Table 1.  Largest occupations in the private sector, May 2009

                                                                                                Percent        Mean wage
                                                                                Employment         of          
                                       Occupations                                              private     Hourly     Annual
                                                                                                sector
                                                                                               employment                   
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
Retail salespersons .........................................................   4,197,760         3.86      $11.84     $24,630
Cashiers ....................................................................   3,396,180         3.13        9.10      18,930
Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food ..........   2,539,750         2.34        8.61      17,910
Waiters and waitresses ......................................................   2,292,170         2.11        9.80      20,380
Office clerks, general ......................................................   2,239,540         2.06       13.08      27,210
Customer service representatives ............................................   2,126,190         1.96       15.55      32,350
Registered nurses ...........................................................   2,124,540         1.96       32.07      66,700
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand ......................   2,074,060         1.91       12.11      25,190
Stock clerks and order fillers ..............................................   1,823,910         1.68       11.15      23,180
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks ................................   1,574,240         1.45       16.62      34,570
General and operations managers .............................................   1,561,600         1.44       53.77     111,840
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners ...............   1,545,110         1.42       10.85      22,570
Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer ....................................   1,519,880         1.40       18.88      39,270
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and 
 scientific products ........................................................   1,409,170         1.30       29.52      61,410
Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive ...........................   1,339,180         1.23       14.53      30,230
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants ....................................   1,283,500         1.18       11.89      24,730
First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers    1,232,770         1.13       23.89      49,690
First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers .....................   1,156,580         1.06       18.80      39,110
Executive secretaries and administrative assistants .........................   1,092,590         1.01       21.26      44,220
Maintenance and repair workers, general .....................................   1,036,410          .95       17.32      36,020
Team assemblers .............................................................     997,020          .92       13.87      28,840
Receptionists and information clerks ........................................     991,750          .91       12.45      25,900
Accountants and auditors ....................................................     977,400          .90       32.79      68,200
Security guards .............................................................     928,940          .85       12.42      25,840
Home health aides ...........................................................     923,710          .85       10.25      21,330
Cooks, restaurant ...........................................................     894,550          .82       11.11      23,100
Maids and housekeeping cleaners .............................................     852,440          .78       10.00      20,790
Truck drivers, light or delivery services ...................................     821,190          .76       14.93      31,060
Construction laborers .......................................................     816,150          .75       15.91      33,100
Food preparation workers ....................................................     759,840          .70        9.67      20,120