This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
You've graduated from school and it's time to go to work. Or maybe your dead-end job is driving you crazy. Or maybe you aren't ready for the rocking chair and are thinking of an "encore" career.
Fortunately you have a lot of options if you live in the Salt Lake City metro area. The U.S. Department of Labor lists 607 occupations on its website (go here to see the full list: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_41620.htm#00-0000).
The list ranges from the exotic (dancers) and the dangerous (detectives) to the mundane (lawn care) and the cerebral (mathematicians).
The list details the average wage each occupation commands. Here are top and bottom 10 jobs ranked by mean hourly wage:
Top 10
1. Surgeons: $115.63
2. Family and general practitioners: 88.28
3. Obstetricians: $87.09
4. Chief executives: $76.68
5. Internists: $65.60
6. Lawyers: $58.31
7. Podiatrists: $57.26
8. Marketing managers: $56.63
9. Architectural and engineering managers: $55.11
10. Computer and information systems managers: $55.03
Bottom 10
10. Veterinary assistance and laboratory animal caretakers: $8.63
10. Dishwashers: $8.63
8. Ushers, lobby attendants and ticket takers: $8.99
7. Food preparation and serving workers, including fast food: $8.91
6. Lifeguards, ski patrollers, other recreational protection workers: $9.01
5. Fast food cooks: $9.07
4. Counter attendants, cafeteria workers, food concession workers, coffee shop workers: $9.08
3. Textile and garment workers: $9.10
2. Restaurant hosts, hostesses: $9.25
1. Dining room and cafeteria attendants, bartender helpers: $9.40