Top Five Major Occupational Groups of Blacks
Based on 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the top occupations for Black Americans are in service, professional, and management fields. Within these broad categories, Black workers are significantly overrepresented in specific healthcare, security, and transportation jobs.
Top occupational groups for Black workers:
The top five major occupational groups with the highest share of Black workers in 2023 were:
- Professional and related occupations (21.6% of Black workers): This category includes jobs in education and healthcare, where Black women, in particular, have made considerable career progress.
- Service occupations (21.5%): This group includes healthcare support (such as nursing assistants and home health aides), food service, and cleaning and maintenance jobs.
- Management, business, and financial operations occupations (14.4%): Over one-third of Black workers have jobs in these higher-skilled fields, a significant increase from past decades.
- Office and administrative support occupations (11.7%): This area includes clerical positions and other administrative roles.
- Transportation and material moving occupations (11.4%): Black workers, especially men, have a significant presence in transportation and logistics roles, including bus drivers and postal workers.
Professions with notable overrepresentation
Compared to the overall workforce, Black workers are particularly overrepresented in the following detailed occupations:
- Nursing assistants: In 2023, 38% of nursing assistants were Black, nearly three times the share of Black workers in the overall labor force.
- Security guards and gambling surveillance officers: 36% of workers in these jobs were Black in 2023.
- Transit and intercity bus drivers: This field saw 33% of its workers identify as Black in 2023.
- Licensed practical and vocational nurses: Black workers made up 32% of this profession.
- Home health aides: In 2022, 33% of home health aides were Black.