This Is the Most Unique Job in Virginia

The United States has the most dynamic economy in the world. Where it once was symbolized by the automotive and steel industries, the American economy is now the world's technology colossus. But the U.S. economy is more than that. It is a unique sum of the parts of 50 states whose identities are often tied to a particular job or industry. (And domestic workers hold the most jobs in these 12 states.)

Using data on employment by state for all detailed occupations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Wage and Employment Statistics survey for May 2022, 24/7 Wall St. identified the most unique job in every state.

Based on location quotient - the ratio of the concentration of an occupation's employment in a state relative to its concentration nationwide - metal and plastic layout workers ranks as the most unique occupation in Virginia. With 2,260 jobs in the field out of 3,873,060 jobs in the state, the occupation is 12.6 times more concentrated in Virginia than it is nationwide.

The average annual wage for workers in the occupation across the state is $57,530, compared to $56,170 nationwide.