Episode 4:
M0bility
in Maui county
Maui County’s workforce system offers real pathways to economic stability—but those pathways are concentrated, uneven, and not consistently expanding across the broader economy.
Maui has over 81,000 STARs workers. What are their career options for upward mobility and wages that allow them to stay on Maui?
Summary of Maui County Industries
Industries and specific factors are color-coded based on their potential to support economic mobility.
Anchor
Already functioning mobility pathways where access, living wages, and momentum are aligned.
Building
These are almost mobility pathways with 2 of the 3 factors present, but something is blocking the third factor.
Partial
With only one or two factors inconsistently present, these are not full mobility pathways. But they are still important.
Limited
These sectors do not currently support mobility at scale because factors are not aligned.
What the Data Suggests
1. Healthcare demand is embedded within this category. Many high-wage roles—particularly clinical positions—are surfacing through staffing and intermediary firms.
2. This is one of the few sectors with full alignment. Access, wages, and growth are all present—but not widely replicated across other sectors in Maui County.
3. Stability may depend on how demand is met. Reliance on staffing intermediaries suggests an opportunity to strengthen more direct, locally rooted workforce pathways.
Administration and Support:
Healthcare is actually the Anchor
In Maui County, Administrative & Support Services functions as the primary aligned pathway—but much of its strength is tied to underlying healthcare demand, highlighting both the importance of that system and the role of intermediary staffing in meeting workforce needs.
55% of roles are STARs-accessible
Median STAR wage: ~$65,000 (above living wage threshold)
Strong growth: +21% overall, +25% STARs
+4 percentage point growth differential
This is one of the few sectors in Maui County that combines scale, access, wages at or above the living wage threshold, and steady growth.
At first glance, this appears to be a broadly aligned administrative sector. However, as in other counties, a closer look at the underlying job postings shows that a portion of this demand is driven by healthcare roles—particularly clinical and technical positions—surfaced through staffing and intermediary firms.
This suggests that part of the sector’s strength reflects underlying healthcare demand, rather than a standalone administrative pathway. It also indicates that some workforce needs are being met through temporary or contract staffing models rather than direct, long-term employment.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Registered Nurses — 268
Airfield Operations Specialists — 170
Administrative Assistants — 47
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians — 39
Pest Control Workers — 35
Top hiring employers
County of Maui — 263
Allied Universal — 197
AMN Healthcare — 113
Employers Options — 111
TEKsystems — 53
Maui has a narrow set of aligned or nearly-aligned sectors: utilities; information & technology; public administration; finance
These sectors show alignment between access, economic sustainability, and momentum, with the possibility of becoming strong workforce pathways to mobility.
Utilities
(high quality, moderate stability)
In Maui County, Utilities represents a high-quality but limited-scale pathway—where strong individual opportunities exist, but the number of roles and pace of accessible growth constrain its broader impact.
53% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$85,000
Strong growth: +36% overall, +34% STARs
Slightly negative differential
This is a high-quality sector where wages are strong, access is moderate, and overall demand is growing steadily. However, the total number of roles remains relatively limited, and growth is not specifically concentrated in STARs-accessible positions. While opportunities exist, they are not expanding in a way that significantly broadens access for workers without a four-year degree.
As a result, the sector offers stable, well-compensated roles—but does not operate at a scale large enough to meaningfully shape workforce outcomes across the county.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Financial Managers — 19
Securities & Financial Services Sales Agents — 13
Engineering Technologists and Technicians — 6
Electricians — 6
Architectural and Engineering Managers — 5
Top hiring employers
Hawaiian Electric Company — 61
Hawaiian Electric Industries — 35
Tropic Water — 9
King Power Systems — 6
Brookfield Renewable — 4
What the Data Suggests
1. Wages are strong—but roles are not purely technical. Many positions are in sales, telecom, and operational support rather than core technology development.
