Highest and lowest pay

Monthly Labor Review, June, 2005

Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations accounted for 13 out of the 15 highest paying occupations in May 2004. The average hourly wages for surgeons were $87.31. Two other occupations, obstetricians and gynecologists and anesthesiologists, had average hourly wages greater than $80.

The lowest paying occupation was fast food cooks, who earned $7.33 per hour, on average. The next three lowest paying occupations: combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food; dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers; and dishwashers. In fact, seven of the ten occupations with average wages of $8 per hour or less were related to food preparation and serving. More data are in "Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2004," News Release USDL 05-877.