The U.S. labor market is complex, and determining the most common employment depends on statistical definition and scale. Analyzing the data reveals the underlying structure of the economy, which dictates the types of jobs that employ the largest number of people. Examining the volume of workers in certain fields offers insight into the operational needs of the nation’s businesses and the services demanded by the population.
The Single Most Common Occupation
Based on May 2023 data, the single most frequently held job title in the United States is Retail Salespersons. This occupation, which facilitates consumer transactions, totals approximately 3,684,740 workers across the country. This number is closely followed by two other service sector occupations: Home Health and Personal Care Aides, and Fast Food and Counter Workers, both hovering around 3.7 million employed individuals.
A Retail Salesperson’s duties involve selling merchandise such as apparel, appliances, or motor vehicles directly to consumers. This role supports general merchandise retailers, clothing stores, and building material dealers. The mean annual wage for a Retail Salesperson in May 2023 was $36,690, with a median hourly wage of $16.19. Since this occupation is found across nearly all industries, it represents a foundational function in the commerce-driven economy.
Understanding Labor Statistics and Definitions
Identifying the most common occupation relies on a specific federal framework for classifying workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, a federal statistical standard. This system categorizes all workers into one of 867 detailed occupations based on the work performed and the required skills, education, and training.
The SOC system creates a tiered hierarchy, rolling up detailed occupations into 459 broad occupations, 98 minor groups, and 23 major groups. A “job” is a unique set of work activities performed by an individual, while an “occupation” is a grouping of similar jobs. This structure allows for standardized comparison of employment data across federal agencies.
The Top Five High-Volume Job Categories
The largest segments of the workforce are represented by broad occupational groups, or categories. The largest of these groups is Office and Administrative Support Occupations, which employed 18.5 million people in May 2023, representing 12.2% of total national employment. This category includes roles like Customer Service Representatives (2.9 million workers) and General Office Clerks (2.5 million).
The second largest category is Transportation and Material Moving Occupations, with 13.8 million workers. This group encompasses supply chain roles such as Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers and Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand. The Sales and Related Occupations category is the third largest, employing 13.4 million people, driven by roles like Retail Salespersons and Cashiers.
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations constitutes the fourth largest group, with 13.2 million workers. This category is dominated by Fast Food and Counter Workers and Waiters and Waitresses. The fifth largest category is Management Occupations, comprising approximately 6.9% of total employment, and includes General and Operations Managers.
Economic Factors Driving Common Employment
The high volume of jobs in sales, administrative support, and food service results from the long-term shift toward a service-based economy. The service sector now accounts for the majority of U.S. economic activity and employment, driven by consumer spending and demand for specialized business services. This transformation saw a decline in traditional manufacturing roles as globalization moved production jobs to countries with lower labor costs.
Consumer spending heavily influences the demand for common jobs, requiring workers to manage transactions, provide customer interaction, and move goods. The reliance on complex supply chains and e-commerce necessitates a vast workforce in transportation and material moving to handle logistics. This trend has resulted in a labor market where a small number of high-skilled, high-wage jobs coexist with a large number of lower-wage, high-volume service roles.
Projected Growth and Decline in Common Jobs
The landscape of common occupations is expected to change significantly over the next decade due to demographic shifts and technological advancements. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are projected to affect many high-volume administrative and retail roles. The BLS projects a decline in Customer Service Representatives and certain administrative roles between 2023 and 2033, as routine tasks are increasingly handled by software.
Conversely, the aging population is driving growth in the healthcare sector, which is projected to add 2.3 million jobs, or over one-third of all new jobs, between 2023 and 2033. The Healthcare Support occupational group is expected to experience the fastest employment growth. Home Health and Personal Care Aides are projected to grow by 20.7%, adding over 820,500 new jobs. Other areas of growth include computer and mathematical occupations, expanding due to demand for information technology and automation.