Maryland's workforce is among the best educated in the nation. In 2023, over 42.1% of its population aged 25 or older held a bachelor's degree or higher, including 19.9% who held a graduate or professional degree.
Mural, East Antietam St. (near North Potomac St.), Hagerstown, Maryland, June 2004. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
In 2021, Maryland's workforce ranked second in the country for its high percentage of professional and technical workers (30.2%). Moreover, in 2021, Maryland had the fifth highest concentration of doctoral scientists and engineers in the nation. Maryland, in 2020, was fourth in the nation for employment within the federal government, though it ranked first for federal jobs per capita, at 242 jobs per 10,000 residents. Also in 2020, Maryland had the second highest concentration of science, technology, engineering, & math (STEM) workers nationally, with 252,930 employees, or 10.2%.
2021 | |||||
Maryland | 2,559,896 |
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
Maryland | 2,626,510 | 2,652,465 | 2,676,716 | 2,700,377 | 2,516,736 |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
Maryland | 2,479,122 | 2,514,165 | 2,532,403 | 2,553,333 | 2,590,860 |
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
Maryland | 2,530,129 | 2,546,850 | 2,537,400 | 2,460,972 | 2,454,418 |
2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
Maryland | 2,423,138 | 2,427,396 | 2,434,480 | 2,461,074 | 2,497,416 |
| |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | ||
Maryland | 2,231,499 | 2,284,671 | 2,347,638 | 2,404,095 |
PRIVATE & PUBLIC SECTOR WORKFORCE - MARYLAND*
2021 | |||||
Private Sector goods producing |
276,795 (10.8%) | ||||
natural resources & mining | 7,543 | ||||
construction | 160,251 | ||||
manufacturing | 109,000 | ||||
Private Sector service providing |
1,812,510 (70.8%) | ||||
trade, transportation, utilities, & Warehousing | 438,709 | ||||
information | 33,471 | ||||
financial activities | 141,741 | ||||
professional & business | 463,165 | ||||
education & health | 423,006 | ||||
leisure & hospitality | 230,438 | ||||
other | 81,977 | ||||
Public Sector | 468,260 (18.3%) | ||||
local government | 218,780 | ||||
state government | 98,619 | ||||
federal government | 150,860 |
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
Private Sector goods producing |
270,891 (10.3%) | 273,719 (10.3%) | 278,931 (10.4%) | 285,341 (10.6%) | 277,605 (11%) |
natural resources & mining | 6,431 | 6,434 | 6,444 | 7,189 | 7,127 |
construction | 160,868 | 162,154 | 163,285 | 165,865 | 161,959 |
manufacturing | 103,592 | 105,130 | 109,202 | 112,287 | 108,519 |
Private Sector service providing |
1,869,496 (71.2%) | 1,891,680 (71.3%) | 1,908,679 (71.3%) | 1,924,929 (71.3%) | 1,758,555 (70%) |
trade, transportation, utilities, & Warehousing | 461,148 | 461,998 | 462,196 | 463,519 | 442,361 |
information | 37,695 | 37,625 | 36,234 | 35,309 | 33,033 |
financial activities | 139,872 | 140,275 | 138,188 | 135,150 | 129,594 |
professional & business | 442,057 | 443,960 | 452,271 | 462,824 | 443,642 |
education & health | 425,693 | 436,174 | 445,187 | 450,492 | 420,060 |
leisure & hospitality | 272,346 | 280,175 | 282,048 | 282,793 | 211,399 |
other | 90,685 | 91,472 | 92,553 | 94,842 | 78,464 |
Public Sector | 486,101 (18.5%) | 487,036 (18.4%) | 489,102 (18.3%) | 490,076 (18.1%) | 480,385 (19%) |
local government | 242,364 | 242,559 | 244,297 | 245,253 | 233,698 |
state government | 97,937 | 97,770 | 99,857 | 99,127 | 97,336 |
federal government | 145,800 | 146,707 | 144,948 | 145,695 | 149,350 |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
Private Sector goods producing |
262,754 (10.6%) | 259,297 (10.3%) | 259,046 (10.2%) | 259,619 (10.2%) | 264,416 (10.2%) |
natural resources & mining | 6,553 | 6,926 | 6,338 | 6,435 | 6,473 |
construction | 143,152 | 143,303 | 146,207 | 149,622 | 154,047 |
manufacturing | 113,049 | 109,068 | 106,501 | 103,562 | 103,896 |
Private Sector service providing |
1,728,440 (69.7%) | 1,766,655 (70.3%) | 1,786,284 (70.5%) | 1,807,725 (70.8%) | 1,840,758 (71.1%) |
trade, transportation, utilities, & Warehousing | 439,656 | 444,972 | 445,462 | 449,318 | 458,015 |
information | 41,713 | 39,804 | 39,491 | 38,801 | 38,449 |
financial activities | 136,487 | 137,521 | 138,212 | 137,176 | 138,896 |
professional & business | 397,247 | 409,726 | 417,061 | 424,517 | 430,326 |
education & health | 391,842 | 400,436 | 403,282 | 408,350 | 417,845 |
leisure & hospitality | 233,724 | 244,213 | 254,166 | 260,379 | 267,202 |
other | 87,771 | 89,983 | 88,610 | 89,184 | 90,025 |
Public Sector | 487,919 (19.7%) | 488,202 (19.4%) | 487,073 (19.2%) | 485,989 (19.0%) | 485,685 (18.7%) |
local government | 241,039 | 241,058 | 242,082 | 243,513 | 242,724 |
state government | 102,367 | 100,790 | 100,379 | 99,484 | 98,833 |
federal government | 144,513 | 146,354 | 144,612 | 142,992 | 144,128 |
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
Private Sector goods producing |
331,590 (13.1%) | 326,133 (12.8%) | 313,044 (12.3%) | 278,257 (11.3%) | 264,380 (10.8%) |
natural resources & mining | 6,836 | 6,556 | 6,528 | 6,428 | 6,520 |
construction | 188,420 | 187,878 | 178,076 | 153,122 | 142,774 |
manufacturing | 136,334 | 131,699 | 128,440 | 118,707 | 115,086 |
Private Sector service providing |
1,741,777 (68.8%) | 1,758,249 (69%) | 1,753,071 (69.1%) | 1,705,302 (69.3%) | 1,705,856 (69.5%) |
trade, transportation & utilities | 470,271 | 472,365 | 461,249 | 436,545 | 434,661 |
information | 50,726 | 50,646 | 49,820 | 46,513 | 43,830 |
financial activities | 157,729 | 154,556 | 149,220 | 141,937 | 138,000 |
professional & business | 394,518 | 396,733 | 398,952 | 384,033 | 386,796 |
education & health | 349,136 | 359,053 | 367,671 | 378,238 | 385,013 |
leisure & hospitality | 229,694 | 234,278 | 236,048 | 230,220 | 229,797 |
other | 89,703 | 90,618 | 90,111 | 87,816 | 87,759 |
Public Sector | 455,492 (18.0%) | 461,356 (18.1%) | 470,409 (18.5%) | 476,918 (19.4%) | 484,108 (19.7%) |
local government | 232,795 | 237,879 | 243,576 | 244,866 | 241,869 |
state government | 97,519 | 98,634 | 99,683 | 100,190 | 102,312 |
federal government | 125,178 | 124,843 | 127,150 | 131,862 | 139,927 |
2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
Private Sector goods producing |
339,518 (14.0%) | 328,847 (13.5%) | 321,733 (13.2%) | 325,826 (13.2%) | 330,435 (13.2%) |
natural resources & mining | 6,278 | 6,247 | 6,440 | 6,687 | 6,891 |
construction | 164,880 | 165,725 | 167,495 | 175,967 | 182,878 |
manufacturing | 168,360 | 156,875 | 147,798 | 143,172 | 140,666 |
Private Sector manufacturing |
1,634,258 (67.4%) | 1,644,350 (67.7%) | 1,660,125 (68.1%) | 1,686,668 (68.5%) | 1,716,583 (68.7%) |
trade, transportation & utilities | 466,494 | 461,501 | 458,526 | 463,227 | 466,162 |
information | 58,380 | 53,402 | 50,365 | 50,121 | 50,368 |
financial activities | 148,821 | 151,187 | 156,231 | 156,352 | 158,234 |
