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: $37,990Number employed: 605,590
2. Retail salespersons
Annual median wage: $37,350Number employed: 212,470
3. Registered nurses
Annual median wage: $113,490Number employed: 195,470
4. General and operations managers
Annual median wage: $149,260Number employed: 187,400
5. Janitors and cleaners (except maids and housekeeping cleaners)
Annual median wage: $40,350Number employed: 177,960
Los Angeles
1. Home health and personal care aides
Annual median wage: $34,600Number employed: 350,610
2. Fast food and counter workers
Annual median wage: $36,480Number employed: 153,840
3. Manual freight and stock movers
Annual median wage: $39,200Number employed: 128,800
4. Retail salespersons
Annual median wage: $36,580Number employed: 122,120
5. Cashiers
Annual median wage: $36,120Number employed: 114,090
Chicago
1. Manual freight and stock movers
Annual median wage: $40,030Number employed: 146,710
2. General and operations managers
Annual median wage: $105,310Number employed: 121,110
3. Fast food and counter workers
Annual median wage: $33,020Number employed: 104,270
4. Retail salespersons
Annual median wage: $34,910Number employed: 102,320
5. Registered nurses
Annual median wage: $96,480Number employed: 100,620
Houston
1. General and operations managers
Annual median wage: $108,090Number employed: 105,830
2. Fast food and counter workers
Annual median wage: $26,960Number employed: 89,540
3. Retail salespersons
Annual median wage: $30,260Number employed: 75,920
4. Registered nurses
Annual median wage: $97,810Number employed: 65,300
5. Customer service representatives
Annual median wage: $39,310Number employed: 64,180
Phoenix
1. General and operations managers
Annual median wage: $94,130Number employed: 73,000
2. Customer service representatives
Annual median wage: $44,400Number employed: 69,410
3. Retail salespersons
Annual median wage: $35,550Number employed: 64,030
4. Fast food and counter workers
Annual median wage: $33,870Number employed: 62,150
5. Manual freight and stock movers
Annual median wage: $39,630Number employed: 57,320
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