4.5 Million People Worked in Retail Sales in May 2013
The Bureau of Labor Statistics ("BLS") released their "Occupational Employment and Wages" report for May/2013 earlier this week. According to the BLS, retail salespersons and cashiers topped the list of the most "popular" occupations in May of 2013, with 4.5 million people working as retail salespeople and 3.3 million people working as retail cashiers. These two groups made up nearly 6% of all US employment.
Of the ten largest occupations in the United States, the majority pay far below the all-occupations mean wage of $22.33 per hour. The ten largest occupations in the United States includes:
-food preparation and serving (includes fast food)
-office clerks
-customer service representatives
-waiters and waitresses
The BLS points out that of the ten largest occupations, only one (registered nurses) had an annual mean wage about the US all-occupations mean. Registered nurses reportedly had an annual mean wage of $68,910 in May of 2013, more than $20,000 more than the all-occupations annual mean wage.
The annual mean wage for the rest of the employment groups in the top ten ranged from $18,880 (food prep and serving) to $34,000 (secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical and executive).
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The highest paying occupational groups according to the BLS? Management, legal, computer and mathematical, and architecture and engineering. If you want to have a chance of making decent money, the computer and mathematical group would seem to be your best bet, as the 19 subgroups within this group all pay above the US all-occupations annual mean wage.
The lowest paying occupational groups? Food preparation and serving, farming, fish and forestry, personal care and service, building and groups cleaning and maintenance, as well as healthcare support.
Source: BLS.gov - Occupational Employment and Wages - May 2013
Filed under: General Knowledge