professional & business | 358,310 | 357,504 | 360,676 | 370,638 | 383,250 |
education & health | 307,161 | 318,044 | 326,564 | 333,435 | 340,182 |
leisure & hospitality | 208,691 | 215,106 | 218,993 | 224,371 | 229,246 |
other | 86,401 | 87,606 | 88,770 | 88,524 | 89,141 |
Public Sector | 442,648 (18.2%) | 450,215 (18.5%) | 450,458 (18.5%) | 446,342 (18.1%) | 448,627 (17.9%) |
local government | 218,036 | 223,486 | 225,125 | 223,492 | 226,183 |
state government | 98,134 | 98,415 | 97,069 | 95,928 | 96,707 |
federal government | 126,782 | 128,314 | 128,264 | 126,922 | 125,737 |
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | ||
Private Sector manufacturing |
176,722 (7.9%) | 178,051 (7.8%) | 176,862 (7.5%) | 180,101 (7.4%) | |
Private Sector nonmanufacturing |
1,645,289 (73.7%) | 1,687,246 (73.8%) | 1,744,916 (74.3%) | 1,792,860 (74.6%) | |
services | 710,287 | 737,058 | 766,113 | 793,234 | |
trade (wholesale) | 110,300 | 110,795 | 112,958 | 114,255 | |
trade (retail) | 426,555 | 430,447 | 435,939 | 441,981 | |
contract construction | 137,820 | 140,815 | 149,808 | 156,501 | |
finance, insurance, real estate | 131,161 | 134,394 | 139,642 | 138,203 | |
transportation, communications, public utilities |
103,126 | 103,892 | 108,446 | 111,441 | |
other | 26,070 | 29,745 | 32,010 | 37,245 | |
Public Sector | 409,488 (18.4%) | 419,274 (18.4%) | 425,860 (18.1%) | 431,134 (17.9%) | |
local government | 195,356 | 203,116 | 207,284 | 210,707 | |
state government | 89,662 | 89,483 | 91,634 | 93,713 | |
federal government | 125,470 | 126,675 | 126,942 | 126,714 |
* Resident & nonresident wage-earners working in Maryland.
CIVILIAN WORKFORCE - MARYLAND
(annual averages)
2021 | |||||
Employed* | 2,992,228 | ||||
Unemployed** | 183,322 (5.8%) | ||||
TOTAL | 3,175,550 |
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
Employed* | 3,020,827 | 3,114,580 | 3,142,323 | 3,212,155 | 3,012,106 |
Unemployed** | 135,091 (4.3%) | 129,316 (4.0%) | 118,745 (3.6%) | 114,342 (3.4%) | 215,421 (6.7%) |
TOTAL | 3,155,918 | 3,243,896 | 3,261,068 | 3,326,497 | 3,227,527 |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
Employed* | 2,872,084 | 2,902,307 | 2,923,498 | 2,941,562 | 2,983,083 |
Unemployed** | 224,477 (7.2%) | 217,340 (7.0%) | 205,854 (6.6%) | 181,486 (5.8%) | 156,905 (5.0%) |
TOTAL | 3,096,561 | 3,119,647 | 3,129,352 | 3,123,048 | 3,139,988 |
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
Employed* | 2,892,620 | 2,873,512 | 2,867,178 | 2,820,245 | 2,838,492 |
Unemployed** | 116,523 (3.9%) | 106,841 (3.6%) | 130,531 (4.4%) | 212,455 (7.0%) | 235,334 (7.7%) |
TOTAL | 3,009,143 | 2,980,353 | 2,997,709 | 3,032,700 | 3,073,826 |
2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
Employed* | 2,712,268 | 2,732,057 | 2,749,111 | 2,764,110 | 2,813,781 |
Unemployed** | 114,779 (4.1%) | 128,139 (4.5%) | 128,858 (4.5%) | 124,047 (4.3%) | 121,283 (4.1%) |
TOTAL | 2,827,047 | 2,860,196 | 2,877,969 | 2,888,157 | 2,935,064 |
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | ||
Employed* | 2,646,200 | 2,661,192 | 2,687,843 | 2,711,382 | |
Unemployed** | 132,002 (4.8%) | 118,817 (4.3%) | 100,027 (3.6%) | 100,275 (3.6%) | |
TOTAL | 2,778,202 | 2,780,009 | 2,787,870 | 2,811,657 |
* Resident wage-earners working either in Maryland or out of state.
** Unemployed Maryland residents actively seeking work.
Source: Division of Workforce Development & Adult Learning, Department of Labor, Licensing, & Regulation
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