2026 data Public-data reference. official source

Occupations: P

Open-data reference.

87 occupations starting with "P"

The letter "P" in the BLS Standard Occupational Classification catalog covers 87 distinct occupations, spread across every major occupational group from management and engineering through healthcare, education, food service, and protective services. This page shows 50 of those 87 occupations (page 1 of 2), sorted by occupation name. Combined U.S. employment across the occupations visible on this page reaches approximately 6,280,720 workers based on BLS OEWS May 2025 totals.

Pay inside this letter-group varies dramatically: occupations on this page span from $35,150 at the low end to $559,030 at the top, roughly a 15.9× spread, with an arithmetic average of $90,563. That range is typical of alphabetical browse pages: the BLS SOC catalog groups occupations by first-letter spelling rather than economic similarity, so a single letter can contain both six-figure specialties and entry-level service roles side by side. Use the sort selector to reorder the list by highest salary (to see ceiling-potential specialties first) or most jobs (to see which occupations actually employ meaningful numbers of workers nationally).

Every row on this page links to the full national occupation profile, which expands into the 10th-to-90th percentile pay band, state-by-state breakdown, metro-level variation, BLS-projected 10-year growth, typical education requirements, and where available workplace safety and H-1B visa wage data. When browsing for career exploration, look past the headline median, an occupation with a $55,000 median and a 90th percentile of $95,000 often offers more realistic upside than one with a $70,000 median and flat percentile bands. Remember that BLS wage data excludes employer-provided benefits, bonuses, overtime, and equity compensation that can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Use the alphabetical index above to jump between letters, and the pagination below to page through the current letter if it has more than 50 occupations.

Showing 1–50 of 87

Occupation Median Salary
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders $43,220
Packers and Packagers, Hand $36,280
Painters, Construction and Maintenance $49,400
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers $41,600
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders $50,270
Paperhangers $52,140
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $62,890
Paramedics $60,600
Parking Attendants $35,150
Parking Enforcement Workers $46,730
Parts Salespersons $38,630
Passenger Attendants $37,720
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic $58,000
Patternmakers, Wood $49,630
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators $53,340
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks $58,260
Pediatric Surgeons $559,030
Pediatricians, General $210,040
Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other $41,600
Personal Financial Advisors $105,070
Personal Service Managers, All Other $69,770
Pest Control Workers $45,250
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation $46,340
Petroleum Engineers $144,910
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
Pharmacists $140,910
Pharmacy Aides $37,680
Pharmacy Technicians $45,750
Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary $80,260
Phlebotomists $45,230
Photographers $44,660
Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators $40,610
Physical Scientists, All Other $122,570
Physical Therapist Aides $35,240
Physical Therapist Assistants $68,380
Physical Therapists $102,760
Physician Assistants $135,880
Physicians, All Other $265,930
Physicians, Pathologists $312,400
Physicists $172,250
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $100,310
Pile Driver Operators $73,300
Pipelayers $49,000
Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
Plasterers and Stucco Masons $57,660
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic $43,960
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $63,800
Podiatrists $160,300
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $76,210
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $98,070

Jump to an adjacent letter, browse by category, or compare the top occupation from this page.

Data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. SOC classification from BLS Standard Occupational Classification system, 2018 edition.

Verify with BLS →