- Different jobs are concentrated in different parts of the country.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a convenient measure for how concentrated certain jobs are in different metropolitan areas.
Different jobs are concentrated in different parts of the country.
Using recently released data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, we took a look at the most overrepresented job in the 40 biggest US metropolitan statistical areas, among professions with at least 1,000 employees in the region. Each of these metro areas has more people working these jobs per capita than the nation as a whole, based on the BLS’ location quotients for those jobs, as described in our post looking at disproportionately popular jobs at the state level.
Here are the most disproportionately popular jobs in each of the 40 biggest US metro areas.
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA: Fashion designers
Number employed: 6,740
Employment per 1,000 workers: 0.724
Location quotient: 5.45
Median annual salary: $76,940
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: Theatrical and performance makeup artists
Number employed: 1,750
Employment per 1,000 workers: 0.290
Location quotient: 11.69
Median annual salary: $67,250
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI: Occupational therapy aides
Number employed: 2,020
Employment per 1,000 workers: 0.440
Location quotient: 8.11
Median annual salary: $26,470
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: Wellhead pumpers
Number employed: 1,140
Employment per 1,000 workers: 0.327
Location quotient: 4.16
Median annual salary: $55,870
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX: Petroleum engineers
Number employed: 10,950
Employment per 1,000 workers: 3.739
Location quotient: 16.65
Median annual salary: $156,250
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: Political scientists
Number employed: 4,570
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.473
Location quotient: 33.24
Median annual salary: $123,230
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: Sailors and marine oilers
Number employed: 2,800
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.092
Location quotient: 5.03
Median annual salary: No estimate given by BLS.
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: Shampooers
Number employed: 1,350
Employment per 1,000 workers: 0.478
Location quotient: 5.11
Median annual salary: $19,440
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
Number employed: 6,720
Employment per 1,000 workers: 2.566
Location quotient: 4.35
Median annual salary: No estimate given by BLS.
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH: Biochemists and biophysicists
Number employed: 3,820
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.400
Location quotient: 7.29
Median annual salary: $108,200
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ: Semiconductor processors
Number employed: 1,830
Employment per 1,000 workers: 0.925
Location quotient: 5.60
Median annual salary: $34,880
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: Subway and streetcar operators
Number employed: 2,910
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.227
Location quotient: 14.49
Median annual salary: $61,560
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: Tapers
Number employed: 1,250
Employment per 1,000 workers: 0.872
Location quotient: 6.87
Median annual salary: $55,490
According to the Department of Labor's O*NET occupational database, tapers seal joints between plasterboard or drywall pieces to prepare a wall for painting or papering.
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: Metal and plastic model makers
Number employed: 1,110
Employment per 1,000 workers: 0.565
Location quotient: 13.85
Median annual salary: $68,480
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: Tapers
Number employed: 1,300
Employment per 1,000 workers: 0.667
Location quotient: 5.26
Median annual salary: $51,310
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: Biomedical engineers
Number employed: 1,240
Employment per 1,000 workers: 0.639
Location quotient: 4.53
Median annual salary: $107,130
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA: Electronics engineers, except computer
Number employed: 6,080
Employment per 1,000 workers: 4.244
Location quotient: 4.48
Median annual salary: $123,130
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: Private detectives and investigators
Number employed: 1,720
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.343
Location quotient: 6.18
Median annual salary: $54,140
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO: Financial clerks, all other
Number employed: 1,670
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.157
Location quotient: 5.11
Median annual salary: $45,940
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: Education administrators, all other
Number employed: 1,550
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.136
Location quotient: 4.48
Median annual salary: $95,920
St. Louis, MO-IL: Financial examiners
Number employed: 1,290
Employment per 1,000 workers: 0.953
Location quotient: 2.58
Median annual salary: $70,260
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC: Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders
Number employed: 1,640
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.382
Location quotient: 6.37
Median annual salary: $23,130
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL: Concierges
Number employed: 1,880
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.553
Location quotient: 6.19
Median annual salary: $24,160
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX: Telemarketers
Number employed: 5,720
Employment per 1,000 workers: 5.698
Location quotient: 4.28
Median annual salary: $25,690
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: Semiconductor processors
Number employed: 3,230
Employment per 1,000 workers: 2.789
Location quotient: 16.89
Median annual salary: $35,960
Pittsburgh, PA: Crossing guards
Number employed: 1,630
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.438
Location quotient: 2.68
Median annual salary: $26,690
Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA: Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
Number employed: 3,310
Employment per 1,000 workers: 3.449
Location quotient: 8.68
Median annual salary: $50,080
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV: Gaming service workers, all other
Number employed: 2,530
Employment per 1,000 workers: 2.629
Location quotient: 38.80
Median annual salary: $29,600
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN: Engine and other machine assemblers
Number employed: 1,180
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.115
Location quotient: 4.21
Median annual salary: $55,570
Kansas City, MO-KS: Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
Number employed: 1,560
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.483
Location quotient: 3.73
Median annual salary: $41,700
Austin-Round Rock, TX: Semiconductor processors
Number employed: 1,090
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.097
Location quotient: 6.65
Median annual salary: $37,620
Columbus, OH: Office machine operators, except computer
Number employed: 1,520
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.469
Location quotient: 3.81
Median annual salary: $26,330
Cleveland-Elyria, OH: Engine and other machine assemblers
Number employed: 1,210
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.173
Location quotient: 4.43
Median annual salary: $56,230
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN: Therapists, all other
Number employed: 1,030
Employment per 1,000 workers: 0.999
Location quotient: 11.85
Median annual salary: $39,270
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: Computer hardware engineers
Number employed: 9,790
Employment per 1,000 workers: 8.989
Location quotient: 19.19
Median annual salary: $145,510
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN: Metal and plastic forging machine setters, operators, and tenders
Number employed: 2,110
Employment per 1,000 workers: 2.245
Location quotient: 17.49
Median annual salary: $57,010
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC: Ship engineers
Number employed: 1,390
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.871
Location quotient: 33.80
Median annual salary: $59,040
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA: Protective service workers, all other
Number employed: 1,750
Employment per 1,000 workers: 3.077
Location quotient: 3.24
Median annual salary: $32,800
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI: Print binding and finishing workers
Number employed: 1,500
Employment per 1,000 workers: 1.780
Location quotient: 5.21
Median annual salary: $32,090
Jacksonville, FL: Special education teachers, all other
Number employed: 1,580
Employment per 1,000 workers: 2.367
Location quotient: 8.88
Median annual salary: $55,160