Occupational Employment

and Wages, 2007

February 2009 Bulletin 2717

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007 125 YEARS

Occupational Employment

and Wages, 2007

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Keith Hall, Commissioner

February 2009

Bulletin 2717

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007 125 YEARS
Preface

ii
This chart book, Occupational Employment and 

Wages, 2007, 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 375 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), 

34 metropolitan divisions within 11 of the largest MSAs, 

and 175 nonmetropolitan areas. National industry-specific 

estimates are available by industry sector and for 290 

detailed 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 2004 and May 2007. Wage data for all 

establishments were updated to the May 2007 reference 

period, and employment data were updated to the average 

of the November 2006 and the May 2007 reference 

periods. Information on OES sampling and estimation 

methodology is provided in the survey methods and reliability statement on the enclosed compact disk (CD) and at 

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

The enclosed CD and OES Web site http://www.bls.gov/oes/

include electronic copies of all charts in this book. 

Additional data tables include cross-industry occupational 

employment and wage data for the Nation, States, metropolitan areas, metropolitan divisions, and nonmetropolitan 

areas; national occupational employment and wage data 

by industry; and profiles for all occupations. Data users 

also can create customized tables using the OES database 

search tool, or download complete OES data in zipped 

Excel format from http://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.

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

iii

125 YEARS
Acknowledgments

The information provided in this chart book 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 chart book under the general guidance 

and direction of Dixie Sommers, Assistant Commissioner 

for Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, 

and George D. Stamas, Chief, Division of Occupational Employment Statistics. Laurie Salmon, manager of 

Publications and Analysis in Occupational Employment 

Statistics, provided planning and day-to-day direction. 

Dina Itkin coordinated the production of the chart book. 

The tables, charts, and maps were prepared by Benjamin 

Cover, Jeffrey Holt, Dina Itkin, John Jones, Rebecca Keller, 

Michael Soloy, Zachary Warren, and Audrey Watson. 

Cover art, typesetting, and layout were furnished by Keith 

Tapscott, and editorial services were provided by Monica 

Gabor, Division of Publishing, William Parks II, Chief.

iv
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

v

125 YEARS
Contents

Page Occupation Focus

2 Figure 1 Employment and wages of selected information technology (IT) occupations, May 2007

4 Figure 2 Wages and employment of selected outdoor occupations, May 2007

6 Figure 3 Employment and mean wages for the largest health technologist and technician occupations, May 2007

8 Figure 4 Employment and hourly mean wages of the largest occupations, May 2007

9 Figure 5 Employment and hourly mean wages of the smallest occupations, May 2007

10 Figure 6 Occupations most often found in business establishments, May 2007

12 Figure 7 Employment and wages for the 10 lowest-paying occupations in the United States, May 2007

14 Figure 8 Wages for occupations with the highest incidence rates of injuries and illnesses, May 2007 

16 Figure 9 Highest and lowest paying occupations by education and training category, May 2007

18 Figure 10 Wage distributions of possible occupations for psychology majors, May 2007

19 Figure 11 Wage distributions of possible occupations for business majors, May 2007

20 Figure 12 Wages for occupations that are predominately filled by women, May 2007

21 Figure 13 Wages for predominately male and predominately female management occupations, May 2007 

22 Figure 14 Profile of laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, May 2007

Page Occupations within Industries

26 Figure 15 Career paths and wage distribution for selected sales occupations in general merchandise stores, May 2007

27 Figure 16 Career paths and wage distribution for selected logistics occupations in general merchandise stores, May 2007

28 Figure 17 Industry employment of occupations related to real estate sales, May 2007 

29 Figure 18 Industry employment of occupations related to real estate lending, May 2007

30 Figure 19 Industries with the highest employment of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)

occupations, May 2007

Page Industry Focus

34 Figure 20 Largest construction occupations in residential and nonresidential construction, May 2007 

36 Figure 21 Largest occupations in the employment services industry, with hourly mean wages, May 2007

38 Figure 22 Employment by occupational group, nursing care facilities, May 2007

39 Figure 23 Employment by occupational group, home health care services, May 2007

40 Figure 24 Total annual wages paid by State government, for selected occupations, May 2007

41 Figure 25 Total annual wages paid by local government, for selected occupations, May 2007

42 Figure 26 Largest occupations in selected occupational groups, in a high-tech and a low-tech manufacturing industry, May 2007

43 Figure 27 Wages of selected occupations in a high-tech and a low-tech manufacturing industry, May 2007

vi
Contents

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

Page Industry Focus 

44 Figure 28 Occupations with the largest employment changes in the automobile dealers industry, 2003–2007

45 Figure 29 Occupations with the largest employment changes in automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores, 2003–2007

46 Figure 30 Distribution of employment among occupational groups in the industry with the largest projected output growth

(computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing) and the industry with the largest projected output decline

(footwear manufacturing), May 2007

48 Figure 31 Distribution of employment in not-for-profit, for-profit, and government establishments, May 2007

49 Figure 32 Mean hourly wages in not-for-profit, for-profit, and government establishments, May 2007

Page State Focus

52 Figure 33 Concentration of employment of protective service occupations by State, May 2007

53 Figure 34 Annual average wages for protective service occupations by State, May 2007

54 Figure 35 States with the highest and lowest concentrations of selected accountants, and auditors, and carpenters, May 2007

55 Figure 36 States with the highest and lowest concentrations of team assemblers and waiters and waitresses, May 2007

56 Figure 37 Percent of employment in Nevada by occupation, May 2007

57 Figure 38 Selected occupations in Nevada, employment and wages, May 2007

Page Area Focus

60 Figure 39 Wages of captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels employed along the Mississippi and

Ohio Rivers, May 2007 

62 Figure 40 Percent of area employment in business and financial operations occupations, May 2007 

64 Figure 41 Percent employment of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Arkansas, May 2007 

66 Figure 42 Occupational composition of the United States, Illinois, the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division, and the 

South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, May 2007

68 Figure 43 Ratio of median wages for computer programmers to median wages for all occupations in the largest U.S. metropolitan 

areas, May 2007

70 Figure 44 Metropolitan areas with the highest employment concentration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 

(STEM) occupations, May 2007

71 Figure 45 Metropolitan areas with the highest employment levels of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) 

occupations, May 2007

72 Figure 46 States with high employment of selected biotech workers, May 2007 

73 Figure 47 Metropolitan areas with high employment of selected biotech workers, May 2007 

74 Figure 48 Percent of total employment in selected occupational groups in Indianapolis-Carmel, IN; Las Vegas-Paradise, NV; and 

Austin-Round Rock, TX, May 2007 

76 Figure 49 Wages and percentage of area employment for the 15 largest occupations in Hawaii, May 2007

vii

125 YEARS
Some examples of useful applications of OES data: 

Detailed occupational data can be used by job 

seekers or employers to show 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 

particular experience or qualifications. Useful data for 

job seekers 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 possible occupational choices by field of 

study or training. 

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 

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 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 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 

employment in these occupations. Businesses may 

also use the data to compare wages between alternative areas.

●

●

Organization

of charts and

applications

of OES data

This chart book’s presentation of figures is 

intended to demonstrate a variety of applications of OES data. Figures are organized 

into four categories: The first with a focus on 

detailed occupations, the second highlighting 

labor patterns of specific industries, and the 

third and fourth focusing on labor markets of 

States and local areas. 

viii
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 is the average employment for the 

most recent May and November. Employment is defined 

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 part- or 

full-time status. 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 parttime 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 2007 survey was 

77.9 percent based on establishments and 73.5 percent 

based on employment. More information on sampling 

and estimation methodology can be found in the survey 

methods and reliability statement on the enclosed CD 

and our Web site at: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/methods_statement.pdf.

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.

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

ix

125 YEARS

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

Occupation Focus 

1

125 YEARS
$48.39

$45.32

$33.78 $34.02

$54.75

$32.62

$43.65

$34.62

$36.48

$41.18

$21.78

$34.77

0

100

200

300

400

500

Employment (in thousands)

$0

$10

$20

$30

$40

$50

$60

Mean hourly wage

Employment Wage

Computer and information

 scientists, research

Computer hardware

 engineers

 Database administrators

Computer specialists,

 all other

Network systems and data

 communications analysts

Computer and information

 systems managers

Network and computer

 systems administrators

 Computer software

 engineers, systems software

 Computer programmers

 Computer systems analysts

 Computer software

 engineers, applications

 Computer support specialists

Occupation

Information technology occupations were paid higher 

wages than the U.S. average.

Five of the largest IT

occupations had wages at least 

twice the national average for 

all occupations, $19.56. The 

highest paid IT occupation 

was computer and information 

systems managers, which had a 

mean hourly wage of $54.75.

The largest IT occupation, 

computer support specialists, 

had over 500,000 workers and 

was one of the lowest paying IT 

occupations, with an average 

wage of $21.78, approximately 

$2.00 above the U.S. average. 

Workers in the smallest occupation shown, computer and 

information research scientists, 

were among the highest paid. 

