The Education, Training, and Library occupation profiles compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in May 2016 and modified in March 2017) include specific information about 64 distinct occupational job types.
Explore the qualifications and nature of each job type through links on this page and throughout the site.
Fast Facts: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”) estimates that 8,636,430 are employed in this occupational group earning the “mean annual wage” (as defined below) of $54,520.
If you are interested in assessing long-term trends and comparing the Bureau’s annual surveys beginning in 1988 see here.
In general, the “mean” is the sum of the total values (e.g., wages) in the data set or survey divided by number of values (while the “median” is the middle value in same the sequence. The term “mean annual wage” (or “MAW”) is calculated by multiplying the mean hourly wage as determined by the BLS by a “year-round, full-time” hours figure of 2,080 hours. So, for example, the Education, Training, and Library group’s mean hourly wage of $26.21, multiplied by 2,080, results in the mean annual wage of $54,520.
Distinct Occupational Types (by size):
Largest Employment Category—Elementary School Teachers--1,392,660
Smallest Employment Category—Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers—1,750
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Highest Paid (mean annual wage)
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Lowest Paid (from lowest)
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What’s Hot: Graduate school professors Law Teachers, Postsecondary ($134,530) (not surprising considering the high-paying Legal occupational group) and Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary ($125,430) rack up the highest average incomes in the Education, Training, and Library group.
What’s Not: Heading up the Least Paid group: Teacher Assistants ($27,120); Substitute Teachers $30,900), Preschool Teachers (excluding Special Education) ($33,300); Library Technicians ($34,780); and Graduate Teaching Assistants ($35,810) dramatically distance themselves from the next lowest Self-Enrichment Education Teachers ($43,150). Elementary School Teachers (excluding Special Education) (though the largest single occupational category in the group at 1,392,660, are declining in number, from 1,544,270 in 2008).
Wage Estimates for the entire group can be found here.
Sources: In addition to specific citations noted, supplementary source materials include the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.