40 Interesting Facts about U.S. Jobs

By James Israelsen, Associate Writer

Published October 6, 2019

On average, men in the US make $97 more per week than their female counterparts._[4]
Around 490,000 Americans work as fast food cooks._[5]
As of 2012, there were an estimated one million prostitutes living and working in the United States._[19]
The President of the United States of America makes $400,000 a year, plus money for travel expenses._[10]
As of May 2019, the US unemployment rate is lower than it has been since 1969._[4]
The highest unemployment rate in US history was in 1933, during the Great Depression, when 24.9% of Americans were out of work._[1]
The career of "data scientist" has been judged one of the most most lucrative and attractive careers of the 21st century. Data scientists analyze information, such as market and statistical trends, in order to help their companies make sound decisions and investments._[21]
Some of the most coveted jobs, as of 2019, are in the technology or healthcare fields. As tech continues to grow, so does the need for talented workers, and as the baby boomer generation ages, there is increased demand for healthcare professionals._[21]
As of 2018, there were approximately eight million undocumented immigrants working in the United States, around 5% of the US labor force._[15]

Mechanization and the exportation of jobs to other countries are two of the factors behind the decrease

Manufacturing in the United States has decreased from providing 32.1% of the nation's jobs in 1953 to only 8.5% in 2017.
_[9]
The US automobile industry has suffered greatly during the early 21st century. Between 1994 and 2018, roughly 350,000 American auto jobs were lost._[20]
The 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) eliminated most tariffs between Canada, Mexico, and the United States, in an attempt to stimulate more trade between the three countries. While many argue that the trade agreement has positively impacted the US economy, others charge it with the loss of American manufacturing jobs and increased disenfranchisement of Mexican workers here and in Mexico._[15][25]
Many immigrants to the United States find themselves working in sweatshop conditions, either in factories within US cities or in suburban jobs as maintenance workers, landscapers, or live-in domestic workers._[14]
Human trafficking, largely for sexual exploitation, is a billion-dollar global industry and has a large presence in the United States. Nearly 9,000 cases were reported in the United States in 2017, and the fact that the crime is highly unreported means the total is likely far higher._[13]
The clothing industry is one of the worst offenders when it comes to the creation of sweatshop conditions. In Los Angeles, investigative journalists found individuals who were sewing clothing for as little as $3.42 an hour._[14][17]

Unions were once a staple of American working life

American unions have steadily declined since the 1970s. In the 1940s and 50s, over one-third of all non-agricultural, private-sector workers were unionized. By 2009, only 7% of such workers belonged to a union._[22]
Many women who work as prostitutes in the United States were sexually exploited or trafficked first._[13]
Teachers in the United States make around $58,000 per year, on average._[7]
Teachers make the most in New York (around $75,000 a year) and the least in South Dakota (only $40,000)._[27]
Of the twenty wealthiest people in the world, fourteen are US citizens._[29]
Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, is both the richest American and the richest person in the world._[29]
American reality tv star and fashion icon Kylie Jenner is the youngest billionaire in the world._[29]
Some of the lowest-paying jobs in the United States include cashier, movie theater worker, farmhand, amusement park worker, and dishwasher._[28]

The minimum wage has been a staple of American work life since FDR

The first minimum wage law was passed under Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, setting the wage at 25 cents per hour. That's about $4.45 in 2019 money._[18]
As of 2019, the US minimum wage is $7.25 per hour._[18]
The US Congress has raised the minimum wage 22 times since the wage's creation in 1938. However, when adjusting for inflation, 1968 was the high point for minimum-wage workers. The wage was only $1.60 an hour, but in 2019 terms, that's about $11.55 an hour._[18]
Though the national minimum wage is set by Congress, cities and states can set their own minimum-wage laws, provided it is not below the national requirement. As of 2019, 29 states had minimum wages higher than the federal mandate._[18]
Around 2.05 million farms are in operation in the United States as of 2017, with around 3.2 million farmers._[11][12]
Around 15.2% of the American workforce works for the public sector._[24]
Agriculture accounts for approximately 1% of the US GDP._[12]
Approximately 99% of American farms are run by farming families. Farming and ranching families make up around 2% of the US population._[12]

The number of American farms today is only a fraction of what it was 100 years ago

There are 6,350 political scientists working in the United States. Over half of them work in Washington, DC._[16]
The gambling industry in Nevada makes it the home of unique occupations like gaming dealer and gaming supervisor._[16]
There were 5,147 accidental deaths in the American workforce 2017._[23]

Not a job for the faint of heart

The most dangerous job in the United States is lumberjack. A lumberjack is about 30 times more likely to die on the job than the average worker._[8]
The most dangerous jobs in America include logger, deep-sea fisherman, and airplane pilot._[26]
The safest American jobs include librarian, secretary, and salesperson._[26]
Physicians, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and physician's assistants are some of the highest paid jobs in the United States._[6]
As of 2019, there are around 11.8 million American households worth a million dollars or more. That means that 3% of US citizens are millionaires._[2]
Of full-time workers in the United States, 88% have access to medical insurance. Only 21% of part-time workers have access._[3]