Latest data from the Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides insights into national African American/Black workforce trends. This data can also guide long term career and workforce pathways into jobs that pay family sustaining and wealth building wages.
The table below is compiled from BLS data that can be found at this link at the national level: https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm. You can also find the data for other ALANA groups at the link.
The table below includes both occupational categories as well as specific occupations.
Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (XLSX)
| Occupation | Percent Black or African American |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators | 48.4 |
| Nursing assistants | 38.1 |
| Security guards and gambling surveillance officers | 36.1 |
| Postal service clerks | 36 |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists | 34.9 |
| Orderlies and psychiatric aides | 33 |
| Psychiatric technicians | 33 |
| Bus drivers, transit and intercity | 32.5 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | 31.8 |
| First-line supervisors of security workers | 31.6 |
| Barbers | 31.1 |
| Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs | 30 |
| Home health aides | 29.8 |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs | 29.2 |
| Healthcare social workers | 28.9 |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other | 27.4 |
| Correctional officers and jailers | 27.1 |
| Other community and social service specialists | 26.9 |
| Child, family, and school social workers | 26.3 |
| Dietetic technicians and ophthalmic medical technicians | 26.3 |
| Judges, magistrates, and other judicial workers | 26.2 |
| Bill and account collectors | 25.8 |
| Packers and packagers, hand | 25.8 |
| Personal care aides | 25.3 |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan | 25.2 |
| Healthcare support occupations | 25 |
| Taxi drivers | 24.9 |
| Electrical, electronics, and electromechanical assemblers | 24.8 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators | 24.6 |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders | 24.5 |
| Social and human service assistants | 24.4 |
| Bus drivers, school | 23.7 |
| Couriers and messengers | 23.7 |
| Social workers, all other | 23.2 |
| Counselors, all other | 23.1 |
| Parking attendants | 22.6 |
| Gambling services workers | 22.4 |
| Other healthcare support workers | 22.3 |
| Protective service occupations | 22.3 |
| Logisticians | 22.2 |
| Food processing workers, all other | 22.1 |
| Surgical technologists | 22 |
| Postal service mail carriers | 21.9 |
| Other assemblers and fabricators | 21.3 |
| Actors | 21 |
| First-line supervisors of correctional officers | 21 |
| Driver/sales workers and truck drivers | 20.5 |
| Baggage porters, bellhops, and concierges | 20.2 |
| Phlebotomists | 20.2 |
| Transportation and material moving occupations | 20.1 |
| Crossing guards and flaggers | 20 |
| Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks | 19.9 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment | 19.7 |
| Community and social service occupations | 19.6 |
| Supervisors of transportation and material moving workers | 19.6 |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks | 19.4 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand | 19.3 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks | 19.2 |
| Private detectives and investigators | 19.2 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers | 19.2 |
| Chefs and head cooks | 18.9 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant | 18.9 |
| Miscellaneous health technologists and technicians | 18.9 |
| Preschool and kindergarten teachers | 18.7 |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks | 18.5 |
| Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants | 18.5 |
| Legal secretaries and administrative assistants | 18.4 |
| Mental health counselors | 18.4 |
| Customer service representatives | 18.2 |
| Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators | 18.1 |
| Counter and rental clerks | 17.8 |
| Production, transportation, and material moving occupations | 17.8 |
| Recreation workers | 17.7 |
| Skincare specialists | 17.7 |
| Information and record clerks, all other | 17.5 |
| Public safety telecommunicators | 17.5 |
| Social and community service managers | 17.5 |
| First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers | 17.3 |
| Cooks | 17.2 |
| Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors | 17.2 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors | 17.1 |
| First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers | 17 |
| Service occupations | 17 |
| Other production workers | 16.8 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators | 16.7 |
| Janitors and building cleaners | 16.7 |
| Cutting workers | 16.5 |
| Butchers and other meat, poultry, and fish processing workers | 16.3 |
| Cashiers | 16.3 |
| Flight attendants | 16.3 |
| Therapists, all other | 16.2 |
| Data entry keyers | 16.1 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners | 16.1 |
| Operations research analysts | 16.1 |
| Purchasing managers | 16.1 |
| Other metal workers and plastic workers | 16 |
| Musicians and singers | 15.9 |
| Childcare workers | 15.8 |
| Insurance underwriters | 15.6 |
| Registered nurses | 15.6 |
| Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors | 15.6 |
| Education and childcare administrators | 15.5 |
| Food preparation workers | 15.5 |
| Stockers and order fillers | 15.5 |
| Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers | 15.4 |
| File Clerks | 15.4 |
| Tellers | 15.4 |
| Legal support workers, all other | 15.3 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants | 15.3 |
| Office and administrative support occupations | 15.1 |
| Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping | 15.1 |
| Medical assistants | 15 |
| Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents | 14.9 |
| Billing and posting clerks | 14.8 |
| Crushing, grinding, polishing, mixing, and blending workers | 14.8 |
| Pharmacy technicians | 14.8 |
| Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers | 14.7 |
| Financial clerks, all other | 14.7 |
| Food batchmakers | 14.7 |
| Human resources managers | 14.7 |
| Human resources workers | 14.7 |
| Printing press operators | 14.7 |
| Production occupations | 14.7 |
| Coaches and scouts | 14.6 |
| Dishwashers | 14.5 |
| Medical records specialists | 14.4 |
| Other educational instruction and library workers | 14.4 |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations | 14.3 |
| Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians | 14.3 |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance | 14.3 |
| Medical and health services managers | 14.2 |
| Other teachers and instructors | 14.2 |
| Police officers | 14.2 |
| Training and development specialists | 14.1 |
| First-line supervisors of production and operating workers | 14 |
| Other entertainment attendants and related workers | 14 |
| Other financial specialists | 14 |
| Financial and investment analysts | 13.8 |
| Other healthcare practitioners and technical occupations | 13.8 |
| Painting workers | 13.8 |
| Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping | 13.7 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks | 13.6 |
| Office clerks, general | 13.6 |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations | 13.5 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations | 13.5 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers | 13.5 |
| Nurse practitioners | 13.5 |
| Personal care and service occupations | 13.5 |
| Sales and office occupations | 13.5 |
| Retail salespersons | 13.4 |
| Insurance sales agents | 13.3 |
| Computer support specialists | 13.2 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists | 13.2 |
| News analysts, reporters, and journalists | 13.2 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers | 13.1 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists | 13 |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers | 13 |
| Total, 16 years and over | 12.8 |
| Receptionists and information clerks | 12.8 |
| Business operations specialists, all other | 12.7 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians | 12.6 |
| Compliance officers | 12.5 |
| First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers | 12.5 |
| Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks | 12.5 |
| Television, video, and film camera operators and editors | 12.5 |
| Computer occupations, all other | 12.4 |
| Order clerks | 12.3 |
| Other life, physical, and social science technicians | 12.3 |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks | 12.3 |
| Teaching assistants | 12.3 |
| Training and development managers | 12.3 |
| Directors, religious activities and education | 12.2 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general | 12.2 |
| Public relations and fundraising managers | 12.2 |
| Transportation service attendants | 12.2 |
| Producers and directors | 12.1 |
| Computer systems analysts | 12 |
| First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers | 12 |
| First-line supervisors of police and detectives | 12 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other | 12 |
| Sales and related workers, all other | 12 |
| Accountants and auditors | 11.9 |
| Administrative services managers | 11.9 |
| Library assistants, clerical | 11.9 |
| Meeting, convention, and event planners | 11.8 |
| Tax preparers | 11.8 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products | 11.7 |
| Sales and related occupations | 11.7 |
| Food service managers | 11.5 |
| Radio and telecommunications equipment installers and repairers | 11.5 |
| Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators | 11.5 |
| Professional and related occupations | 11.3 |
| Education, training, and library occupations | 11.2 |
| Elementary and middle school teachers | 11.2 |
| Helpers–production workers | 11.2 |
| Public relations specialists | 11.2 |
| Stationary engineers and boiler operators | 11.2 |
| Facilities managers | 11.1 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 11.1 |
| Information security analysts | 11.1 |
| Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive | 11.1 |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing workers | 11.1 |
| Business and financial operations occupations | 11 |
| Highway maintenance workers | 11 |
| Agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes | 10.9 |
| Computer network architects | 10.9 |
| Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors | 10.9 |
| Sewing machine operators | 10.9 |
| Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel | 10.7 |
| Credit counselors and loan officers | 10.6 |
| Database administrators and architects | 10.6 |
| Management, professional, and related occupations | 10.6 |
| Supervisors of personal care and service workers | 10.6 |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers | 10.4 |
| Software quality assurance analysts and testers | 10.4 |
| Other material moving workers | 10.3 |
| Lodging managers | 10.2 |
| Financial managers | 10.1 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters | 10.1 |
| Fast food and counter workers | 10 |
| Legal occupations | 10 |
| Pharmacists | 10 |
| Industrial and refractory machinery mechanics | 9.9 |
| Sheet metal workers | 9.9 |
| Waiters and waitresses | 9.9 |
| Management, business, and financial operations occupations | 9.8 |
| Special education teachers | 9.8 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers | 9.7 |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations | 9.6 |
| Automotive body and related repairers | 9.6 |
| Project management specialists | 9.6 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians | 9.5 |
| Clergy | 9.5 |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers | 9.5 |
| Construction and building inspectors | 9.4 |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations | 9.4 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations | 9.2 |
| Emergency medical technicians | 9.2 |
| Management occupations | 9.2 |
| Managers, all other | 9.2 |
| Pest control workers | 9.2 |
| Photographers | 9.2 |
