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Mapped: The Most Common Job in Each U.S. State in 2024
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Key Takeaways
- The most common job in each state, by number of employees, is Fast Food Worker (15 states).
- Other leading occupations are Retail Sales & Cashiers (10 states), Home Health Aides (10), and Operations Managers & Specialists (10).
Two years ago, we visualized the American workforce as 100 people in an effort to break down the most common job across the country.
But what does similar data look like at a state level?
We used figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 release and pulled the occupation with the most number of employees in each state.
Importantly the OEWS survey doesn’t cover the agriculture sector, so those estimates are missing from this map.
The Big List of Every U.S. State’s Most Common Job
Fast Food Worker hold the crown for most common job in 15 states stretching from Arkansas to Utah.
| State | State Code | Most Common Job | # Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | AL | Retail Sales & Cashiers |
60,330 |
| Alaska | AK | Retail Sales & Cashiers |
7,790 |
| Arizona | AZ | Ops Managers & Specialists |
100,340 |
| Arkansas | AR | Fast Food Workers | 36,150 |
| California | CA | Home Health Aides | 875,110 |
| Colorado* | CO* | Fast Food Workers* | 77,500* |
| Connecticut | CT | Ops Managers & Specialists |
46,780 |
| District of Columbia | DC | Ops Managers & Specialists |
38,240 |
| Delaware | DE | Fast Food Workers | 13,800 |
| Florida | FL | Retail Sales & Cashiers |
325,960 |
| Georgia | GA | Fast Food Workers | 151,240 |
| Hawaii | HI | Fast Food Workers | 25,850 |
| Idaho | ID | Ops Managers & Specialists |
30,600 |
| Illinois | IL | Freight Movers | 183,590 |
| Indiana | IN | Fast Food Workers | 101,500 |
| Iowa | IA | Retail Sales & Cashiers |
43,160 |
| Kansas | KS | Fast Food Workers | 45,420 |
| Kentucky | KY | Ops Managers & Specialists |
58,570 |
| Louisiana | LA | Retail Sales & Cashiers |
51,540 |
| Maine | ME | Home Health Aides | 18,080 |
| Maryland | MD | Ops Managers & Specialists |
91,810 |
| Massachusetts | MA | Home Health Aides | 108,090 |
| Michigan | MI | Assemblers | 124,340 |
| Minnesota | MN | Home Health Aides | 120,390 |
| Mississippi | MS | Retail Sales & Cashiers |
36,330 |
| Missouri | MO | Ops Managers & Specialists |
105,210 |
| Montana | MT | Fast Food Workers | 15,940 |
| Nebraska | NE | Fast Food Workers | 28,360 |
| Nevada | NV | Freight Movers | 53,660 |
| New Hampshire | NH | Ops Managers & Specialists |
21,180 |
| New Jersey | NJ | Home Health Aides | 105,460 |
| New Mexico | NM | Home Health Aides | 37,360 |
| New York | NY | Home Health Aides | 623,000 |
| North Carolina | NC | Retail Sales & Cashiers |
126,060 |
| North Dakota | ND | Ops Managers & Specialists |
11,660 |
| Ohio | OH | Fast Food Workers | 167,650 |
| Oklahoma | OK | Fast Food Workers | 53,380 |
| Oregon | OR | Fast Food Workers | 58,150 |
| Pennsylvania | PA | Home Health Aides | 242,570 |
| Rhode Island | RI | Fast Food Workers | 12,650 |
| South Carolina | SC | Retail Sales & Cashiers |
69,010 |
| South Dakota | SD | Nurses | 14,500 |
| Tennessee | TN | Freight Movers | 111,240 |
| Texas | TX | Ops Managers & Specialists |
454,720 |
| Utah | UT | Fast Food Workers | 50,980 |
| Vermont | VT | Retail Sales & Cashiers |
7,930 |
| Virginia | VA | Fast Food Workers | 103,390 |
| Washington | WA | Home Health Aides | 100,360 |
| West Virginia | WV | Nurses | 21,740 |
| Wisconsin | WI | Home Health Aides | 80,050 |
| Wyoming | WY | Retail Sales & Cashiers |
9,190 |
Note: Colorado’s figures are from 2023 due to data unavailability.
The trend underscores the South’s large service sector and the Mountain West’s booming tourism and quick-service chains.
Although wages in this occupation are lower than the national average, the sheer volume of positions makes it the backbone of many state labor markets.
At second place is a three-way tie between:
- Retail Salespersons and Cashiers
- Home Health Aides
- Logistics Managers & Specialists
These three are the most common jobs in 10 states each.
Despite rapid e-commerce growth, brick-and-mortar outlets remain major employers, particularly in suburban and rural areas where shopping malls and big-box stores serve as community hubs.
Automation and self-checkout are nibbling at headcounts, yet the customer-facing nature of retail continues to require large numbers of workers on the floor.
Healthcare’s Rise: Home Health Aides Lead in 10 States
An aging population and preference for in-home care propel Home Health Aides to the No. 1 spot in 10 states, from California’s 875,110 aides to Maine’s 18,080.
These roles typically offer lower wages than hospital-based nursing but have minimal barriers to entry, making them important stepping stones in healthcare careers.
Their prevalence signals both the challenges and opportunities created by demographic shifts.
Management & Logistics Highlight Diversified States
Operations Managers & Specialists rank first in 10 states, reflecting the rise and demand for cross-country supply chains.
Meanwhile, Freight Movers and Assemblers lead in logistics-heavy Nevada and industrial Michigan, respectively.
In higher-skill states, management roles replace service jobs at the top, pointing to more complex, higher-paying economic structures.
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