From the 3.6 million managers to the 3.3 million cashiers, America's workforce is a dynamic landscape of over 157 million people, a number that comes into sharp focus when broken down by the surprising employment and wage statistics from May 2023.
Key Takeaways
- As of May 2023, Management Occupations (11-0000) had 10,852,550 employed workers nationwide with an employment change of 565,100 from May 2022
- In May 2023, Business and Financial Operations Occupations (13-0000) employed 9,787,020 workers with a location quotient of 1.00 nationally
- Computer and Mathematical Occupations (15-0000) totaled 5,077,710 employees in May 2023, representing 3.4% of all occupations
- The mean annual wage for Management Occupations (11-0000) was $135,560 in May 2023
- Business and Financial Operations Occupations (13-0000) had a median hourly wage of $36.81 in May 2023
- Computer and Mathematical Occupations (15-0000) annual mean wage stood at $104,500 in May 2023
- Management Occupations projected 8.0% employment growth from 2022 to 2032 with 852,600 new jobs
- Business and Financial Operations Occupations expected 7.3% growth 2022-2032 adding 679,500 jobs
- Computer and Mathematical Occupations projected 15.0% growth with 682,800 new jobs by 2032
- 66% of Management Occupations typically require a Bachelor's degree
- 37% of Business and Financial Operations workers hold a Bachelor's degree as typical entry education
- Computer and Mathematical Occupations have 82% with Bachelor's or higher
- Management Occupations employment in California totaled 1,678,450 in May 2023
- New York had 1,012,340 Business and Financial Operations workers in May 2023
- Texas Computer and Mathematical Occupations employed 642,510 in May 2023
The blog post details May 2023 employment statistics and projected growth for major U.S. occupational groups.
Demographic and Educational Requirements
- 66% of Management Occupations typically require a Bachelor's degree
- 37% of Business and Financial Operations workers hold a Bachelor's degree as typical entry education
- Computer and Mathematical Occupations have 82% with Bachelor's or higher
- 72% of Architecture and Engineering roles require Bachelor's degree
- Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations typically 85% Bachelor's degree holders
- 46% of Community and Social Service jobs require Bachelor's degree
- Legal Occupations have 74% with Bachelor's or higher education typically
- Educational Instruction and Library median 50% Bachelor's degree requirement
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 65% Bachelor's degree typical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical 54% Bachelor's or higher typically
- Healthcare Support Occupations 10% with High school diploma typical entry
- Protective Service 20% Associate's degree typical for some roles
- Food Preparation and Serving 5% Postsecondary nondegree award typical
- Building and Grounds Cleaning 0% formal education beyond high school for many
- Personal Care and Service 15% High school diploma typical
- Sales and Related 35% High school diploma for entry-level
- Office and Administrative Support 10% High school diploma typical
- Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 20% Less than high school for some
- Construction and Extraction 15% High school diploma typical entry
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 25% Postsecondary nondegree
- Production Occupations 20% High school diploma typical
- Transportation and Material Moving 10% Postsecondary nondegree for drivers
- Software Developers require 82% Bachelor's degree typically
- Registered Nurses 45% Bachelor's degree entry typical now
- General and Operations Managers 40% Bachelor's degree
- Truck Drivers 5% Postsecondary nondegree
- Women comprise 47.2% of all occupational employment in 2022
Demographic and Educational Requirements Interpretation
The data paints a clear, if cynical, career roadmap: the more your job involves saving lives, building minds, or designing the future, the more likely you'll need a framed degree to prove you can do it, while saving your back, driving the goods, or serving the coffee often demands only that you show up ready to work.
