4453/Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
194K
employees, 2023
194K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 36,433 US Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers business locations employed 193,533 people and paid $5.4 billion in annual payroll, $28,143 per employee on average. Employment was down 0.2% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
36,433
+0.7% vs 2022
Employees
193,533
-0.2% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$5.4B
+2.5% vs 2022
Average pay
$28,143
+2.7% 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 Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers 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 | 4,408 | 18,838 | $29,719 | 0.11% |
| New York | 3,403 | 14,440 | $32,180 | 0.16% |
| Texas | 2,389 | 12,243 | $29,551 | 0.10% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,810 | 11,535 | $26,555 | 0.20% |
| New Jersey | 1,793 | 11,395 | $28,996 | 0.29% |
| Florida | 1,575 | 9,534 | $28,998 | 0.10% |
| Massachusetts | 1,501 | 8,546 | $31,746 | 0.25% |
| Minnesota | 850 | 7,657 | $26,595 | 0.27% |
| Colorado | 1,319 | 7,186 | $29,884 | 0.28% |
| Illinois | 1,496 | 6,993 | $29,471 | 0.12% |
| Michigan | 1,578 | 6,252 | $25,113 | 0.15% |
| Maryland | 1,282 | 6,099 | $31,497 | 0.25% |
| Virginia | 526 | 5,484* | $27,548 | 0.15% |
| North Carolina | 671 | 5,227 | $26,567 | 0.12% |
| Indiana | 880 | 5,165 | $22,590 | 0.18% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 3,647 | 16,642 | $32,500 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,687 | 6,440 | $29,095 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 860 | 5,867 | $28,535 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 929 | 5,698 | $30,550 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,173 | 5,569 | $31,206 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 472 | 4,615 | $28,382 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 803 | 4,563 | $34,985 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 646 | 3,313 | $30,741 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 856 | 3,251 | $25,525 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 495 | 3,151 | $31,139 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 677 | 3,135 | $30,321 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 539 | 3,019 | $31,620 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 588 | 2,850 | $31,193 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 546 | 2,797 | $30,681 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 410 | 2,780 | $26,274 |
Business size
US Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 22,475 | 61.7% |
| 5 to 9 | 9,041 | 24.8% |
| 10 to 19 | 3,726 | 10.2% |
| 20 to 49 | 1,070 | 2.9% |
| 50 to 99 | 104 | 0.3% |
| 100 to 249 | 17 | 0.0% |
| 250 to 499 | Not published | - |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Retail Trade 44-45Food and Beverage Retailers 445
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44532 | Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers | Not yet published | - |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in the US?
193,533 people worked at 36,433 US Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers business locations in 2023, down 0.2% from 2022. That is 0.14% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers?
$28,143 a year per employee in 2023, from $5.4 billion in annual payroll (up 2.7% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers jobs?
California had the most, with 18,838 employees in 2023, followed by New York (14,440) and Texas (12,243).
Which metro areas have the most Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (16,642), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (6,440), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (5,867) had the most Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers employees in 2023.
Are most Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers businesses small?
96.7% of the 36,433 Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 0 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.