2121/Coal Mining
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
42K
employees, 2023
42K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 491 US Coal Mining business locations employed 42,347 people and paid $4.5 billion in annual payroll, $106,318 per employee on average. Employment was up 6.3% from 2022. West Virginia had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
491
-2.0% vs 2022
Employees
42,347
+6.3% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$4.5B
+12.6% vs 2022
Average pay
$106,318
+5.9% 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 Coal Mining 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 82 | 13,109 | $109,109 | 2.38% |
| Pennsylvania | 136 | 4,760 | $111,635 | 0.08% |
| Kentucky | 90 | 4,436 | $90,438 | 0.26% |
| Wyoming | 13 | 4,030 | $107,189 | 1.90% |
| Virginia | 27 | 2,411 | $106,555 | 0.07% |
| Indiana | 9 | 2,285 | $98,606 | 0.08% |
| Alabama | 18 | 2,251 | $120,817 | 0.12% |
| Illinois | 11 | 1,895 | $99,880 | 0.03% |
| North Dakota | 7 | 1,302* | $127,230 | 0.37% |
| Utah | 11 | 1,286 | $89,318 | 0.08% |
| Colorado | 8 | 1,113 | $103,210 | 0.04% |
| Texas | 13 | 990 | $97,157 | 0.01% |
| Montana | 6 | 721 | $115,438 | 0.18% |
| New Mexico | 3 | 603* | $97,978 | 0.09% |
| Ohio | 28 | 468* | $91,731 | 0.01% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 19.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Coal Mining employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gillette, WY | 9 | 3,429 | $108,419 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | 14 | 2,373 | $107,391 |
| Charleston, WV | 13 | 2,350* | $110,369 |
| Beckley, WV | 8 | 1,658* | $111,793 |
| Birmingham, AL | 12 | 1,392 | $89,512 |
| Bluefield, WV-VA | 12 | 1,094 | $101,504 |
| Pikeville, KY | 25 | 1,006 | $86,440 |
| Fairmont, WV | 3 | 967* | $93,055 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 22 | 879* | $142,614 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 6 | 859* | $171,547 |
| Somerset, PA | 12 | 601 | $102,423 |
| Pottsville, PA | 34 | 559 | $87,596 |
| DuBois, PA | 18 | 384* | $102,643 |
| Price, UT | 4 | 359* | $89,877 |
| Indiana, PA | 16 | 287* | $95,909 |
Business size
US Coal Mining business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 119 | 24.3% |
| 5 to 9 | 67 | 13.7% |
| 10 to 19 | 68 | 13.9% |
| 20 to 49 | 79 | 16.2% |
| 50 to 99 | 53 | 10.8% |
| 100 to 249 | 44 | 9.0% |
| 250 to 499 | 42 | 8.6% |
| 500 to 999 | 17 | 3.5% |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Coal Mining and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 21Mining (except Oil and Gas) 212
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21211 | Coal Mining | 42,347 | $106,318 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Coal Mining in the US?
42,347 people worked at 491 US Coal Mining business locations in 2023, up 6.3% from 2022. That is 0.03% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Coal Mining?
$106,318 a year per employee in 2023, from $4.5 billion in annual payroll (up 5.9% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Coal Mining jobs?
West Virginia had the most, with 13,109 employees in 2023, followed by Pennsylvania (4,760) and Kentucky (4,436).
Which metro areas have the most Coal Mining jobs?
Gillette, WY (3,429), Wheeling, WV-OH (2,373), Charleston, WV (2,350) had the most Coal Mining employees in 2023.
Are most Coal Mining businesses small?
51.9% of the 489 Coal Mining business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 17 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.