by Karen Brune Mathis
Managing Editor
There’s a $200,263 salary gap between experienced workers in Jacksonville’s highest- and lowest-paying jobs.
According to the state, the highest average wage estimated for experienced workers this year is claimed by chief executives, at almost $105 an hour.
The lowest average hourly wage for experienced workers is $8.63 for fast-food cooks.
That means the annual average estimated wages for a 40-hour week are $218,213 for CEOs and $17,950 for the fast-food cooks.
The Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation Labor Market Statistics Center recently released the survey. Its “Florida Occupational Employment and Wages” is available by area and one is the Jacksonville area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties.
The data show the 2009 employment level as well as the 2010 wage estimates for median, average, entry level and experienced pay.
The wages are based on the second-quarter 2009 employment survey and adjusted by a 2010 second-quarter Employment Cost Index.
The “experienced” wage represents what an experienced worker might expect to make and is defined as the average wage earned by the upper two-thirds of workers in a given occupation.
For the most part, the number of employees in the lowest-paid occupations is far greater than the number in the highest-paying jobs.
In total, the top 10 experienced occupations employed at least 3,160 people in the area, although there was no count for CEOs, general dentists and podiatrists.
However, among the 10 lowest-paid occupations for experienced workers, there were 3,060 dishwashers alone. In total, the 10 lowest-paid experienced occupations employed more than 30,000 people.
Here are the top 10 occupations by the highest-paid and lowest-paid occupations.
Highest-paying Jacksonville jobs
Experienced workers
| Occupation | Hourly wage | Annual wage |
| Chief executives | $104.91 | $218,213 |
| Psychiatrists | $104.39 | $217,131 |
| Health specialties, post-secondary teachers | $102.33 | $212.846 |
| General dentists | $101.32 | $210,746 |
| Family and general practitioners | $85.56 | $177,965 |
| Podiatrists | $81.46 | $169,437 |
| Sales managers | $78.05 | $162,344 |
| Natural sciences managers | $69.84 | $145,267 |
| Marketing managers | $69.30 | $144,144 |
| Psychologists | $65.82 | $136,906 |
Lowest-paying Jacksonville jobs
Experienced workers
| Occupation | Hourly wage | Annual wage |
| Fast-food cooks | $8.63 | $17,950 |
| Combined food preparation and serving workers | $8.79 | $18,283 |
| Dishwashers | $8.86 | $18,429 |
| Amusement and recreation attendants | $9.04 | $18,803 |
| Cafeteria, food concession and coffee shop counter attendants | $9.07 | $18,866 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers | $9.14 | $19,011 |
| Cashiers | $9.43 | $19,614 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge and coffee shop | $9.53 | $19,822 |
| Laundry and dry cleaning workers | $9.59 | $19,947 |
| Pressers, textile, garment and related materials | $9.74 | $20,259 |