●

●

●

F I G U R E 1

Employment and wages of selected information technology (IT)

occupations, May 2007

OCCUPATION

FOCUS

2
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

3

125 YEARS
$22.39

$21.17

$16.12 $14.96 $15.35

$17.20

$14.60

$29.93

$28.11 $27.51

$19.15

$25.98

$30.28

$11.62

$37.96

$33.77

$16.37 $16.16

$8.00

$13.00

$18.00

$23.00

$28.00

$33.00

$38.00

 Landscaping and groundskeeping workers

Telecommunications line installers and repairers

Postal service mail carriers

Meter readers, utilities

Tree trimmers and pruners

Logging equipment operators

Forest and conservation

 technicians

 Pesticide handlers, sprayers,

 and applicators, vegetation

Landscape architects

 Zoologists and

wildlife biologists

Conservation scientists

Agricultural inspectors

Foresters

Soil and plant scientists

Forest and

conservation workers

Atmospheric and

 space scientists

Hydrologists

Fallers

Log graders and scalers

Occupation

Mean hourly wage

4,000

954,000

Employment

Mean hourly wage Employment

54,000

154,000

104,000

204,000

254,000

904,000

$11.53

Wages and employment of selected outdoor occupations, May 2007

F I G U R E 2

Many outdoor occupations are related to

landscaping, agriculture, utilities, and logging. 

The 19 outdoor occupations 

listed made up 1.1 percent of 

total U.S. employment. 

Ten of these 19 occupations 

earned below the mean hourly 

U.S. wage of $19.56.

Most of the outdoor occupations that pay above-average 

wages are science-related and 

include forestry and conservation occupations, hydrologists, 

soil and plant scientists, wildlife 

biologists, landscape architects, 

and atmospheric and space 

scientists. 

●

●

●

4

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

5

125 YEARS
$17.05

$9.46

$20.42

$16.30

$8.73

$8.90

$13.16

$9.76

$10.90

$12.81

$11.25

$9.06

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

Employment (in thousands)

Opticians, dispensing

Veterinary technologists

 and technicians

Health technologists and

technicians, all other

Surgical technologists

Medical and clinical

 laboratory technicians

Medical and clinical

laboratory technologists

Medical records and health

information technicians

Dental hygienists

Radiologic technologists

 and technicians

Emergency medical

 technicians and paramedics

Pharmacy technicians

Licensed practical and

licensed vocational nurses

Occupation

Employment and mean wages for the largest health technologist and 

technician occupations, May 2007

F I G U R E 3

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses and pharmacy technicians 

were among the largest health technologist and technician occupations.

Dental hygienists and 

medical and clinical laboratory 

technologists were among the 

highest paying technical health 

occupations, with hourly mean 

wages of $20.42 and $17.05, 

respectively.

Associate degrees or postsecondary vocational awards 

were the most significant 

sources of education or training 

for most of these occupations, 

according to the Occupational 

Outlook Handbook. 

●

●

6

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

7

125 YEARS
4,429,060

3,545,3302,980,3502,602,9502,468,3402,363,4402,357,0402,193,4302,112,8701,858,500

$15.76

$10.92

$14.93

$8.93

$11.46

$30.04

$8.03

$12.48

$8.84

$11.79

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

$0

$3

$6

$9

$12

$15

$18

$21

$24

$27

$30

Employment (in thousands)

Hourly mean wage

Occupation

Retail

salespersons

Cashiers Office clerks,

general

Combined

food preparation

and serving workers,

including fast food

Registered

nurses

Laborer and

freight, stock,

and material 

movers, hand

Waiters and

waitresses

Customer

service

representatives

Janitors and

cleaners,

except maids

and housekeeping cleaners

Bookkeeping,

accounting,

and auditing clerks

Employment and hourly mean wages of the largest occupations,

May 2007

F I G U R E 4

The 10 largest occupations made up about 17 percent of U.S. employment.

Retail salespersons and cashiers made up about 6 percent of U.S. employment in May 

2007. 

The third largest occupation 

was general office clerks. 

Nine of the 10 largest occupations paid below the U.S. 

mean hourly wage of $19.56. 

The exception was registered 

nurses, with a mean wage of 

$30.04 

●

●

8

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
Employment and hourly mean wages of the smallest occupations,

May 2007

$47.21

$19.57

$41.64

$19.54

$23.31

$31.94

$13.74

$23.88

380580

990

1,010

1,0801,090

1,110

1,2401,4001,520

$81.42

$12.95

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

Employment

Occupation

$0

$10

$20

$30

$40

$50

$60

$70

$80

$90

Hourly mean wage

Prosthodontists Locomotive

firers

Fabric

menders,

except

garment

Geographers Mathematical

technicians Segmentalpavers

Radio

operators

Industrialorganizational

psychologists

Makeup

artists,

theatrical

and performance

Astronomers

F I G U R E 5

OCCUPATION

FOCUS Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

The 10 smallest occupations 

combined made up 0.01 percent 

of total U.S. employment.

More than half of the smallest occupations earned a wage 

greater than the mean hourly 

U.S. wage of $19.56.

Many of the smallest occupations tended to be concentrated 

in a single industry. 

●

●

●

9

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 6

7.1

15.3

13.8 13.5

11.5

8.9 9.2

8.4

7.4 7.3

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Percent of establishments reporting occupation

General office clerks

 Bookkeeping,

accounting, and

 auditing clerks

 General and

operations managers

Secretaries, except

 legal, medical, and

 executive

First-line supervisors/

 managers of office

 and administrative

 support workers

Retail salespersons

Executive secretaries

 and administrative

 assistants

First-line supervisors/

 managers of retail

 sales workers

Receptionists and

 information clerks

 Sales representatives

wholesale and manufacturing,

 except technical and

 scientific products

Occupation

1,110,7701,002,445976,882835,957664,134647,453609,989533,572531,956512,575

Number of units reporting the occupation

Occupations most often found in business establishments, May 2007

Administrative and sales occupations are the occupations found

in the largest number of business establishments.

More than 15 percent of business establishments employed 

general office clerks, and 14 

percent employed bookkeeping, 

accounting, and auditing clerks. 

Retail sales occupations 

were among the most frequently 

reported because of the large 

number of retail establishments. 

According to the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 

retail trade accounted for 12 

percent of all private business 

establishments.

Administrative occupations 

are among the most frequently 

reported, because they are 

found in establishments in all 

industries.

●

●

●

10

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

11

125 YEARS
Employment and wages for the 10 lowest paying occupations in 

the United States, May 2007

F I G U R E 7

The lowest paying occupations were service related. 

These 10 occupations accounted for 4 percent of all 

workers in the U.S. in May 2007.

Six of the lowest paid occupations, accounting for almost 5 

million jobs, were food service 

occupations. 

●

●

Occupation Hourly mean 

wage

Employment

Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food $8.03 2,602,950

Cooks, fast food 8.11 575,510

Dishwashers 8.20 509,550

Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers 8.36 401,070

Shampooers 8.41 15,310

Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop 8.54 342,960

Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop 8.57 541,370

Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers 8.60 106,700

Gaming dealers 8.71 86,210

Amusement and recreation attendants 8.76 245,380

12

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

13

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 8

Wages for occupations with the highest incidence rates of injuries 

and illnesses, May 2007

$8.00

$10.00

$12.00

$14.00

$16.00

$18.00

$20.00

$22.00

Nursing aides,

orderlies, and

attendants

Construction

laborers

Laborers and

freight, stock,

and material

movers, hand

Emergency

medical

technicians

and

paramedics

Heavy and

tractor-trailer

truck drivers

Roofers Welders,

cutters,

solderers,

and brazers

Carpenters Food servers,

nonrestaurant

Mobile

heavy

equipment

mechanics,

except engines

Industrial

machinery

mechanics

Hourly mean wage, May 2007

300

350

400

450

500

550

Days away from work rate (per 10,000 fulltime workers), private industry, 2006

Hourly mean wage

Days away from work rate (per 10,000 workers)

Workers in occupations with high incidence rates of injuries 

and illnesses tended to earn below-average wages.

Carpenters; mobile heavy 

equipment mechanics, except 

engines; and industrial machinery mechanics had aboveaverage wages.

Laborers and freight, stock, 

and material movers, hand 

was the largest occupation 

among those listed, with 

2,363,440 jobs.

Nursing aides, orderlies, 

and attendants had more than 

4 times the incidence rate for 

all occupations. They also 

earned a low mean wage 

relative to other occupations 

shown.

●

●

●

Source of incidence rates: 2006 Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

14 Source of mean wages: May 2007 Occupational Employment Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

15

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 9

Highest and lowest paying occupations by education and training category, May 2007

$0

Combined food preparation and

serving workers, including fast food

Air traffic controllers

Cooks, restaurant

Postal service clerks

Gaming dealers

Commercial pilots

Veterinary technologists

and technicians

Radiation therapists

Substance abuse and behvioral

disorder counselors

Petroleum engineers

Legislators

Chief executives

Rehabilitation counselors

Political scientists

Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary

Computer and information

scientists, research

Audiologists

Anesthesiologists

$16,700

$107,780

$21,960

$18,120

$71,270

$28,920

$71,990

$37,830

$113,890

$33,880

$151,370

$33,350

$90,050

$57,510

$100,640

$63,660

$192,780

$50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000

Mean annual wage

First professional

Doctoral degree

Master's degree

Bachelor's or

higher degree,

plus work

experience

Bachelor's degree

Associate degree

Post-secondary

vocational award

Long-term on-thejob training

Short-term on-thejob training

Education or

training category Occupation Highest paying

Occupation Lowest paying

Occupation

$44,290

Average wages rise with education level, but wages vary 

for different occupations with similar levels of education.

There is a wide range of opportunities in the labor market 

for workers in occupations with 

similar education levels and 

experience.

Radiation therapists, for 

whom the most significant 

source of education was an 

associate’s degree, earned an 

average wage higher than that 

of audiologists, for whom the 

most significant source of education was a first professional 

degree.

Among workers for whom 

the most significant source of 

education was a bachelor’s 

degree, substance abuse and 

behavioral disorder counselors 

had the lowest average wage. 

(However, they had a higher average wage than rehabilitation 

counselors, for whom the most 

significant source of education 

was a master’s degree.) 

continued on next page

●

●

●

16

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

Air traffic controllers, for 

whom the most significant 

source of training was long-term 

on-the-job training, were paid 

higher wages than the highest 

paid occupation in four higher 

education levels. 

