The 5 most common jobs in America’s most populous cities—and how much they pay
In a revealing snapshot of the U.S. labor market, home health and personal care aides have emerged as the nation's most common occupation, a testament to the growing demand for care services. However, a new analysis of federal data shows a stark contrast in earnings, with the nation's most prevalent job often paying a fraction of what other common roles command.
According to a recent CNBC Make It analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as of May 2024, nearly 4 million Americans are employed as health and personal care aides. The role has become the cornerstone of home-based care for an aging population and offers a national median annual salary of $34,000.
While care aides dominate the national landscape, the employment picture shifts when viewed through a regional lens. Other common occupations across the country include retail salespeople, registered nurses, customer service representatives, and fast food workers.
In Chicago, the nation's third-largest city, the most popular job involves manual labor. "Manual freight, stock, and material movers" lead the Windy City's employment charts, earning a median annual wage of $40,030. This contrasts sharply with Los Angeles and Phoenix, where the same occupation ranks third and fifth, respectively, with median salaries of $39,200 and $39,630.
Across the five most populous U.S. cities, a clear trend emerges: while service and labor jobs are the most numerous, the highest salaries among the top five are consistently reserved for registered nurses and general and operations managers. In New York, both roles command six-figure median salaries, highlighting a significant pay gap within the most common jobs.
Here is a breakdown of the five most common jobs and their median wages in America's largest metropolitan areas:
#### **New York City**
The financial capital shows a high demand for both care and management roles, with the latter offering substantially higher pay.
1. **Home health and personal care aides**
* Annual median wage: $37,990
* Number employed: 605,590
2. **Retail salespersons**
* Annual median wage: $37,350
* Number employed: 212,470
3. **Registered nurses**
* Annual median wage: $113,490
* Number employed: 195,470
4. **General and operations managers**
* Annual median wage: $149,260
* Number employed: 187,400
5. **Janitors and cleaners**
* Annual median wage: $40,350
* Number employed: 177,960
#### **Los Angeles**
In the entertainment capital, care aides and fast food workers dominate the top spots, with salaries clustering around the mid-to-high $30,000s.
1. **Home health and personal care aides**
* Annual median wage: $34,600
* Number employed: 350,610
2. **Fast food and counter workers**
* Annual median wage: $36,480
* Number employed: 153,840
3. **Manual freight and stock movers**
* Annual median wage: $39,200
* Number employed: 128,800
4. **Retail salespersons**
* Annual median wage: $36,580
* Number employed: 122,120
5. **Cashiers**
* Annual median wage: $36,120
* Number employed: 114,090
#### **Chicago**
The Windy City's job market is led by manual labor and management, with a significant wage gap between the two.
1. **Manual freight and stock movers**
* Annual median wage: $40,030
* Number employed: 146,710
2. **General and operations managers**
* Annual median wage: $105,310
* Number employed: 121,110
3. **Fast food and counter workers**
* Annual median wage: $33,020
* Number employed: 104,270
4. **Retail salespersons**
* Annual median wage: $34,910
* Number employed: 102,320
5. **Registered nurses**
* Annual median wage: $96,480
* Number employed: 100,620
#### **Houston**
Houston's top job is management, but the city also shows some of the lowest wages for common service roles among the major metros.
1. **General and operations managers**
* Annual median wage: $108,090
* Number employed: 105,830
2. **Fast food and counter workers**
* Annual median wage: $26,960
* Number employed: 89,540
3. **Retail salespersons**
* Annual median wage: $30,260
* Number employed: 75,920
4. **Registered nurses**
* Annual median wage: $97,810
* Number employed: 65,300
5. **Customer service representatives**
* Annual median wage: $39,310
* Number employed: 64,180
#### **Phoenix**
In the Valley of the Sun, management and customer service roles are the most prevalent, with wages for common jobs showing a moderate range.
1. **General and operations managers**
* Annual median wage: $94,130
* Number employed: 73,000
2. **Customer service representatives**
* Annual median wage: $44,400
* Number employed: 69,410
3. **Retail salespersons**
* Annual median wage: $35,550
* Number employed: 64,030
4. **Fast food and counter workers**
* Annual median wage: $33,870
* Number employed: 62,150
5. **Manual freight and stock movers**
* Annual median wage: $39,630
* Number employed: 57,320