4522/Department Stores
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
196K
employees, 2023
196K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 2,434 US Department Stores business locations employed 195,673 people and paid $5.8 billion in annual payroll, $29,836 per employee on average. Employment was down 21.1% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
2,434
-18.3% vs 2022
Employees
195,673
-21.1% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$5.8B
-10.4% vs 2022
Average pay
$29,836
+13.5% 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 Department 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 | 229 | 23,871* | $35,565 | 0.15% |
| Texas | 209 | 17,041* | $32,153 | 0.14% |
| Florida | 166 | 14,529 | $32,853 | 0.15% |
| New York | 97 | 14,526* | $38,086 | 0.17% |
| Pennsylvania | 101 | 9,459 | $26,643 | 0.17% |
| North Carolina | 120 | 8,469 | $21,646 | 0.20% |
| New Jersey | 71 | 8,294 | $33,246 | 0.21% |
| Georgia | 112 | 7,770 | $26,540 | 0.18% |
| Illinois | 94 | 7,714* | $29,305 | 0.14% |
| Ohio | 93 | 6,673* | $24,619 | 0.13% |
| Virginia | 76 | 5,265 | $29,726 | 0.15% |
| Michigan | 64 | 4,823* | $25,129 | 0.12% |
| South Carolina | 64 | 4,167 | $20,339 | 0.20% |
| Tennessee | 62 | 4,045 | $25,185 | 0.14% |
| Massachusetts | 49 | 3,948* | $34,419 | 0.11% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 48.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Department Stores employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 97 | 17,018* | $40,086 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 70 | 9,058* | $37,906 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 70 | 6,404* | $30,571 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 40 | 5,701* | $38,978 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 71 | 5,582 | $32,091 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 51 | 5,371 | $28,708 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 60 | 4,816 | $30,196 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 43 | 4,218* | $34,349 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 43 | 3,946* | $35,810 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 36 | 3,127* | $36,457 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 30 | 2,880* | $26,808 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 24 | 2,844 | $42,862 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 26 | 2,713* | $29,771 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 34 | 2,658* | $32,039 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 30 | 2,386 | $24,696 |
Business size
US Department Stores business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 20 | 0.8% |
| 5 to 9 | 9 | 0.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 10 | 0.4% |
| 20 to 49 | 529 | 21.8% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,332 | 54.8% |
| 100 to 249 | 474 | 19.5% |
| 250 to 499 | 55 | 2.3% |
| 500 to 999 | 3 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Department Stores and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Retail Trade 44-45General Merchandise Stores 452
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45221 | Department Stores | 195,673 | $29,836 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Department Stores in the US?
195,673 people worked at 2,434 US Department Stores business locations in 2023, down 21.1% from 2022. That is 0.14% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Department Stores?
$29,836 a year per employee in 2023, from $5.8 billion in annual payroll (up 13.5% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Department Stores jobs?
California had the most, with 23,871 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (17,041) and Florida (14,529).
Which metro areas have the most Department Stores jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (17,018), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (9,058), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (6,404) had the most Department Stores employees in 2023.
Are most Department Stores businesses small?
1.6% of the 2,432 Department Stores business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 3 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.