We know the most common jobs in each state — truckers, cashiers, sales managers, etc. — which really tells us more about the jobs than the states. For a more state-centric view, we turn to the jobs that are the most specific to each place.



ALASKA MAINE Farm, Fish, & Forestry Farm, Fish, and Forestry This is the industry, also represented by color. Fishing & Hunting Workers Fishing & Hunting Workers This is the occupation. WISCONSIN VERMONT NEW HAMPSHIRE Production Healthcare Practitioners Production Print binding & finishing workers Recreational Therapists Extruding Machine Operators WASHINGTON IDAHO MONTANA NORTH DAKOTA MINNESOTA ILLINOIS MICHIGAN NEW YORK MASS. Life, Phys., & Social Science Architecture & Engineering Life, Phys., & Social Science Life, Phys., & Social Science Production Computers & Mathematics Production Personal Care & Service Life, Phys., & Social Science Conservation Scientists & Foresters Conservation Scientists & Foresters Agricultural & Food Scientists Forging Machine Operators Baggage Porters & Concierges Medical & Life Scientists Aerospace Engineers Print Binding & Finishing Workers Actuaries OREGON NEVADA WYOMING SOUTH DAKOTA IOWA INDIANA OHIO PENNSYLVANIA NEW JERSEY CONNECTICUT RHODE ISLAND Farm, Fish, & Forestry Administrative Support Extraction Architecture & Engineering Production Production Production Architecture & Engineering Architecture & Engineering Management Protective Services Gaming Cage Workers Mining Machine Operators Farm & Other Agricultural Managers Rolling Machine Operators Rolling Machine Operators Forest & Conservation Workers Biomedical & Agricultural Engineers Metal Furnace Operators Crossing Guards Marine Engineers & Naval Architects Marine Engineers & Naval Architects UTAH CALIFORNIA COLORADO NEBRASKA MISSOURI KENTUCKY WEST VIRGINIA VIRGINIA MARYLAND DELAWARE Arts & Entertainment Finance Architecture & Engineering Management Production Extraction Extraction Architecture & Engineering Life, Phys., & Social Science Finance Shoe and Leather Workers Actors Tax Examiners Petroleum & Mining Engineers Farm & Other Agricultural Managers Mining Machine Operators Mining Machine Operators Marine Engineers & Naval Architects Economists Credit Analysts ARIZONA NEW MEXICO KANSAS ARKANSAS TENNESSEE NORTH CAROLINA SOUTH CAROLINA D.C. Way to play up the stereotype, California. Construction Production Production Production Production Production Production Life, Phys., & Social Science Aircraft Structure Assemblers Packaging Machine Oper. Extruding & Compacting Machine Oper. Textile Machine Operators Textile Machine Operators Plasterers & Stucco Masons Precious Stone & Metal Workers Economists OKLAHOMA LOUISIANA MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GEORGIA Production Transport & Material Moving Administrative Support Production Production Boat Captains & Operators Gaming Cage Workers Textile Machine Operators Textile Machine Operators Tire Builders HAWAII TEXAS FLORIDA Military Architecture & Engineering Transport & Material Moving Boat Captains & Operators Military, Rank Unspecified Petroleum & Mining Engineers

I used occupation data from the 2016 5-year American Community Survey. To estimate uniqueness, I used the location quotient for each job and state. It’s a relatively straightforward calculate that takes the rate of a job in the state divided by the rate of the job nationally. Above shows the job with the highest ratio in each state.

Notes