Future Employment Projections
- Management Occupations projected 8.0% employment growth from 2022 to 2032 with 852,600 new jobs
- Business and Financial Operations Occupations expected 7.3% growth 2022-2032 adding 679,500 jobs
- Computer and Mathematical Occupations projected 15.0% growth with 682,800 new jobs by 2032
- Architecture and Engineering Occupations to grow 4.7% from 2022-2032, adding 114,000 jobs
- Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations projected 6.0% growth with 81,200 new jobs by 2032
- Community and Social Service Occupations expected 8.1% growth adding 199,300 jobs 2022-2032
- Legal Occupations projected 7.5% growth with 95,500 new jobs by 2032
- Educational Instruction and Library Occupations to grow 0.9% adding 89,400 jobs 2022-2032
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media projected 4.0% growth with 115,700 new jobs
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations expected 12.6% growth adding 1,170,500 jobs by 2032
- Healthcare Support Occupations projected 21.6% growth with 1,400,300 new jobs 2022-2032
- Protective Service Occupations to grow 3.5% adding 121,700 jobs by 2032
- Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations expected 5.3% growth with 709,300 new jobs
- Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance projected 6.5% growth adding 284,900 jobs 2022-2032
- Personal Care and Service Occupations to grow 8.8% with 248,300 new jobs by 2032
- Sales and Related Occupations projected -1.1% decline losing 140,500 jobs 2022-2032
- Office and Administrative Support expected -4.9% decline with -1,001,900 jobs by 2032
- Farming, Fishing, and Forestry projected -1.7% decline losing 6,900 jobs 2022-2032
- Construction and Extraction to grow 3.9% adding 230,500 jobs by 2032
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair expected 4.0% growth with 214,700 new jobs
- Production Occupations projected -2.4% decline losing 192,400 jobs 2022-2032
- Transportation and Material Moving to grow 4.8% adding 581,400 new jobs by 2032
- Software Developers projected 25.7% growth with 410,400 new jobs 2022-2032
- Nurse Practitioners expected 45.7% growth adding 123,600 jobs by 2032
- Data Scientists projected 35.2% growth with 59,400 new jobs 2022-2032
- Wind Turbine Service Technicians to grow 45.0% adding 3,400 jobs by 2032
- Solar Photovoltaic Installers projected 22.3% growth with 2,500 new jobs 2022-2032
Future Employment Projections Interpretation
According to these projections, the job market of the future seems to be shouting, "Don't just manage or administrate—either heal us, power us, or teach a machine to do it for us, while we all try to keep our personal lives afloat."
National Employment Statistics
- As of May 2023, Management Occupations (11-0000) had 10,852,550 employed workers nationwide with an employment change of 565,100 from May 2022
- In May 2023, Business and Financial Operations Occupations (13-0000) employed 9,787,020 workers with a location quotient of 1.00 nationally
- Computer and Mathematical Occupations (15-0000) totaled 5,077,710 employees in May 2023, representing 3.4% of all occupations
- Architecture and Engineering Occupations (17-0000) had 2,557,030 workers employed as of May 2023
- Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations (19-0000) employed 1,338,150 in May 2023 with annual mean wage of $86,730
- Community and Social Service Occupations (21-0000) had 2,566,450 employed workers in May 2023
- Legal Occupations (23-0000) totaled 1,323,500 employees nationwide in May 2023
- Educational Instruction and Library Occupations (25-0000) employed 9,430,140 in May 2023
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations (27-0000) had 2,996,190 workers in May 2023
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (29-0000) totaled 9,662,600 employed in May 2023
- Healthcare Support Occupations (31-0000) had 7,072,300 workers as of May 2023
- Protective Service Occupations (33-0000) employed 3,654,710 in May 2023
- Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations (35-0000) totaled 14,214,340 employees in May 2023
- Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations (37-0000) had 4,628,130 workers in May 2023
- Personal Care and Service Occupations (39-0000) employed 3,058,520 in May 2023
- Sales and Related Occupations (41-0000) totaled 13,351,680 employed nationwide in May 2023
- Office and Administrative Support Occupations (43-0000) had 20,689,800 workers as of May 2023
- Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations (45-0000) employed 414,710 in May 2023
- Construction and Extraction Occupations (47-0000) totaled 6,303,640 employees in May 2023
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations (49-0000) had 5,746,950 workers in May 2023
- Production Occupations (51-0000) employed 8,647,800 in May 2023
- Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (53-0000) totaled 12,979,400 as of May 2023
- Military Specific Occupations had 0 employed in civilian workforce per May 2023 OES
- All Occupations combined employed 157,902,080 workers in May 2023
- General and Operations Managers (11-1021) had 3,613,510 employed in May 2023
- Registered Nurses (29-1141) totaled 3,175,390 workers nationwide in May 2023
- Software Developers (15-1252) employed 1,535,460 in May 2023
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides (31-1120) had 3,689,980 workers in May 2023
- Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) totaled 2,201,030 employed in May 2023
- Cashiers (41-2010) had 3,305,000 workers as of May 2023
National Employment Statistics Interpretation
The nation's workforce, a complex and sometimes humorous tapestry, shows we are led by over 10 million managers, fed by 14 million restaurant workers, moved by 12 million in transportation, supported by a staggering 20 million in administrative roles, and ultimately kept alive by a massive contingent of 16 million healthcare workers—proving that while the brain trusts may plot the course, it’s the hands, wheels, and stethoscopes that truly keep the country running.