For restaurant cooks, the 

most significant source of training was long-term on-the-job 

training, while for combined food 

preparation and serving workers, including fast food, it was 

short-term on-the-job training. 

On average, restaurant cooks 

were paid almost $3.00 more 

per hour than were combined 

food preparation and serving 

workers, including fast food. 

●

●

F I G U R E 9

continued

17

125 YEARS

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
F I G U R E 10

22,000

32,000

42,000

52,000

62,000

72,000

82,000

92,000

$102,000

10th percentile 25th percentile 50th percentile 75th percentile 

(median)

90th percentile

Annual wage

Percentile

Clinical, counseling, and

school psychologists

Speech-language

pathologists

Marriage and family

therapists

Child, family, and

school social workers

Correctional officers

and jailers

Substance abuse and

behavioral disorder

counselors

Occupation

Wage distributions of possible occupations for psychology majors, May 2007 All occupations shown had 

a median wage above the U.S. 

median wage of $31,410.

The occupation shown with 

the widest wage range was 

clinical, counseling, and school 

psychologists. Ten percent 

earned a wage below $37,300 

per year, and 10 percent earned 

more than $104,520 per year.

●

●

Occupations often chosen by psychology 

majors have above average wages. 

18

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
Wage distributions of possible occupations for business majors, May 2007

F I G U R E 11

32,000

52,000

72,000

92,000

112,000

$132,000

10th percentile 25th percentile 75th percentile 90th percentile

Annual wage

Budget

analysts

Financial

analysts

Management

analysts

Market

research

analysts

Operations

research

analysts

Occupation

50th percentile 

(median)

Percentile

Business is the most popular 

field of study among today’s 

undergraduates, according 

to the U.S. Department of 

Education. Graduates with a 

degree in business can work 

in a variety of business analyst 

occupations, such as management analysts, market research 

analysts, operations research 

analysts, financial analysts, and 

budget analysts.

At the 10th percentile, wages 

of workers in the selected analyst occupations related to business study ranged from $33,310 

to $42,280 per year. The 10th 

percentile wages of workers in 

the selected occupations related 

to psychology ranged from 

$23,780 to $40,200.

At the 90th percentile, wages 

of workers in the selected analyst occupations ranged from 

$97,030 to $137,210 per year. 

The 90th percentile wages 

of workers in the selected 

occupations for psychology 

majors ranged from $55,650 to 

$104,520. 

●

●

●

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

19

125 YEARS

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
F I G U R E 12

Wages for occupations that are predominantly filled by

women, May 2007

$10,000 $30,000 $70,000 $90,000

 Dental hygienists; 99%

 Speech-language pathologists; 98

 Preschool teachers; 97

Kindergarten teachers; 97

 Secretaries and administrative

assistants; 97

 Dental assistants; 96

 Child care workers; 95

 Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses; 93

 Receptionists and

information clerks; 93

 Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists; 93

 Medical records and health

information technicians; 93

 Registered nurses; 92

 Teachers assistants; 92

 Medical assistants; 91

U.S. median wage Annual wage

$50,000

Occupation and percent of

workers who are women*

Legend

10th 25th Median 75th 90th

The 10th through 90th 

percentile wage distribution for 

three of the occupations shown 

was entirely above the U.S. 

median wage, while the distribution for other occupations was 

mostly below the US median. 

Four occupations had a wide 

wage range. Wages for dental 

hygienists ranged from $42,480 

annually at the 10th percentile 

to $89,590 annually at the 90th 

percentile. Speech-language 

pathologists, kindergarten 

teachers, and registered nurses 

also had a wide wage range.

Most other occupations 

shown had below-average 

wages and had a relatively narrow wage distribution. 

●

●

●

Occupations where women accounted for more than 90 percent of

employment had median wages as low as $18,350 and as high as $64,740. 

20 *Percentages reported by the Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
F I G U R E 13

Wages for predominantly male and predominantly female management 

occupations, May 2007*

$87,300

$76,990

$54,530

$74,770

$78,250

$95,310

$57,900

$86,470

$111,020

$76,230

$80,560

$76,310

$53,720

$33,360

$88,700

$108,070

$30,000 $50,000 $70,000 $90,000 $110,000

Human resources

managers; 70%

Medical and health

services managers; 70

Social and community

service managers; 66

Education administrators; 64

Advertising and promotions

mangers; 56

Financial managers; 55

Postmasters and mail

superintendents; 54

Public relations managers; 54

Occupation and

percent of men

Occupation and

percent of women

 Engineering managers; 92

 Construction managers; 92

 Industrial production

managers; 83

 Transportation, storage, and

distribution managers; 83

 Farm, ranch, and other

agricultural managers; 78

 Farmers and ranchers; 75

 General and operations

managers; 73

 Computer and information

systems managers; 72

Median annual wage

 Occupations with a high percent of women* Occupations with a high percent of men*

Management occupations dominated by women tend to be service related, 

while those dominated by men tend to be goods producing.

Women made up 70 percent 

of human resources managers, 

which had a median annual 

wage of $87,300. 

Of the management occupations shown, engineering managers had the highest median 

wage and the highest percent 

of men. 

The lowest paid management 

occupation, farmers and ranchers, was predominately made 

up of men. 

●

●

●

21 *Percentages reported by the Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

125 YEARS

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
F I G U R E 14

Profile of laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, May 2007

States with the highest concentration of these workers

State Percent of State 

employment

Employment in 

occupation

Hourly mean 

wage

Tennessee 3.02 82,600 $10.62 

Nevada 2.61 33,480 12.07 

Louisiana 2.57 47,500 10.04 

Indiana 2.39 70,040 11.59 

Arkansas 2.32 27,190 10.10 

Industries with the highest levels of employment

Industry Employment

Hourly 

mean wage

Employment services 431,790 $ 9.82 

Warehousing and storage 149,010 12.74 

Couriers 148,800 12.02 

General freight trucking 75,250 14.21 

Grocery and related product wholesalers 72,410 12.10 

Highest paying industries

Industry Employment

Hourly

mean

wage

Motor vehicle manufacturing 4,200 $22.25

Support activities for water transportation 14,720 19.30

Metal ore mining 300 18.78

Natural gas distribution 190 18.67

Wired telecommunications carriers 450 18.38

Employment and wages of the 2.4 million laborers and freight, stock, 

and material movers, hand, varied by industry and geographic area.

The largest employer of hand 

laborers and movers of freight, 

stock, and material was the 

employment services industry, 

which includes temporary help 

agencies.

Ten percent of workers in this 

occupation earned less than 

$7.41 per hour, and 10 percent 

of workers earned more than 

$17.24 per hour. 

Motor vehicle manufacturing 

paid these workers the highest 

mean wage, $46,290 per year. 

Some of the top-paying areas 

for this occupation are home to 

motor vehicle manufacturing or 

motor vehicle parts manufacturing plants, according to the 

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Workers in this occupation perform unskilled general 

labor, such as manually moving 

freight, stock, or other materials. 

●

●

●

●

National employment estimate and wage estimates for this occupation

Employment

2,363,440

Hourly wage

Mean 

$11.00 

10th

percentile

$7.41 

25th

percentile

$8.52 

Median

$10.53 

75th

percentile

$13.53 

90th

percentile

$17.24 

Highest paying Metropolitan areas

Area

Hourly 

mean 

wage

Employment in 

occupation

Percent of 

area employment

Kokomo, IN $18.41 720 1.61

Anchorage, AK 16.82 3,080 1.89

Lansing-East Lansing, MI 15.13 3,720 1.78

Flint, MI 14.84 1,690 1.15

Nashua, NH-MA 14.65 2,550 1.89

22

OCCUPATION

FOCUS
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

23

125 YEARS
24
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

Occupations

within Industries 

25

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 15

OCCUPATIONS

WITHIN INDUSTRIES

Career paths and wage distribution for selected sales occupations in 

general merchandise stores, May 2007

Cashiers

Counter and

 rental clerks

 Retail

salespersons

First-line

supervisors/managers

 of retail sales wor kers

Wholesale and

retail buyers, except

farm products

Sales managers

 General

and

operations

managers

Advertising

promotions

managers

Purchasing

managers

M

managers

arketing

Occupation

Hourly wage

6.00

16.00

26.00

36.00

46.00

56.00

$66.00

* * *

90th percentile wage

75th percentile wage

Median wage

25th percentile wage

10th percentile wage

Mean wage

Occupations in general merchandise stores with high skill requirements 

tend to be higher paid and have lower employment levels. 

As salespersons gain experience, training, and seniority, 

they can move to positions of 

greater responsibility with higher 

potential earnings.

As wages increase, the number of people employed in those 

occupations tends to decline. 

Cashiers made up 19 percent 

of total employment in general 

merchandise stores, while their 

first-line supervisors made up 7 

percent.

Sales occupations with lower 

mean wages have narrower 

wage distributions than those 

with higher mean wages. For 

instance, the difference between earnings of the top 10 

percent and bottom 10 percent 

of cashiers, counter and rental 

clerks, and retail salespersons 

is smaller than that of 

managers.