2. Access is improving—but remains limited. Growth in STARs roles suggests increasing openness, but not yet at scale.
3. The sector is emerging, not established. Current patterns reflect early-stage development rather than a mature, locally anchored tech ecosystem.
What the Data Suggests
1. Jobs are high-wage and infrastructure-oriented. Roles are tied to energy systems, utilities, and technical operations.
2. Scale limits system impact. Even with strong wages and steady growth, the total number of opportunities is relatively small.
3. Access is present—but not expanding significantly. Growth is not disproportionately occurring in STARs-accessible roles, limiting broader participation.
Information & Technology
(Emerging high-value sector)
In Maui County, Information & Technology represents an emerging high-value pathway—where strong wages and early access signals are present, but the sector has not yet developed at a scale or structure that supports broad-based workforce mobility.
43% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$90,000
Diverging trends: -8% overall, +6% STARs
+14 differential
This sector shows early signs of high-wage opportunity becoming more accessible to STARs workers. While overall demand is slightly declining, growth within STARs-accessible roles suggests a shift toward positions that do not require a four-year degree. At the same time, wages are significantly above the living wage threshold, indicating strong economic potential.
However, a closer look at the underlying roles shows that much of the current demand is concentrated in sales, telecommunications, and operational support functions rather than core technical occupations such as software development or engineering.
This suggests that the sector is not yet fully formed as a local “technology pathway,” but instead reflects a mix of tech-enabled and tech-adjacent roles.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Sales Representatives (Technical & Scientific) — 25
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers — 14
Maintenance and Repair Workers — 9
Advertising Sales Agents — 6
Sales Representatives (Non-Technical) — 5
Top hiring employers
Travel & Leisure Group Ltd — 19
Verizon Communications — 18
Spectrum — 16
Altafiber — 7
Trilogy International — 7
Public administration
(stable but constrained access)
In Maui County, Public Administration represents a stable but access-constrained pathway—where strong wages and growth exist, but entry into higher-quality roles remains limited without clearer and more inclusive pathways.
29% STARs access (low)
STAR wage: ~$71,000
Strong growth: +39% overall, +23% STARs
Negative differential
This is a stable, well-compensated sector where overall demand is growing steadily. However, access to these opportunities remains limited. While some STARs-accessible roles exist, growth is more concentrated in positions that require credentials, specialized training, or prior experience. The roles that are more broadly accessible—such as clerical and administrative positions—tend to offer lower wages and more limited advancement.
As a result, the sector provides high-quality employment, but does not yet function as a broadly accessible pathway into living-wage careers.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Administrative Assistants — 18
Office Clerks — 10
Construction and Building Inspectors — 9
Child, Family, and School Social Workers — 7
Athletic Trainers — 7
Top hiring employers
State of Hawaiʻi — 67
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education — 36
Keʻaki Technologies — 13
Maui Family Support Services — 9
Hawaiʻi State Judiciary — 9
What the Data Suggests
1. Jobs are stable and well-paying. Many roles offer wages above the living wage threshold and are tied to long-term public sector demand.
2. Access is limited by credentialing and hiring structures. Higher-wage roles often require degrees, certifications, or prior experience.
3. Public systems can shape access directly. As a government-driven sector, changes to hiring practices, credential requirements, and training pathways could expand access at scale.
Finance
(partial signal, uneven growth)
In Maui County, Finance represents a partial pathway—where opportunity exists and is growing, but access to higher-value roles remains uneven without clear advancement structures.
46% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$66,000 (below overall wages)
+25% overall growth vs +13% STARs
-12 differential
This sector shows steady growth and offers a mix of accessible and higher-wage roles. However, growth is not evenly distributed. While STARs-accessible positions are present, expansion is more concentrated in higher-wage roles that require additional credentials, licensing, or specialized experience. Accessible roles—such as customer service, entry-level sales, and administrative positions—tend to cluster closer to the living wage threshold with more limited advancement built in.
