4543/Direct Selling Establishments
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
186K
employees, 2023
186K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 29,791 US Direct Selling Establishments business locations employed 186,445 people and paid $10.1 billion in annual payroll, $54,187 per employee on average. Employment was down 3.9% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
29,791
-7.2% vs 2022
Employees
186,445
-3.9% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$10.1B
+0.2% vs 2022
Average pay
$54,187
+4.3% 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 Direct Selling Establishments 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 | 2,438 | 15,805 | $59,148 | 0.10% |
| New York | 1,881 | 14,255 | $60,502 | 0.16% |
| Florida | 2,257 | 11,915 | $51,211 | 0.12% |
| Texas | 1,879 | 11,615 | $52,088 | 0.10% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,282 | 9,888 | $52,253 | 0.17% |
| Massachusetts | 809 | 7,255 | $71,035 | 0.21% |
| North Carolina | 1,069 | 7,189 | $50,634 | 0.17% |
| Michigan | 940 | 5,531 | $48,810 | 0.14% |
| New Jersey | 737 | 5,511 | $57,839 | 0.14% |
| Ohio | 785 | 5,498 | $55,677 | 0.11% |
| Connecticut | 457 | 5,287 | $69,770 | 0.34% |
| Virginia | 747 | 4,873 | $49,491 | 0.14% |
| Illinois | 944 | 4,741 | $52,916 | 0.08% |
| Georgia | 856 | 4,681 | $49,673 | 0.11% |
| Colorado | 668 | 3,809 | $56,423 | 0.15% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Direct Selling Establishments employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,633 | 11,843 | $60,867 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 854 | 5,342 | $61,385 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 512 | 4,828 | $71,165 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 529 | 4,402 | $59,838 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 728 | 3,690 | $54,373 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 627 | 3,318 | $57,241 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 494 | 3,175 | $57,098 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 357 | 2,622 | $51,195 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 438 | 2,410 | $54,672 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 384 | 2,345 | $48,188 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 318 | 2,096 | $54,243 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 443 | 2,049 | $50,920 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 323 | 2,035 | $61,446 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 219 | 1,828 | $68,188 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 107 | 1,790 | $83,610 |
Business size
US Direct Selling Establishments business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 19,381 | 65.1% |
| 5 to 9 | 5,133 | 17.2% |
| 10 to 19 | 3,458 | 11.6% |
| 20 to 49 | 1,425 | 4.8% |
| 50 to 99 | 300 | 1.0% |
| 100 to 249 | 86 | 0.3% |
| 250 to 499 | 7 | 0.0% |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Direct Selling Establishments and the 2 industries directly below it
Part of Retail Trade 44-45Nonstore Retailers 454
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45439 | Other Direct Selling Establishments | 114,655 | $49,808 |
| 45431 | Fuel Dealers | 71,790 | $61,182 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Direct Selling Establishments in the US?
186,445 people worked at 29,791 US Direct Selling Establishments business locations in 2023, down 3.9% from 2022. That is 0.13% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Direct Selling Establishments?
$54,187 a year per employee in 2023, from $10.1 billion in annual payroll (up 4.3% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Direct Selling Establishments jobs?
California had the most, with 15,805 employees in 2023, followed by New York (14,255) and Florida (11,915).
Which metro areas have the most Direct Selling Establishments jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (11,843), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (5,342), Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (4,828) had the most Direct Selling Establishments employees in 2023.
Are most Direct Selling Establishments businesses small?
93.9% of the 29,790 Direct Selling Establishments 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.