This is the Most Iconic Job in Michigan

Each of the 50 states has its own unique identity. These identities have been shaped over decades and centuries and are often defined, at least in part, by economic forces.

Whether it is agriculture in California or resource extraction in Texas, certain industries -- and therefore certain jobs -- are far more common in some states than others. Often, these occupations serve as both economic engines and as symbols of local identity.

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the concentration of jobs in a given state relative to their concentration nationwide, 24/7 Wall St. identified the most iconic job in each state.

In Michigan, engine and other machine assemblers are seven times more concentrated than they are nationwide. Michigan -- more specifically, Detroit -- has been America's automotive manufacturing hub for over a century. Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler all have their American headquarters in Michigan. Michigan is home to over one-fifth of Americans working as engine and other machine assemblers.

Engine and other machine assemblers tend to have slightly higher incomes in Michigan than they do nationwide. The average annual wage in the occupation is $51,750 in Michigan, compared to $46,570 across the U.S. as a whole.

To determine the most iconic job by state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the relative concentration of occupations within all 50 states with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2019 Occupational Employment Statistics program. Detailed occupations were ranked based on location quotient -- the concentration of an occupation within a state's labor force relative to the concentration in the national labor force -- as of 2019. Additional data on median annual wage at the state and national levels also came from the BLS. This is the most iconic job in every state.