11/Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
161K
employees, 2023
161K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 22,752 US Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting business locations employed 161,334 people and paid $9.2 billion in annual payroll, $56,903 per employee on average. Employment was down 4.3% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
22,752
-2.5% vs 2022
Employees
161,334
-4.3% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$9.2B
+2.9% vs 2022
Average pay
$56,903
+7.6% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,033 | 27,780 | $59,156 | 0.17% |
| Washington | 1,315 | 13,949 | $65,525 | 0.46% |
| Oregon | 1,333 | 12,242 | $63,047 | 0.72% |
| Florida | 1,227 | 7,716 | $44,724 | 0.08% |
| Georgia | 932 | 7,609 | $54,767 | 0.17% |
| Texas | 1,069 | 7,014 | $53,845 | 0.06% |
| Alabama | 726 | 5,548 | $54,622 | 0.30% |
| North Carolina | 788 | 5,135 | $50,995 | 0.12% |
| Michigan | 651 | 5,113 | $55,053 | 0.13% |
| Arkansas | 595 | 4,947 | $52,628 | 0.44% |
| Mississippi | 593 | 4,527 | $54,368 | 0.47% |
| Virginia | 630 | 4,062 | $59,363 | 0.11% |
| Minnesota | 573 | 3,922 | $60,722 | 0.14% |
| Wisconsin | 520 | 3,673 | $58,093 | 0.14% |
| South Carolina | 547 | 3,665 | $55,793 | 0.18% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 50.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno, CA | 151 | 4,493 | $35,769 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 60 | 3,196* | $46,371 |
| Yakima, WA | 42 | 2,976 | $49,852 |
| Salem, OR | 149 | 2,533 | $57,058 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 31 | 2,198 | $49,541 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 241 | 1,809 | $68,294 |
| Salinas, CA | 75 | 1,790 | $69,167 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 91 | 1,786 | $40,795 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 394 | 1,555 | $98,531 |
| Madison, WI | 43 | 1,435 | $69,945 |
| Medford, OR | 120 | 1,378 | $75,430 |
| Modesto, CA | 68 | 1,373 | $52,415 |
| Merced, CA | 53 | 1,350 | $57,819 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | 137 | 1,182 | $71,307 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 34 | 1,178 | $38,441 |
Business size
US Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 15,909 | 69.9% |
| 5 to 9 | 3,576 | 15.7% |
| 10 to 19 | 1,829 | 8.0% |
| 20 to 49 | 990 | 4.4% |
| 50 to 99 | 274 | 1.2% |
| 100 to 249 | 127 | 0.6% |
| 250 to 499 | 34 | 0.1% |
| 500 to 999 | 8 | 0.0% |
| 1,000 or more | 5 | 0.0% |
Related industries
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting and the 5 industries directly below it
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 115 | Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry | 107,090 | $54,856 |
| 113 | Forestry and Logging | 47,629 | $58,963 |
| 114 | Fishing, Hunting and Trapping | 6,615 | $75,216 |
| 111 | Crop Production | Not yet published | - |
| 112 | Animal Production and Aquaculture | Not yet published | - |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting in the US?
161,334 people worked at 22,752 US Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting business locations in 2023, down 4.3% from 2022. That is 0.12% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting?
$56,903 a year per employee in 2023, from $9.2 billion in annual payroll (up 7.6% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting jobs?
California had the most, with 27,780 employees in 2023, followed by Washington (13,949) and Oregon (12,242).
Which metro areas have the most Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting jobs?
Fresno, CA (4,493), Bakersfield-Delano, CA (3,196), Yakima, WA (2,976) had the most Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting employees in 2023.
Are most Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting businesses small?
93.7% of the 22,752 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 13 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.