Occupational profile · 2025
West Virginia
West Virginia employs 701,610 people. The work it does most unusually is loading and moving machine operators, underground mining, at 46.6× the national concentration — 1,250 jobs paying a median of $74,950.
What West Virginia 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.
- 1Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining1,250 jobs · median $74,95046.6×
- 2Cooks, Fast Food16,490 jobs · median $23,1205.7×
- 3Tree Trimmers and Pruners1,420 jobs · median $49,1405.7×
- 4Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan2,480 jobs · median $36,4803.7×
- 5Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators7,830 jobs · median $51,3003.6×
- 6Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic1,920 jobs · median $76,0803.4×
- 7Residential Advisors1,180 jobs · median $31,8403.1×
- 8Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers1,270 jobs · median $89,6902.9×
- 9Crossing Guards and Flaggers1,190 jobs · median $32,8002.8×
- 10Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines2,110 jobs · median $56,8102.6×
- 11Bus Drivers, School4,690 jobs · median $33,3602.6×
- 12Special Education Teachers, Middle School1,080 jobs · median $56,4402.5×
What West Virginia 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 | 80,630 | 1.01× | $39,090 | |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | 64,450 | 1.45× | $76,530 | |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | 60,770 | 0.98× | $27,680 | |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 59,900 | 0.97× | $37,210 | |
| Sales and Related Occupations | 59,570 | 0.98× | $30,360 | |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | 42,670 | 1.47× | $57,620 | |
| Educational Instruction and Library Occupations | 42,210 | 1.03× | $52,820 | |
| Management Occupations | 42,090 | 0.84× | $93,590 | |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | 40,080 | 1.12× | $32,210 | |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations | 35,400 | 1.29× | $49,740 | |
| Production Occupations | 34,180 | 0.88× | $46,490 | |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | 32,310 | 0.68× | $69,910 | |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | 21,950 | 1.07× | $31,150 | |
| Protective Service Occupations | 16,160 | 0.95× | $45,390 | |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | 14,520 | 0.61× | $80,720 | |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | 14,490 | 1.20× | $48,690 | |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | 12,010 | 0.82× | $29,430 | |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | 9,590 | 0.81× | $84,440 | |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | 7,300 | 1.10× | $68,400 | |
| Legal Occupations | 5,310 | 0.90× | $80,060 | |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations | 5,080 | 0.55× | $45,830 | |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | 950 | 0.49× | $37,000 |
Elsewhere on West Virginia
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 ↗