Nontraditional Occupations for Women in 1999¹
(numbers in the thousands)

Occupations

Sales workers, hardware, and building supplies: Employed both sexes = 287; Employed female = 72; Percent female = 25.0

Butchers and meat cutters: Employed both sexes = 260; Employed female = 65; Percent female = 24.9

Physicians: Employed both sexes = 720; Employed female = 176; Percent female = 24.5

Precision production occupations: Employed both sexes = 3,793; Employed female = 922; Percent female = 24.3

Printing machine operators: Employed both sexes = 355; Employed female = 86; Percent female = 24.2

Operators, fabricators, and laborers: Employed both sexes = 18,167; Employed female = 4,378; Percent female = 24.1

Precision inspectors, testers, and related workers: Employed both sexes = 131; Employed female = 31; Percent female = 23.9

Messengers: Employed both sexes = 151; Employed female = 35; Percent female = 23.3

Upholsterers: Employed both sexes = 69; Employed female = 16; Percent female = 23.2

Mechanical engineering technicians: Employed both sexes = 18; Employed female = 4; Percent female = 22.2

Supervisors, motor vehicle operators: Employed both sexes = 86; Employed female = 19; Percent female = 21.8

Metal and plastic processing machine operators: Employed both sexes = 145; Employed female = 31; Percent female = 21.7

Laborers, except construction: Employed both sexes = 1,286; Employed female = 278; Percent female = 21.6

Announcers: Employed both sexes = 50; Employed female = 11; Percent female = 21.4

Guards and police, except public service: Employed both sexes = 768; Employed female = 158; Percent female = 20.7

Farm managers, except horticultural: Employed both sexes = 146; Employed female = 30; Percent female = 20.7

Barbers: Employed both sexes = 81; Employed female = 16; Percent female = 20.3

Hand molders and shapers, excluding jewelers: Employed both sexes = 25; Employed female = 5; Percent female = 20.0

Supervisors, precision production occupations: Employed both sexes = 1,160; Employed female = 226; Percent female = 19.5

Farm workers: Employed both sexes = 757; Employed female = 141; Percent female = 18.6

Funeral directors: Employed both sexes = 49; Employed female = 9; Percent female = 18.4

Drafting occupations: Employed both sexes = 235; Employed female = 43; Percent female = 18.3

Shoe repairers: Employed both sexes = 11; Employed female = 2; Percent female = 18.2

Police and detectives, supervisors: Employed both sexes = 96; Employed female = 17; Percent female = 17.3

Metal working and plastic working machine operators: Employed both sexes = 376; Employed female = 64; Percent female = 17.1

Dentists: Employed both sexes = 173; Employed female = 28; Percent female = 16.5

Woodworking machine operators: Employed both sexes = 143; Employed female = 24; Percent female = 16.6

Architects: Employed both sexes = 194; Employed female = 30; Percent female = 15.7

Data processing equipment repairers: Employed both sexes = 315; Employed female = 48; Percent female = 15.2

Separating, filtering, and clarifying machine operators: Employed both sexes = 52; Employed female = 6; Percent female = 14.6

Electrical and electronic technicians: Employed both sexes = 437; Employed female = 63; Percent female = 14.50

Sheriffs, bailiffs, and other law enforcement officers: Employed both sexes = 175; Employed female = 25; Percent female = 14.4

Clergy: Employed both sexes = 352; Employed female = 50; Percent female = 14.2

Police and detectives, public service: Employed both sexes = 618; Employed female = 88; Percent female = 14.2

Parking lot attendants: Employed both sexes = 68; Employed female = 9; Percent female = 13.6

Painting and paint spraying machine operators: Employed both sexes = 205; Employed female = 28; Percent female = 13.5

Taxicab drivers and chauffeurs: Employed both sexes = 271; Employed female = 36; Percent female = 13.3

Telephone installers and repairers: Employed both sexes = 249; Employed female = 33; Percent female = 13.2

Supervisors, protective service: Employed both sexes = 181; Employed female = 24; Percent female = 13.2

Vehicle washers and equipment cleaners: Employed both sexes = 280; Employed female = 37; Percent female = 13.1

Mixing and blending machine operators: Employed both sexes = 128; Employed female = 16; Percent female = 12.3

Precision woodworking occupations: Employed both sexes = 114; Employed female = 14; Percent female = 12.0

Surveying mapping technicians: Employed both sexes = 67; Employed female = 7; Percent female = 11.0

Sales workers, motor vehicles and boats: Employed both sexes = 320; Employed female = 34; Percent female = 10.7

Driver-sales workers: Employed both sexes = 160; Employed female = 17; Percent female = 10.7

Construction inspectors: Employed both sexes = 69; Employed female = 7; Percent female = 10.6

Engineers: Employed both sexes = 2,081; Employed female = 221; Percent female = 10.6

Horticultural specialty farmers: Employed both sexes = 65; Employed female = 7; Percent female = 10.4

