Women have been in the work force for more than 100 years, but in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Women’s Bureau, find the top 10 occupations women have held in each decade since 1920. This data also includes the number of women in the labor force in each decade, and the percentage of women in the top 10 occupations.
| Year | Number of women in the labor force | Share of women employed in top 10 occupations | Top 10 occupations of employed women | Number of employed women in the occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 8,179,017 | 52.80% | Other domestic and personal service | 669,491 |
| 1920 | 8,179,017 | 52.80% | Teachers | 622,877 |
| 1920 | 8,179,017 | 52.80% | Stenographers and typewriters | 567,784 |
| 1920 | 8,179,017 | 52.80% | Clerks (n.e.c.) | 442,753 |
| 1920 | 8,179,017 | 52.80% | Farm laborers, home farm | 396,625 |
| 1920 | 8,179,017 | 52.80% | Launderers and laundresses | 384,083 |
| 1920 | 8,179,017 | 52.80% | Salesmen and saleswomen, stores | 350,552 |
| 1920 | 8,179,017 | 52.80% | Bookkeepers and cashiers | 337,418 |
| 1920 | 8,179,017 | 52.80% | Cooks | 266,801 |
| 1920 | 8,179,017 | 52.80% | Farmers, general farms | 240,385 |
| 1930 | 10,500,803 | 66.20% | Operatives (n.e.c.) | 1,386,515 |
| 1930 | 10,500,803 | 66.20% | Other domestic and personal service | 1,056,567 |
| 1930 | 10,500,803 | 66.20% | Teachers | 834,686 |
| 1930 | 10,500,803 | 66.20% | Stenographers and typists | 720,533 |
| 1930 | 10,500,803 | 66.20% | Clerks | 623,131 |
| 1930 | 10,500,803 | 66.20% | Salesmen or saleswomen | 494,337 |
| 1930 | 10,500,803 | 66.20% | Bookkeepers and cashiers | 435,255 |
| 1930 | 10,500,803 | 66.20% | Farm laborers, unpaid family workers | 363,806 |
| 1930 | 10,500,803 | 66.20% | Cooks | 341,186 |
| 1930 | 10,500,803 | 66.20% | Launderers and laundresses | 330,241 |
| 1940 | 12,812,181 | 67.90% | Operatives (n.e.c.) | 1,848,824 |
| 1940 | 12,812,181 | 67.90% | Private household workers (n.e.c.) | 1,430,286 |
| 1940 | 12,812,181 | 67.90% | Stenographers, typists, and secretaries | 1,022,543 |
| 1940 | 12,812,181 | 67.90% | Teachers | 783,205 |
| 1940 | 12,812,181 | 67.90% | Clerks (n.e.c.) | 687,593 |
| 1940 | 12,812,181 | 67.90% | Salesmen and saleswomen | 520,291 |
| 1940 | 12,812,181 | 67.90% | Bookkeepers, accountants, and cashiers | 443,570 |
| 1940 | 12,812,181 | 67.90% | Waiters and waitresses | 360,424 |
| 1940 | 12,812,181 | 67.90% | Proprietors, managers, and officials (n.e.c.) | 339,282 |
| 1940 | 12,812,181 | 67.90% | Housekeepers, private family | 330,497 |
| 1950 | 16,663,485 | 69.80% | Operatives (n.e.c.) | 2,461,939 |
| 1950 | 16,663,485 | 69.80% | Stenographers, typists, and secretaries | 1,558,546 |
| 1950 | 16,663,485 | 69.80% | Clerks (n.e.c.) | 1,508,694 |
| 1950 | 16,663,485 | 69.80% | Salesmen and sales clerks | 1,284,339 |
| 1950 | 16,663,485 | 69.80% | Private household workers (n.e.c.) | 1,140,029 |
| 1950 | 16,663,485 | 69.80% | Teachers | 867,229 |
| 1950 | 16,663,485 | 69.80% | Nurses | 604,329 |
| 1950 | 16,663,485 | 69.80% | Bookkeepers | 584,381 |
| 1950 | 16,663,485 | 69.80% | Waiters and waitresses | 568,036 |
| 1950 | 16,663,485 | 69.80% | Managers, officials, and proprietors (n.e.c.) | 558,545 |
| 1960 | 22,226,500 | 56.10% | Clerks (n.e.c.) | 1,725,420 |
| 1960 | 22,226,500 | 56.10% | Salesmen and sales clerks | 1,492,980 |
| 1960 | 22,226,500 | 56.10% | Secretaries | 1,423,660 |
| 1960 | 22,226,500 | 56.10% | Operatives (n.e.c.) | 1,323,320 |
| 1960 | 22,226,500 | 56.10% | Private household workers (n.e.c.) | 1,146,260 |
| 1960 | 22,226,500 | 56.10% | Teachers | 1,106,800 |
| 1960 | 22,226,500 | 56.10% | Nurses | 824,320 |
| 1960 | 22,226,500 | 56.10% | Bookkeepers | 766,040 |
| 1960 | 22,226,500 | 56.10% | Waiters and waitresses | 709,220 |
| 1960 | 22,226,500 | 56.10% | Managers, officials, and proprietors (n.e.c.) | 619,980 |
| 1970 | 30,688,800 | 42.10% | Secretaries | 2,625,600 |
| 1970 | 30,688,800 | 42.10% | Teachers | 1,823,800 |
| 1970 | 30,688,800 | 42.10% | Sales clerks, retail | 1,446,900 |
| 1970 | 30,688,800 | 42.10% | Bookkeepers | 1,265,400 |
| 1970 | 30,688,800 | 42.10% | Nurses | 1,042,800 |
| 1970 | 30,688,800 | 42.10% | Waiters | 931,000 |
| 1970 | 30,688,800 | 42.10% | Typists | 915,800 |
| 1970 | 30,688,800 | 42.10% | Sewers and stitchers | 811,300 |
| 1970 | 30,688,800 | 42.10% | Cashiers | 677,800 |
