Average wage for the highest paying occupational group nearly five times that of the lowest paying group

Annual mean wages by occupational group ranged from $21,240 for food preparation and serving related occupations to $105,440 for management occupations.

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Nearly every management occupation had an average wage above the U.S. all-occupations mean of $44,410, while nearly all food preparation and serving related occupations had an annual mean wage of less than $25,000.

Although healthcare practitioners and technical occupations included some of the highest paying individual occupations, this group also included occupations with more moderate wages, such as dietetic technicians ($28,820).

Among the low-paying occupational groups, transportation and material moving had the highest paying individual occupations, including air traffic controllers ($110,280). However, the largest occupation in this group— laborers and hand freight, stock, and material movers—had an average wage of $25,710.

These data are from Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. To learn more about employment and earnings in various occupations, see the OES chart book, “Occupational Employment and Wages, 2010,” Bulletin 2769, October 2011.