Special Report

The Most Popular Job in Each US State

24/7 Wall St. Staff

Published: February 23, 2024 11:50 am

The United States leads the globe with the largest and strongest economy (China follows in the second position). The automotive and steel industries were once the symbols of the American job structure, and even though these industries are still a large part of the economy, there has been a shift towards technology. According to KPMG’s 2018 global technology innovation survey, more than a third of tech industry leaders around the world say the U.S. remains the world’s leading technology and innovation hub. 

But the U.S. economy is more than that. It is a unique sum of the parts of 50 states whose identities are often tied to a particular job or industry. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on employment by state for all detailed occupations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Wage and Employment Statistics survey for May 2022 to determine the most popular job in each U.S. state. Occupations in each state were ranked by their location quotient – the ratio of the concentration of an occupation’s employment in a state relative to its concentration nationwide.

For example, if an occupation makes up 10% of the state’s total employment but only 2% of U.S. employment, the location quotient is 5. We considered the occupation with the highest location quotient in a state to be the most iconic. Only occupations with at least 500 employees or more in every state were considered. All other data is also from the BLS. 

Certain occupations have exploded in the country. Gambling-related jobs in the U.S. are one of these jobs, and although this industry is typically associated with Nevada (and rightfully so), other states have a higher concentration of those occupations within their respective states than the U.S. average, such as Minnesota, Montana, and Oklahoma. (Also see, industries laying off the most workers.)

There are many regions where certain fields have a higher concentration than others. Occupations in the textile industry are closely tied to Southern states, and the data confirms this. Textile-related jobs are more highly concentrated in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Mississippi than the U.S. average concentration. Many of the jobs in the gambling and textile industries pay less than $40,000 a year.  

A surge in energy jobs has enticed workers to flock to states such as North Dakota, Wyoming, and Texas, and indeed the most popular jobs in these states are wellhead pumpers, roustabouts, and derrick operators, respectively. 

West Virginia’s most popular job has the highest location quotient of any occupation of any state on the list. The share of roof bolters and mining jobs in West Virginia is more than 87 times the average share nationwide. Other states where there is a job concentration above the national average in mining are Utah and Arizona.

Here is the most popular job in each U.S. state.

Alabama: Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 6.2 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,990 (state); 23,830 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $37,270 (state); $34,610 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Logging equipment operators; rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal, and plastic; meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers

Alaska: Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 20.7 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 740 (state); 17,410 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $81,320 (state); $72,610 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Commercial pilots; service unit operators, oil and gas; power plant operators

Arizona: Continuous Mining Machine Operators

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 6.8 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,880 (state); 13,500 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $51,800 (state); $57,120 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Semiconductor processing technicians; plasterers and stucco masons; psychiatric technicians

Arkansas: Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 7.6 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,470 (state); 23,280 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $33,470 (state); $32,990 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers; coil winders, tapers, and finishers; logging equipment operators

California: Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 5.6 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 188,580 (state); 284,000 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $34,790 (state); $34,300 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Makeup artists, theatrical and performance; miscellaneous media and communication workers; special effects artists and animators

Colorado: Atmospheric and Space Scientists

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 5.7 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,050 (state); 9,900 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $107,220 (state); $93,610 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Cartographers and photogrammetrists; miscellaneous information and record clerks; geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

Connecticut: Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 5.4 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,160 (state); 19,410 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $48,140 (state); $47,820 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Actuaries; rehabilitation counselors; tool and die makers

Delaware: Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 8.3 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 3,400 (state); 133,460 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $31,190 (state); $35,090 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Financial risk specialists; chemists; brokerage clerks

Florida: Bridge and Lock Tenders

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 3.6 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 820 (state); 3,690 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $32,040 (state); $46,910 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Pile driver operators; fiberglass laminators and fabricators; airfield operations specialists

Georgia: Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 11.5 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 8,570 (state); 23,830 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $34,890 (state); $34,610 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders; extruding and forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, synthetic and glass fibers; textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders

Hawaii: Motorboat Operators

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 45.4 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 570 (state); 3,110 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $52,930 (state); $47,300 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Passenger attendants; baggage porters and bellhops; transportation security screeners

Idaho: Nuclear Engineers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 9.0 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 590 (state); 12,250 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $149,100 (state); $124,540 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Recreational vehicle service technicians; graders and sorters, agricultural products; food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders

Illinois: Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 6.3 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 960 (state); 3,840 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $79,540 (state); $82,160 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Actuaries; shampooers; orthodontists

Indiana: Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 10.6 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 4,290 (state); 19,320 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $67,860 (state); $53,450 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Engine and other machine assemblers; welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders; furniture finishers

Iowa: Agricultural Technicians

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 9.2 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,250 (state); 13,140 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $49,630 (state); $45,640 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Agricultural equipment operators; soil and plant scientists; slaughterers and meat packers

Kansas: Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 19.2 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 5,760 (state); 32,140 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $56,560 (state); $60,110 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians; wind turbine service technicians; recreational therapists

Kentucky: Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 7.3 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,000 (state); 10,650 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $52,490 (state); $46,940 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Farm and home management educators; welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders; sailors and marine oilers

Louisiana: Sailors and Marine Oilers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 19.1 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 6,790 (state); 28,500 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $52,910 (state); $53,350 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Miscellaneous entertainers and performers, sports and related workers; miscellaneous extraction workers; captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels

Maine: Logging Equipment Operators

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 7.4 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 760 (state); 24,780 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $43,240 (state); $46,570 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Crossing guards and flaggers; structural metal fabricators and fitters; miscellaneous social workers

Maryland: Astronomers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 18.0 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 690 (state); 2,160 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $141,880 (state); $127,460 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Miscellaneous healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners; statisticians; miscellaneous physical scientists

Massachusetts: Biochemists and Biophysicists

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 10.5 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 8,250 (state); 32,500 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $117,830 (state); $114,740 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Microbiologists; oral and maxillofacial surgeons; medical scientists, except epidemiologists

Michigan: Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 9.3 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 590 (state); 2,230 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $64,050 (state); $55,470 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Model makers, metal and plastic; engine and other machine assemblers; mechanical engineering technologists and technicians

Minnesota: Gambling Service Workers, All Other

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 13.2 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 3,090 (state); 12,260 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $30,520 (state); $34,340 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Gambling and sports book writers and runners; special education teachers, preschool; prepress technicians and workers

Mississippi: Upholsterers

Source: Thinkstock

• Concentration of occupation within state: 17.0 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 3,500 (state); 26,990 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $37,280 (state); $41,900 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Psychiatric aides; adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders; logging equipment operators

Missouri: Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 6.8 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 830 (state); 6,420 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $48,000 (state); $44,240 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants; miscellaneous transportation workers; new accounts clerks

Montana: Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 21.7 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 570 (state); 7,910 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $20,020 (state); $32,310 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Forest and conservation technicians; locomotive engineers; gambling change persons and booth cashiers

Nebraska: Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 8.9 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 500 (state); 8,530 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $73,550 (state); $71,740 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Agricultural inspectors; slaughterers and meat packers; agricultural equipment operators

Nevada: Gambling Managers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 31.8 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,460 (state); 4,800 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $90,350 (state); $95,830 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Taxi drivers; miscellaneous extraction workers; gambling dealers

New Hampshire: Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 6.5 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 610 (state); 21,030 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $40,520 (state); $41,960 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Cooks, short order; computer numerically controlled tool operators; brokerage clerks

New Jersey: Shampooers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 7.8 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,620 (state); 7,480 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $29,190 (state); $27,870 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Packers and packagers, hand; miscellaneous food preparation and serving related workers; natural sciences managers

New Mexico: Extraction Worker Helpers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 17.5 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 670 (state); 6,910 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $43,760 (state); $44,410 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Nuclear engineers; wellhead pumpers; roustabouts, oil and gas

