Every state has an image that people tend to associate with it. Many things factor in: Places to see. Things to do. Famous residents. Historic events. Athletic teams. Even food.
But what about jobs?
This unusual question was the premise of a recent article by 24/7 Wall St. entitled "The Most Iconic Job In Each State." While entertaining, its results are probably not what you expect.
Using considerable data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (public perception doesn't factor in at all), the article identifies what the "signature job" is for all 50 states. Try and guess what your state's is before you check out the article and list here.
Although the U.S. is the world's number one food producer, agriculture appears in the results just eight times. Half of them have to do with logging and forestry and two others are food or plant scientists.
California is appropriately associated with farmworkers and laborers, which is about as farm-direct as any of the iconic jobs get. California's is also a bit surprising, what with the state being the motion picture and television capitol of the world.
Also surprising are what agricultural jobs are not associated with several states, such as:
Despite its longtime declaration on license plates as "America's Dairyland", Wisconsin's iconic job is identified as foundry mold and core makers.
Idaho's is forest and conservation technician, rather than anything involving potatoes.
The signature job in Texas is not cattle rancher, but petroleum engineer. Okay, that fits too.
Rather than corn farmer, Iowa's iconic job is soil and plant scientist. Again, that's at least close.
North Carolina dominates U.S. tobacco production like California does milk, but its iconic job is textile machine operator.
The author has served large Western dairy readers for the past 38 years and manages Hoard's WEST, a publication written specifically for Western herds. He is a graduate of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, majored in journalism and is known as a Western dairying specialist.
