4243/Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
172K
employees, 2023
172K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 13,318 US Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers business locations employed 172,343 people and paid $13.0 billion in annual payroll, $75,316 per employee on average. Employment was down 0.1% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
13,318
-2.5% vs 2022
Employees
172,343
-0.1% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$13.0B
0.0% vs 2022
Average pay
$75,316
+0.2% 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 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers 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 | 4,619 | 42,338 | $76,497 | 0.26% |
| New York | 2,446 | 27,889 | $101,798 | 0.32% |
| Texas | 742 | 10,016 | $52,018 | 0.08% |
| New Jersey | 706 | 9,152 | $72,924 | 0.23% |
| North Carolina | 319 | 8,620 | $60,511 | 0.20% |
| Florida | 892 | 8,065 | $56,340 | 0.08% |
| Tennessee | 107 | 7,026 | $53,088 | 0.24% |
| Massachusetts | 186 | 5,482 | $113,003 | 0.16% |
| Georgia | 325 | 4,540 | $59,963 | 0.10% |
| Washington | 179 | 3,449 | $83,497 | 0.11% |
| Ohio | 140 | 3,347 | $70,596 | 0.07% |
| Pennsylvania | 214 | 3,345 | $72,981 | 0.06% |
| Missouri | 107 | 3,145 | $92,421 | 0.12% |
| Colorado | 148 | 3,125 | $103,434 | 0.12% |
| Illinois | 258 | 2,709 | $57,103 | 0.05% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,910 | 34,863 | $75,453 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,954 | 34,137 | $96,717 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 23 | 5,769* | $53,326 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 266 | 5,424 | $59,753 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 146 | 5,294 | $116,666 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 587 | 4,186 | $56,747 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 252 | 3,336 | $60,613 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 131 | 3,210 | $84,151 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 245 | 2,660 | $57,581 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 84 | 2,618 | $110,573 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 214 | 2,310 | $35,097 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 159 | 2,293 | $107,433 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 165 | 2,179 | $85,947 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 59 | 2,098 | $115,580 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 96 | 1,962 | $51,782 |
Business size
US Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 8,278 | 62.2% |
| 5 to 9 | 2,110 | 15.8% |
| 10 to 19 | 1,378 | 10.3% |
| 20 to 49 | 948 | 7.1% |
| 50 to 99 | 327 | 2.5% |
| 100 to 249 | 189 | 1.4% |
| 250 to 499 | 62 | 0.5% |
| 500 to 999 | 20 | 0.2% |
| 1,000 or more | 6 | 0.0% |
Related industries
Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers and the 3 industries directly below it
Part of Wholesale Trade 42Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods 424
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42434 | Footwear Merchant Wholesalers | 28,099 | $99,669 |
| 42431 | Piece Goods, Notions, and Other Dry Goods Merchant Wholesalers | 21,231 | $63,460 |
| 42435 | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers | Not yet published | - |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers in the US?
172,343 people worked at 13,318 US Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers business locations in 2023, down 0.1% from 2022. That is 0.12% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers?
$75,316 a year per employee in 2023, from $13.0 billion in annual payroll (up 0.2% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers jobs?
California had the most, with 42,338 employees in 2023, followed by New York (27,889) and Texas (10,016).
Which metro areas have the most Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers jobs?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (34,863), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (34,137), Memphis, TN-MS-AR (5,769) had the most Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers employees in 2023.
Are most Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers businesses small?
88.3% of the 13,318 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 26 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.