Ranked list · 30 careers
The 30 Most Male-Dominated Jobs, Ranked by How Few Women Do Them (2026)
Maintenance Worker, Machinery has the lowest share of women on this list: 0.6% of its workers (BLS Current Population Survey), followed by Roofer (0.9% women) and Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installer (1.2% women). Below are 30 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.
- Careers on this list
- 30From 1,731 in the bank
- Median pay on the list
- $60,930BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Projected to grow
- 29 of 30BLS EP, 2025–2035
- Openings a year
- 1,086,500Combined, BLS EP
Method
How we built this list
Occupations where women are 10% or less of the workforce in the BLS Current Population Survey, ordered from the lowest share of women up, with pay and outlook beside each. Most are skilled trades, which is also where the pay without a degree is.
- Included when women are 10% or less of the workforce in the BLS Current Population Survey and CPS counts at least 50,000 people in the occupation (smaller ones have no published share).
- Ordered by share of women, lowest first.
- BLS publishes one wage per occupation code, and several O*NET job titles can share a code. Only one title per code is listed, so the same wage does not appear over and over.
- Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
- The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.
The list
The top 30 male-dominated jobs
100% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.
- 1
1. Maintenance Worker, Machinery
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $60,850median a year
- Growth
- −1.9%
- Openings / yr
- 4,400
- Education
- High school
- 0.6%
- women
- 46.5
- median age
Lubricate machinery, change parts, or perform other routine machinery maintenance.
- 2
2. Roofer
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $55,440median a year
- Growth
- +5.3%
- Openings / yr
- 12,000
- Education
- No formal credential
- 0.9%
- women
- 36.6
- median age
Cover roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, or related materials.
- 3
3. Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $60,070median a year
- Growth
- +6.8%
- Openings / yr
- 8,500
- Education
- High school
- 1.2%
- women
- 39.1
- median age
Install, program, maintain, and repair security and fire alarm wiring and equipment.
- 4
4. First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $93,530median a year
- Growth
- +3.7%
- Openings / yr
- 6,600
- Education
- Certificate
- 1.3%
- women
- 50.3
- median age
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.
- 5
5. Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $61,770median a year
- Growth
- +3.6%
- Openings / yr
- 24,400
- Education
- High school
- 1.8%
- women
- 41.5
- median age
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul buses and trucks, or maintain and repair any type of diesel engines.
- 6
6. Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $50,620median a year
- Growth
- +5.0%
- Openings / yr
- 66,200
- Education
- Certificate
- 1.8%
- women
- 40.3
- median age
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
- 7
7. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanic and Installer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $61,010median a year
- Growth
- +10.9%
- Openings / yr
- 40,600
- Education
- Certificate
- 2.7%
- women
- 39.9
- median age
Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.
- 8
8. Plumber
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $63,800median a year
- Growth
- +6.8%
- Openings / yr
- 42,000
- Education
- High school
- 3.1%
- women
- 40.2
- median age
Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases.
- 9
9. Carpenter
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $60,580median a year
- Growth
- +3.9%
- Openings / yr
- 62,800
- Education
- High school
- 3.1%
- women
- 41.5
- median age
Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways,…
- 10
10. Electrician
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $63,190median a year
- Growth
- +9.2%
- Openings / yr
- 72,700
- Education
- High school
- 3.5%
- women
- 39.6
- median age
Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures.
- 11
11. First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $79,920median a year
- Growth
- +5.0%
- Openings / yr
- 67,000
- Education
- High school
- 3.7%
- women
- 46.4
- median age
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.
- 12
12. Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $95,320median a year
- Growth
- +10.3%
- Openings / yr
- 10,900
- Education
- High school
- 3.8%
- women
- 39.3
- median age
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems.
- 13
- Median pay
- $78,620median a year
- Growth
- +3.1%
- Openings / yr
- 3,200
- Education
- High school
- 4.1%
- women
- 48.6
- median age
Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes.
- 14
14. Automotive Body and Related Repairer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $54,890median a year
- Growth
- +3.7%
- Openings / yr
- 12,600
- Education
- High school
- 4.2%
- women
- 40.7
- median age
Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.
- 15
15. Crane and Tower Operator
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $68,080median a year
- Growth
- +3.8%
- Openings / yr
- 3,500
- Education
- High school
- 4.5%
- women
- 46.9
- median age
Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
- 16
16. Construction Laborer
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $47,120median a year
- Growth
- +7.3%
- Openings / yr
- 120,000
- Education
- No formal credential
- 4.7%
- women
- 40.0
- median age
Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites.
- 17
17. Sheet Metal Worker
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $61,800median a year
- Growth
- +2.5%
- Openings / yr
- 9,800
- Education
- High school
- 4.9%
- women
- 42.3
- median age
Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings.
