Support worker demographics and statistics in the US
Support worker demographics research summary. Zippia estimates support worker demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our support worker estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about support workers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 34,742 support workers currently employed in the United States.
- 70.9% of all support workers are women, while 29.1% are men.
- The average support worker age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of support workers is White (61.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (14.9%), Black or African American (11.3%) and Asian (6.4%).
- Support workers are most in-demand in Philadelphia, PA.
- The manufacturing industry is the highest-paying for support workers.
- 8% of all support workers are LGBT.
On this page
Support worker demographics by:
Support worker gender statistics
70.9% of support workers are women and 29.1% of support workers are men.
- Female, 70.9%
- Male, 29.1%
Support worker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 70.9% |
| Male | 29.1% |
Support worker gender pay gap
Women earn 88¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$43,485
Female income
$38,313
Support worker gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in support worker positions over time. Currently, 70.9% of support workers are female.
Support worker gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 34.93% | 65.07% |
| 2011 | 34.07% | 65.93% |
| 2012 | 36.14% | 63.86% |
| 2013 | 36.31% | 63.69% |
| 2014 | 35.69% | 64.31% |
| 2015 | 35.87% | 64.13% |
| 2016 | 37.41% | 62.59% |
| 2017 | 35.81% | 64.19% |
| 2018 | 34.24% | 65.76% |
| 2019 | 29.90% | 70.10% |
| 2020 | 28.17% | 71.83% |
| 2021 | 29.08% | 70.92% |
Support worker related jobs gender ratio
We compared support workers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, chief order dispatcher and chief service observer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Office Manager/Receptionist | 7% | 93% |
| Billing Office Manager | 8% | 92% |
| Office Manager/Office Coordinator | 9% | 91% |
| Support Worker | 29% | 71% |
| Chief Load Dispatcher | 90% | 10% |
| Chief Service Observer | 91% | 9% |
| Chief Order Dispatcher | 93% | 8% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Support worker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among support workers is White, which makes up 61.9% of all support workers. Comparatively, 14.9% of support workers are Hispanic or Latino and 11.3% of support workers are Black or African American.
- White, 61.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 14.9%
- Black or African American, 11.3%
- Asian, 6.4%
- Unknown, 4.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Support worker race
| Support worker race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 61.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.9% |
| Black or African American | 11.3% |
| Asian | 6.4% |
| Unknown | 4.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Support worker race and ethnicity over time
See how support worker racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Support worker race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.79% | 12.44% | 5.61% | 11.83% |
| 2011 | 66.99% | 13.20% | 5.52% | 11.77% |
| 2012 | 66.02% | 13.50% | 5.72% | 12.12% |
| 2013 | 66.66% | 12.98% | 5.98% | 11.99% |
| 2014 | 66.51% | 12.78% | 5.52% | 12.61% |
| 2015 | 65.69% | 12.86% | 6.01% | 12.78% |
| 2016 | 64.80% | 13.12% | 6.13% | 13.23% |
| 2017 | 64.97% | 12.27% | 6.47% | 13.39% |
| 2018 | 65.59% | 11.77% | 6.59% | 13.14% |
| 2019 | 66.12% | 11.10% | 6.07% | 13.92% |
| 2020 | 63.74% | 11.32% | 6.22% | 13.53% |
| 2021 | 61.88% | 11.30% | 6.36% | 14.88% |
Support worker wage gap by race
According to our data, asian support workers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american support workers have the lowest average salary at $42,220.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $43,726 |
| White | $43,447 |
| Black or African American | $42,220 |
| Asian | $44,193 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $43,863 |
Average support worker age
See how the average age of support workers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Support worker age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 48 | 49 |
| Unknown | 43 | 47 |
| Asian | 45.5 | 45.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 42 | 44 |
| White | 46 | 50 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 50.5 | 47.5 |
Support worker age breakdown
The average age of support workers is 40+ years years old, representing 72% of the support worker population.
Support worker age breakdown
| Support Worker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 72% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 6% |
Support worker educational attainment
The most common degree for support workers is bachelor's degree, with 55% of support workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 11%.
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 16%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 10%
Support workers by degree level
| Support worker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 55% |
| Associate | 16% |
| High School Diploma | 11% |
| Master's | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 10% |
Support worker jobs you might like
Support worker wage gap by degree level
According to the data, support workers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $58,156 annually. With a Master's degree, support workers earn a median annual income of $53,190 compared to $45,322 for support workers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,190 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $36,642 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,322 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,156 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $38,332 |
Support worker employment statistics
Most support workers work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where support workers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where support workers work.
Support worker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 23% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 30% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 15% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 17% |
| > 10,000 employees | 7% |
Support worker jobs by company type
Employees with the support worker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most support workers prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Support worker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 13% |
| Public | 12% |
| Private | 57% |
| Government | 18% |
Support worker jobs by industry
The most common industries for support workers are health care, professional and government.
Support worker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 28% |
| Professional | 13% |
| Government | 12% |
| Non Profits | 11% |
| Education | 8% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
Support worker turnover and employment statistics
Support worker unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for support workers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Support worker unemployment rate by year
| Year | Support worker unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.58% |
| 2011 | 6.53% |
| 2012 | 5.43% |
| 2013 | 4.46% |
| 2014 | 3.39% |
| 2015 | 2.68% |
| 2016 | 2.53% |
| 2017 | 2.43% |
| 2018 | 1.88% |
| 2019 | 1.71% |
| 2020 | 2.89% |
| 2021 | 3.70% |
Average support worker tenure
The average support worker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,489 support workers resumes in Zippia's database.
Support worker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 27% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Support worker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of support workers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Public Safety Dispatcher | 6.75% | 25,700 |
| Accounts Payable Administrator | 6.76% | 79,272 |
| Executive Secretary | 7.79% | 103,802 |
| Support Worker | 8.06% | - |
| Recovery Agent | 8.49% | 41,218 |
| Postal Clerk | 8.68% | 93,101 |
| Loan Representative | 9.31% | 79,128 |
Similar support worker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Public Safety Dispatcher | 6.75% | 25,700 |
| Accounts Payable Administrator | 6.76% | 79,272 |
| Executive Secretary | 7.79% | 103,802 |
| Recovery Agent | 8.49% | 41,218 |
| Postal Clerk | 8.68% | 93,101 |
| Loan Representative | 9.31% | 79,128 |
Foreign languages spoken by support workers
The most common foreign language among support workers is Spanish at 62.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 10.3% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 6.3%.
- Spanish, 62.7%
- French, 10.3%
- Portuguese, 6.3%
- Italian, 2.4%
- Chinese, 1.6%
- Other, 16.7%
Support worker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 62.7% |
| French | 10.3% |
| Portuguese | 6.3% |
| Italian | 2.4% |
| Chinese | 1.6% |
| Other | 16.7% |
