451211/Book Stores
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
49K
employees, 2023
49K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 5,629 US Book Stores business locations employed 48,997 people and paid $1.1 billion in annual payroll, $23,118 per employee on average. Employment was up 2.0% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
5,629
-1.0% vs 2022
Employees
48,997
+2.0% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$1.1B
+6.0% vs 2022
Average pay
$23,118
+3.9% 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 Stores 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 | 576 | 5,728 | $26,465 | 0.03% |
| New York | 403 | 3,216 | $27,833 | 0.04% |
| Texas | 352 | 3,085 | $20,747 | 0.03% |
| Florida | 317 | 2,647* | $22,283 | 0.03% |
| Pennsylvania | 234 | 2,133* | $18,961 | 0.04% |
| North Carolina | 216 | 1,788 | $20,441 | 0.04% |
| Massachusetts | 187 | 1,682 | $26,551 | 0.05% |
| Virginia | 176 | 1,659* | $20,134 | 0.05% |
| Ohio | 160 | 1,449* | $20,694 | 0.03% |
| Illinois | 176 | 1,426 | $23,798 | 0.03% |
| Washington | 149 | 1,397 | $27,329 | 0.05% |
| Michigan | 176 | 1,393* | $23,465 | 0.03% |
| Georgia | 159 | 1,386* | $21,637 | 0.03% |
| New Jersey | 141 | 1,233* | $25,428 | 0.03% |
| Indiana | 126 | 1,117* | $20,383 | 0.04% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Book Stores employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 350 | 2,618 | $30,351 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 184 | 2,221* | $24,938 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 122 | 1,363* | $23,502 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 120 | 1,344 | $26,311 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 137 | 1,117 | $24,822 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 104 | 1,049 | $19,724 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 92 | 840* | $20,077 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 100 | 827 | $28,131 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 89 | 784 | $20,737 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 88 | 709* | $23,056 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 73 | 644* | $21,121 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 73 | 635 | $30,924 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 46 | 584 | $25,021 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 50 | 555 | $32,919 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 52 | 551 | $20,595 |
Business size
US Book Stores business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 2,805 | 49.8% |
| 5 to 9 | 1,220 | 21.7% |
| 10 to 19 | 801 | 14.2% |
| 20 to 49 | 725 | 12.9% |
| 50 to 99 | 60 | 1.1% |
| 100 to 249 | 16 | 0.3% |
| 250 to 499 | Not published | - |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Retail Trade 44-45Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, and Book Stores 451Book Stores and News Dealers 4512Book Stores and News Dealers 45121
Questions and answers
How many people work in Book Stores in the US?
48,997 people worked at 5,629 US Book Stores business locations in 2023, up 2.0% from 2022. That is 0.04% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Book Stores?
$23,118 a year per employee in 2023, from $1.1 billion in annual payroll (up 3.9% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Book Stores jobs?
California had the most, with 5,728 employees in 2023, followed by New York (3,216) and Texas (3,085).
Which metro areas have the most Book Stores jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (2,618), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (2,221), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (1,363) had the most Book Stores employees in 2023.
Are most Book Stores businesses small?
85.8% of the 5,627 Book Stores 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.