Mapped: America’s Top Employment Sector by State (1990 vs. 2025)

America’s Top Employment Sector by State (1990 vs. 2025)

Over the past 35 years, the industries employing the most Americans have changed dramatically, with health care replacing manufacturing across much of the country.

This visualization shows the largest employment sector in each U.S. state in 1990 and 2025, using private-sector employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Manufacturing Dominated in 1990

In 1990, manufacturing employed more people than any other sector in 35 states.

At the time, the U.S. was the world’s largest manufacturing economy. From California and Texas to the industrial Midwest, millions of Americans worked in the sector.

The table below lists each state’s top employment sector in 1990 and 2025.

Of the 15 states where manufacturing did not rank first in 1990, retail led in 12, including several across the Mountain West and Great Plains.

The three exceptions were Alaska, where public administration ranked first, and Hawaii and Nevada, where hospitality was the largest employment sector.

The Health Care Economy

Within just 35 years, the picture changed dramatically. Health care, which ranked first in zero states in 1990, became the largest employment sector in 41 of 50 states by 2025.

Manufacturing’s employment footprint has declined substantially since 1990 amid decades of offshoring, automation, and growing international competition. Even so, manufacturing remains especially important in the Midwest, with Indiana among the states that depend most on manufacturing and one of the few where it still ranks first.

At the same time, an aging U.S. population and growing demand for medical services have helped expand health care employment across the country.

The Hospitality Hubs of America

Hospitality is the largest employment sector in three states in 2025: Hawaii, Nevada, and Wyoming.

In two of these states, hospitality has ranked first for decades. Hawaii, known for its beaches and natural scenery, draws millions of domestic and international visitors each year.

Meanwhile, Nevada’s hospitality sector is powered by Las Vegas, the state’s largest city. Its hotels and casinos help make Las Vegas one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To see how health care job growth stacks up against other sectors, check out U.S. Health Care Added the Most Jobs in Early 2025 on Voronoi.

• Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-americas-top-employment-sector-by-state-1990-2025/