political scientists

Flight attendants

Subway and streetcar operators

Percent of occupational employment in metropolitan areas

Occupation
54

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS Nonmetropolitan areas accounted for 14 percent of U.S. jobs in May 2009, 

but 50 percent or more of employment in the occupations in figure 41.

Occupations found primarily in nonmetropolitan areas, May 2009

F i g u r e 41

●More than three-quarters 

of shuttle car operators were 

employed in nonmetropolitan 

areas. Other mining occupations 

also were found predominantly 

in nonmetropolitan areas, such 

as loading machine operators, 

underground mining; continuous 

mining machine operators; and 

roof bolters, mining.

●Several logging occupations 

were concentrated in 

nonmetropolitan areas, including 

fallers, logging equipment 

operators, and log graders and 

scalers. Two occupations related to 

forestry—forest and conservation 

technicians and forest fire 

inspectors and prevention 

specialists— also were found 

mainly in nonmetropolitan areas.

●Other occupations with 

the majority of employment 

in nonmetropolitan areas 

included postmasters and mail 

superintendents; slaughterers and 

meatpackers; and farm equipment 

mechanics.

50 55 60 65 70 75 80

Farm equipment mechanics

Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood

Logging workers, all other

Mine cutting and channeling machine operators

Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists

Extraction workers, all other

Slaughterers and meat packers

Explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters

Postmasters and mail superintendents

Forest and conservation technicians

Log graders and scalers

Logging equipment operators

Fallers

Roof bolters, mining

Continuous mining machine operators

Loading machine operators, underground mining

Shuttle car operators

Percent of occupational employment in nonmetropolitan areas

Occupation
55

STATE AND AREA

FOCUS Wages for most occupations were higher in metropolitan areas than in nonmetropolitan 

areas, but the wage differences between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas were 

particularly large for the 20 occupations shown in figure 42.

Occupations with the largest percentage wage differences between metropolitan and 

nonmetropolitan areas, May 2009

F i g u r e 4 2

●In metropolitan areas, hourly 

mean wages were above the U.S. 

all-occupations average of $20.90 

for all of the occupations shown, 

with the exception of radio and 

television announcers, which had 

an hourly mean similar to the U.S. 

average. In nonmetropolitan areas, 

13 out of the 20 occupations had 

wages below the U.S. average.

●Actors had one of the largest 

wage differences between 

metropolitan and nonmetropolitan 

areas: wages for this occupation 

were 114 percent higher in 

metropolitan areas than in 

nonmetropolitan areas. Arts, 

design, entertainment, sports, and 

media occupations make up 11 

of the 20 occupations shown in 

figure 42. Other occupations with 

large wage differences between 

metropolitan and nonmetropolitan 

areas included administrative law 

judges, adjudicators, and hearing 

officers; lawyers; police and 

sheriff’s patrol officers; and two 

occupations related to advertising—

advertising and promotions 

managers and advertising sales 

agents.

Occupation Mean hourly wage, 

metropolitan areas

Mean hourly wage, 

nonmetropolitan 

areas

Percentage difference between 

metropolitan and nonmetropolitan 

mean hourly wages

Actors $29.52 $13.81 114

Broadcast news analysts 34.27 17.38 97

Producers and directors 42.31 23.02 84

Radio and television announcers 21.98 12.17 81

Film and video editors 30.99 17.95 73

Reporters and correspondents 22.21 13.23 68

Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers 43.71 26.49 65

Writers and authors 31.84 19.63 62

Advertising and promotions managers 47.96 30.22 59

Art directors 44.52 28.08 59

Multi-media artists and animators 30.34 19.18 58

Artists and related workers, all other 28.69 18.14 58

Lawyers 63.15 40.32 57

Economists 47.09 30.27 56

Historians 28.45 18.79 51

Editors 28.72 19.34 49

Advertising sales agents 26.42 17.80 48

Police and sheriff’s patrol officers 27.91 18.82 48

Financial managers 56.19 37.98 48

Camera operators, television, video, and motion picture 24.03 16.25 48


U.S. Department of Labor U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics