325/Chemical Manufacturing
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
911K
employees, 2023
911K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 14,543 US Chemical Manufacturing business locations employed 911,245 people and paid $89.0 billion in annual payroll, $97,721 per employee on average. Employment was up 1.7% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
14,543
-0.4% vs 2022
Employees
911,245
+1.7% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$89.0B
+5.8% vs 2022
Average pay
$97,721
+4.0% 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 Chemical Manufacturing 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 | 1,700 | 91,781 | $122,432 | 0.56% |
| Texas | 1,277 | 80,054 | $113,061 | 0.67% |
| Ohio | 696 | 49,345 | $83,569 | 0.97% |
| North Carolina | 456 | 48,279 | $88,207 | 1.13% |
| New York | 564 | 43,139 | $90,611 | 0.49% |
| Pennsylvania | 608 | 42,919 | $105,472 | 0.75% |
| Illinois | 665 | 40,553 | $91,669 | 0.72% |
| New Jersey | 586 | 38,089 | $99,526 | 0.97% |
| Michigan | 455 | 36,836 | $87,206 | 0.91% |
| Indiana | 367 | 30,306 | $94,762 | 1.04% |
| Georgia | 493 | 28,388 | $79,544 | 0.64% |
| Tennessee | 307 | 26,557 | $94,657 | 0.89% |
| Louisiana | 235 | 25,560 | $129,552 | 1.51% |
| South Carolina | 280 | 24,555 | $78,009 | 1.19% |
| Florida | 730 | 24,492 | $75,856 | 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 Chemical Manufacturing employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 764 | 50,664 | $89,662 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 473 | 38,868 | $131,860 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 704 | 34,772 | $86,328 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 513 | 29,304 | $93,101 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 350 | 28,208 | $123,483 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 199 | 21,580 | $213,823 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 298 | 19,644 | $134,601 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 320 | 13,907 | $76,394 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 261 | 13,892 | $79,934 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 194 | 12,820 | $113,969 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 149 | 12,552 | $79,778 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 134 | 11,678 | $92,452 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 79 | 11,638 | $131,391 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 192 | 11,273 | $95,262 |
| Cleveland, OH | 193 | 10,637 | $85,310 |
Business size
US Chemical Manufacturing business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4,019 | 27.6% |
| 5 to 9 | 2,108 | 14.5% |
| 10 to 19 | 2,123 | 14.6% |
| 20 to 49 | 2,681 | 18.4% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,597 | 11.0% |
| 100 to 249 | 1,270 | 8.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 453 | 3.1% |
| 500 to 999 | 219 | 1.5% |
| 1,000 or more | 73 | 0.5% |
Related industries
Chemical Manufacturing and the 7 industries directly below it
Part of Manufacturing 31-33
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3254 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 321,068 | $113,582 |
| 3251 | Basic Chemical Manufacturing | 168,047 | $110,455 |
| 3252 | Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing | 114,089 | $89,427 |
| 3256 | Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing | 106,155 | $70,767 |
| 3259 | Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing | 86,668 | $78,366 |
| 3255 | Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing | 77,815 | $76,867 |
| 3253 | Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing | 37,403 | $94,379 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Chemical Manufacturing in the US?
911,245 people worked at 14,543 US Chemical Manufacturing business locations in 2023, up 1.7% from 2022. That is 0.65% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Chemical Manufacturing?
$97,721 a year per employee in 2023, from $89.0 billion in annual payroll (up 4.0% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Chemical Manufacturing jobs?
California had the most, with 91,781 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (80,054) and Ohio (49,345).
Which metro areas have the most Chemical Manufacturing jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (50,664), Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (38,868), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (34,772) had the most Chemical Manufacturing employees in 2023.
Are most Chemical Manufacturing businesses small?
56.7% of the 14,543 Chemical Manufacturing business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 292 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.