8139/Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
474K
employees, 2023
474K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 54,537 US Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations business locations employed 474,384 people and paid $34.7 billion in annual payroll, $73,122 per employee on average. Employment was up 0.5% from 2022. New York had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
54,537
-1.8% vs 2022
Employees
474,384
+0.5% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$34.7B
+3.5% vs 2022
Average pay
$73,122
+3.0% 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 Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 7,234 | 61,318 | $80,230 | 0.70% |
| California | 4,602 | 42,767 | $74,011 | 0.26% |
| Illinois | 2,824 | 34,100 | $82,341 | 0.60% |
| District of Columbia | 1,235 | 32,600 | $141,290 | 5.84% |
| Florida | 4,028 | 31,024 | $55,393 | 0.31% |
| Virginia | 1,645 | 22,908 | $96,131 | 0.64% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,901 | 20,715 | $58,549 | 0.36% |
| Texas | 2,770 | 19,817 | $63,343 | 0.16% |
| Ohio | 1,728 | 14,485 | $50,647 | 0.29% |
| Maryland | 1,035 | 13,838 | $99,159 | 0.56% |
| Michigan | 1,474 | 12,527 | $49,580 | 0.31% |
| New Jersey | 1,854 | 12,310 | $73,801 | 0.31% |
| Washington | 1,373 | 9,710 | $68,812 | 0.32% |
| Colorado | 1,005 | 8,712 | $70,732 | 0.34% |
| Massachusetts | 1,241 | 8,603 | $63,460 | 0.25% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 7,358 | 61,791 | $82,848 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 2,585 | 59,184 | $127,598 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 2,048 | 29,427 | $87,333 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,331 | 14,874 | $75,444 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,520 | 11,372 | $50,855 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 937 | 11,180 | $66,675 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 747 | 7,375 | $84,343 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 581 | 6,672 | $56,295 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 835 | 6,377 | $73,408 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 544 | 5,911 | $52,790 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 588 | 5,642 | $69,737 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 713 | 5,639 | $72,508 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 558 | 5,602 | $85,478 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 408 | 5,129 | $58,846 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 512 | 4,963 | $91,660 |
Business size
US Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 34,003 | 62.3% |
| 5 to 9 | 10,029 | 18.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 6,044 | 11.1% |
| 20 to 49 | 3,093 | 5.7% |
| 50 to 99 | 843 | 1.5% |
| 100 to 249 | 405 | 0.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 83 | 0.2% |
| 500 to 999 | 31 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 6 | 0.0% |
Related industries
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations and the 5 industries directly below it
Part of Other Services (except Public Administration) 81Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations 813
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81393 | Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations | 136,752 | $50,773 |
| 81399 | Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) | 136,543 | $57,888 |
| 81391 | Business Associations | 105,286 | $99,173 |
| 81392 | Professional Organizations | 86,514 | $101,242 |
| 81394 | Political Organizations | 9,289 | $68,903 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations in the US?
474,384 people worked at 54,537 US Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations business locations in 2023, up 0.5% from 2022. That is 0.34% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations?
$73,122 a year per employee in 2023, from $34.7 billion in annual payroll (up 3.0% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations jobs?
New York had the most, with 61,318 employees in 2023, followed by California (42,767) and Illinois (34,100).
Which metro areas have the most Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (61,791), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (59,184), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (29,427) had the most Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations employees in 2023.
Are most Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations businesses small?
91.8% of the 54,537 Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 37 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. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.