How to survive layoffs and protect your finances
As more Americans lose their jobs, these tips will help you protect your finances, secure health insurance, and find your next job faster.
Good news for those considering becoming a home health aide. As of 2024, approximately 4 million people will be employed in the profession.
And there’s some less encouraging news as well. The median salary for a home health or personal care aide is just $34,900.
And this is true for many of America’s most common jobs. There are many positions available, but the pay is not very high.
Of the 20 most popular jobs in the nation, only two pay six-figure salaries, according to average salary data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only five people are paid more than $50,000 a year.
“There’s a lot of focus on things like cashiers, home health aides, retail sales,” said Michelle Holder, an associate professor of economics at John Jay College of the City University of New York. “Someone has to do it, right? This is a service economy. Jobs are determined by our wants and needs.”
Of course, the big advantage of common jobs is the huge number of positions available. With 3.8 million retail sales jobs available, you should be able to find a job in almost any market.
However, even that axiom does not always hold true.
“You can’t take any guarantees that these jobs will always be easy to find,” said Keith Spencer, career expert at resume writing service Resume Now.
For example, during the Great Recession of 2008, “a lot of people were trying to find backup jobs in retail and food service, and those jobs became harder to find,” Spencer said.
Wages are low and there is little job security.
If you have the most common job, you may be easily replaced.
According to federal data, only two of the 10 most common jobs require a bachelor’s degree. One of those occupations is General and Operations Manager, a job with a median income of $102,950 in 2024. The other is a registered nurse, with a salary of $93,600.
In contrast, fast food and counter jobs do not require a formal educational background. And this gig pays an average of $30,480 per year.
“These are the roles where you hear about toxic employers who boast that anyone can replace them,” Spencer said.
An adult earning just $30,000 a year working at a fast food counter would have a hard time supporting a family, Holder said.
“To achieve middle-class status, both adults need to work,” she says. “That’s the drawback.”
Some of the nation’s most prevalent occupations will benefit from strong growth over the next decade. For example, the home health aide occupation is projected to grow by 17% between 2024 and 2034, according to the Department of Labor.
“Anything directly related to health care is going to be an opportunity,” said Ronnie Golden, an economist at Penn State University’s Abington campus.
Other large sectors are shrinking. With the rise of self-checkout, the number of cashiers is predicted to decline by 10% over the next 10 years.
These are the most common jobs in America
Here are the 20 most common jobs in America and their salaries.
- Home health and personal care aides. Number of job openings: 3.99 million. Average salary: $34,900
- Retail salesperson. Number of jobs: 3.8 million. Average salary: $34,580
- Fast food and counter employees. Number of job openings: 3.78 million. Average salary: $30,480
- General Manager and Operations Manager. Number of jobs: 3.6 million. Average salary: $102,950
- Registered nurse. Number of jobs: 3.3 million. Average salary: $93,600
- Cashier. Number of jobs: 3.1 million. Average salary: $31,190
- Labor and freight carriers, inventory carriers, and material carriers. Number of jobs: 3 million. Average salary: $38,940
- Stocker and order filler. Number of jobs: 2.8 million. Average salary: 37,090
- Customer service representative. Number of jobs: 2.7 million. Average salary: $42,830
- Clerk. Number of jobs: 2.5 million. Average salary: $43,630
- waiters and waitresses. Number of jobs: 2.3 million. Average salary: $33,760
- Janitors and cleaners, excluding maids and housekeepers. Number of jobs: 2.2 million. Average salary: $35,930
- Heavy truck and tractor trailer truck drivers. Number of jobs: 2.1 million. Average salary: $57,440
- Secretaries and administrative assistants, excluding legal, medical, and executive positions. Number of jobs: 1.7 million. Average salary: $46,290
- Software developer. Number of jobs: 1.65 million. Average salary: $133,080
- maintenance and repair workers. Number of job openings: 1.53 million. Average salary: $48,620
- First-line supervisors of office workers and administrative support workers. Number of jobs: 1.5 million. Average salary: $66,140
- assemblers and manufacturers. Number of job openings: 1.46 million. Average salary: $42,210
- Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks. Number of job openings: 1.46 million. Average salary: $49,210
- A restaurant cook. Number of jobs: 1.45 million. Average salary: $36,830
. . . Here are the 10 least common jobs in America
If you’ve read this far, let’s take a look at some of the least popular professions in the country.
The least common occupation in America is that of a wood mold maker, with fewer than 200 jobs available nationwide, according to the Department of Labor.
There are also fewer geographers and astronomers. There are very few stargazers. So many stars.
Here are the 10 least common jobs in America and their salaries.
patterner, wood. Number of vacancies: 180. Median salary: $52,520
A company that assembles and adjusts timing devices. Number of vacancies: 230. Median salary: $40,790
Model maker, wood. Number of jobs: 360. Median salary: $51,850
Individual home cook. Number of vacancies: 900. Median salary: $44,530
Dredger operator. Number of vacancies: 1,030. Average salary: $48,430
Clocks and watch repairers. Number of jobs: 1,300. Average salary: $60,690
Forestry and Conservation Science Teacher, Higher Education Professional. Number of job openings: 1,310. Average salary: $100,830
Geographer. Number of vacancies: 1,380. Average salary: $97,200
paper hanger. Number of vacancies: 1,520. Average salary: $48,260
Astronomer. Number of job openings: 1,560. Average salary: $132,170