●

●

●

26 * Missing percentile wages are equal to or greater than $70.00 per hour.
F I G U R E 16

OCCUPATIONS

WITHIN INDUSTRIES

Career paths and wage distribution for selected logistics occupations 

in general merchandise stores, May 2007

Hourly wage

6.00

16.00

26.00

36.00

46.00

56.00

$66.00

90th percentile wage

75th percentile wage

Median wage

25th percentile wage

10th percentile wage

Mean wage

Stock clerks and order fillers

Laborers and freight, stock, and

 material movers, hand

Packers and packagers, hand

Wholesale and retail buyers,

 except farm products

Transportation, storage, and

 distribution managers

General and operations

 managers

First-line supervisors/managers

 of helpers, laborers,and

 material movers, hand

Occupation

With additional experience, 

training, and seniority, advancement opportunities for stock 

clerks and order fillers include 

jobs as supervisors, wholesale 

and retail buyers, or transportation, storage, and distribution 

managers.

Transportation, storage, and 

distribution managers earn, on 

average, between 3 and 4 times 

as much as the first three occupations shown.

 

●

●

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

27

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 17

OCCUPATIONS

WITHIN INDUSTRIES The U.S. economy employed 356,990 loan officers, 172,030 real 

estate sales agents, and 30,150 loan counselors in May 2007.

Most real estate sales agents 

and real estate brokers were 

employed in offices of real 

estate agents and brokers, 

activities related to real estate, 

and lessors of real estate. Appraisers and assessors of real 

estate were found primarily in 

local government and activities 

related to real estate.

Real estate brokers and loan 

officers were among the highest paying real estate-related 

occupations shown, with mean 

hourly wages of $38.36 and 

$30.10, respectively.

●

●

Industry

Real estate sales agents

(hourly mean wage $26.49)

Real estate brokers ($38.36)

Appraisers and assessors of

real estate ($25.14)

0

20

10

30

40

50

60

70

Industry employment (in thousands)

Offices of

real estate agents

and brokers

Lessors of

real estate

Activities related

to real estate

Local government

OES designation

Other

industries

Residential

building

construction

Industry employment of occupations related to real estate sales, May 2007 

28
0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Industry employment (in thousands)

Loan officers (hourly mean wage $30.10)

Loan interviewers and clerks ($15.97)

Title examiners, abstractors, and

searchers ($19.78)

Loan counselors ($20.19)

Nondepository credit

intermediation

Depository credit

intermediation

Activities related to

credit intermediation

Insurance carriers Legal services Other industries

Industry

F I G U R E 18

OCCUPATIONS

WITHIN INDUSTRIES

Most loan officers and loan 

interviewers and clerks were 

employed in depository credit 

intermediation (e.g., commercial 

banks), nondepository credit 

intermediation (e.g., nondepository mortgage lending), and 

activities related to credit intermediation (e.g., mortgage and 

nonmortgage loan brokerages).

Depository and nondepository credit intermediation 

were also among the largest 

employers of loan counselors, 

while most title examiners, 

abstractors, and searchers were 

employed in legal services or 

insurance carriers.

●

●

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

Industry employment of occupations related to real estate lending, May 2007 

29

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 19

OCCUPATIONS

WITHIN INDUSTRIES

70,030

746,480

78,430 73,910

188,470

98,390 72,850

727,900

44,250

112,410 84,850

49,550

19,750 88,780

79,210 12,020

127,370 149,130 33,690

122,850 73,880

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

Employment (in thousands)

Life, physical,

and social science

occupations

Architecture

and engineering

occupations

Computer and

mathematical

science

occupations

Architectural,

engineering, and

related services

Computer systems

design and related

services

Federal

executive

branch

Scientific research

and development

services

Management of

companies and

enterprises

Colleges,

universities, and

professional schools

Local government

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) occupations were most 

often found in research and technical services industries and in government.

Many of the industries that 

employed large numbers of 

STEM workers were found in 

the professional, scientific, and 

technical services sector. The 

Federal Government employed 

the third largest number of these 

workers.

Overall, there were 3.2 million workers in computer and 

mathematical science occupations, 2.5 in architecture and 

engineering occupations, and 

1.3 million in life, physical, and 

social science occupations. 

●

●

Industries with the highest employment of science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics (STEM) occupations, May 2007

30 *Occupational Employment Statistics
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

31

125 YEARS
32
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

Industry Focus 

33

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 20

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS

Largest construction occupations in residential and nonresidential

construction, May 2007

$18.95

$22.40

$18.16

$22.51

$22.09

$23.28

$20.25

$23.03

$19.09

$12.79

$30.15

$16.41

$20.76

$18.24

$18.49

$16.15

$21.32

$21.09

$17.87

$12.12

$27.67

$14.33

$19.14

$20.04

35 25 15 5 5 15 25 35

Brickmasons and blockmasons

Drywall and ceiling tile installers

Structural iron and steel workers

Electricians

Painters, construction and maintenance

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Operating engineers and other construction

equipment operators

Cement masons and concrete finishers

Helpers--carpenters

First-line supervisors/managers of construction

trades and extraction workers

Construction laborers

Carpenters

Percent of industry employment

Residential construction (NAICS 2361) Nonresidential construction (NAICS 2362)

Workers constructing buildings earned over $2.00 per hour more when 

constructing nonresidential buildings, on average.

Carpenters, construction 

laborers, and construction supervisors were the three largest 

occupations in both industries. 

The largest staffing differences were in the employment 

of carpenters, structural iron and 

steel workers, brickmasons and 

block masons, and operating 

engineers and other construction equipment operators.

●

●

34
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

35

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 21

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS

Largest occupations in the employment services industry, with hourly mean 

wages, May 2007

2.0%

2.4% 2.6%

3.1% 3.0%

3.7% 3.7%

5.2% 5.1%

11.8%

Employment (in thousands)

Percent of industry employment 

Team

assemblers

$10.24

Office clerks,

general

$11.63

Packers and

packagers,

hand

$8.84

Helpers–

production

workers

$9.56

Customer

service

representatives

$12.93

Construction

laborers

$11.95

Registered

nurses

$32.49

Production

workers,

all other

$11.34

Employment,

recruitment,

and placement

specialists

$24.44

Occupation

Laborers and

freight, stock,

and material

movers, hand

$9.82

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

The largest occupations within the employment services industry (which contains temporary help and professional employer organizations) were production occupations.

Other large occupations 

include administrative support 

and transportation and material 

moving occupations. 

With one exception, wages 

for all these employment services occupations are lower than 

wages for their counterparts in 

other industries. 

Registered nurses in employment services were paid higher 

than the average for the occupation. 

●

●

●

36
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

37

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 22

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS

Employment by occupational group, nursing care facilities, May 2007

$11.05

19.50

27.12

9.35

10.25

9.36

10.67

11.37

9.19

9.46

37.0

12.5

7.7

4.9

3.9

3.0

2.9

2.0

2.0

589,260

199,390

123,480

77,680

61,990

48,070

46,500

31,810

31,750

25,250 1.6

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

Registered nurses

Maids and housekeeping cleaners

Home health aides

Food preparation workers

Cooks, institution and cafeteria

Recreation workers

Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

Food servers, nonrestaurant

Other (22,340)

Production occupations (32,370) Management occupations (39,670)

Personal care and service 

occupations (43,780)

Office and administrative 

support occupations (73,000)

Installation, maintenance, and 

repair occupations (21,570)

Community and social 

services occupations (25,070)

Building and grounds 

cleaning and maintenance 

occupations (106,010)

Food preparation and serving 

related occupations (175,880) Healthcare support 

occupations (674,110)

Healthcare practitioner and 

technical occupations (380,700)

Occupation Employment Percent of industry empoyment Hourly mean wage

Largest occupations in nursing care facilities

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants made up 37 percent of employment 

in nursing care facilities, and 4 percent of home health care employment. 

Nursing care facilities employed significant numbers of 

workers in food preparation and 

serving related occupations and 

building and grounds cleaning 

and maintenance occupations. 

These occupations are not large 

in home health care services. 

Two occupations—home 

health aides and personal and 

home care aides—made up 

more than half of employment in 

home health care services. 

●

●

38
Occupation Employment Percent of industry empoyment Hourly mean wage

Largest occupations in home health care services

Other (22,100) Management occupations (26,690)

Personal care and service 

occupations (236,740)

Office and administrative 

support occupations (71,690)

Community and social 

services occupations (23,730)

Healthcare support 

occupations (299,290)

Healthcare practitioner and 

technical occupations (226,120)

$9.88

8.06

28.43

19.44

10.85

38.13

12.27

23.57

38.10

28.0

25.8

14.0

6.4

3.9

2.0

1.5

1.5

1.4

254,120

233,480

127,230

58,010

35,610

17,930

13,950

13,360

12,440

Home health aides

Personal and home care aides

Registered nurses

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants

Physical therapists

Office clerks, general

Medical and public health social workers

Medical and health services managers

General and operations managers 8,170 0.9 41.40

Employment by occupational group, home health care services, May 2007 Nursing care facilities and 

home health care facilities had 

similar shares of health care 

practitioner and technical workers. The largest occupations in 

this group in nursing care facilities were registered nurses and 

licensed practical and licensed 

vocational nurses. 

Registered nurses and 

licensed practical and licensed 

vocational nurses made up 

approximately 20 percent of 

employment in both industries; 

however, the ratio of RNs to 

LPNs is 4 times higher in home 

health care services. 

●

●

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

F I G U R E 23

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS

39

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 24

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS

Total annual wages* paid by State government**, for selected occupations, 

May 2007

10.1

3.4 3.3

2.7 2.6 2.5 2.5

2.2 2.2 2.1

0

2

4

6

8

10

Total wages (in billions $)

Correctional officers and jailers

Business operation

 specialists, all other

Police and sheriff’s

 patrol officers

Lawyers

 Child, family,

 and school

 social workers

Office clerks,

 general

 Probation officers

 and correctional

treatment specialists

Registered nurses

Civil engineers

Executive secretaries and administrative assistants

Occupation

Local governments paid $27.3 billion for wages and salaries of police and 

sheriff’s patrol officers, while States paid $3.3 billion. States spent nearly 

twice as much on correctional officers and jailers as did local governments.

