Occupations with the worst commutes in America
Which occupations have the worst commutes in America? We analyzed commute data across 530 detailed occupations and 170 cities to determine where commutes are the longest.
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With work-from-home rates continuing to drop, millions of Americans have been getting reacquainted with the dreaded daily commute.
On average, a typical full-time worker in America who commutes to work spends nine full days per year commuting – or 215.6 hours. Overall, more than 50.8 million Americans have a daily commute that’s at least an hour or more, according to the Census Bureau.
And commuting in America has only gotten worse.
Nationwide, the average roundtrip commute has increased by 2.2 minutes since 2010. While that may not seem like a large increase, throughout the year, it’s an additional 539 minutes – or nine hours – stuck on the road traveling to and from work.
But depending on your occupation – and where you live – commute times can be even more grueling.
In order to determine which Americans have the worst commutes in the country, we analyzed commute time for workers aged 16 and older across 530 detailed occupations as well as the 170 most populated cities in the country.
Key findings
- Flight attendants have the longest commute in the nation, with an average roundtrip commute of one hour and 57 minutes.
- Workers in the food industry such as fast food workers, hosts, hostesses, and cashiers, are among the top occupations with the shortest average commutes.
- Palmdale, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, is home to the longest average roundtrip commute in America at one hour and 52 minutes.
- California cities dominate the list of cities with the longest commutes, including Moreno Valley, Corona, Fontana, Lancaster, and Stockton.
- Year-over-year, the average roundtrip commute has increased by nine hours per year.
- More than 45.5 million Americans have a daily commute that’s at least an hour or more.
Occupations with the longest commutes
Flight attendants are certainly no strangers to travel, but aside from the time they spend in the air while on the clock, flight attendants clock in the most amount of time traveling to and from work compared to any other occupation.
Overall, the average roundtrip commute for flight attendants is 94 minutes or one hour and 57 minutes. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers rank close, with an average roundtrip commute of 88 minutes or one hour and 47 minutes.
Elsewhere within the travel industry, transportation security screeners rank among the top 25 occupations with the worst commutes, averaging 70 minutes roundtrip.
Among the top 25 occupations with the worst commutes, the vast majority are blue-collar jobs such as mining machine operators (90 minutes), elevator and escalator installers and repairers (88 minutes), iron and steel workers (84 minutes), as well as drywall and ceiling tile installers (76 minutes). However, media and communications workers rank 17th, with an average roundtrip commute of 72 minutes or one hour and 20 minutes.
Commute times are increasing nationwide
After the pandemic, millions of workers across the country have traded in their work-from-home routines for a return to in-person workplace environments. Nationwide, the percentage of Americans who work from home dropped from 17.9 percent in 2021 to 15.2 percent in 2022.
Whether they maintain a hybrid work schedule or work in-person at their workplace, this decrease in remote work has led to a spike in commuters. Year-over-year, the average roundtrip commute has increased by 392 minutes, which is roughly seven hours more per year.
Not only have commutes gotten longer over the last decade, but fewer Americans are using public transportation. Among workers 16 and over, the percentage of those using public transportation has decreased from 5% in 2012 to 3.1% in 2022.
