There are hundreds of different kinds of jobs. As of November 2026, the US government lists more than 800 of them. Two government career websites describe the work in detail. One is called BLS. It has more than 800 detailed occupations. The other is called My Next Move. It has over 900. Jobs are sorted into groups of similar work. The Occupational Outlook Handbook groups similar occupations into clusters. O*NET says each career cluster holds jobs in one field that need similar skills.

Some jobs need a license. Most states require electricians to be licensed. Registered nurses must be licensed too. Nurses care for patients and teach people about their health. Veterinarians need a special veterinary medicine degree from a college and a state license. Veterinarians care for the health of animals. Doctors find out what is wrong when people are sick or hurt, and they treat them.

People learn the skills for a job before they do it on their own. Some learn by working next to an expert who teaches them, which is called an apprenticeship. Most electricians learn their work through an apprenticeship. It can last three or four years, though some start at a technical school. Doctors go to school for many years. After college they earn a medical degree, which takes four more years. Then they train for several more years.

Some jobs keep people safe or get things where they need to go. Firefighters put out fires and help in emergencies where people, buildings or nature are in danger. Police officers protect people and their property. Pilots fly airplanes. They take passengers and cargo from place to place. Truck drivers move goods from one place to another. Mail carriers sort mail and deliver it.

Some jobs build, fix or feed people. Construction workers do physical work on building sites. Carpenters build and fix the wooden frames and other parts of buildings. Wind turbine technicians keep wind turbines working, which means they inspect, fix and maintain them. Cooks in restaurants make soups, meats, vegetables and desserts. People can change jobs. As of November 2026, many people work at a lot of different jobs in their lives.

Words to know

• occupations: kinds of jobs
• clusters: alike groups
• license: official permission
• apprenticeship: learning by working
• cargo: goods carried