| 1970 | 30,688,800 | 42.10% | Maids, private household | 660,500 |
| 1980 | 44,649,840 | 41.10% | Secretaries | 3,820,700 |
| 1980 | 44,649,840 | 41.10% | Teachers | 2,398,240 |
| 1980 | 44,649,840 | 41.10% | Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks | 1,635,320 |
| 1980 | 44,649,840 | 41.10% | Nurses | 1,628,020 |
| 1980 | 44,649,840 | 41.10% | Cashiers | 1,426,940 |
| 1980 | 44,649,840 | 41.10% | Managers and administrators (n.e.c.) | 1,352,680 |
| 1980 | 44,649,840 | 41.10% | General office clerks | 1,350,780 |
| 1980 | 44,649,840 | 41.10% | Waiters and waitresses | 1,194,800 |
| 1980 | 44,649,840 | 41.10% | Sales workers (n.e.c.) | 1,150,240 |
| 1980 | 44,649,840 | 41.10% | Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants | 1,136,960 |
| 1990 | 56,553,832 | 36.30% | Secretaries | 3,823,250 |
| 1990 | 56,553,832 | 36.30% | Teachers | 2,987,327 |
| 1990 | 56,553,832 | 36.30% | Nurses | 2,148,271 |
| 1990 | 56,553,832 | 36.30% | Cashiers | 1,993,017 |
| 1990 | 56,553,832 | 36.30% | Bookkeepers, accounting, and auditing clerks | 1,656,513 |
| 1990 | 56,553,832 | 36.30% | Managers and administrators (n.e.c.) | 1,615,184 |
| 1990 | 56,553,832 | 36.30% | Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants | 1,497,257 |
| 1990 | 56,553,832 | 36.30% | General office clerks | 1,158,162 |
| 1990 | 56,553,832 | 36.30% | Supervisors and proprietors, sales occupations | 1,157,845 |
| 1990 | 56,553,832 | 36.30% | Sales workers (n.e.c.) | 1,148,866 |
| 2000 | 64,553,954 | 33.60% | Secretaries and administrative assistants | 3,597,416 |
| 2000 | 64,553,954 | 33.60% | Teachers | 3,466,434 |
| 2000 | 64,553,954 | 33.60% | Nurses | 2,602,376 |
| 2000 | 64,553,954 | 33.60% | Cashiers | 2,028,267 |
| 2000 | 64,553,954 | 33.60% | Retail salespersons | 1,780,975 |
| 2000 | 64,553,954 | 33.60% | Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks | 1,523,026 |
| 2000 | 64,553,954 | 33.60% | Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides | 1,465,386 |
| 2000 | 64,553,954 | 33.60% | Customer service representatives | 1,396,909 |
| 2000 | 64,553,954 | 33.60% | Childcare workers | 1,254,406 |
| 2000 | 64,553,954 | 33.60% | Waiters and waitresses | 1,235,786 |
| 2010 | 74,279,640 | 33.30% | Teachers | 3,984,836 |
| 2010 | 74,279,640 | 33.30% | Secretaries and administrative assistants | 3,427,510 |
| 2010 | 74,279,640 | 33.30% | Nurses | 3,139,854 |
| 2010 | 74,279,640 | 33.30% | Cashiers | 2,410,152 |
| 2010 | 74,279,640 | 33.30% | Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides | 1,926,489 |
| 2010 | 74,279,640 | 33.30% | Retail salespersons | 1,735,213 |
| 2010 | 74,279,640 | 33.30% | Customer service representatives | 1,504,923 |
| 2010 | 74,279,640 | 33.30% | Waiters and waitresses | 1,480,519 |
| 2010 | 74,279,640 | 33.30% | First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 1,309,252 |
| 2010 | 74,279,640 | 33.30% | Maids and housekeeping cleaners | 1,269,181 |
| 2019 | 79,457,808 | 32.20% | Teachers | 4,364,262 |
| 2019 | 79,457,808 | 32.20% | Nurses | 3,808,657 |
| 2019 | 79,457,808 | 32.20% | Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides | 3,058,071 |
| 2019 | 79,457,808 | 32.20% | Secretaries and administrative assistants | 2,618,644 |
| 2019 | 79,457,808 | 32.20% | Cashiers | 2,362,581 |
| 2019 | 79,457,808 | 32.20% | Customer service representatives | 1,909,145 |
| 2019 | 79,457,808 | 32.20% | Retail salespersons | 1,658,665 |
| 2019 | 79,457,808 | 32.20% | Managers, n.e.c. | 1,627,361 |
| 2019 | 79,457,808 | 32.20% | Waiters and waitresses | 1,515,247 |
| 2019 | 79,457,808 | 32.20% | First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 1,464,164 |
Notes: Occupation estimates include women ages 16 and over in the labor force (1920) and civilian employed women ages 16 and over (1930-2019). Labor force estimates include all women ages 16 and over who are employed or unemployed. The classification of occupations changes every 10 years. As a result, some occupations increase or decline in size as a result of being combined or split out from other occupations. Individual occupation categories are not strictly comparable over time. The occupations presented are the top 10 occupations in the decade they occurred. Operatives, n.e.c. were primarily employed in manufacturing jobs. n.e.c. = not elsewhere classified Data: 1920-2000 Decennial Census and 2010 and 2019 American Community Survey public use microdata files