Total wages are the mean 

annual straight-time wage multiplied by employment. They are 

affected by both employment 

levels and wages and assume 

workers are full time. 

State governments spent 

$10.1 billion on correctional 

officers and jailers and $2.5 billion on child, family, and school 

social workers.

●

●

40 *Total wages are the mean annual straight-time wage multiplied by employment; all workers are assumed to work full time.

**Excludes schools and hospitals, which are classified in separate industries.
Total annual wages* paid by local government**, for selected occupations, 

May 2007

27.3

11.9

5.8 5.8 5.2

4.4 3.8 3.7 3.5 3.3

0

5

10

15

20

25

Total wages (in billions $)

Occupation

Police and sheriff's

 patrol officers

Fire fighters

Correctional

 officers and jailers

Office clerks,

 general

First-line supervisors/

 managers of police

 and detectives

Lawyers

General and operation

 managers

 Executive secretaries

 and administrative assistants

 Maintenance and repair workers, general

 Highway maintenance workers

F I G U R E 25

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

State governments spent 

$2.2 billion on salaries for 

32,300 civil engineers, while 

local governments spent $3.3 

billion on salaries for 100,000 

highway maintenance workers. 

Local governments paid more 

in total wages to general office 

clerks and police and sheriff’s 

patrol officers, but State governments paid a higher average 

wage.

●

●

41 *Total wages are the mean annual straight-time wage multiplied by employment; all workers are assumed to work full time.

**Excludes schools and hospitals, which are classified in separate industries.

125 YEARS
3,010

14,960

910

5,450

21,870

4,400

250 230

3,200 3,940 4,220

82,560

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

80,000

85,000

Biomedical

 engineers

Industrial

engineers

Chemists

Market research

 analysts

Technical

 writers

Fashion

designers

 Sales representatives,

wholesale and manufact-

 uring, technical and

 scientific products

Sales representatives,

 wholesale and manufacturing, except technical

 and scientific products

Packaging and

filling machine operators and tenders

 Sewing machine

 operators

Laborers and freight,

 stock, and material

 movers, hand

 Packers and

packagers, hand

Employment

Architecture

and engineering 

Life, physical, 

and social science

Arts, design,

entertainment,

sports, and media

Sales and related Production Transportation

and material

moving

Occupational group

Pharmaceutical and

medicine manufacturing

Cut and sew apparel

manufacturing

F I G U R E 26

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing, a high-tech manufacturing industry, and cut 

and sew apparel manufacturing, a low-tech manufacturing industry, employed different 

types of occupations.

In cut and sew apparel manufacturing, the largest production 

occupation, sewing machine 

operators, made up 47 percent of 

industry employment. In pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing, the largest production 

occupation, packaging and filling 

machine operators and tenders, 

made up 8 percent of employment.

Sales and related occupations 

accounted for about 3 percent of 

both industries’ employment. The 

largest sales occupation in the 

former was sales representatives 

of technical and scientific products 

and the largest sales occupation 

for the latter was sales representatives for non-technical and 

non-scientific products.

Within occupational groups, 

employment in pharmaceutical 

and medicine manufacturing was 

more concentrated in high-tech 

occupations. The largest occupation within the architectural and 

engineering occupations group 

was biomedical engineers in the 

high-tech industry and industrial 

engineers in the low-tech industry. 

●

●

●

Largest occupations in selected occupational groups, in a high-tech 

and a low-tech manufacturing industry, May 2007

42
F I G U R E 27

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS

Arts, design,

entertainment,

sports, and media

occupations

Sales and related

occupations

Production occupations

8.00

13.00

18.00

23.00

28.00

33.00

38.00

Graphic designers

Public relations

 specialists

First-line

supervisors/managers

of non-retail sales workers 

Sales representatives,

wholesale and manufacturing,

except technical and

 scientific products

Sales and related

workers, all other

of production and

operating workers

Team assemblers

Assemblers and

fabricators, all other

Printing machine

operators

Inspectors, testers, sorters,

 samplers, and weighers

Cementing and gluing

machine operators

and tenders

Helpers--production

workers

Production workers,

 all other

Mean hourly wage ($)

First-line

supervisors/managers

29.13 32.92 35.15 25.95 Mean wage for major group 17.28 10.60

manufacturing

Cut and sew apparel

medicine manufacturing

Pharmaceutical and

Wages of selected occupations in a high-tech and a low-tech 

manufacturing industry, May 2007

Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing, and cut and sew apparel 

manufacturing, pay different wages to workers who perform similar tasks. 

Cut and sew apparel manufacturing paid higher wages 

to its sales representatives for 

non-technical and non-scientific 

products than did pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing.

The mean wage of arts, design, entertainment, sports, and 

media occupations is high in cut 

and sew manufacturing because 

fashion designers in that industry earned $36.64 per hour, on 

average.

Printing machine operators 

and inspectors, testers, sorters, 

samplers, and weighers earned 

around 1.5 times as much in 

pharmaceutical and medicine 

manufacturing than in cut and 

sew apparel manufacturing.

Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing paid higher 

wages to workers in most of 

these occupations than did cut 

and sew apparel manufacturing.

●

●

●

●

43

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 28

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS

Occupations with the largest employment changes in the automobile 

dealers industry, 2003–07

5.5

100.8

124.0

42.4

11.4

-2.3

-8.5

-11.3

-24.2

-25.7

-12,000 -7,000 -2,000 3,000 8,000 13,000

Automotive body and related repairers

General and operations managers

First-line supervisors/managers of

retail sales workers

Parts salespersons

Automotive service technicians

and mechanics

Counter and rental clerks

Customer service representatives

Parking lot attendants

Taxi drivers and chauffeurs

Retail salespersons

Occupation

Employment change, 2003–07

Percent change in employment 

Changes in occupational composition vary with 

different rates of productivity growth. 

Two similar industries, 

automotive parts, accessories, 

and tire stores, and automotive 

dealers, had different rates of 

productivity growth and staffing pattern changes between 

2003 and 2007. The former 

had a decline in productivity and 

increased its sales force at a 

higher rate than the latter, which 

had an increase in productivity.

Employment of retail salespersons and counter and rental 

clerks, both increased by 65 

percent in automotive parts, accessories and tire stores, while 

employment in these occupations grew by 5 percent and 11 

percent, respectively, in automobile dealers. Employment of 

parts sales persons increased 

in the former and declined in the 

latter.

●

●

Source of labor productivity data: Division of Industry Productivity Studies, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Productivity (output/labor hour) in the automobile dealers industry grew by 9 percent from 2003 to 

2007. Total labor hours in this industry decreased by 0.4 percent over this same time period.

44
F I G U R E 29

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS

Occupations with the largest employment changes in automotive 

parts, accessories, and tire stores, 2003–07

Employment change, 2003–07

-8,000 -3,000 2,000 7,000 12,000 17,000 22,000 27,000

Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except

technical and scientific products

First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers

Cashiers

General and operations managers

First-line supervisors/managers of

mechanics, installers, and repairers

Truck drivers, light or

delivery services

Parts salespersons

Counter and rental clerks

Tire repairers and changers

Retail salespersons

7.7

-17.7

-27.9

-36.4

-16.0

-57.3

7.3

65.4

36.5

65.0 Percent change in employment 

Automobile dealers added 

many more transportation and 

material moving occupations 

(16,820) than did automotive 

parts, accessories, and tire 

stores (2,870). These included 

drivers/sales workers, heavy and 

tractor-trailer truck drivers, taxi 

drivers and chauffeurs, and parking lot attendants.

Employment grew by 13,260 

among installation, maintenance, 

and repair occupations (particularly tire repairers and changers) 

in automotive parts, accessories, 

and tire stores, while employment 

declined by 20,390 among these 

occupations (particularly automotive body and related repairers) 

in automobile dealers. Changes 

in the employment in these 

labor-intensive occupations might 

partially explain the productivity 

changes in these industries. 

●

●

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

Source of labor productivity data: Division of Industry Productivity Studies, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Productivity in the automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores industry declined by 3 percent from 

2003 to 2007. Total labor hours in this industry increased by 6 percent over this same time period.

45

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 30

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS

Distribution of employment among occupational groups in the industry with the largest projected output growth (computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing) and 

the industry with the largest projected output decline (footwear manufacturing),

May 2007

Distribution of occupational groups in 

computer and peripheral equipment 

manufacturing

Distribution of occupational groups 

in footwear manufacturing

7.4

3.1

3.0

2.4

2.3

2.1

2.7

77.1

Installation,

maintenance,

and repair 

Sales and

related

Management

Transportation

and material

moving

Office and

administrative

support

Production

Business and

financial operations

All other

0 20 40 60

Percent of industry employment

4 9 14 19 24

Percent of industry employment

All other

Sales and related

Office and

administrative

support

Business and 

financial operations

Management

Production

Architecture and

engineering

Computer and

mathematical

science

Major

occupation

group

Major

occupation

group

19.2

13.0

11.2

9.6

8.3

5.5

6.6

26.7

Employment in more traditional manufacturing industries, such as footwear

manufacturing, is different than employment in newer industries, such as computer

and peripheral equipment manufacturing.

Computer and peripheral 

equipment manufacturing, which 

is projected to have the fastest 

output growth between 2006–

16, had 13 percent of its workers in production occupations, 

while footwear manufacturing, 

which is projected to have the 

largest decline in output, was 

made up primarily of production 

occupations, at 77 percent.

Modern manufacturing uses 

a more diverse mix of labor than 

traditional manufacturing. 

