March 29, 2012 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)
Occupational Employment and Wages — May 2011
Occupations with the highest employment in the United States, May 2011
| Occupation |
Total employment |
Percent of total employment |
Total employment in all other occupations |
101,751,550 |
79.3 |
Total employment, top 10 occupations |
26,527,000 |
20.7 |
Secretaries & admin. assistants, except legal, medical, & executive |
1,955,570 |
1.5 |
Laborers & freight, stock, & material movers, hand |
2,063,580 |
1.6 |
Janitors & cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
2,068,460 |
1.6 |
Customer service representatives |
2,212,820 |
1.7 |
Waiters and waitresses |
2,289,010 |
1.8 |
Registered nurses |
2,724,570 |
2.1 |
Combined food prep. & serving workers, incl. fast food |
2,799,430 |
2.2 |
General office clerks |
2,828,140 |
2.2 |
Cashiers |
3,314,870 |
2.6 |
Retail salespersons |
4,270,550 |
3.3 |
These data are featured in the TED article, Occupational Employment and Wages — May 2011.
Percent of total employment and mean hourly wage, selected major occupational groups, May 2011
| Occupation category |
Percent of total employment |
Mean hourly wage |
Percent employed in private sector |
Management |
4.7 |
51.64 |
83.6% |
Computer and mathematical occupations |
3 |
37.85 |
88.30 |
Community & social service |
1.5 |
21.07 |
60.46 |
Legal |
0.8 |
47.30 |
74.30 |
Education, training, & library |
6.7 |
24.46 |
23.22 |
Healthcare practitioners & technical |
5.9 |
34.97 |
92.34 |
Protective service |
2.5 |
20.54 |
36.49 |
Food prep. & serving related |
8.8 |
10.30 |
95.09 |
Sales & related |
10.6 |
18.04 |
99.36 |
Office & admin. support |
16.8 |
16.40 |
84.29 |
These data are featured in the TED article, Occupational Employment and Wages — May 2011.
OF INTEREST
Recent editions of Spotlight on Statistics
- Fatal Injuries to Foreign-Born Hispanic or Latino Workers
Explores the industries, occupations, and events related to these fatalities.
- For-Profit, Nonprofit, and Government Sector Jobs in 2022
Compares the labor force characteristics and experiences of workers in the for-profit, nonprofit, government, and self-employed sectors.
- Union Membership, Activity, and Compensation in 2022
Focuses on trends in union membership, work stoppages, and pay and benefits among union members.
- A Look at a Neat Industry: Distilleries
Examines trends in employment, establishments, wages, and consumer prices for distilleries.
- Healthcare Occupations: Characteristics of the Employed
Compares the demographic characteristics of workers in healthcare occupations.
United States Department of Labor
