Administrative and Waste Management Services

This category encompasses backoffice workers, including human resources personnel, office administrators, security guards and cleaning personnel, along with non-governmental waste disposal workers. The fact that this category ranks fifth among all job sectors, accounting for 8% of total employment, but ranks 12th in GDP, is a telling indicator of the degree to which Florida’s economy is dominated by low-paying service jobs. Jobs in this category were among the hardest hit during the recession, falling 17% from 947,357 in 2005 to 784,771 in 2009.

» $33.24 billion
» 4% of Florida’s GDP
» GDP rank: No. 12

» Employment: 868,668
» 8% of total employment
» Employment rank: 5

Other Services

(except public administration): This category includes a range of activity, including equipment and machinery repairing, religious activity, advocacy, dry cleaning and laundry services, personal care services, pet care, death care, temporary parking services, dating services, grant making and advocacy. As with administrative and waste management, this category punches below its economic weight, accounting for lots of jobs but significantly less economic production.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Florida has one of the highest levels of security guard employment in the country — 10. 6 per 1,000 jobs. The hourly mean wage for a security guard in Florida, according to the BLS, is $11.04, with an annual mean wage of $22,970.

» $22.98 billion
» 2.7% of Florida’s GDP
» GDP rank: No. 14

» Employment: 747,125
» 6.85% of total employment
» Employment rank: 7