Table 4. Largest occupations in local government, May 2009

                                                                                                Percent         Mean wage
                                                                                Employment     of local         
                                  Occupations                                                 government    Hourly    Annual
                                                                                              employment                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
Elementary school teachers, except special education .......................    1,403,250        9.52         n.a.    $54,110
Teacher assistants .........................................................      980,160        6.65         n.a.     24,580
Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education .........      979,120        6.64         n.a.     55,740
Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education ............      609,590        4.13         n.a.     54,220
Police and sheriff's patrol officers .......................................      556,420        3.77       $26.47     55,070
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners ..............      440,720        2.99        13.57     28,230
Teachers and instructors, all other ........................................      385,580        2.62         n.a.     36,380
Office clerks, general .....................................................      351,170        2.38        14.12     29,380
Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive ..........................      322,800        2.19        15.66     32,560
Fire fighters ..............................................................      279,530        1.90        23.01     47,860
Bus drivers, school ........................................................      270,310        1.83        13.37     27,810
Registered nurses ..........................................................      268,230        1.82        30.44     63,310
Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school .      201,520        1.37         n.a.     54,700
Education administrators, elementary and secondary school ..................      190,310        1.29         n.a.     88,650
Maintenance and repair workers, general ....................................      163,600        1.11        18.44     38,360
Correctional officers and jailers ..........................................      160,400        1.09        19.89     41,360
Kindergarten teachers, except special education ............................      152,980        1.04         n.a.     52,670
Executive secretaries and administrative assistants ........................      150,140        1.02        21.66     45,060
Educational, vocational, and school counselors .............................      146,660         .99        29.34     61,030
Child care workers .........................................................      145,870         .99        11.33     23,560
Cooks, institution and cafeteria ...........................................      142,090         .96        10.95     22,770
Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food .........      137,630         .93        10.05     20,900
Special education teachers, secondary school ...............................      133,240         .90         n.a.     56,790
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks ...............................      117,690         .80        17.13     35,630
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers .....................................      105,280         .71        14.30     29,740
Librarians .................................................................      104,050         .71        26.61     55,350
Highway maintenance workers ................................................      103,140         .70        16.81     34,960
Recreation workers .........................................................      102,940         .70        12.25     25,470
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants ...................................       99,040         .67        12.43     25,860
Special education teachers, middle school ..................................       96,260         .65         n.a.     55,040

n.a. = Not available.