Also in the same spot as last year, Nevada still sits at the bottom of the 50 states with the lowest percentage of healthcare employees compared to its overall workforce.
The U.S. Virgin Islands is at the very bottom of all states and territories with only 6 percent of its workforce in healthcare — half of the overall U.S. average of 12 percent.
Interestingly, both West Virginia at the top and Nevada at the bottom of the states saw a minimal year-over-year decline of 1 percent. In 2022, West Virginia’s healthcare employment as a percentage of overall employment was 16 percent and Nevada’s was 9 percent. While both states remained in their positions on the list, they’re now at 15 percent and 8 percent respectively.
This trend is reflected across several other states as well that also saw a 1 percent decrease year-over-year.
The data does not include self-employed workers. State percentages are determined using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the State Occupational Employment Statistics Survey.
Here’s how all 50 states and U.S. territories rank in terms of healthcare as a percentage of their overall employment sector:
- West Virginia — 15 percent
- New York — 14 percent
- Rhode Island — 14 percent
- South Dakota — 14 percent
- Maine — 14 percent
- Massachusetts — 14 percent
- Pennsylvania — 13 percent
- Minnesota — 13 percent
- Louisiana — 13 percent
- Alaska — 13 percent
- Ohio — 13 percent
- Connecticut — 13 percent
- North Dakota — 13 percent
- Vermont — 13 percent
- Delaware — 13 percent
- Michigan — 13 percent
- Indiana — 12 percent
- Montana — 12 percent
- New Jersey — 12 percent
- Idaho — 12 percent
- Arkansas — 12 percent
- Kentucky — 12 percent
- Florida — 12 percent
- Maryland — 12 percent
- Kansas — 12 percent
- Missouri — 12 percent
- Alabama — 12 percent
- New Hampshire — 12 percent
- New Mexico — 12 percent
- Arizona — 12 percent
- Iowa — 11 percent
- Nebraska — 11 percent
- Mississippi — 11 percent
- Tennessee — 11 percent
- Wisconsin — 11 percent
- North Carolina — 11 percent
- Oklahoma — 11 percent
- Illinois — 11 percent
- Texas — 11 percent
- Oregon — 11 percent
- South Carolina — 11 percent
- Colorado — 10 percent
- California — 10 percent
- Washington, D.C., — 10 percent
- Georgia — 10 percent
- Hawaii — 10 percent
- Virginia — 10 percent
- Wyoming — 10 percent
- Utah — 9 percent
- Puerto Rico — 9 percent
- Nevada — 9 percent
- Virgin Island — 6 percent