| Physical scientists, all other | 9.2 |
| Travel agents | 9.2 |
| Construction laborers | 9.1 |
| Crane and tower operators | 9 |
| Other physicians | 9 |
| Real estate brokers and sales agents | 8.8 |
| Other protective service workers | 8.7 |
| Aerospace engineers | 8.6 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | 8.6 |
| Network and computer systems administrators | 8.6 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents | 8.6 |
| Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers | 8.6 |
| Other engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters | 8.5 |
| Paramedics | 8.5 |
| Dental assistants | 8.4 |
| General and operations managers | 8.4 |
| Postsecondary teachers | 8.4 |
| First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers | 8.3 |
| Medical scientists | 8.3 |
| Other designers | 8.3 |
| Personal care and service workers, all other | 8.3 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | 8.2 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop | 8.2 |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations | 8.2 |
| Medical secretaries and administrative assistants | 8.2 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics | 8.1 |
| Firefighters | 8 |
| Massage therapists | 8 |
| Occupational therapists | 8 |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians | 8 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products | 8 |
| Archivists, curators, and museum technicians | 7.9 |
| Computer and information systems managers | 7.9 |
| Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers | 7.9 |
| Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations | 7.8 |
| Pipelayers | 7.8 |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists | 7.7 |
| Electrical and electronics engineers | 7.7 |
| Insulation workers | 7.5 |
| Bakers | 7.4 |
| Other mathematical science occupations | 7.4 |
| Other psychologists | 7.4 |
| Advertising sales agents | 7.3 |
| Bartenders | 7.3 |
| Market research analysts and marketing specialists | 7.3 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks | 7.2 |
| Civil engineers | 7.2 |
| Construction and extraction occupations | 7.2 |
| Entertainment and recreation managers | 7.1 |
| Marketing managers | 7.1 |
| Librarians and media collections specialists | 7 |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists | 6.9 |
| Management analysts | 6.9 |
| Other installation, maintenance, and repair workers | 6.9 |
| Computer numerically controlled tool operators and programmers | 6.8 |
| Graphic designers | 6.8 |
| Lawyers | 6.8 |
| Artists and related workers | 6.7 |
| Electricians | 6.7 |
| Tutors | 6.7 |
| Chiropractors | 6.6 |
| Computer programmers | 6.5 |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks | 6.5 |
| Software developers | 6.5 |
| Manicurists and pedicurists | 6.4 |
| Personal financial advisors | 6.4 |
| Speech-language pathologists | 6.4 |
| Industrial production managers | 6.3 |
| Tailors, dressmakers, and sewers | 6.3 |
| Mechanical engineers | 6.2 |
| Architecture and engineering occupations | 6.1 |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers | 6.1 |
| Industrial engineers, including health and safety | 6.1 |
| Secondary school teachers | 6.1 |
| Animal caretakers | 6 |
| Chemical technicians | 6 |
| Machinists | 6 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing | 6 |
| Engineers, all other | 5.9 |
| Construction equipment operators | 5.7 |
| Interpreters and translators | 5.7 |
| School psychologists | 5.7 |
| Surgeons | 5.7 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians | 5.7 |
| First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers | 5.6 |
| Respiratory therapists | 5.6 |
| Painters and paperhangers | 5.5 |
| Roofers | 5.5 |
| Tree trimmers and pruners | 5.5 |
| Writers and authors | 5.5 |
| Architectural and engineering managers | 5.4 |
| Parts salespersons | 5.4 |
| Helpers, construction trades | 5.3 |
| Carpenters | 5.2 |
| Chief executives | 5.2 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations | 5.1 |
| Chemical engineers | 5 |
| First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers | 5 |
| Physical therapists | 5 |
| Computer hardware engineers | 4.9 |
| Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers | 4.9 |
| Construction managers | 4.8 |
| First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers | 4.8 |
| Fundraisers | 4.8 |
| Physician assistants | 4.8 |
| Sales managers | 4.8 |
| Broadcast, sound, and lighting technicians | 4.5 |
| Miscellaneous vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers | 4.5 |
| Dentists | 4.3 |
| First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers | 4.3 |
| Physical therapist assistants and aides | 4.3 |
| Animal trainers | 4.1 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers | 4.1 |
| Miscellaneous construction and related workers | 4.1 |
| Dental hygienists | 4 |
| Miscellaneous agricultural workers | 3.9 |
| Dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians | 3.8 |
| Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics | 3.7 |
| Religious workers, all other | 3.7 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers | 3.7 |
| Aircraft pilots and flight engineers | 3.6 |
| Tour and travel guides | 3.6 |
| Web and digital interface designers | 3.6 |
| Architects, except landscape and naval | 3.5 |
| Editors | 3.5 |
| Logging workers | 3.4 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters | 3.3 |
| Other drafters | 3.2 |
| Biological scientists | 3.1 |
| Chemists and materials scientists | 3 |
| Miscellaneous social scientists and related workers | 3 |
| Floral designers | 2.7 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians | 2.4 |
| Interior designers | 2.3 |
| Surveying and mapping technicians | 2.3 |
| Cement masons, concrete finishers, and terrazzo workers | 1.9 |
| Carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers | 1.5 |
| Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | 1.4 |
| Veterinarians | 1.3 |
| Web developers | 1.2 |
| Brickmasons, blockmasons, and stonemasons | 1.1 |
| Property appraisers and assessors | 0.6 |
| Cost estimators | 0.3 |