As a result, the sector provides a foothold into financial services, but does not consistently support progression into higher-paying roles without additional steps.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Securities & Financial Services Sales Agents — 26
Nurse Practitioners — 16
Sales Representatives (Services) — 12
New Accounts Clerks — 11
Insurance Sales Agents — 9
Top hiring employers
Bank of Hawaiʻi — 32
Headway — 15
Valley Isle Community Federal Credit Union — 10
PayPal — 8
Central Pacific Bank — 8
What the Data Suggests
1. Growth is stronger in higher-barrier roles. Expansion is more concentrated in positions that require credentials or specialized training.
2. Entry points exist, but progression is uneven. Accessible roles provide access to the sector, but do not consistently lead to higher wages.
3. Pathways require intentional design. Clear advancement routes—through training, credentialing, and career navigation—are necessary to convert growth into mobility.
What doesn’t hold:
Construction; Professional services; manufacturing
These sectors look like they should provide mobility pathways, but variability, contraction, or current conditions limit their possibility.
construction
(aligned on paper, contracting in practice)
In Maui County, Construction reflects a fragile pathway—where access and wages are present, but declining demand limits its role as a stable driver of workforce mobility.
55% STARs access
Living wage
Declining demand: -20% overall, -27% STARs
This sector appears aligned at first glance—offering accessible roles that meet the living wage threshold. However, both overall demand and STARs-accessible roles are declining, indicating that opportunity is contracting rather than expanding. This suggests that while the structure of the sector supports workforce mobility, current market conditions are limiting its ability to function as a reliable pathway.
As a result, Construction represents a sector where the underlying pathway exists—but is not currently scaling or sustaining opportunity.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Construction Managers — 18
Maintenance and Repair Workers — 15
Electricians — 11
Administrative Assistants — 9
Solar Photovoltaic Installers — 9
Top hiring employers
Sunrun — 25
Alpha & Co. — 21
CCF Maui Construction — 11
Dorvin D. Leis Co. — 8
Sunrun Installation Services — 7
What the Data Suggests
1. The pathway structure exists. Roles are accessible and wages meet or exceed the living wage threshold.
2. Demand is the limiting factor. Declining postings suggest reduced hiring activity, limiting opportunities for entry and advancement.
3. Alignment alone is not enough. Even well-structured sectors cannot function as pathways without sustained demand.
Professional services
(high wages, but not a sustained pathway)
In Maui County, Professional Services represents a high-wage but fragmented and contracting category—where strong individual opportunities exist, but not a stable or scalable pathway.
41% STARs access
High wages (~$87K)
Declining overall and STARs demand
This sector offers relatively high wages and a mix of accessible roles, but demand is declining across both overall and STARs-accessible positions.
A closer look at the underlying job postings reveals a wide mix of roles—including retail, logistics, administrative, and technical positions—that do not cluster into a single, coherent workforce pathway. Instead, the category reflects a broad grouping of unrelated functions rather than a distinct sector with clear progression.
As a result, while individual roles may provide strong wages, the sector does not show sustained growth or a clear structure for workforce mobility.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers — 54
Tax Preparers — 32
Customer Service Representatives — 27
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers — 17
Administrative Assistants — 14
Top hiring employers
H&R Block — 31
KBR — 26
BrightView — 22
Hele — 18
Advantage Solutions — 17
What the Data Suggests
1. High wages do not indicate a clear pathway. While some roles pay well, they do not connect into a consistent progression structure.
2. The category blends unrelated types of work. Roles span multiple industries, reflecting limitations in how the sector is defined.
3. Declining demand limits scalability. Without sustained growth, even high-wage roles cannot support broad workforce mobility.
manufacturing
(growth without expanded access)
In Maui County, Manufacturing represents a growth sector that is not becoming more accessible—where opportunity is increasing, but not in ways that expand participation for workers without degrees.