Nineteen percent of employment in computer and peripheral 

equipment manufacturing was in 

architecture and engineering occupations, and 27 percent was 

in computer and mathematical 

occupations.

 continued on next page

●

●

●

Source of output growth rates: “Industry output and employment projections to 2016,” Monthly Labor Review, November 2007 46
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

The industry with the fastest 

projected output growth also 

employed a larger proportion 

of its employees in sales and 

related; office and administrative; business and financial 

operations; and management 

occupations.

The industry with the largest projected decline in output 

employed a larger proportion of 

workers in production; transportation and material moving; and 

installation, maintenance, and 

repair occupations.

●

●

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS

F I G U R E 30

continued

47

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 31

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Occupational group

Percent

Management

Business and financial operations

Computer and mathematical

Architecture and engineering

Life, physical, and social science

Community and social services

Legal

Education, training, and library

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

Healthcare practitioners and technical

Healthcare support

Protective service

Food preparation and serving related

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

Personal care and service

Sales and related

Office and administrative support

Farming, fishing, and forestry

Construction and extraction

Installation, maintenance, and repair

Production

Transportation and material moving

Establishments

Not-for-profit

For-profit

Government

Distribution of employment in not-for-profit, for-profit, and government 

establishments, May 2007

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS Not-for-profit establishments tend to employ more community and social service 

workers, teachers, healthcare workers, and personal care and service workers. 

Not-for-profits employ far 

smaller shares of sales workers, 

food service workers, construction and extraction workers, 

maintenance workers, production workers and transportation 

workers. 

The differences between forprofit and not-for-profits vary by 

industry. For example for-profit 

and not-for-profit hospitals tend 

to have similar staffing patterns, 

but for-profit and not-for-profit 

banks employ different types of 

workers. 

●

●

Source: “Occupational employment in the not-for-profit sector,” Monthly Labor Review, November 2008 48
Mean hourly wages in not-for-profit, for-profit, and government 

establishments, May 2007

$0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Management

Business and financial operations

Computer and mathematical

Architecture and engineering

Life, physical, and social science

Community and social services

Legal

Education, training, and library

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

Healthcare practitioners and technical

Healthcare support

Protective service

Food preparation and serving related

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

Personal care and service

Sales and related

Office and administrative support

Farming, fishing, and forestry

Construction and extraction

Installation, maintenance, and repair

Production

Transportation and material moving

Occupational group

Mean hourly wage

Establishments

Not-for-profit

For-profit

Government

F I G U R E 32

INDUSTRY 

FOCUS

Overall, workers in not-forprofit establishments earned 

slightly more, approximately $20 

per hour, compared with $18 

per hour in for-profit establishments, because not-for-profits 

employed few of the very lowest 

paying occupations, such as 

food service workers. 

By occupation, wages 

between not- and for-profit 

establishments were comparable. Wages for legal, health 

care, and management workers were higher in for-profit 

establishments, while wages for 

education and architecture and 

engineering workers were higher 

in not-for-profits.

●

●

Source: “Occupational employment in the not-for-profit sector,” Monthly Labor Review, November 2008 49

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007 125 YEARS
50
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

State Focus

51

125 YEARS
Employment per 

1000 workers

13–16

17–20

21–24

25–32

33–40

Concentration of employment of protective 

service occupations by State, May 2007

F I G U R E 33

STATE

FOCUS Protective service occupations comprised 4.2 percent of employment in the 

District of Columbia and 1.3 percent of employment in North Dakota.

This map shows the share 

of the States’ employment in 

protective service occupations 

ranging from the District of Columbia, with the highest percentage, to North Dakota, with the 

lowest. 

Other States with a high concentration of protective service 

employment include Hawaii, 

New York, Nevada, Mississippi, 

and Louisiana. States with low 

concentrations include Iowa, 

South Dakota Vermont, Nebraska, and Utah.

●

●

Protective service occupations include police, firefighters, correctional officers, security guards, gaming surveillance workers, private investigators, and 

several other occupations.

52
Average annual wages

$26,520–$31,260

 31,261–34,780

 34,781–38,940

 38,941–43,870

 43,871–49,020

Annual average wages for protective

service occupations by State, May 2007

F I G U R E 34

STATE

FOCUS The District of Columbia had the highest average wage for protective 

service occupations, and Mississippi had the lowest.

Other States with a high annual mean wage included New 

Jersey, California, Washington, 

New York, and Massachusetts. 

States with a low annual mean 

wage included Mississippi, West 

Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas, 

and Alabama.

Wages for the protective 

service occupations group were 

related in part to the wages for 

detailed occupations, and in part 

due to the composition of the 

group. For example, Louisiana and Mississippi had high 

concentrations of correctional 

officers, a relatively low-paying 

protective service occupation. 

●

●

53

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 35

States with the highest and lowest concentrations of accountants and

auditors and carpenters, May 2007

Accountants and auditors

Highest concentration Employment Mean annual wage Employment per 1,000

District of Columbia 11,450 $71,170 18.44

Colorado 26,760 65,820 11.85

Delaware 5,020 62,450 11.79

New York 96,830 75,860 11.37

Connecticut 18,490 68,780 10.99

Lowest concentration Employment Mean annual wage Employment per 1,000

Mississippi 4,150 $51,740 3.68

Idaho 2,860 53,680 4.46

Arkansas 5,450 48,720 4.65

Maine 3,250 53,860 5.42

Kentucky 9,790 53,870 5.43

A State’s occupational employment distribution is influenced 

by its demographics and its economic base.

States with the highest concentration of carpenters generally had increasing populations.

States with the highest 

concentrations of accountants 

and auditors had business and 

financial centers.

●

●

STATE

FOCUS

Carpenters

Highest concentration Employment Mean annual wage Employment per 1,000

Montana 7,790 $33,260 17.89

Nevada 19,260 45,090 14.98

Arizona 37,610 34,730 14.2

Idaho 9,100 32,930 14.18

Wyoming 3,140 37,240 11.49

Lowest concentration Employment Mean annual wage Employment per 1,000

District of Columbia 1,900 $49,950 3.06

Texas 35,790 31,040 3.56

Tennessee 11,770 31,110 4.3

Georgia 18,030 32,430 4.44

Oklahoma 6,970 29,470 4.56

54
F I G U R E 36

States with the highest concentration of team assemblers, 

who work as part of a team having responsibility for assembling 

an entire product or component 

of a product, had high manufacturing activity.

States with the highest 

concentrations of waiters and 

waitresses also had high concentrations of tourism.

●

●

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

Team assemblers

Highest concentration Employment Mean annual wage Employment per 1,000

Indiana 68,930 $30,350 23.54

South Carolina 37,760 28,990 20.11

Tennessee 54,680 28,740 19.96

Kentucky 32,100 27,400 17.82

Alabama 32,310 28,480 16.72

Lowest concentration Employment Mean annual wage Employment per 1,000

Alaska 110 $35,280 0.36

Hawaii 420 31,670 0.69

Wyoming 320 25,180 1.17

New Mexico 1,700 21,640 2.13

Delaware 1,230 31,190 2.89

Waiters and waitresses

Highest concentration Employment Mean annual wage Employment per 1,000

Nevada 40,770 $18,320 31.72

Hawaii 16,370 25,100 26.82

Florida 202,720 20,010 25.46

Montana 9,390 16,470 21.56

Rhode Island 10,200 19,210 20.99

Lowest concentration Employment Mean annual wage Employment per 1,000

New Jersey 54,840 $22,780 13.78

Alaska 4,200 20,120 13.91

Mississippi 15,880 14,620 14.07

Alabama 27,940 14,740 14.46

STATE

FOCUS

States with the highest and lowest concentrations of team assemblers and 

waiters and waitresses, May 2007

55

125 YEARS
All other

7.2 Protective service

occupations

2.9

Business and financial 

operations occupations

3.0

Healthcare practitioners

and technical occupations

3.3

Production occupations

3.6

Education, training, and

library occupations

3.9

Installation, maintenance, and 

repair occupations

4.0

Management occupations

4.3

Personal care and service

occupations

5.6

Office and administrative 

support occupations

16.0

Food preparation and

serving related

occupations

13.0

Sales and related

occupations

10.4

Construction and

extraction occupations

Building and grounds 9.1

cleaning and maintenance

occupations

5.7

Transportation

and material moving

occupations

8.0

F I G U R E 37

Percent of employment in Nevada by occupation, May 2007 

STATE

FOCUS Relative to its population, Nevada had a high number of food service, 

construction, sales, and personal care occupations.

Nationally, construction and 

extraction occupations represent 

about 5 percent of employment, 

while in Nevada, these occupations make up 9.1 percent of 

State employment. Personal 

care and service occupations 

represented about 2.5 percent 

of employment nationally, but 

more than double this percentage in Nevada, at 5.6 percent of 

State employment.

