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The most common jobs in the largest U.S. cities—and how much they pay
There are nearly 4 million health and personal care aides in the U.S.
In fact, health and personal care aides were the most common job Americans held as of May 2024, earning an annual median salary of $34,000, according to a CNBC Make It analysis of the latest data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Other common occupations held by Americans include retail salespeople, registered nurses, customer service representatives and fast food and counter workers, though the results vary slightly by geography.
The most popular job in Chicago, the third-largest U.S. city by population, involves manual labor. Workers who move freight, stock, luggage or perform general labor tasks have an annual median wage of $40,030 in the Windy City.
In Los Angeles, manual freight and stock movers are paid a median annual salary of $39,200, and in Phoenix they bring in a marginally higher annual median salary of $39,630.
Of the five most common jobs in America’s most populous cities, registered nurses and general and operations managers bring in the highest salaries. In New York, annual median salaries for both occupations are over six figures.
Here are the five most common jobs in the metro areas of the five most populous cities in the U.S. — and how much they pay.
New York
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 (except maids and housekeeping cleaners)
- Annual median wage: $40,350
- Number employed: 177,960
Los Angeles
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
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
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
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
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