Most common jobs and their salaries in large U.S. cities

There are approximately 4 million medical and personal care aides in the United States.

In fact, as of May 2024, the most common job for Americans was as a health care aide, with a median annual salary of $34,000, according to a CNBC Make It analysis of the most recent data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Other common occupations held by Americans include retail sales clerks, registered nurses, customer service representatives, and fast food and counter workers, although results vary slightly by region.

The most popular jobs in Chicago, the third most populous city in the United States, are manual labor jobs. In the Windy City, workers who perform freight, inventory, package movement, or general labor tasks earn a median annual wage of $40,030.

In Los Angeles, manual laborers and stock carriers earn a median annual salary of $39,200, while Phoenix pays a slightly higher median annual salary of $39,630.

Of the five most common jobs in America’s most populous city, the highest paying jobs are registered nurses and general and operational managers. In New York, the median annual salary for both occupations is over six figures.

Here are the five most common jobs and their salaries in the metropolitan areas of the five most populous cities in the United States.

1. Home health and personal care aides

Median annual wage: $37,990 Number of employees: 605,590

2.Retail salesperson

Median annual wage: $37,350 Number of employees: 212,470

3. Registered Nurse

Median annual wage: $113,490 Number of employees: 195,470

4. General manager and operational manager

Median annual wage: $149,260 Number of employees: 187,400

5. Janitors and cleaners (excluding maids and cleaners)

Median annual wage: $40,350 Number of employees: 177,960

1. Home health and personal care aides

Median annual wage: $34,600 Number of employees: 350,610

2. Fast food and counter workers

Median annual wage: $36,480 Number of employees: 153,840

3. Manual cargo and stock transfer equipment

Median annual wage: $39,200 Number of employees: 128,800

4.Retail salesperson

Median annual wage: $36,580 Number of employees: 122,120

5. Cashier

Median annual wage: $36,120 Number of employees: 114,090

1. Manual cargo and inventory moving equipment

Median annual wage: $40,030 Number of employees: 146,710

2. General manager and operational manager

Median annual wage: $105,310 Number of employees: 121,110

3. Fast food and counter workers

Median annual wage: $33,020 Number of employees: 104,270

4.Retail salesperson

Median annual wage: $34,910 Number of employees: 102,320

5. Registered Nurse

Median annual wage: $96,480 Number of employees: 100,620

1. General manager and operational manager

Median annual wage: $108,090 Number of employees: 105,830

2. Fast food and counter workers

Median annual wage: $26,960 Number of employees: 89,540

3. Retail Salesperson

Median annual wage: $30,260 Number of employees: 75,920

4. Registered Nurse

Median annual wage: $97,810 Number of employees: 65,300

5. Customer Service Representative

Median annual wage: $39,310 Number of employees: 64,180

1. General manager and operational manager

Median annual wage: $94,130 Number of employees: 73,000

2. Customer Service Representative

Median annual wage: $44,400 Number of employees: 69,410

3. Retail Salesperson

Median annual wage: $35,550 Number of employees: 64,030

4. Fast food and counter workers

Median annual wage: $33,870 Number of employees: 62,150

5. Manual cargo and stock transfer equipment

Median annual wage: $39,630 Number of employees: 57,320

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