Living wage potential, but: +6% overall, -11% STARs
-17 differential
This sector shows modest overall growth and includes roles that can meet or approach the living wage threshold. However, that growth is not occurring within STARs-accessible positions. In fact, accessible roles are declining even as the broader sector expands. This indicates that new opportunities are being concentrated in roles that require additional credentials, experience, or specialization.
The mix of occupations also suggests that much of the demand is concentrated in distribution, sales, and operational support functions rather than production-intensive manufacturing roles.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers — 34
Sales Representatives (Wholesale & Manufacturing) — 21
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers — 18
Maintenance and Repair Workers — 14
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers — 14
Top hiring employers
The Coca-Cola Company — 50
PepsiCo — 14
EssilorLuxottica — 11
Cintas — 9
Encore — 9
What the Data Suggests
1. Growth is not expanding access. STARs-accessible roles are declining even as overall demand increases.
2. Demand is concentrated in operational roles. Many positions focus on distribution, logistics, and sales rather than production.
3. Pathways are narrowing rather than widening. Without targeted intervention, this sector may become less accessible over time.
Entry sectors without strong upward mobility:
transportation; accommodation & food services; healthcare
These sectors are reliable points of entry into the workforce, but do not have the factors needed for workers to advance.
transportation
(high access, limited sustainability)
In Maui County, Transportation & Warehousing represents an access-first pathway—where workers can enter the labor market quickly, but advancing to living-wage careers typically requires moving into other sectors.
63% STARs access
Median wage: ~$50,000 (below living wage)
Growth: +2% overall, +17% STARs
+15 differential
This sector provides a strong and expanding entry point into the labor market. A large share of roles are accessible to workers without a four-year degree, and growth is concentrated in these STARs-accessible positions—indicating increasing demand for workers in entry-level and operational roles.
However, wages remain below the level required for long-term economic stability. Many of the roles driving demand are concentrated in customer service, logistics support, and transportation operations, which offer immediate employment but limited built-in progression to higher wages.
As a result, the sector functions as a reliable point of entry—but not as a complete pathway to sustained economic mobility.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Customer Service Representatives — 82
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians — 61
Airfield Operations Specialists — 61
Postal Service Clerks — 60
Couriers and Messengers — 40
Top hiring employers
Mokulele Airlines — 64
United States Postal Service — 50
FedEx — 49
American Airlines Group — 25
Unifi Aviation — 24
What the Data Suggests
1. Access is strong and growing. A large share of roles are open to workers without degrees, and growth is concentrated in these positions.
2. Roles cluster in operational and service functions. Many jobs focus on logistics, transportation support, and customer-facing work.
3. Wages limit long-term mobility. Most roles fall below the living wage threshold, constraining the ability to build long-term stability within the sector.
accommodation & food services
(central sector, near sustainability but not expanding)
In Maui County, Accommodation & Food Services represents a central but constrained pathway—where the scale of opportunity is significant, but limited access and declining demand restrict its ability to support broad-based upward mobility.
27% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$61,000 (just below living wage)
Declining: -11% overall, -12% STARs
This is one of the largest and most central sectors in Maui County, shaping a significant share of employment across the local economy. Wages in STARs-accessible roles are approaching the living wage threshold, suggesting that parts of the sector are moving closer to economic sustainability. At the same time, many of the roles represented—particularly supervisory, operational, and customer-facing positions—indicate potential pathways to higher earnings within the sector.
However, overall demand is declining across both total and STARs-accessible roles. This suggests that while the structure for mobility may exist, it is not currently expanding—and may be contracting.
As a result, the sector remains foundational to employment, but does not consistently function as a growing or reliable pathway to long-term economic stability.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Maintenance and Repair Workers — 151
Baggage Porters and Bellhops — 146
Concierges — 110
Sales Representatives (Services) — 100
Sales Managers — 85
Top hiring employers
Marriott International — 602
Hyatt — 138
Four Seasons — 124
Hilton — 119
Ritz-Carlton — 77
What the Data Suggests
1. The sector operates at significant scale. Large employers and high posting volumes indicate its central role in the local labor market.