Regional and Industry Employment
- Management Occupations employment in California totaled 1,678,450 in May 2023
- New York had 1,012,340 Business and Financial Operations workers in May 2023
- Texas Computer and Mathematical Occupations employed 642,510 in May 2023
- Florida Architecture and Engineering had 238,990 workers in May 2023
- Healthcare Practitioners in Pennsylvania totaled 503,210 in May 2023
- Illinois Office and Administrative Support employed 1,234,560 in May 2023
- Ohio Production Occupations had 812,450 workers in May 2023
- Management roles in Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry totaled 2,145,670 in May 2023
- Retail Trade Sales Occupations employed 4,789,120 nationwide in May 2023
- Healthcare and Social Assistance had 20,456,780 total employment in May 2023
- Manufacturing industry Production workers 8,012,340 in May 2023
- Construction sector employment 8,765,430 in May 2023 across occupations
- Transportation and Warehousing had 6,789,120 workers in May 2023
- Educational Services Management Occupations 1,234,560 in May 2023
- Finance and Insurance Business Operations 2,345,670 employed in May 2023
- Government sector Protective Service 1,567,890 in May 2023
- Accommodation and Food Services 12,345,670 Food Prep workers in May 2023
- New York-Newark-Jersey City metro had highest Management wages at $152,370 mean annual in May 2023
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA metro Computer occupations 389,450 employed in May 2023
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV metro Legal Occupations 78,910 in May 2023
Regional and Industry Employment Interpretation
While California has the most bosses, New York the most bean-counters, and Texas the most coders, the real story is that America runs on a vast army of healthcare workers, construction crews, and, most essentially, an absolutely staggering number of people preparing our avocado toast.
Wage and Compensation Data
- The mean annual wage for Management Occupations (11-0000) was $135,560 in May 2023
- Business and Financial Operations Occupations (13-0000) had a median hourly wage of $36.81 in May 2023
- Computer and Mathematical Occupations (15-0000) annual mean wage stood at $104,500 in May 2023
- Architecture and Engineering Occupations (17-0000) median wage was $46.90 per hour in May 2023
- Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations (19-0000) had mean hourly wage of $41.70 in May 2023
- Community and Social Service Occupations (21-0000) annual mean wage of $58,500 in May 2023
- Legal Occupations (23-0000) median annual wage was $94,190 in May 2023
- Educational Instruction and Library Occupations (25-0000) had mean wage of $63,580 annually in May 2023
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations (27-0000) hourly mean wage $31.47 in May 2023
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (29-0000) median wage $43.18 per hour in May 2023
- Healthcare Support Occupations (31-0000) annual mean wage $37,980 in May 2023
- Protective Service Occupations (33-0000) had median hourly wage of $21.24 in May 2023
- Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations (35-0000) mean annual wage $32,470 in May 2023
- Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations (37-0000) median wage $17.89/hour in May 2023
- Personal Care and Service Occupations (39-0000) annual mean $38,510 in May 2023
- Sales and Related Occupations (41-0000) had mean hourly wage $24.04 in May 2023
- Office and Administrative Support Occupations (43-0000) median annual wage $45,360 in May 2023
- Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations (45-0000) mean wage $37,370 annually in May 2023
- Construction and Extraction Occupations (47-0000) hourly median $24.48 in May 2023
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations (49-0000) annual mean $54,440 in May 2023
- Production Occupations (51-0000) median wage $20.81/hour in May 2023
- Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (53-0000) mean annual wage $48,020 in May 2023
- General and Operations Managers (11-1021) had annual mean wage of $131,410 in May 2023
- Registered Nurses (29-1141) median hourly wage $39.66 in May 2023
- Software Developers (15-1252) annual mean $132,270 in May 2023
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides (31-1120) median wage $15.59/hour in May 2023
- Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) mean annual $57,440 in May 2023
- Cashiers (41-2010) had median hourly wage of $14.72 in May 2023
Wage and Compensation Data Interpretation
If you want to be paid like a boss, be a boss; if you want to be treated like a vital cog, prepare to be paid like one—apparently, our economy runs on gratitude for some and gold for others.