Women's Bureau (WB) - Nontraditional Occupations for Women in 2006

Quick Facts on Nontraditional Occupations for Women

A nontraditional occupation for women is one in which women comprise 25 percent or less of total employment.
Nontraditional occupations span all major occupational groups and provide many employment options for women.
First, growth in the economy is projected to expand employment in many of these occupations and secondly, there will be strong demand for workers in these fields due to projected retirements or transfers of current workers to other occupations.
Nontraditional jobs are attractive to women because they generally offer higher entry-level wages and a career ladder with pay between $20 and $30 per hour.
Here are some examples of nontraditional jobs for women: detectives, architects, chefs, barbers, clergy, computer and office machine repairers, construction and building inspectors, railroad conductors, machinists, truck drivers, fire fighters, aircraft pilots, construction occupations, and small engine mechanics.
Women continue to make inroads into nontraditional occupations. As more women enter jobs that were once dominated by men, many jobs that were nontraditional for women in the 1986 were no longer nontraditional for women in 2006. Some of these occupations are physicians and surgeons, chemists, judges and magistrates, announcers, lawyers, athletes, coaches, umpires, and postal service mail carriers.

Nontraditional Occupations for Women in 2007 ¹

(Numbers in thousands)

	Employed	Employed	Percent
Occupation	Both Sexes	Female	Female



Dishwashers	281	70	24.8
Architects, except naval	240	59	24.7
Computer programmers	526	130	24.7
Announcers	51	12	24.4
Cutting workers	94	23	24.4
Detectives and criminal investigators	135	31	23.2
Security guards and gaming surveillance officers	891	207	23.2
Farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers	204	46	22.5
Engineering technicians, except drafters	420	94	22.4
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators,
and tenders, metal and plastic	118	25	21.6
Chemical engineers	75	16	21.2
Computer software engineers	907	189	20.8
Chefs and head cooks	345	71	20.6
Drafters	187	38	20.6
Supervisors, transportation and material moving workers	225	46	20.3
First-line supervisors/managers of production and
operating workers	941	183	19.4
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	683	132	19.3
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	1,877	349	18.6
Molders and molding machine setters, operators, and tenders,
metal and plastic	75	14	18.1
Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers
and repairers	61	11	17.6
Industrial engineers, including health and safety	161	28	17.5
Parts salespersons	132	23	17.4
Printing machine operators	222	38	17.2
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers	260	45	17.2
Chiropractors	62	10	16.8
Industrial production managers	264	44	16.7
Baggage porters, bellhops, and concierges	60	10	16.7
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	333	51	15.4
Cost estimators	115	18	15.4
Parking lot attendants	90	14	15.4
Couriers and messengers	254	38	15.1
Clergy	422	64	15.1
Upholsterers	53	8	14.9
Radio and telecommunications equipment
installers and repairers	203	30	14.8
Network and computer systems administrators	214	31	14.7
First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives	116	17	14.5
Police and sheriff’s patrol officers	669	92	13.7
Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool
setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	55	7	13.2
Cleaners of vehicles and equipment	326	42	13
Precision instrument and equipment repairers	58	7	12.6
Crushing, grinding, polishing, mixing, and
blending workers	118	15	12.5
Broadcast and sound engineering technicians and radio
operators	89	10	11.6
Civil engineers	382	44	11.5
Painting workers	193	21	11
Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers	318	34	10.6
Aerospace engineers	123	13	10.5
Surveying and mapping technicians	92	10	10.5
Engineers, all others	349	35	10
Construction and building inspectors	107	11	10
Computer hardware engineers	79	8	9.6
First-line supervisors/managers of fire fighting
and prevention workers	56	5	9.2
Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood	52	5	9.1
Computer control programmers and operators	55	5	8.7
Electrical and electronics engineers	347	30	8.6
Other installation, maintenance, and repair workers	198	17	8.5
Construction managers	1,176	95	8.1
Engineering managers	114	9	8
Telecommunications line installers and repairers	227	17	7.5
Mechanical engineers	296	22	7.3
Service station attendants	90	6	7
Painters, construction and maintenance	714	49	6.9
Refuse and recyclable material collectors	79	5	6.4
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters	91	6	6.5
Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system
operators	72	4	6.2
Grounds maintenance workers	1,332	79	5.9
Industrial truck and tractor operators	571	34	5.9
First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping,
lawn service, and grounds keeping workers	234	14	5.9
Railroad conductors and yardmasters	53	3	5.9
Welding, soldering, and brazing workers	577	32	5.6
Motor vehicle operators, all others	74	4	5.5
Locomotive engineers and operators	52	3	5.5
First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics,
installers and repairers	330	18	5.4
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	3,460	183	5.3
Fire fighters	288	15	5.3
Machinists	422	22	5.2
Home appliance repairers	51	2	4.4
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers	123	5	4.2
Helpers, construction trades	117	5	4.2
Pest control workers	77	3	4
Other extraction workers	50	2	4
Sheet metal workers	143	5	3.7
Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers	232	8	3.6
First-line supervisors/managers of construction
trades and extraction workers	918	29	3.2
Industrial and refractory machinery mechanics	426	14	3.2
Maintenance and repair workers, general	488	15	3.1
Construction laborers	1,771	48	2.7
Operating engineers and other construction equipment	411	11	2.7
Small engine mechanics	68	2	2.5
Cement masons, concrete finishers, and terrazzo workers	112	2	2.2
Miscellaneous vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics,
installers and repairers	88	2	2.2
Dredge, excavating, and loading machine operators	61	1	2.2
Carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers	258	5	2.1
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians	126	3	2.1
Tool and die makers	80	2	2
Carpenters	1,824	35	1.9
Insulation workers	52	1	1.9
Electricians	912	15	1.7
Operating engineers and other construction equipment
operators	451	8	1.7
Automotive body and related repairers	155	2	1.6
Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	697	10	1.5
Logging workers	88	1	1.5
Electrical power-line installers and repairers	103	1	1.4
Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians
and mechanics	226	3	1.3
Stationary engineers and boiler operators	95	1	1.3
Brickmasons, blockmasons, and stonemasons	233	3	1.2
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	365	4	1.1
Heating, air conditioning, refrigeration mechanics
and installers	403	4	0.9
Roofers	269	2	0.9
Millwrights	75	0.7	0.9
Automotive service technicians and mechanics	879	6	0.7
Maintenance workers, machinery	55	0.4	0.7
Crane and tower operators	61	0.4	0.6
Plasterers and stucco workers	82	0.5	0.6
Highway maintenance workers	109	0.5	0.5
Security and fire alarm systems installers	64	0.3	0.4
Structural iron and steel workers	88	0.3	0.4
Electronic home entertainment equipment installers and repairers	62	0.2	0.3

¹1Nontraditional occupations are those in which women comprise 25 percent or less of total employed.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Averages 2007.

Women’s Bureau
April 2008