Occupations by gender: The facts

Over the past several decades, the American labor market has changed dramatically in both the nature of work and the composition of the workforce. One key trend is the dramatic increase in the share of women in the labor market: in 1968, about 65% of workers aged 25-54 were men; by 1992, that share had fallen to 54%. Since then, it has remained stable, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

Alongside the demographic shifts in the overall labor market came changes by occupation. As women entered the workforce, some occupations saw large shifts and others barely changed, as shown in figure 2. Notably, most occupations that shifted have moved toward gender balance.

Figure 2

Many occupations that were heavily male became more gender-balanced. “Management in Business, Science and Arts” (including chief executives, financial managers, and public relations managers) went from 87% male in 1968 to 55% male in 2024. “Life, Physical, and Social Science” occupations shifted from 87% male to 45% male. “Legal” occupations moved from 95% male to 45% male.

Some occupations even became more male over time. “Food Preparation and Serving” shifted from 22% male in 1968 to 51% male in 2024. “Computer and Mathematical” was 77% male in 1968, dipped to 65% male in 1992, then rose back to 74% male in 2024 as the tech sector expanded rapidly.

Other occupational groups remained heavily gender-skewed. Construction and repair roles, protective services and technical roles remain overwhelmingly male, while healthcare and teaching not only have few men, but have a declining share of men. The education sector (including training roles and librarians) has dropped from a male share of 40% in 1968 to 26% today; the male share of healthcare practitioners has fallen from 37% to 23% over the same period. (For more on the lack of men in these occupations see our paper “The HEAL Economy”).

Work across the country

Beyond these national trends, regional economic specialization creates distinct occupational patterns. While management is the most common occupation for men nationally, it varies by state, as shown in figure 4. In Washington, software development is the most common male occupation, comprising about 7% of male workers in 2024. Trucking dominates in several states, including Iowa (6% of all male workers) and Rhode Island (9%).

Figure 4

Women show slightly more geographic variation, as shown in figure 5. Nursing is the most common female occupation in the largest number of states — particularly across the upper Midwest, parts of the South, and New England. In both West Virginia and South Dakota, about one-in-ten female workers were registered nurses in 2024. In several states, particularly across the Southwest, teaching is the most common occupation for women. In Texas, about 6% of female workers were elementary and middle school teachers; in Connecticut, about 7%

Figure 5