U.S. Wages by Occupation

PayScaleIndex is a reference for national wage estimates across 818 U.S. occupations, drawn from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 estimates. Look up median and mean pay, wage percentiles, and employment for any job.

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818U.S. occupations

May 2024BLS OEWS data vintage

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Browse by occupation group

Illustration of an office meeting with charts and a presentation screen

Management Occupations37 occupations

Illustration of an office desk with financial charts, a calculator, and stacked documents

Business and Financial Operations Occupations30 occupations

$Illustration of a computer workstation with code on a monitor and abstract data graphics$

Computer and Mathematical Occupations21 occupations

Illustration of engineers and scientists working with technical diagrams and equipment

Architecture and Engineering Occupations36 occupations

Illustration of a laboratory bench with beakers, a microscope, and scientific charts

Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations48 occupations

Illustration of a community meeting room with a notice board and rows of chairs

Community and Social Service Occupations16 occupations

Illustration of a gavel and law books on a wooden desk

Legal Occupations8 occupations

Illustration of a classroom chalkboard beside bookshelves and a stack of books

Educational Instruction and Library Occupations62 occupations

Illustration of a creative studio with a camera, canvas, and design tools

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations41 occupations

Illustration of a clinical setting with medical staff and equipment

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations70 occupations

Illustration of a hospital supply cart with bandages and basic care equipment

Healthcare Support Occupations16 occupations

Illustration of protective-service equipment such as a badge, helmet, and patrol vehicle

Protective Service Occupations24 occupations

Illustration of a restaurant kitchen counter with cookware and serving trays

Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations17 occupations

Illustration of cleaning supplies, a mop, and potted plants near a building entrance

Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations10 occupations

Illustration of a salon styling station with grooming tools and a mirror

Personal Care and Service Occupations31 occupations

Illustration of a retail sales counter with a cash register and shelved merchandise

Sales and Related Occupations22 occupations

Illustration of an office desk with a computer, phone, and filing folders

Office and Administrative Support Occupations54 occupations

Illustration of a farm field with crop rows and a barn in the background

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations13 occupations

Illustration of construction and skilled-trade tools such as a hard hat, wrench, and blueprints

Construction and Extraction Occupations59 occupations

Illustration of a toolbox, wrench, and gauge dials on a workbench

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations51 occupations

Illustration of an assembly line with machinery parts and a conveyor belt

Production Occupations103 occupations

Illustration of a delivery truck and a stack of shipping boxes at a loading dock

Transportation and Material Moving Occupations49 occupations

Highest-paying occupations

Ranked by mean annual wage. (BLS suppresses exact median wages at or above $239,200/yr for the highest-paying occupations, so mean is used here for ranking.)

#	Occupation	SOC	Mean annual wage
1	Pediatric Surgeons	29-1243	$502,050/yr
2	Cardiologists	29-1212	$454,940/yr
3	Radiologists	29-1224	$381,530/yr
4	Surgeons, All Other	29-1249	$373,930/yr
5	Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric	29-1242	$373,570/yr
6	Anesthesiologists	29-1211	$360,570/yr
7	Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons	29-1022	$346,490/yr
8	Dermatologists	29-1213	$323,530/yr
9	Emergency Medicine Physicians	29-1214	$317,480/yr
10	Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	29-1241	$304,650/yr
11	Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers	53-2011	$288,650/yr
12	Physicians, Pathologists	29-1222	$285,420/yr

Largest occupations by employment

Ranked by number of people employed nationally.

#	Occupation	SOC	National employment
1	Retail Salespersons	41-2031	3,897,860 employed
2	Fast Food and Counter Workers	35-3023	3,854,050 employed
3	General and Operations Managers	11-1021	3,503,020 employed
4	Registered Nurses	29-1141	3,379,720 employed
5	Cashiers	41-2011	3,089,410 employed
6	Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	53-7062	2,950,280 employed
7	Stockers and Order Fillers	53-7065	2,833,810 employed
8	Customer Service Representatives	43-4051	2,595,750 employed
9	Office Clerks, General	43-9061	2,464,940 employed
10	Waiters and Waitresses	35-3031	2,270,910 employed
11	Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	37-2011	2,209,760 employed
12	Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	53-3032	2,062,040 employed

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 estimates. Wage figures are BLS OEWS estimates and may not reflect current pay.