42492/Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
17K
employees, 2023
17K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 1,020 US Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers business locations employed 16,762 people and paid $908.6 million in annual payroll, $54,207 per employee on average. Employment was down 14.0% from 2022. Illinois had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
1,020
-13.2% vs 2022
Employees
16,762
-14.0% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$908.6M
-13.1% vs 2022
Average pay
$54,207
+1.1% 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 Book, Periodical, and Newspaper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 59 | 2,962 | $47,723 | 0.05% |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 1,865 | $59,037 | 0.03% |
| California | 125 | 1,086 | $107,385 | 0.01% |
| Georgia | 34 | 947 | $40,510 | 0.02% |
| Tennessee | 25 | 869* | $57,231 | 0.03% |
| Minnesota | 29 | 698* | $53,358 | 0.02% |
| Alabama | 16 | 683 | $27,139 | 0.04% |
| New York | 99 | 656 | $50,200 | 0.01% |
| Massachusetts | 40 | 614 | $75,930 | 0.02% |
| Utah | 17 | 612 | $65,127 | 0.04% |
| New Jersey | 43 | 544 | $45,961 | 0.01% |
| New Hampshire | 9 | 531* | $40,565 | 0.08% |
| Missouri | 27 | 477 | $49,631 | 0.02% |
| Texas | 47 | 427 | $44,974 | 0.00% |
| Virginia | 18 | 386 | $42,966 | 0.01% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 40.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 51 | 2,305 | $47,230 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 16 | 830 | $86,870 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 64 | 716 | $113,818 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 114 | 705 | $55,965 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 24 | 685* | $53,010 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 3 | 534* | $24,669 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 22 | 462* | $36,662 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 25 | 391 | $95,358 |
| Jackson, TN | 3 | 373* | $47,373 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 15 | 356* | $75,419 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 6 | 315 | $71,727 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 16 | 268 | $44,701 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | 4 | 260* | $34,200 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 12 | 253* | $37,352 |
| Ogden, UT | 3 | 230* | $58,122 |
Business size
US Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 613 | 60.2% |
| 5 to 9 | 172 | 16.9% |
| 10 to 19 | 109 | 10.7% |
| 20 to 49 | 67 | 6.6% |
| 50 to 99 | 20 | 2.0% |
| 100 to 249 | 24 | 2.4% |
| 250 to 499 | 13 | 1.3% |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Wholesale Trade 42Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods 424Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers 4249
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 424920 | Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers | 16,762 | $54,207 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers in the US?
16,762 people worked at 1,020 US Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers business locations in 2023, down 14.0% from 2022. That is 0.01% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers?
$54,207 a year per employee in 2023, from $908.6 million in annual payroll (up 1.1% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers jobs?
Illinois had the most, with 2,962 employees in 2023, followed by Pennsylvania (1,865) and California (1,086).
Which metro areas have the most Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers jobs?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (2,305), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (830), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (716) had the most Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers employees in 2023.
Are most Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers businesses small?
87.8% of the 1,018 Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers 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.