Most people in these jobs have never been married
Stacker identified the 50 jobs with the highest share of single workers who had never married of the more than 500 tracked by the Census Bureau. Â
Most people in these jobs have never been married
Updated
For the first time in nearly 20 years, the share of U.S. adults who don't live with a spouse or partner is on the decline, according to a 2025 analysis of Census Bureau data by the Pew Research Center. In 2019, 44% of U.S. adults were unpartnered; in 2023 (the most recent data available), that number dropped to 42%.
Pew's report showed that some key factors, including gender, age, and education, appear to contribute to Americans' single status. Women are more likely than men to be unpartnered by 4 percentage points. Editor's note: The data was collected using a binary understanding of sex and gender, which excludes important information about gender-diverse professionals.
Adults under 25 are the most likely to live alone, while those between 40 and 54 are the least likely to live solo. And 30% of people 25 and older with at least a bachelor's degree are unpartnered, compared to 44% of people without a high school diploma.
But what about what you do for a living? Data suggests that may also play a part. Of more than 500 jobs tracked by the Census Bureau, Stacker identified the 50 with the highest share of single workers who had never married. This analysis uses data from the 2023 American Community Survey, sourced via the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series and Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs were ranked by the share of employees with each job who had never been married.
Nearly a third of the occupations in the top 20 are in the restaurant industry. Several factors may play into this: Most restaurant workers are young and early in their careers. Restaurant employees also tend to work evenings and weekends, which could make it more challenging to find a partner. Many physically demanding jobs requiring hours outside of the 9-to-5 standard and hospitality roles with similarly irregular schedules made the list.
Keep reading to discover the 50 jobs with the highest share of employees who've never been married.
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#50. Riggers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 56.9%
- Median annual salary: $56,000 ($8,000 above the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 24,000 people
#49. Psychiatric technicians
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 57.3%
- Median annual salary: $40,000 ($8,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 116,000 people
#48. Baggage porters and bellhops
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 57.6%
- Median annual salary: $35,000 ($13,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 29,000 people
#47. Tire builders
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 57.6%
- Median annual salary: $54,000 ($6,000 above the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 21,000 people
#46. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 58.1%
- Median annual salary: $39,000 ($10,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 1.2 million people
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#45. Bartenders
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 58.5%
- Median annual salary: $32,000 ($17,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 711,000 people
#44. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 58.6%
- Median annual salary: $38,000 ($10,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 3 million people
#43. Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 58.9%
- Median annual salary: $44,000 ($5,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 13,000 people
#42. Web and digital interface designers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 59%
- Median annual salary: $99,000 ($50,000 above the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 111,000 people
#41. Cooks, fast food
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 59.1%
- Median annual salary: $29,000 ($19,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 673,000 people
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#40. Sailors and marine oilers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 59.5%
- Median annual salary: $48,000 (same as national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 30,000 people
#39. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 59.7%
- Median annual salary: $34,000 ($14,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 365,000 people
#38. Athletes and sports competitors
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 59.9%
- Median annual salary: $70,000 ($22,000 above the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 15,000 people
#37. Radiation therapists
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 60.3%
- Median annual salary: $98,000 ($50,000 above the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 17,000 people
#36. Library assistants, clerical
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 61.2%
- Median annual salary: $34,000 ($14,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 84,000 people
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#35. Stockers and order fillers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 61.9%
- Median annual salary: $36,000 ($12,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 2.9 million people
#34. Coaches and scouts
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 62.1%
- Median annual salary: $46,000 ($2,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 239,000 people
#33. Food preparation workers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 62.5%
- Median annual salary: $32,000 ($16,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 880,000 people
#32. Food servers, nonrestaurant
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 63.2%
- Median annual salary: $33,000 ($15,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 268,000 people
#31. Camera operators, television, video, and film
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 63.3%
- Median annual salary: $62,000 ($14,000 above the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 24,000 people
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#30. First-line supervisors of gambling services workers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 63.7%
- Median annual salary: $61,000 ($13,000 above the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 25,000 people
#29. Pharmacy aides
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 64%
- Median annual salary: $36,000 ($12,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 44,000 people
#28. Veterinary technologists and technicians
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 64.6%
- Median annual salary: $44,000 ($4,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 122,000 people
#27. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 64.7%
- Median annual salary: $31,000 ($17,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 264,000 people
#26. Social science research assistants
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 65%
- Median annual salary: $56,000 ($8,000 above the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 31,000 people
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#25. Telemarketers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 65.3%
- Median annual salary: $34,000 ($14,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 82,000 people
#24. Emergency medical technicians
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 65.9%
- Median annual salary: $39,000 ($9,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 167,000 people
#23. Communications equipment operators, all other
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 66.2%
- Median annual salary: $49,000 ($1,000 above the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 1,000 people
#22. Counter and rental clerks
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 66.5%
- Median annual salary: $37,000 ($11,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 390,000 people
#21. Cashiers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 67.6%
- Median annual salary: $30,000 ($18,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 3.3 million people
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#20. Dishwashers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 69.2%
- Median annual salary: $31,000 ($17,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 464,000 people
#19. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 69.2%
- Median annual salary: $36,000 ($12,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 116,000 people
#18. Recreation workers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 70%
- Median annual salary: $34,000 ($14,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 282,000 people
#17. Print binding and finishing workers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 70.7%
- Median annual salary: $38,000 ($10,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 39,000 people
#16. Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 70.8%
- Median annual salary: $64,000 ($15,000 above the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 14,000 people
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#15. Waiters and waitresses
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 71.5%
- Median annual salary: $32,000 ($16,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 2.2 million people
#14. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 71.8%
- Median annual salary: $31,000 ($17,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 483,000 people
#13. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 72.3%
- Median annual salary: $34,000 ($14,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 93,000 people
#12. Tutors
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 72.7%
- Median annual salary: $40,000 ($8,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 162,000 people
#11. Motion picture projectionists
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 75.4%
- Median annual salary: $35,000 ($13,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 3,000 people
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#10. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 77.5%
- Median annual salary: $34,000 ($14,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 86,000 people
#9. Medical transcriptionists
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 78.2%
- Median annual salary: $37,000 ($11,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 52,000 people
#8. Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 81.6%
- Median annual salary: $44,000 ($4,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 24,000 people
#7. Residential advisors
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 83.6%
- Median annual salary: $38,000 ($10,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 89,000 people
#6. Parking attendants
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 84.5%
- Median annual salary: $33,000 ($15,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 118,000 people
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#5. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 85.3%
- Median annual salary: $30,000 ($18,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 118,000 people
#4. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 86%
- Median annual salary: $36,000 ($12,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 15,000 people
#3. Fast food and counter workers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 86.4%
- Median annual salary: $30,000 ($19,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 3.7 million people
#2. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 86.7%
- Median annual salary: $29,000 ($19,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 425,000 people
#1. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
Updated
- Share who have never been married: 90.1%
- Median annual salary: $30,000 ($18,000 below the national median for all jobs)
- Employment nationwide: 124,000 people
Additional writing by Paxtyn Merten. Story editing by Jaimie Etkin. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.
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