Cities with the worst commutes in America
#1. Palmdale, California
- Average one-way commute: 45.5 minutes
- Average roundtrip commute: 91 minutes
- Yearly commute in hours: 371.58 hours
- Yearly commute in days: 15.5 days
#2. New York, New York
- Average one-way commute: 40.7 minutes
- Average roundtrip commute: 81.4 minutes
- Yearly commute in hours: 332.38 hours
- Yearly commute in days: 13.8 days
#3. Jersey City, New Jersey
- Average one-way commute: 37.4 minutes
- Average roundtrip commute: 74.8 minutes
- Yearly commute in hours: 305.43 hours
- Yearly commute in days: 12.7 days
#4. Yonkers, New York
- Average one-way commute: 36.4 minutes
- Average roundtrip commute: 72.8 minutes
- Yearly commute in hours: 297.27 hours
- Yearly commute in days: 12.4 days
#5. Moreno Valley, California
- Average one-way commute: 35 minutes
- Average roundtrip commute: 70 minutes
- Yearly commute in hours: 285.83 hours
- Yearly commute in days: 11.9 days
#6. Corona, California
- Average one-way commute: 34.2 minutes
- Average roundtrip commute: 68.4 minutes
- Yearly commute in hours: 279.30 hours
- Yearly commute in days: 11.6 days
#7. Chicago, Illinois
- Average one-way commute: 33.5 minutes
- Average roundtrip commute: 67 minutes
- Yearly commute in hours: 273.58 hours
- Yearly commute in days: 11.4 days
#8. Fontana, California
- Average one-way commute: 33.3 minutes
- Average roundtrip commute: 66.6 minutes
- Yearly commute in hours: 271.95 hours
- Yearly commute in days: 11.3 days
#9. Lancaster, California
- Average one-way commute: 32.9 minutes
- Average roundtrip commute: 65.8 minutes
- Yearly commute in hours: 268.68 hours
- Yearly commute in days: 11.2 days
#10. Stockton, California
- Average one-way commute: 32.7 minutes
- Average roundtrip commute: 65.4 minutes
- Yearly commute in hours: 267.05 hours
- Yearly commute in days: 11.1 days
Cities where commutes have increased
Along with analyzing the nationwide increase in commutes, we also took a closer look to determine where commutes have lengthened across the 170 most populated cities in the country.
Among the 170 cities within our analysis, two-thirds have seen an increase in their commute time over the past decade, while less than one-third saw a decrease. Only nine cities have seen no change in their average commute over the same period.
No other city has witnessed a larger increase in commute time than Stockton, California. Located roughly 90 miles east of San Francisco and 40 miles south of Sacramento, Stockton’s average roundtrip commute has surged by 3,038 hours annually, which means commuters in Stockton are spending 50.6 more hours on the road than they did a decade ago.
Ten years ago, the average roundtrip commute in Stockton was 53 minutes, but today it is one hour and nine minutes.
Among the top 10 cities with the largest 10-year increase in commute times, half are located in California. Elsewhere, Yonkers, New York; Clarksville, Tennessee; St. Petersburg, Florida; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Mobile, Alabama round out the top 10.
Cities where commutes have decreased
While most of the nation’s largest cities have witnessed an increase in average commute times, there are cities that have decreased.
Despite California cities dominating the list of areas with the longest commute times, the San Francisco Bay Area boasts several cities that have experienced a decrease in commute times over the last decade. Fremont, California, which is located in the East Bay region of the Bay Area, ranks No. 1 in the nation for cities with the largest decrease in commute time. Overall, commuters in Fremont are spending 26.9 fewer hours commuting than they were 10 years ago.
Elsewhere, the city of San Francisco has seen a 10-year decrease of 17.1 hours per year, while Sunnyvale’s commute time has dropped by 13.8 hours per year.
Two cities in Metro Phoenix have also experienced significant decreases, such as Mesa (22 hours) and Gilbert (12.2 hours).
As companies shift toward implementing return-to-office policies, it’s crucial for business owners to keep in mind how commutes can affect their employees. Not only is commuting a significant shift from remote work, but longer commutes are also “associated with lower job and leisure time satisfaction, increased strain, and poorer mental health,” according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
If you’re a business owner, keep all the options open for your employees. Offering flexible work schedules, staggered start times, as well as work-from-home and hybrid work schedules are all ways you can improve employee well-being and work-life balance.
Methodology
To determine our ranking, we analyzed the average travel times to work among workers aged 16 and older using U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey and Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data. Specifically, the analysis includes commute times for 530 detailed occupations, as well as the average commutes among the 170 most populated cities in the U.S. The analysis also compares average commute times over the last decade, from 2012 to 2022, which is the most recent data available. Annual commute times were calculated based on full-time workers who work 49 weeks per year, assuming a traditional five-day workweek, and excluding federal holidays as well as paid time off.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Library of Medicine (NLM)
Fair Use: Feel free to use this data and research with proper attribution linking to this study.
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