●

56
F I G U R E 38

Office and administrative support occupations Employment Average

wage

25th percentile wage 75th percentile wage

Office clerks, general 22,860 $12.86 $9.72 $15.20

Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks 17,460 15.53 12.34 18.30

First-line supervisors/managers, office and administrative support workers 15,390 20.92 15.74 24.79

Food preparation and serving related occupations Employment Average

wage

25th percentile wage 75th percentile wage

Waiters and waitresses 40,770 $8.81 $6.52 $10.70

Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food 21,830 8.11 6.58 9.18

Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers 15,060 9.21 6.82 11.35

Sales and related occupations Employment Average

wage

25th percentile wage 75th percentile wage

Retail salespersons 38,310 $12.03 $8.21 $13.19

Cashiers 36,930 9.70 7.84 11.13

First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers 12,940 18.73 12.74 21.50

Construction and extraction occupations Employment Average

wage

25th percentile wage 75th percentile wage

Carpenters 19,260 $21.68 $16.24 $26.72

Construction laborers 11,560 16.24 11.86 20.10

First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and

extraction workers

10,410 31.18 24.10 37.52

Transportation and material moving occupations Employment Average

wage

25th percentile wage 75th percentile wage

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand 33,480 $12.07 $9.14 $13.95

Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer 13,770 19.72 16.59 22.73

Taxi drivers and chauffeurs 10,080 12.86 10.21 15.27

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations Employment Average

wage

25th Percentile wage75th Percentile wage

Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners 29,610 $11.58 $9.05 $13.88

Maids and housekeeping cleaners 23,310 11.57 9.34 13.87

Landscaping and groundskeeping workers 13,800 11.67 8.96 13.61

Selected occupations in Nevada, employment and wages, May 2007

STATE

FOCUS

Nevada had lower than 

average employment concentrations of production; education, 

training, and library; and healthcare practitioners and technical 

occupations.

In Nevada there were 40,770 

waiters and waitresses, the largest food service occupation. 

●

●

57

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007 125 YEARS
58
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

Area Focus

59

125 YEARS
Annual Wage

$36,830–$44,070

44,071–55,740

55,741–62,570

62,571–68,820

68,821–79,390

Data not illustrated

Louisiana

Mississippi

Arkansas

Kentucky

Missouri

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Illinois Ohio

Iowa Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, PA

North Central, WV

nonmetropolitan area

Huntington-Ashland,

WV–KY–OH

West Kentucky 

nonmetropolitan area

Southwest Iowa

nonmetropolitan area

St. Louis, MO–IL

South Illiinois

nonmetropolitan area

Southeast Missouri

nonmetropolitan area

East Arrkansas

nonmetropolitan area

Baton Rouge, LA

Lafayette, LA Southwest Mississippi

nonmetropolitan area

New Orleans–Metairie

–Kenner, LA

Evansville, IN–KY

Louisville–Jefferson County, KY–IN

Cincinnati–Middletown, OH–KY–IN

Memphis, TN–MS–AR

Tennessee

West 

Virginia

Indiana

F I G U R E 39

AREA 

FOCUS

Wages of captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels employed 

along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, May 2007

Annual average wages of water vessel captains, mates, and pilots employed along the 

Mississippi and Ohio Rivers ranged from a high of $79,390 in Memphis, TN-MS-AR to a 

low of $36,830 in the south Illinois nonmetropolitan area. 

This map shows the annual 

average wages for captains, 

mates, and pilots of water 

vessels in metropolitan and 

nonmetropolitan areas along the 

Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. 

Most areas with high average 

wages were found in the southern segment of the Mississippi 

River: Memphis, TN-MS-AR; Baton Rouge, LA; and Lafayette, 

LA. Workers in this occupation 

also had a high average wage 

in the West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area, which borders both 

rivers. 

Lower wages tended to be 

found in the northern segment of 

the Mississippi River: the South 

Illinois nonmetropolitan area, the 

Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan 

area, and St. Louis, MS-IL. 

Average wages along the 

Ohio River ranged from a low 

of $37,630 in Evansville, IN-KY 

to a high of $67,610 in the West 

Kentucky nonmetropolitan area.

●

●

●

●

60
61

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007 125 YEARS
Percent employment

Data not

available

0.1–2.9

3.0–3.6

3.7–4.5

4.6–5.6

5.7–7.6

7.7–11.1

F I G U R E 40

AREA 

FOCUS

Percent of area employment in business

and financial operations occupations,

May 2007

Four-and-a-half percent of workers in the United States were in business and financial

operations occupations. This varied from over 10 percent in Tallahassee, Florida, and

Warner Robins, Georgia, to about 1 percent in several nonmetropolitan areas in the South. 

Many of the areas with a 

large share of employment in 

business and financial operations occupations were capital 

cities, including Tallahassee, 

Trenton, Washington, (DC), 

Olympia, Des Moines, and 

Sacramento.

Areas with about 6 percent 

of their employment in business 

and financial operations occupations were large areas such 

as Chicago, Boston, Seattle, 

Detroit, and San Francisco. 

The areas with low concentrations of business and 

financial operations occupations 

tended to be nonmetropolitan. 

St. Mary’s County, Maryland, 

was the only nonmetropolitan 

area among those with the highest concentrations of business 

and financial operations occupations. The St. Mary’s County, 

Maryland nonmetropolitan area 

employed a large number of 

management analysts.

Warner Robins, Georgia, had 

the largest employment concentration of logisticians.

●

●

●

●

●

62
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

63

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 41

Percent employment of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in

Arkansas, May 2007

Fayetteville-SpringdaleRogers, AR-MO

6.2%

Fort Smith, AR-OK

4.5%

Arkansas

statewide

3.2%

1.1% Pine Bluff, AR 

0.8% Hot Springs, AR 

Mean hourly wage: all workers

Size represents percent of area 

employment in the occupation 

Jonesboro, AR 2.0%

Central Arkansas nonmetropolitan area

East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area

West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area

South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area

$21

19

17

15

13

11

$13 $14 $15 $16 $17

3.4% 2.1%

2.6%

Little Rock-North

Little Rock, AR

2.1%

Areas in which heavy and tractor-trailer 

truck drivers earned below-average wages

Areas in which heavy and tractor-trailer 

truck drivers earned above-average wages

3.0%

AREA 

FOCUS Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO had the highest mean wage and the 

highest concentration of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Arkansas. 

Hot Springs, Arkansas, and 

other areas below the diagonal 

line in the chart had belowaverage wages to heavy and 

tractor-trailer truck drivers. 

These areas also employed 

proportionately fewer heavy 

and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 

as illustrated by the concentration and the size of the circle.

Fort Smith, AR-OK is another example of an area with 

a high mean wage and a high 

concentration of heavy and 

tractor-trailer truck drivers. 

●

●

64
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

65

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 42

15.7

9.2

9.1

9.6

8.6

14.4

8.3

6.5

5.0

2.6

3.6 4.0 3.4

17.4

10.9

7.2

8.5

7.9

15.8

6.0

4.9

4.1

6.0

4.9

3.1 3.2

16.9

17.3

10.5

7.7

9.1

8.1

15.1

6.4

5.1

4.3

5.4

4.6

3.5 3.3

10.7

8.4

7.6

7.2

16.4

6.2

5.1

5.0

4.5

4.5

4.0

3.3

Other

 Installation

maintenance,

and repair

Building and

grounds cleaning

and maintenance

Management

Business and

financial

operations

Construction

and extraction

Healthcare

practitioners

and technical

Education,

training,

and library

Transportation and material moving

Production

Food preparation and

serving related 

Sales and related

United States

Illinois

Chicago-Naperville

Joliet, Illinois

Metropolitan Division

South Illinois

nonmetropolitan area 

Office and 

administrative

support

AREA 

FOCUS

Occupational composition of the United States, Illinois, the Chicago-NapervilleJoliet, IL Metropolitan Division, and the South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, 

May 2007

Illinois, the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL metropolitan division, and the South 

Illinois nonmetropolitan area all had a higher share of production workers than 

the U.S. average.

The South Illinois nonmetropolitan area had a higher 

concentration of employment in 

education, training, and library 

occupations, compared with 

the United States, Illinois, and 

the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, 

IL Metropolitan Division. 

The proportion of business 

and financial operations occupations in the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan 

Division was more than twice 

that in the South Illinois nonmetropolitan area.

Illinois, Chicago, and the 

South Illinois nonmetropolitan 

area all had higher shares of 

production occupations than 

the United States.

●

●

●

66
Chicago-NapervilleJoliet, IL

South Illinois

nonmetropolitan

area

Illinois

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

67

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 43

Ratio of median wages for computer programmers to median wages 

for all occupations in the largest U.S. metropolitan areas, May 2007 

1.7

1.8

1.9

2.0

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

Area

Ratio

Dallas-Fort Worth-

 Arlington, TX

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-

 Miami Beach, FL

United States

Los Angeles-Long Beach-

 Santa Ana, CA

Seattle-Tacoma-

 Bellevue, WA

Chicago-Naperville-

 Joliet, IL-IN-WI

 Philadelphia-CamdenWilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

New York-Northern 

 New Jersey-Long

 Island, NY-NJ-PA

Detroit-Warren-

 Livonia, MI

 Washington-ArlingtonAlexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

 San FranciscoOakland-Fremont, CA

Boston-Cambridge-

 Quincy, MA-NH

AREA 

FOCUS The median wage for computer programmers 

was more than twice the U.S. median wage. 

In Boston and San Francisco, 

computer programmers were 

paid less than twice the median 

wage for those areas. 

Although Seattle had the 

highest paid computer programmers, median wages in Dallas, 

Miami, and Los Angeles were 

higher relative to wages for all 

workers in the area. 

In Dallas, computer programmers were paid almost 2.5 times 

the median wage for Dallas.

●

●

●

68
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

69

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 44

St. Mary's County, MD

nonmetropolitan area

Boulder, CO San JoseSunnyvaleSanta Clara, CAFramingham, MA

Division

Huntsville, AL Durham, NC Lowell-BillericaChelmsford, MA-NH

6.5%

7.6% 8.1%

6.2%

7.4% 7.0%

6.1%

10.8%

5.0%

6.1%

8.4% 5.4%

2.3% 4.9%

0.8%

3.4%

1.4% 0.7%

2.1%

4.0%

1.5%

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Percentage of employment 

Life, physical, and

Occupation

social science

Architecture and

engineering

Computer and

mathematical

science

Division

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment concentration of science, 

technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations, May 2007

AREA 

FOCUS 5.2 percent of jobs in the United States were in science, technology, engineering, and 

mathematics (STEM) occupations. Seven areas had at least 12 percent of jobs in 

these occupations. 