- 18
18. Firefighter
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $59,280median a year
- Growth
- +3.7%
- Openings / yr
- 26,800
- Education
- Certificate
- 5.1%
- women
- 38.1
- median age
Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk.
- 19
19. Tree Trimmer and Pruner
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
- Median pay
- $50,960median a year
- Growth
- +4.2%
- Openings / yr
- 7,900
- Education
- High school
- 5.2%
- women
- 36.9
- median age
Using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree.
- 20
20. Maintenance and Repair Worker, General
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $49,590median a year
- Growth
- +4.2%
- Openings / yr
- 148,700
- Education
- High school
- 5.2%
- women
- 43.5
- median age
Perform work involving the skills of two or more maintenance or craft occupations to keep machines, mechanical equipment, or the structure of a building in repair.
- 21
21. Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $78,000median a year
- Growth
- +0.9%
- Openings / yr
- 3,000
- Education
- High school
- 5.5%
- women
- 41.2
- median age
Coordinate activities of switch-engine crew within railroad yard, industrial plant, or similar location.
- 22
22. Machinist
Production
- Median pay
- $58,750median a year
- Growth
- +1.0%
- Openings / yr
- 26,100
- Education
- High school
- 5.8%
- women
- 45.7
- median age
Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal.
- 23
23. First-Line Supervisor of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $79,860median a year
- Growth
- +4.1%
- Openings / yr
- 48,900
- Education
- High school
- 6.1%
- women
- 47.6
- median age
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of mechanics, installers, and repairers.
- 24
24. Highway Maintenance Worker
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $50,260median a year
- Growth
- +3.4%
- Openings / yr
- 11,800
- Education
- High school
- 6.4%
- women
- 42.9
- median age
Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way.
- 25
25. Home Appliance Repairer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $50,990median a year
- Growth
- +1.9%
- Openings / yr
- 2,800
- Education
- High school
- 6.9%
- women
- 45.6
- median age
Repair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens.
- 26
26. Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologist and Technician
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $78,190median a year
- Growth
- +2.4%
- Openings / yr
- 8,100
- Education
- Associate's
- 7.4%
- women
- 43.0
- median age
Apply electrical and electronic theory and related knowledge, usually under the direction of engineering staff, to design, build, repair, adjust, and modify electrical components, circuitry, controls, and machinery fo…
- 27
27. Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
- Median pay
- $39,150median a year
- Growth
- +4.7%
- Openings / yr
- 149,500
- Education
- No formal credential
- 7.9%
- women
- 41.7
- median age
Landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment.
- 28
28. Computer Network Architect
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $134,050median a year
- Growth
- +7.7%
- Openings / yr
- 9,600
- Education
- Bachelor's
- 8.0%
- women
- 45.1
- median age
Design and implement computer and information networks, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), intranets, extranets, and other data communications networks.
- 29
29. Aircraft Mechanic
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $79,870median a year
- Growth
- +5.4%
- Openings / yr
- 11,400
- Education
- Certificate
- 8.1%
- women
- 41.6
- median age
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
- 30
30. Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $46,420median a year
- Growth
- +1.5%
- Openings / yr
- 64,700
- Education
- No formal credential
- 8.1%
- women
- 41.8
- median age
Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.
Questions
Male-Dominated Jobs: FAQ
What jobs are mostly done by men?
Maintenance Worker, Machinery has the lowest share of women on this list: 0.6% of its workers (BLS Current Population Survey), followed by Roofer (0.9% women) and Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installer (1.2% women).
Do male-dominated jobs pay more?
On this list, 23 of the 30 pay at least the $50,980 median for all US occupations, and the middle job pays $61,010 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The best-paid are Computer Network Architect ($134,050), Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer ($95,320) and First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($93,530). These are occupation medians for everyone in the job; CPS and OEWS do not publish pay by sex on the same basis, so this is not a measure of the gender pay gap.
Which of these jobs don’t require a degree?
28 of the 30 have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree (BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035). The best-paid of them: Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer ($95,320), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($93,530) and First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($79,920).
How is this list ranked?
Occupations where women are 10% or less of the workforce in the BLS Current Population Survey, ordered from the lowest share of women up, with pay and outlook beside each. Most are skilled trades, which is also where the pay without a degree is. Included when women are 10% or less of the workforce in the BLS Current Population Survey and CPS counts at least 50,000 people in the occupation (smaller ones have no published share). Ordered by share of women, lowest first. BLS publishes one wage per occupation code, and several O*NET job titles can share a code. Only one title per code is listed, so the same wage does not appear over and over. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and O*NET 31.0 Database.