New York: Transit and Railroad Police

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 7.0 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,460 (state); 3,370 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $76,290 (state); $76,380 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Fashion designers; word processors and typists; fabric and apparel patternmakers

North Carolina: Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 7.4 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,550 (state); 6,640 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $30,030 (state); $33,900 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders; textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders; upholsterers

North Dakota: Wellhead Pumpers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 30.6 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,220 (state); 14,550 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $64,350 (state); $65,510 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Service unit operators, oil and gas; derrick operators, oil and gas; roustabouts, oil and gas

Ohio: Engine and Other Machine Assemblers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 4.2 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 7,660 (state); 50,120 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $56,370 (state); $51,980 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal, and plastic; forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal, and plastic; heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal, and plastic

Oklahoma: Gambling Surveillance Officers and Gambling Investigators

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 14.9 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,700 (state); 10,500 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $31,310 (state); $39,290 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Rotary drill operators, oil and gas; gambling cage workers; gambling change persons and booth cashiers

Oregon: Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 24.2 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 18,430 (state); 59,310 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $34,900 (state); $33,580 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Miscellaneous logging workers; semiconductor processing technicians; computer hardware engineers

Pennsylvania: Pourers and Casters, Metal

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 4.5 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,070 (state); 6,070 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $42,690 (state); $46,600 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Shampooers; mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers; crossing guards and flaggers

Rhode Island: Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 7.5 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 640 (state); 26,280 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $45,750 (state); $50,530 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Motorboat mechanics and service technicians; school bus monitors; first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

South Carolina: Tire Builders

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 15.4 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 4,120 (state); 18,360 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $52,610 (state); $50,600 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Extruding and forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, synthetic and glass fibers; textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders; nuclear technicians

South Dakota: Forest and Conservation Workers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 34.4 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 610 (state); 6,080 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $33,250 (state); $36,010 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation; gambling change persons and booth cashiers; farm equipment mechanics and service technicians

Tennessee: Statistical Assistants

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 12.0 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,690 (state); 6,710 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $51,840 (state); $54,630 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic; miscellaneous agricultural workers; coil winders, tapers, and finishers

Texas: Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 7.2 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 6,930 (state); 10,950 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $51,570 (state); $53,770 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Wellhead pumpers; petroleum engineers; rotary drill operators, oil and gas

Utah: Continuous Mining Machine Operators

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 7.2 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,070 (state); 13,500 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $63,690 (state); $57,120 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Stonemasons; miscellaneous woodworkers; tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents

Vermont: Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 5.0 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 940 (state); 94,270 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $48,080 (state); $51,620 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Highway maintenance workers; computer numerically controlled tool operators; cooks, short-order

Virginia: Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 12.6 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 2,260 (state); 6,890 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $57,530 (state); $56,170 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Ship engineers; miscellaneous legal support workers; marine engineers and naval architects

Washington: Tapers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 7.4 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 2,420 (state); 14,290 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $75,320 (state); $65,880 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Miscellaneous mathematical science occupations; miscellaneous logging workers; zoologists and wildlife biologists

West Virginia: Roof Bolters, Mining

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 87.5 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 680 (state); 1,700 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $66,080 (state); $63,990 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Miscellaneous extraction workers; loading and moving machine operators, underground mining; continuous mining machine operators

Wisconsin: Foundry Mold and Coremakers

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 5.3 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 1,150 (state); 11,330 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $43,410 (state); $42,000 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Food batchmakers; computer numerically controlled tool operators; print binding and finishing workers

Wyoming: Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

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• Concentration of occupation within state: 28.5 times U.S. avg.
• Employment in occupation: 2,020 (state); 39,100 (U.S.)
• Avg. annual wage in occupation: $48,120 (state); $45,750 (U.S.)
• Other iconic jobs in state: Gas plant operators; service unit operators, oil and gas; forest and conservation technicians