Occupational profile · 2025
Massachusetts
Massachusetts employs 3,637,650 people. The work it does most unusually is biochemists and biophysicists, at 18.8× the national concentration — 14,890 jobs paying a median of $131,600.
What Massachusetts is distinctive for
Detailed occupations ranked by location quotient. A location quotient is an occupation’s share of a state’s jobs divided by its share of the nation’s. One means the state looks like the country; two means twice the concentration. It is a measure of distinctiveness, not of quality, size or pay. Bars use a logarithmic scale so the lower ranks stay legible beside the leader.
- 1Biochemists and Biophysicists14,890 jobs · median $131,60018.8×
- 2Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers4,740 jobs · median $127,5708.6×
- 3Biological Technicians8,430 jobs · median $62,0705.2×
- 4Microbiologists1,960 jobs · median $122,3504.4×
- 5Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists17,100 jobs · median $128,2104.2×
- 6Natural Sciences Managers10,590 jobs · median $267,2904.2×
- 7Statisticians2,480 jobs · median $96,7103.6×
- 8Chemical Engineers1,460 jobs · median $118,0003.0×
- 9Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary2,610 jobs · median $134,8502.8×
- 10Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary2,640 jobs · median $82,9302.7×
- 11Electronics Engineers, Except Computer5,910 jobs · median $138,2302.6×
- 12Rehabilitation Counselors5,760 jobs · median $47,3202.6×
What Massachusetts is made of
All twenty-two occupational groups by headcount, with the concentration figure beside each. Most states look broadly alike in this view — that is the finding, not a flaw in it.
| Occupation group | Share of state employment | Jobs | vs national | Median wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | 360,720 | 0.87× | $54,990 | |
| Management Occupations | 327,160 | 1.26× | $159,360 | |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | 299,160 | 1.21× | $101,200 | |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | 292,980 | 0.92× | $37,300 | |
| Sales and Related Occupations | 289,700 | 0.92× | $45,260 | |
| Educational Instruction and Library Occupations | 253,260 | 1.19× | $77,550 | |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | 250,740 | 1.09× | $100,240 | |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 233,740 | 0.73× | $45,930 | |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | 200,430 | 1.08× | $43,090 | |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | 153,860 | 1.25× | $130,620 | |
| Production Occupations | 139,820 | 0.70× | $48,990 | |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | 132,960 | 0.88× | $77,480 | |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations | 107,060 | 0.75× | $65,260 | |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | 104,310 | 0.98× | $46,610 | |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | 84,310 | 1.11× | $42,670 | |
| Protective Service Occupations | 82,890 | 0.94× | $65,550 | |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | 80,530 | 1.29× | $63,260 | |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | 79,140 | 1.29× | $106,360 | |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | 78,090 | 2.27× | $104,050 | |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations | 49,130 | 1.03× | $76,420 | |
| Legal Occupations | 35,100 | 1.15× | $132,990 | |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | 2,570 | 0.25× | $43,720 |
Elsewhere on Massachusetts
Blank cells are estimates BLS did not release, usually because too few employers reported. They are shown as gaps rather than filled. Detailed occupations are included only where at least 1,000 people are employed, below which a quotient is survey noise. A wage marked “$239,200 or more” is censored at source: BLS does not publish medians above that figure, so the number is a floor rather than the wage. A work of the U.S. government: no copyright subsists (17 U.S.C. §105). BLS OEWS ↗