Typical Pay by Occupation
What people in 39 common occupations are paid, nationally, as of May 2025. Across all occupations the median is $24.51 an hour.
The spread across occupations
Each tick is one occupation's median hourly pay. The highlighted band holds the middle half of them, and the dark line is the median.
Every occupation, highest pay first
| Occupation | Median, an hour | Middle half | Median, a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dentists | $82.19 | $60.44 to $108 | $170,950 |
| Lawyers | $76.76 | $49.51 to $106 | $159,670 |
| Pharmacists | $67.75 | $62.20 to $77.81 | $140,910 |
| Software Developers | $65.38 | $50.58 to $82.68 | $135,980 |
| Veterinarians | $62.55 | $48.78 to $79.87 | $130,100 |
| Construction Managers | $55.28 | $42.57 to $72.91 | $114,990 |
| Mechanical Engineers | $50.05 | $40.45 to $63.75 | $104,110 |
| Physical Therapists | $49.40 | $41.42 to $58.25 | $102,760 |
| Civil Engineers | $48.48 | $38.43 to $62.34 | $100,840 |
| Dental Hygienists | $47.16 | $40.18 to $52.16 | $98,100 |
| Registered Nurses | $46.90 | $38.62 to $54.02 | $97,550 |
| Web Developers | $44.54 | $30.88 to $60.69 | $92,650 |
| Accountants | $40.23 | $32.22 to $52.80 | $83,680 |
| Police Officers | $36.64 | $28.50 to $46.93 | $76,210 |
| Plumbers | $30.67 | $24.13 to $40.92 | $63,800 |
| Electricians | $30.38 | $23.76 to $40.36 | $63,190 |
| Graphic Designers | $30.27 | $23.58 to $39.34 | $62,960 |
| Paralegals | $30.24 | $24.20 to $38.50 | $62,890 |
| HVAC Technicians | $29.33 | $23.25 to $37.05 | $61,010 |
| Carpenters | $29.12 | $23.32 to $36.94 | $60,580 |
| Firefighters | $28.50 | $21.39 to $37.14 | $59,280 |
| Truck Drivers | $28.19 | $23.06 to $33.23 | $58,640 |
| Roofers | $26.65 | $22.24 to $31.44 | $55,440 |
| Welders | $25.84 | $22.50 to $30.29 | $53,750 |
| Real Estate Agents | $25.40 | $19.25 to $39.43 | $52,830 |
| Auto Mechanics | $24.34 | $18.70 to $33.86 | $50,620 |
| Painters | $23.75 | $21.46 to $29.65 | $49,400 |
| Construction Laborers | $22.66 | $18.57 to $28.72 | $47,120 |
| Medical Assistants | $21.97 | $18.50 to $23.65 | $45,690 |
| Pest Control Workers | $21.75 | $18.00 to $23.85 | $45,250 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $21.53 | $17.72 to $24.89 | $44,770 |
| Landscapers | $18.82 | $17.40 to $22.52 | $39,150 |
| Restaurant Cooks | $17.98 | $16.35 to $21.45 | $37,390 |
| Janitors | $17.71 | $15.50 to $21.18 | $36,840 |
| Hairdressers | $17.21 | $14.48 to $23.48 | $35,790 |
| Retail Salespersons | $17.03 | $14.38 to $18.59 | $35,410 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $16.94 | $13.34 to $22.65 | $35,230 |
| Childcare Workers | $16.82 | $14.12 to $18.55 | $34,980 |
| Cashiers | $15.81 | $13.81 to $17.47 | $32,880 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, retrieved through the BLS Public Data API. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov. Retrieved on October 6, 2026. These are wages paid to employees, not prices charged to customers.