Ranked list · 30 careers
The 30 Most Common Jobs in America, Ranked by Employment (2026)
Home Health Aide is the most common job in America, with 4,305,810 people employed (BLS OEWS May 2025), followed by Retail Salesperson (3,897,860) and Fast Food and Counter Worker (3,854,050). 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
- $44,890BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Projected to grow
- 20 of 30BLS EP, 2025–2035
- Openings a year
- 7,778,800Combined, BLS EP
Method
How we built this list
The occupations that employ the most people in the United States, ranked by total national employment in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, with each one's median pay and projected growth beside it.
- Ranked by total national employment in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which covers wage and salary workers and excludes the self-employed.
- 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 most common jobs in america
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. Home Health Aide
Healthcare Support
- Median pay
- $35,800median a year
- Growth
- +18.1%
- Openings / yr
- 760,500
- Education
- High school
Monitor the health status of an individual with disabilities or illness, and address their health-related needs, such as changing bandages, dressing wounds, or administering medication.
- 2
2. Retail Salesperson
Sales and Related
- Median pay
- $35,410median a year
- Growth
- −0.3%
- Openings / yr
- 520,600
- Education
- No formal credential
Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers.
- 3
3. Fast Food and Counter Worker
Food Preparation and Serving Related
- Median pay
- $31,200median a year
- Growth
- +5.8%
- Openings / yr
- 827,400
- Education
- No formal credential
Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages.
- 4
4. General and Operations Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $105,770median a year
- Growth
- +5.0%
- Openings / yr
- 285,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations.
- 5
5. Registered Nurse
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $97,550median a year
- Growth
- +5.6%
- Openings / yr
- 180,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records.
- 6
6. Cashier
Sales and Related
- Median pay
- $32,880median a year
- Growth
- −6.5%
- Openings / yr
- 521,300
- Education
- No formal credential
Receive and disburse money in establishments other than financial institutions.
- 7
7. Laborer and Freight, Stock, and Material Mover, Hand
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $40,240median a year
- Growth
- +1.8%
- Openings / yr
- 340,500
- Education
- No formal credential
Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor.
- 8
8. Stocker and Order Filler
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $37,330median a year
- Growth
- +8.9%
- Openings / yr
- 430,700
- Education
- No formal credential
Receive, store, and issue merchandise, materials, equipment, and other items from stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers' orders.
- 9
9. Customer Service Representative
Office and Administrative Support
- Median pay
- $44,770median a year
- Growth
- −5.3%
- Openings / yr
- 289,500
- Education
- High school
Interact with customers to provide basic or scripted information in response to routine inquiries about products and services.
- 10
10. Office Clerk, General
Office and Administrative Support
- Median pay
- $45,010median a year
- Growth
- −6.0%
- Openings / yr
- 249,000
- Education
- High school
Perform duties too varied and diverse to be classified in any specific office clerical occupation, requiring knowledge of office systems and procedures.
- 11
11. Server
Food Preparation and Serving Related
- Median pay
- $35,230median a year
- Growth
- +2.0%
- Openings / yr
- 423,100
- Education
- No formal credential
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
- 12
12. Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
- Median pay
- $36,840median a year
- Growth
- +2.2%
- Openings / yr
- 321,800
- Education
- No formal credential
Keep buildings in clean and orderly condition.
- 13
13. Truck Driver
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $58,640median a year
- Growth
- +3.8%
- Openings / yr
- 214,500
- Education
- Certificate
Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW).
- 14
14. Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Office and Administrative Support
- Median pay
- $47,540median a year
- Growth
- −6.0%
- Openings / yr
- 163,900
- Education
- High school
Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.
- 15
15. Software Developer
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $135,980median a year
- Growth
- +10.2%
- Openings / yr
- 95,300
- Education
- Bachelor's
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs.
- 16
16. Teaching Assistant, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education
Educational Instruction and Library
- Median pay
- $37,010median a year
- Growth
- 0.0%
- Openings / yr
- 201,900
- Education
- N/A
Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher with instructional duties.
- 17
17. 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
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.
- 18
18. Accountant
Business and Financial Operations
- Median pay
- $83,680median a year
- Growth
- +5.0%
- Openings / yr
- 115,300
- Education
- Bachelor's
Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others.
- 19
19. Nursing Assistant
Healthcare Support
- Median pay
- $42,260median a year
- Growth
- +2.6%
- Openings / yr
- 196,200
- Education
- Certificate
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff.
- 20
20. First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers
Office and Administrative Support
- Median pay
- $69,500median a year
- Growth
- +0.1%
- Openings / yr
- 127,400
- Education
- High school
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of clerical and administrative support workers.
- 21
21. Cook, Restaurant
Food Preparation and Serving Related
- Median pay
- $37,390median a year
- Growth
- +12.1%
- Openings / yr
- 218,600
- Education
- No formal credential
Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants.
- 22
22. Team Assembler
Production
- Median pay
- $44,650median a year
- Growth
- +1.1%
- Openings / yr
- 138,700
- Education
- High school
Work as part of a team having responsibility for assembling an entire product or component of a product.
- 23
23. Elementary School Teacher
Educational Instruction and Library
- Median pay
- $63,970median a year
- Growth
- −0.4%
- Openings / yr
- 87,500
- Education
- Bachelor's
Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school level.
- 24
24. Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk
Office and Administrative Support
- Median pay
- $50,670median a year
- Growth
- −5.6%
- Openings / yr
- 144,100
- Education
- Some college
Compute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete.
- 25
25. Security Guard
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $38,020median a year
- Growth
- +0.9%
- Openings / yr
- 156,000
- Education
- High school
Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules.
- 26
- Median pay
- $69,990median a year
- Growth
- +2.7%
- Openings / yr
- 115,700
- Education
- High school
Sell services to individuals or businesses.
- 27
- Median pay
- $72,080median a year
- Growth
- −0.9%
- Openings / yr
- 99,800
- Education
- High school
Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals.
- 28
28. First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
Food Preparation and Serving Related
- Median pay
- $44,080median a year
- Growth
- +5.4%
- Openings / yr
- 171,500
- Education
- High school
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in preparing and serving food.
- 29
29. First-Line Supervisor of Retail Sales Workers
Sales and Related
- Median pay
- $48,520median a year
- Growth
- −3.7%
- Openings / yr
- 113,500
- Education
- High school
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in an establishment or department.
- 30
30. Construction Laborer
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $47,120median a year
- Growth
- +7.3%
- Openings / yr
- 120,000
- Education
- No formal credential
Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites.
Questions
Most Common Jobs in America: FAQ
What is the most common job in America?
Home Health Aide is the most common job in America, with 4,305,810 people employed (BLS OEWS May 2025), followed by Retail Salesperson (3,897,860) and Fast Food and Counter Worker (3,854,050).
Which of these jobs pay the most?
The best-paid of the 30 are Software Developer ($135,980), General and Operations Manager ($105,770) and Registered Nurse ($97,550) (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Which of these jobs don’t require a degree?
24 of the 30 have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree (BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035). The best-paid of them: Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products ($72,080), Sales Representative of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel ($69,990) and First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers ($69,500).
How is this list ranked?
The occupations that employ the most people in the United States, ranked by total national employment in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, with each one's median pay and projected growth beside it. Ranked by total national employment in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which covers wage and salary workers and excludes the self-employed. 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.