Go on … take a guess: what is the largest category of public sector employees in the U.S.? If you guessed government managers, well, you would be wrong. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for the Public Sector, “Management” occupations – including such job titles as chief executive and department/agency manager – comprised only 4.6% of federal, state, and local government employment in 2010.
But the largest percentage – 29.88% – of public sector employees for the year held jobs in the “Education, Training, and Library” category, which includes positions from public university professors to kindergarten teachers to local librarians.
These figures include positions in federal, state, and local government, including government-owned schools and hospitals. The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases these statistics annually.
Other top categories in 2010 include Office and Administrative Support (15.68%), Protective Service (9.35%), Business & Financial Operations (5.42%), Healthcare (5.34%), and Management (4.60%).
While they may not have comprised the largest percentage of public sector employees, those working in Management occupations earned the highest mean annual wage in 2010, earning an estimated $89,360, compared to $51,300 in the Education, Training and Library category.