In yet another sign of how fast direct-care work is growing as a job category, only five kinds of work employed more women last year.

According to a U.S. Department of Labor chart titled 20 Leading Occupations of Employed Women, there were 1.659 million female nursing, psychiatric and home health aides in the U.S. in 2007, making up 88.3 percent of the total 1.879 million workers in that category. Their median weekly wages were $416.

Secretaries and administrative assistants topped the list at 3.289 million, followed by registered nurses at 2.411 million. Also topping the list were elementary and middle school teachers, cashiers, and retail saleswomen.

The direct-care worker category outstripped waitresses (1.464 million), receptionists and information clerks (1.340 million) maids and housekeeping cleaners (1.273 million) and childcare workers (1.269 million).

Elise Nakhnikian, Senior Online Editor
enakhnikian@phinational.org