Sales workers, parts: Employed both sexes = 173; Employed female = 17; Percent female = 10.1

Supervisors, mechanics and repairers: Employed both sexes = 264; Employed female = 27; Percent female = 10.1

Garbage collectors: Employed both sexes = 55; Employed female = 5; Percent female = 9.5

Supervisors, related agricultural occupations: Employed both sexes = 164; Employed female = 16; Percent female = 9.5

Meter readers: Employed both sexes = 46; Employed female = 4; Percent female = 8.7

Electronic repairers, communications and industrial equipment: Employed both sexes = 217; Employed female = 17; Percent female = 7.9

Precision metal working occupations: Employed both sexes = 928; Employed female = 70; Percent female = 7.5

Forestry and logging occupations: Employed both sexes = 107; Employed female = 7;Percent female = 7.0

Telephone line installers and repairers: Employed both sexes = 56; Employed female = 4; Percent female = 6.9

Groundskeepers and gardeners: Employed both sexes = 943; Employed female = 64; Percent female = 6.8

Fisher, hunters, and trappers: Employed both sexes = 50; Employed female = 3; Percent female = 6.4

Baggage porters, and bellhops: Employed both sexes = 48; Employed female = 3; Percent female = 6.3

Miscellaneous mechanics and repairers: Employed both sexes = 927; Employed female = 53; Percent female = 5.7

Welders and cutters: Employed both sexes = 571; Employed female = 32; Percent female = 5.7

Machinists: Employed both sexes = 515; Employed female = 29; Percent female = 5.6

Water and sewage treatment plant operators: Employed both sexes = 58; Employed female = 3; Percent female = 5.6

Helpers, construction and extractive occupations: Employed both sexes = 112; Employed female = 6; Percent female = 5.5

Material moving equipment operators: Employed both sexes = 1,152; Employed female = 60; Percent female = 5.2

Helpers, construction trades: Employed both sexes = 100; Employed female = 5; Percent female = 5.1

Truck drivers: Employed both sexes = 3,116; Employed female = 153; Percent female = 4.9

Miscellaneous electrical and electronic equipment repairers: Employed both sexes = 83; Employed female = 4; Percent female = 4.9

Geologist and geodesists: Employed both sexes = 56; Employed female = 3; Percent female = 4.9

Mechanics and repairers, except supervisors: Employed both sexes = 4,604; Employed female = 207; Percent female = 4.5

Miscellaneous precision workers, n.e.c.²: Employed both sexes = 22; Employed female = 1; Percent female = 4.5

Furnace, kiln, and oven operators, except food: Employed both sexes = 70; Employed female = 3; Percent female = 4.3

Aircraft engine mechanics: Employed both sexes = 147; Employed female = 6; Percent female = 4.2

Construction laborers: Employed both sexes = 920; Employed female = 38; Percent female = 4.1

Plant and system operators: Employed both sexes = 248; Employed female = 10; Percent female = 4.0

Garage and service station related occupations: Employed both sexes = 195; Employed female = 7; Percent female = 3.8

Airplane pilots and navigators: Employed both sexes = 143; Employed female = 4; Percent female = 3.1

Millwrights: Employed both sexes = 72; Employed female = 2; Percent female = 2.8

Pest control occupations: Employed both sexes = 70; Employed female = 2; Percent female = 2.8

Industrial machinery repairs: Employed both sexes = 570; Employed female = 15; Percent female = 2.7

Construction trades: Employed both sexes = 5,801; Employed female = 115; Percent female = 2.5

Transportation occupations, except motor vehicles: Employed both sexes = 163; Employed female = 4; Percent female = 2.4

Supervisors, construction trades: Employed both sexes = 817; Employed female = 19; Percent female = 2.3

Firefighting: Employed both sexes = 223; Employed female = 4; Percent female = 1.9

Small engine repairers: Employed both sexes = 72; Employed female = 1; Percent female = 1.8

Automobile mechanics: Employed both sexes = 837; Employed female = 12; Percent female = 1.4

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics: Employed both sexes = 357; Employed female = 5; Percent female = 1.3

Heavy equipment mechanics: Employed both sexes = 160; Employed female = 2; Percent female = 1.2

Extractive occupations: Employed both sexes = 130; Employed female = 1; Percent female = .9

Bus, truck, and stationary engine mechanics: Employed both sexes = 330; Employed female = 3; Percent female = .8

Stationary engineers: Employed both sexes = 113; Employed female = 1; Percent female = .8

Automobile body and related repairers: Employed both sexes = 167; Employed female = 1; Percent female = .7

Industrial engineering technicians: Employed both sexes = 1; Employed female = <1; Percent female = <1

¹ Nontraditional occupations are any that women comprise 25 percent or less of the total employed.
² Not elsewhere classified

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employed persons by detailed occupations, Annual Averages 1999, based on Current Population Survey (CPS).