Women's Bureau (WB) - Nontraditional Occupations for Women in 2008

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: architects, computer programmers, computer software and hardware engineers, detectives, chefs, barbers, clergy, engineers, computer and office machine repairers, construction and building inspectors, railroad conductors, machinists, truck drivers, fire fighters, aircraft pilots, and construction occupations.
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 1988 were no longer nontraditional for women in 2008. Some of these occupations were purchasing managers; chemists; physicians; lawyers; athletes; postal service mail carriers; bailiffs, correctional officers, and jailers; and butchers and other meat, poultry, and fish processing workers.

Nontraditional Occupations¹ For Women in 2008
(Numbers in thousands)

	Employed	Employed	Percent
Occupation	Both Sexes	Female	Female

Architects, except naval	233	58	24.8
Farmers and ranchers	751	183	24.4
Network systems and data communications analysts	422	100	23.7
Security guards and gaming surveillance officers	867	205	23.6
Farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers	217	52	23.9
Drafters	162	38	23.4
Chief executive	1,655	387	23.4
Dishwashers	289	66	22.7
Computer programmers	534	119	22.4
Supervisors, protective service workers, all other	102	22	21.7
Network and computer systems administrators	227	49	21.4
Metal workers and plastic worker, all other	349	74	21.1
Computer software engineers	1,034	216	20.9
Barbers	87	18	20.8
Supervisors, transportation and material moving workers	208	43	20.5
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators,
and tenders, metal and plastic	105	21	20.2
Printing machine operators	213	42	19.8
Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool
setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	50	10	19.7
Upholsterers	56	11	19.7
Computer hardware engineers	69	13	19.4
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	723	140	19.3
Detectives and criminal investigators	139	27	19.2
Engineering technicians, except drafters	416	77	18.5
First-line supervisors/managers of production and
operating workers	874	158	18.1
Molders and molding machine setters, operators, and tenders,
metal and plastic	58	10	18.1
Motor vehicle operators, all others	66	12	18
Couriers and messengers	261	45	17.4
Baggage porters, bellhops, and concierges	72	13	17.3
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	1,889	324	17.1
Chefs and head cooks	351	60	17
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers	239	41	17
Broadcast and sound engineering technicians and radio
operators	98	16	16.1
Precision instrument and equipment repairers	58	9	15.4
Chemical processing machine setters, operators, and tenders	52	8	15.4
Chiropractors	60	9	15.3
Industrial engineers, including health and safety	177	26	14.9
Upholsterers	53	8	14.9
Clergy	441	65	14.8
Service station attendants	87	13	14.8
First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives	117	17	14.7
Police and sheriff’s patrol officers	674	99	14.7
Industrial production managers	243	35	14.5
Refuse and recyclable material collectors	98	14	14
Painting workers	183	25	13.6
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	373	49	13.3
Crushing, grinding, polishing, mixing, and
blending workers	108	14	13.3
Chemical engineers	64	8	13.1
Parking lot attendants	83	10	12.6
Engineers, all others	363	42	11.5
Radio and telecommunications equipment and
installers repairers	200	23	11.4
Transportation inspectors	51	6	11.3
Parts salespersons	119	13	10.8
Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers	335	35	10.5
Civil engineers	346	36	10.4
Aerospace engineers	137	14	10.3
Cost estimators	100	10	10
Cleaners of vehicles and equipment	317	30	9.5
Construction and building inspectors	93	9	9.5
Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers	55	5	9.2
Industrial truck and tractor operators	568	51	8.9
Computer control programmers and operators	68	6	8.7
First-line supervisors/managers of fire fighting
and preventing workers	54	5	8.7
Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system
operators	71	6	8.6
Construction managers	1,244	102	8.2
Pest control workers	71	6	8.2
First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics,
installers, and repairers	300	24	8
Electrical and electronics engineers	350	27	7.7
First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping,
lawn service, and grounds keeping workers	258	19	7.5
Other installation, maintenance, and repair workers	213	16	7.5
Machinists	409	28	6.9
Mechanical engineers	318	21	6.7
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters	85	6	6.5
Engineering managers	109	7	6.3
Painters, construction and maintenance	647	41	6.3
Grounds maintenance workers	1,262	77	6.1
Motor vehicle operators, all others	74	4	5.5
Home appliance repairers	51	3	5.3
Surveying and mapping technicians	105	5	4.9
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	3,388	167	4.9
Fire fighters	293	14	4.8
Sheet metal workers	136	7	4.8
Railroad conductors and yardmasters	53	2	4.7
Welding, soldering, and brazing workers	598	28	4.7
Helpers, construction trades	113	5	4.1
Crane and tower operators	69	3	3.7
Maintenance and repair workers, general	461	16	3.5
Telecommunications line installers and repairers	204	7	3.3
Construction laborers	1,651	51	3.1
Locomotive engineers and operators	58	2	2.8
Other extraction workers	55	2	2.8
First-line supervisors/managers of construction
trades and extraction workers	844	23	2.7
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers	141	4	2.6
Industrial and refractory machinery mechanics	439	11	2.6
Carpet, floor, and tile installer and finishers	224	5	2.3
Cement masons, concrete finishers, and terrazzo workers	112	2	2.2
Mining machine operators	51	1	2.2
Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers	209	4	2.1
Automotive body and related repairers	157	3	2.1
Small engine mechanics	64	2	2
Heating, air conditioning, refrigeration mechanics
and installers	397	8	2
Miscellaneous vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics,
installers, and repairers	86	2	1.9
Insulation Workers	874	9	1.9
Highway maintenance workers	103	2	1.9
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians	153	3	1.7
Stationary engineers and boiler operators	101	2	1.7
Automotive service technicians and mechanics	852	14	1.6
Electronic home entertainment equipment installers and repairers	75	1	1.6
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
Carpenters	1,562	24	1.5
Operating engineers and other construction equipment
operators	398	6	1.5
Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	606	8	1.4
Electrical power-line installers and repairers	109	2	1.4
Roofers	234	3	1.3
Dredge, excavating, and loading machine operators	60	1	1.2
Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians
and mechanics	217	2	1.1
Tool and die makers	71	1	1
Electricians	874	9	1
Logging workers	73	1	1
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	358	3	0.9
Millwrights	60	1	0.9
Structural iron and steel workers	77	1	0.9
Maintenance workers, machinery	55	0.4	0.7
Brickmasons, blockmasons, and stonemasons	230	1	0.4

Data not shown where base (total employed, both sexes) is less than 50,000.

¹Nontraditional 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 2008.

Women’s Bureau
April 2009