Pay by job
What 41 jobs pay, from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) medians for the country and each state, with what each costs to employ, how it is paid and whether overtime is owed.
Jobs by industry
The national median beside each job. Most job pages also have the median in each state; each has the BLS data series behind its figures.
Construction
- Electrician$63,190 a year
- Plumber$63,800 a year
- Carpenter$60,580 a year
- HVAC technician$61,010 a year
- Roofer$55,440 a year
- Construction laborer$47,120 a year
- Heavy equipment operator$59,850 a year
Healthcare
- Registered nurse$97,550 a year
- Licensed practical nurse$64,400 a year
- Medical assistant$45,690 a year
- Pharmacy technician$45,750 a year
Senior care
- Nursing assistant$42,260 a year
- Home health aide$35,800 a year
Dental + veterinary groups
- Dental hygienist$98,100 a year
- Dental assistant$48,070 a year
Auto dealer groups
- Automotive technician$50,620 a year
- Auto body technician$54,890 a year
- Car salesperson$44,680 a year
Logistics
- Truck driver$58,640 a year
- Delivery driver$44,860 a year
- Forklift operator$46,420 a year
- Warehouse worker$40,240 a year
Manufacturing
- Machinist$58,750 a year
- Welder$53,750 a year
- Production assembler$44,650 a year
Professional services
- Administrative assistant$47,540 a year
- Customer service representative$44,770 a year
- Bookkeeper$50,670 a year
- Accountant$83,680 a year
- HR specialist$75,940 a year
- Software developer$135,980 a year
- Paralegal$62,890 a year
Restaurants
- Restaurant server$35,230 a year
- Bartender$34,340 a year
- Restaurant cook$37,390 a year
Facility services
- Security guard$38,020 a year
- Janitor$36,840 a year
Other jobs
- Retail salesperson$35,410 a year
- Cashier$32,880 a year
- Hairdresser$35,790 a year
- Landscaping worker$39,150 a year
How BLS measures pay
BLS medians include base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips. They leave out overtime pay; severance pay; shift differentials; nonproduction bonuses; employer cost for supplementary benefits; and tuition reimbursements. The annual figure is the hourly median times 2,080 hours.
Source: BLS, May 2025 OEWS Estimates: technical notes (opens in a new tab), read from an archived copy dated August 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
What a job costs to employ
Each job page runs the cost of an employee calculator on the job's national median: the employer's Social Security, Medicare and FUTA on top of wages, plus the state unemployment, workers' comp, benefits and overhead you enter. The method is in the glossary: Cost of an employee.
WORKLIO HCM
Payroll for the jobs on your team
Payroll, tax, HR, time, and benefits administration run on one 50-state engine, for companies with 50 to 50,000+ employees. Approve once: hours flow in from time tracking, deductions from benefits, and every pay run posts taxes, filings, comp premiums and the general ledger automatically.
Sources
The data series, regulation or document behind each figure and rule, as checked.
- BLS, May 2025 OEWS Estimates: technical notes (opens in a new tab), read from an archived copy dated August 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates (oesm25st.zip) (opens in a new tab), read from an archived copy dated October 4, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the relevant agency or your advisor. You remain responsible for how you classify and pay each employee.