Having a common job has its advantages, the biggest being there are lots of positions, which can make it easier to find an opening in pretty much any market. But those who work in one of the most prevalent jobs may also find that they’re easily replaced, so there’s little job security. Another major downside? The pay isn’t great for many of these jobs.
New research from the federal Bureau of Labor reveals the most common jobs in America, and it turns out, only two of the top 20 pay six figures, and only five pay more than $50-thousand a year.
- Out of the 10 most common jobs, only two require a bachelor’s degree: registered nurse and general & operations manager.
- So, what is the most common job in the country? Home health aide tops the list. There are 3.99-million people working in that profession, but the pay is pretty low at $34,900.
- This job is expected to become even more common in the future, according to the Bureau of Labor, it’s forecast to grow by 17% by 2034.
- But some positions that are common now are shrinking, like cashiers. The number of them is expected to decrease by 10% over the next decade thanks to the rise of self-checkout.
- The research also uncovers the least common jobs in the U.S. and wood patternmaker is number one with just 180 in this position. Timing device assemblers and adjusters is second, with 230 jobs, followed by wood model makers with 360 jobs.
The Top 10 Most Common Jobs in America
- Home health and personal care aides - 3.99-million jobs. Median salary: $34,900
- Retail salespersons - 3.8-million jobs. Median salary: $34,580
- Fast food and counter workers - 3.78-million jobs. Median salary: $30,480
- General and operations managers - 3.6-million jobs. Median salary: $102,950
- Registered nurses - 3.3-million jobs. Median salary: $93,600
- Cashiers - 3.1-million jobs. Median salary: $31,190
- Laborers and freight, stock and material movers - 3-million jobs. Median salary: $38,940
- Stockers and order fillers - 2.8-million jobs. Median salary: 37,090
- Customer service representatives - 2.7-million jobs. Median salary: $42,830
- Office clerks - 2.5-million jobs. Median salary: $43,630
Source: USA Today