2. Wages are approaching—but not consistently reaching—sustainability. Some roles cross the living wage threshold, but many remain just below it.
3. Growth is not reinforcing the pathway. Declining demand suggests that opportunity is not expanding, limiting the sector’s ability to support mobility at scale.
healthcare
(critical pathway showing signs of strain)
In Maui County, Health Care & Social Assistance represents a critical but strained pathway—where long-standing opportunities for mobility may be becoming less accessible, even as underlying workforce demand persists.
41% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$54,000 (below living wage)
Declining: -8% overall, -23% STARs
-15 differential
This sector has historically functioned as one of the most important workforce pathways—offering structured progression, stable demand, and opportunities for advancement across a range of roles. In Maui County, however, current data suggests that this pathway may be weakening—particularly for workers without a four-year degree.
Both overall and STARs-accessible job postings are declining, with a sharper drop in accessible roles. This indicates that opportunity within the sector is not only contracting, but becoming less accessible over time. At the same time, this pattern does not necessarily indicate a reduction in underlying demand. Some workforce need may be shifting into adjacent categories—such as staffing, contract, or travel-based roles—rather than appearing in direct employer postings.
As a result, the sector may still be experiencing sustained demand, but in ways that are less visible and less accessible to local workers.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Registered Nurses — 272
Health Technologists and Technicians — 140
Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurses — 81
Counselors — 52
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians — 52
Top hiring employers
Kaiser Permanente — 456
BAYADA Home Health Care — 68
Hale Makua Health Services — 62
Sonic Healthcare USA — 39
Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui — 35
What the Data Suggests
1. Accessible roles are declining faster than the sector overall. Indicating reduced entry points for workers without degrees.
2. Wages fall below sustainability thresholds for many roles. Particularly in support and mid-level clinical positions.
3. Demand may be shifting rather than disappearing. Some hiring may be occurring through staffing or non-traditional channels not fully captured here.
Key Structural features:
volatility and concentration
In Maui County, workforce opportunity is shaped by concentration and volatility—where a limited number of sectors carry disproportionate weight, and changes within those sectors can quickly alter the landscape of opportunity.
Across sectors, a consistent pattern emerges:
multiple sectors show declining or unstable growth
access is present in many areas—but not consistently expanding
wage alignment exists—but only in a small number of sectors
A small number of sectors combine access, wages, and growth. Several others meet one or two of these conditions.
But very few provide stable, expanding pathways at scale. This creates a system where:
Entry into work is often possible
Movement into higher-wage roles is less consistent
Sustained pathways to economic stability are limited in number
This reflects a labor market that is both concentrated and sensitive to change. As a result, shifts in demand—whether due to economic cycles, industry conditions, or external shocks—can have an outsized impact on overall workforce opportunity.
Maui County:
implications and strategies
On Maui County, the priority is not just creating opportunity—it is stabilizing, expanding, and connecting a small number of existing pathways so they can support more workers over time.
Because of Maui County’s structure, the challenge is not simply creating new opportunities—it is strengthening and scaling the ones that already exist.
A Workforce Strategy for Maui County
Strengthen core pathways
Support sectors where alignment already exists (Administrative & Support, Utilities, Public Administration), with attention to improving access and long-term stability.Stabilize sectors under pressure
Address declining or constrained pathways in Healthcare and Construction to prevent further erosion of opportunity.Build mobility within dominant industries
Improve advancement structures in sectors like Accommodation & Food Services and Transportation, where scale exists but upward mobility is limited.Expand access in high-wage, emerging sectors
Increase entry points into Information and Finance, where wages are strong but access remains uneven.
Maui has real pathways to economic stability—but too few of them, and not enough of them are growing.