Overview of BLS Statistics by Occupation

BLS publishes a large amount of information on employment and wages by occupation, including career information, employment levels and projections, and various types of earnings data.

Career Information

Occupational Outlook Handbook

This publication describes, for a wide range of occupations, the nature of the work, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects.

Occupational Outlook Quarterly

This periodical provides practical information on jobs and careers. It containes articles covering a wide variety of career and work-related topics, such as new and emerging occupations, training opportunities, and salary trends.

Occupational Projections and Training Data -This publication presents statistics on the factors affecting industry output and employment, occupational replacement needs, and the number of degrees earned by field of study. (Note: Not available electronically-you can order this publication.)

Employment

Occupational Employment Statistics

BLS conducts an annual mail survey of establishments that provides data on employment and wages by occupation and industry for about 750 occupations and 400 industries throughout the Nation, and similar data for all States and selected metropolitan areas.

Wages

Wages by Area and Occupation

Wage data are available by occupation for the Nation, regions, States, and many metropolitan areas. Wage data by area and occupation are derived from one of three surveys: the National Compensation Survey, the Occupational Employment Statistics Survey, or the Current Population Survey. See Wages by Area and Occupation to determine which information suits your needs.

Employment Projections

Employment Projections

This program provides estimates of the labor market 10 years into the future and other career information.

In addition to what is shown on the BLS home page under "Occupations," BLS has the following information on occupations:

Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey (CPS)

The CPS is a monthly household survey that provides comprehensive information on the employment and unemployment of the population classified by age, sex, race, and other characteristics. Quarterly average and annual average earnings data also are available from this survey, including annual average median weekly earnings by detailed occupation and sex.

Last Modified Date: November 4, 2002

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