Census ACS 5-Year · 52 states
States With Most Healthcare & Education Jobs
Healthcare and education are the two largest employment sectors in the United States, together employing roughly one in four American workers. States with the highest combined share, including New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, tend to be home to major hospital systems, medical schools, and large public university systems. The healthcare sector is the fastest-growing major industry, driven by an aging population that requires more medical care. Education employment is influenced by the size of the school-age population, the number of colleges and universities, and public investment in K-12 systems. Both sectors are labor-intensive and relatively resistant to automation, making them critical anchors for local economies. States with high healthcare and education employment tend to have more stable economies during recessions but also face persistent labor shortages, particularly for nurses, teachers, and mental health professionals.
Key Findings
- 1Nevada leads with a healthcare & education employment share of 20.2%, followed by Hawaii (15.0%) and Florida (11.1%).
- 2The gap between #1 Nevada and #52 Iowa (6.9%) is 13.3 percentage points.
- 3The national median across all states is 8.4% (Washington at the midpoint).
- 4The top 10 states are: Nevada, Hawaii, Florida, Montana, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Louisiana.
Full Ranking: States With Most Healthcare & Education Jobs
Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates
| # | State | Health/Education % | Median Age | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 9.2% | 38.8 | 579,761 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 7.5% | 40.1 | 5,892,023 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 8.4% | 42.7 | 1,784,462 |
| 4 | Washington | 8.4% | 38.2 | 7,740,984 |
| 5 | Virginia | 8.1% | 38.8 | 8,657,499 |
| 6 | Vermont | 9.1% | 43 | 645,254 |
| 7 | Utah | 8.1% | 31.7 | 3,331,187 |
| 8 | Texas | 8.5% | 35.5 | 29,640,343 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 9.0% | 38.9 | 6,986,082 |
| 10 | South Dakota | 8.6% | 37.7 | 899,194 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 9.4% | 40.1 | 5,212,774 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 9.1% | 40.5 | 1,095,371 |
| 13 | Puerto Rico | 9.5% | 44.2 | 3,254,885 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 7.6% | 40.9 | 12,986,518 |
| 15 | Oregon | 9.0% | 40.1 | 4,238,714 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 9.2% | 36.9 | 3,995,260 |
| 17 | Ohio | 8.5% | 39.6 | 11,780,046 |
| 18 | North Dakota | 7.8% | 35.7 | 779,361 |
| 19 | North Carolina | 8.6% | 39.1 | 10,584,340 |
| 20 | New York | 8.3% | 39.6 | 19,872,319 |
| 21 | New Mexico | 10.1% | 39.2 | 2,114,768 |
| 22 | New Jersey | 7.2% | 40.1 | 9,267,014 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | 7.8% | 43.2 | 1,387,834 |
| 24 | Nevada | 20.2% | 38.9 | 3,141,000 |
| 25 | Nebraska | 7.2% | 37.1 | 1,965,926 |
| 26 | Montana | 10.3% | 40.2 | 1,105,072 |
| 27 | Missouri | 8.2% | 38.9 | 6,168,181 |
| 28 | Mississippi | 8.8% | 38.4 | 2,951,438 |
| 29 | Minnesota | 7.3% | 38.6 | 5,713,716 |
| 30 | Michigan | 8.6% | 40.1 | 10,051,595 |
| 31 | Massachusetts | 7.5% | 40 | 6,992,395 |
| 32 | Maryland | 7.7% | 39.3 | 6,170,738 |
| 33 | Maine | 7.9% | 44.8 | 1,377,400 |
| 34 | Louisiana | 9.4% | 37.8 | 4,621,025 |
| 35 | Kentucky | 8.0% | 39.1 | 4,510,725 |
| 36 | Kansas | 7.8% | 37.2 | 2,937,569 |
| 37 | Iowa | 6.9% | 38.6 | 3,195,937 |
| 38 | Indiana | 7.9% | 38 | 6,811,752 |
| 39 | Illinois | 8.3% | 38.9 | 12,692,653 |
| 40 | Idaho | 8.9% | 37.1 | 1,893,296 |
| 41 | Hawaii | 15.0% | 40.6 | 1,445,635 |
| 42 | Georgia | 8.6% | 37.4 | 10,822,590 |
| 43 | Florida | 11.1% | 42.6 | 21,928,881 |
| 44 | District of Columbia | 7.4% | 34.9 | 672,079 |
| 45 | Delaware | 8.3% | 41.5 | 1,005,872 |
| 46 | Connecticut | 7.9% | 41.2 | 3,598,348 |
| 47 | Colorado | 9.2% | 37.5 | 5,810,774 |
| 48 | California | 9.5% | 37.6 | 39,242,785 |
| 49 | Arkansas | 7.9% | 38.4 | 3,032,651 |
| 50 | Arizona | 9.5% | 38.8 | 7,268,175 |
| 51 | Alaska | 8.5% | 35.6 | 733,971 |
| 52 | Alabama | 8.1% | 39.3 | 5,054,253 |
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Nevada has the highest healthcare & education employment share at 20.2%, according to latest Census ACS data. Hawaii and Florida round out the top three.
Iowa has the lowest healthcare & education employment share at 6.9%. Nebraska is second-lowest at 7.2%.
The median across all 52 states is 8.4%. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently, the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.
This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.
Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS 5-Year estimates. The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.