With the exception of 2 

areas, most of the STEM employment in these areas was in 

computer occupations. 

Huntsville, AL and the St. 

Mary’s County, Maryland non 

metropolitan area had more jobs 

in architecture and engineering occupations than in other 

STEM occupations. Of the 

areas shown, Durham, NC had 

the highest concentration of life, 

physical, and social science occupations. 

Of the areas with the highest 

concentrations of these occupations, the San Jose-SunnyvaleSanta Clara, CA metropolitan 

area had the largest level of 

STEM employment.

St. Mary’s County, Maryland 

nonmetropolitan area had the 

highest concentration of STEM 

workers.

●

●

●

●

70
F I G U R E 45

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment levels of science, 

technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) employment, May 2007

Employment (in thousands)

Occupations

50

0

100

150

200

250

WashingtonArlingtonAlexandria,

DC-VA-MD-WV

Metropolitan Division

New York-White

Plains-Wayne,

NY-NJ

Metropolitan

Division

Los AngelesLong BeachGlendale, CA

Metropolitan

Division

ChicagoNapervilleJoliet, IL

Metropolitan

Division

HoustonSugar

LandBaytown, TX

BostonCambridgeQuincy, MA

SeattleBellevueEverett, WA

Metropolitan

Division

Life, physical, and

social science

Architecture and

engineering

Computer and

mathematical

science

169,860 158,470

82,810

106,340

61,570

80,350 82,140

53,910

47,860

78,800

54,760

77,500 44,270 50,830

45,760

51,080

31,170 30,440

29,400

33,290 24,360

Division

AREA 

FOCUS

There were almost twice as 

many workers in architecture 

and engineering occupations in 

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 

and Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX as in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA Division.

The Washington-ArlingtonAlexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 

Metropolitan Division had almost 

3 times as many workers in 

computer and mathematical 

science occupations as did the 

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, 

TX metropolitan area.

Houston, TX and Huntsville, AL, which are home to 

space research and technology 

centers, had more employment 

in architecture and engineering 

occupations than in computer 

and mathematical science occupations. 

●

●

●

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

71

125 YEARS
States with the highest employment of biotech occupations

State Statewide

employment

Employment per

1,000 workers 

California 23,240 1.53

New Jersey 10,530 2.65

Maryland 9,790 3.84

Texas 9,290 0.92

New York 9,060 1.06

Pennsylvania 8,730 1.54

Massachusetts 8,360 2.61

North Carolina 7,550 1.88

Illinois 6,970 1.18

Ohio 6,120 1.15

States with the highest concentration of employment in

biotech occupations

State Statewide

employment

Employment per

1,000 workers 

Delaware 1,790 4.19

Maryland 9,790 3.84

New Jersey 10,530 2.65

Massachusetts 8,360 2.61

Montana 930 2.14

Minnesota 5,400 2.01

District of Columbia 1,200 1.93

North Carolina 7,550 1.88

Washington 5,130 1.82

F I G U R E 46

States with high employment of selected biotech workers, May 2007

AREA 

FOCUS California employed more than twice as many 

biotech workers as any other State.

Delaware, Maryland, New 

Jersey, and Massachusetts 

had the highest portion of their 

employment in biotech occupations.

Occupations included as biotech are: agricultural engineers; 

animal scientists; food scientists 

and technologists; soil and plant 

scientists; biochemists and 

biophysicists; microbiologists; 

biological scientists, all other; 

epidemiologists; life scientists, 

all other; and chemists.

●

●

72
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment of biotech occupations

Metropolitan area Total MSA

employment

Employment per 1,000 

workers 

Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 5,520 9.71

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH Division 5,490 3.25

New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 4,710 0.93

Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 4,550 2.44

Edison, NJ Metropolitan Division 3,910 3.86

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 3,880 2.94

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 3,850 2.17

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 3,830 1.67

Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division 3,060 0.80

Baltimore-Towson, MD 3,000 2.32

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of employment in

biotech occupations

Metropolitan area Total MSA

employment

Employment per 1,000 

workers 

Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 5,520 9.71

Durham, NC 2,550 9.50

Madison, WI 2,870 8.63

Ames, IA 290 6.85

Framingham, MA Division 870 5.57

Kennewick-Richland-Pasco, WA 470 5.46

Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division 1,720 5.05

Gainesville, FL 600 4.92

Boulder, CO 660 4.13

Edison, NJ Metropolitan Division 3,910 3.86

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

F I G U R E 47

AREA 

FOCUS

Metropolitan areas with high employment of selected biotech workers, 

May 2007

The Bethesda-GaithersburgFrederick, MD Metropolitan Division was the area with both the 

highest employment, and the 

highest employment concentration of biotech occupations.

Seven of the 10 metropolitan 

areas with the most biotech 

workers were located on the 

East Coast of the United States. 

●

●

73

125 YEARS
F I G U R E 48

Percent of total employment in selected occupational groups in

Indianapolis-Carmel, IN; Las Vegas-Paradise, NV; and

Austin-Round Rock, TX, May 2007

Business

and financial

operations

Computer and

mathematical

science

Education,

training, and 

library

Healthcare

practitioner

and technical 

Food

preparation

and serving

related

Personal

care and 

service

Construction

and extraction

Transportation 

and material

moving

Production

0.5

2.5

4.5

6.5

8.5

10.5

12.5

14.5

Major occupational group

Indianapolis-Carmel, IN Las Vegas-Paradise, NV Austin-Round Rock, TX

Percent of total Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) employment

AREA 

FOCUS The metropolitan areas of Indianapolis-Carmel, IN; Las Vegas-Paradise, NV; 

and Austin-Round Rock, TX had similar overall employment levels but different occupational compositions.

Of the three areas shown: 

Indianapolis-Carmel, IN had 

the highest shares of health 

care practitioner and technical, 

production, and transportation 

and material moving occupations.

Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 

had the highest shares of food 

preparation and serving related, 

construction and extraction, 

and personal care and service 

occupations.

Austin-Round Rock, TX had 

the highest shares of business 

and financial operations; computer and mathematical science; 

and education, training, and 

library occupations.

●

●

●

74
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

75

125 YEARS
5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

$50

Occupation

Mean

hourly

wage

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Percent

of area

employment Honolulu wage

Hawaii/Maui/Kauai wages

Hawaii/Maui/Kauai

employment percentage

Honolulu employment percentage

 Maids and house-

 keeping cleaners

 Landscaping and

 groundskeeping workers

Waiters and waitresses

Cashiers

Retail salespersons

Combined food preparation and serving workers,

 including fast food

First-line supervisors/managers

 of office and administrative

 support workers

 Bookkeeping, accounting,

 and auditing clerks

Laborers and freight, stock,

 and material movers, hand

Janitors and cleaners, except

 maids and housekeeping

Secretaries, except legal,

 medical, and executive

General and operations

 managers

Office clerks, general

Registered nurses

Security guards

F I G U R E 49

Wages and percentage of area employment for the 15 largest 

occupations in Hawaii, May 2007

AREA 

FOCUS In Hawaii, wages in Honolulu were equal to, or lower than, those 

in the rest of the State for 11 of the 15 largest occupations.

Despite generally having 

lower wages in these largest 

occupations, Honolulu had the 

higher mean wage, $19.83 

compared with $18.11, because 

Honolulu had more employment 

in the higher paid occupations, 

and relatively less in the lowest 

paying occupations. 

Retail salespersons is the 

largest occupation in both Honolulu and the nonmetropolitan 

Hawaii/Maui/Kauai island areas.

Waiters and waitresses 

and maids and housekeeping 

cleaners comprised a smaller 

percentage of employment in 

Honolulu than in the rest of the 

State.

Hawaii/Maui/Kauai includes 

all of Hawaii except for the Honolulu metropolitan area.

●

●

●

●

76
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

77

125 YEARS
78
Contents of the compact disk

The enclosed compact disk (CD) contains electronic copies 

of all figures in this book; files with May 2007 OES data for 

all occupations in all industries, States, and metropolitan and 

nonmetropolitan areas; and technical notes for the estimates. The 

CD includes electronic versions of the tables that were published 

in printed form in previous years. These tables include national 

cross-industry employment and wage data for all occupations; 

the largest occupations in over 300 industries; and profiles for all 

occupations. Current and archived data are available on the Web 

site www.bls.gov/oes.

The charts are in Portable Document Format (PDF). The PDF 

files are created by Adobe Acrobat software and can be viewed 

with Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not already have this viewer 

configured on a local drive, you may download it at no cost from 

Adobe’s Web site: www.adobe.com/products/acrobate/readermain.

html.

To open the CD on a Windows PC, do the following:

1. Insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive.

2. Open “My Computer” from either the Start Menu or the Desktop.

3. Double-click on the CD-ROM drive to view its contents.

Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

79

125 YEARS
80
Occupational Employment and Wages 2007

Create customized data tables using our query tool:

http://data.bls.gov/oes/search.jsp?data_tool=OES

Download data from previous years as Excel files: 

http://www.bls.gov/oes/oes_dl.htm 

Find economic news releases: 

http://www.bls.gov/oes/home.htm#news

Read analytical articles: 

http://www.bls.gov/oes/home.htm#publications 

View this chart book online: 

http://www.bls.gov/oes/2007/may/chartbook.pdf











Find all OES data on our Web site: 

www.bls.gov/oes 

81

125 YEARS


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

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

U NITED STATES OF AMERICA

125 YEARS