U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPlan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as architecture and engineering or research and development in these fields. Excludes "Natural Sciences Managers" (11-9121).
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 174,720 | 1.1 % | $60.53 | $125,900 | 0.4 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $37.23 | $45.89 | $57.34 | $70.76 | (5) |
| Annual Wage (2) | $77,440 | $95,450 | $119,260 | $147,180 | (5) |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 37,880 | 2.96 | $61.49 | $127,900 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 8,960 | 1.46 | $70.46 | $146,560 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 8,300 | 2.26 | $66.63 | $138,590 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 8,230 | 2.04 | $65.08 | $135,360 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 8,060 | 0.42 | $62.62 | $130,250 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 4,870 | 3.10 | $65.27 | $135,760 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 37,880 | 2.96 | $61.49 | $127,900 |
| Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 2,910 | 2.57 | $67.03 | $139,430 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 8,300 | 2.26 | $66.63 | $138,590 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 8,230 | 2.04 | $65.08 | $135,360 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage | 40 | 0.01 | $84.36 | $175,460 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 920 | 0.82 | $76.72 | $159,570 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil | 30 | 0.37 | $74.30 | $154,540 |
| Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers | 60 | 0.03 | $74.07 | $154,070 |
| Nondepository Credit Intermediation | 70 | 0.01 | $72.54 | $150,880 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 28,860 | 2.06 | 1.50 | $69.68 | $144,940 |
| Texas | 14,330 | 1.42 | 1.03 | $68.87 | $143,250 |
| Michigan | 8,120 | 2.16 | 1.57 | $54.67 | $113,720 |
| New York | 7,110 | 0.85 | 0.62 | $63.66 | $132,410 |
| Illinois | 6,050 | 1.09 | 0.80 | $53.81 | $111,920 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 1,780 | 2.78 | 2.02 | $62.89 | $130,810 |
| Connecticut | 3,900 | 2.44 | 1.78 | $58.88 | $122,460 |
| Michigan | 8,120 | 2.16 | 1.57 | $54.67 | $113,720 |
| Washington | 5,600 | 2.08 | 1.51 | $60.59 | $126,030 |
| California | 28,860 | 2.06 | 1.50 | $69.68 | $144,940 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 470 | 1.53 | 1.11 | $72.14 | $150,060 |
| California | 28,860 | 2.06 | 1.50 | $69.68 | $144,940 |
| Texas | 14,330 | 1.42 | 1.03 | $68.87 | $143,250 |
| Massachusetts | 5,930 | 1.90 | 1.38 | $67.95 | $141,340 |
| New Jersey | 5,650 | 1.50 | 1.09 | $66.53 | $138,390 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 6,370 | 1.67 | 1.21 | $65.96 | $137,190 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 6,260 | 7.30 | 5.31 | $80.12 | $166,650 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 6,150 | 2.46 | 1.79 | $76.70 | $159,530 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 6,140 | 2.68 | 1.95 | $65.12 | $135,440 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division | 4,130 | 1.17 | 0.85 | $53.73 | $111,760 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 3,780 | 0.76 | 0.55 | $70.22 | $146,070 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA | 3,700 | 1.68 | 1.22 | $53.72 | $111,750 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 3,550 | 2.11 | 1.54 | $62.58 | $130,170 |
| Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division | 3,520 | 2.62 | 1.90 | $62.86 | $130,740 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division | 3,480 | 2.10 | 1.53 | $71.33 | $148,360 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kokomo, IN | 280 | 7.43 | 5.40 | $63.01 | $131,070 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 6,260 | 7.30 | 5.31 | $80.12 | $166,650 |
| Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA | 650 | 6.78 | 4.93 | $62.26 | $129,500 |
| Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division | 650 | 5.73 | 4.17 | $68.43 | $142,340 |
| Niles-Benton Harbor, MI | 310 | 5.51 | 4.01 | $48.50 | $100,880 |
| Huntsville, AL | 1,090 | 5.39 | 3.92 | $58.62 | $121,930 |
| Norwich-New London, CT-RI | 490 | 3.80 | 2.77 | $66.95 | $139,260 |
| Framingham, MA NECTA Division | 570 | 3.67 | 2.67 | $67.58 | $140,570 |
| Nashua, NH-MA NECTA Division | 440 | 3.44 | 2.50 | $65.36 | $135,940 |
| Corvallis, OR | 110 | 3.36 | 2.45 | $47.19 | $98,160 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 6,260 | 7.30 | 5.31 | $80.12 | $166,650 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 6,150 | 2.46 | 1.79 | $76.70 | $159,530 |
| Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA | 320 | 1.94 | 1.41 | $76.20 | $158,490 |
| Boulder, CO | 490 | 3.22 | 2.34 | $75.51 | $157,070 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division | 2,470 | 2.60 | 1.89 | $74.85 | $155,690 |
| Anchorage, AK | 380 | 2.33 | 1.70 | $73.38 | $152,620 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,790 | 1.89 | 1.38 | $73.27 | $152,400 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division | 3,480 | 2.10 | 1.53 | $71.33 | $148,360 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 3,780 | 0.76 | 0.55 | $70.22 | $146,070 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 270 | 1.09 | 0.80 | $70.01 | $145,630 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 530 | 1.99 | 1.45 | $47.33 | $98,440 |
| East Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 370 | 7.55 | 5.49 | $62.69 | $130,400 |
| Other Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 250 | 0.97 | 0.71 | $43.52 | $90,510 |
| Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 240 | 1.40 | 1.02 | $47.72 | $99,250 |
| Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | 230 | 1.18 | 0.86 | $55.23 | $114,870 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 370 | 7.55 | 5.49 | $62.69 | $130,400 |
| St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area | 180 | 4.39 | 3.19 | $62.39 | $129,760 |
| Los Alamos County, New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 2.83 | 2.06 | $49.45 | $102,860 |
| Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 110 | 2.37 | 1.72 | $59.82 | $124,420 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 530 | 1.99 | 1.45 | $47.33 | $98,440 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.64 | 0.46 | $66.22 | $137,740 |
| Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.81 | 0.59 | $66.00 | $137,280 |
| Lower Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.86 | 0.62 | $63.79 | $132,680 |
| East Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 370 | 7.55 | 5.49 | $62.69 | $130,400 |
| St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area | 180 | 4.39 | 3.19 | $62.39 | $129,760 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(5) This wage is equal to or greater than $80.00 per hour or $166,400 per year.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2010 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2010 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2010 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2010 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order
List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order
Download May 2010 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files
Last Modified Date: May 17, 2011
