22111/Electric Power Generation
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
135K
employees, 2023
135K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 4,192 US Electric Power Generation business locations employed 134,570 people and paid $18.2 billion in annual payroll, $135,087 per employee on average. Employment was up 2.8% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
4,192
+2.7% vs 2022
Employees
134,570
+2.8% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$18.2B
+5.5% vs 2022
Average pay
$135,087
+2.7% 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 Electric Power Generation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 374 | 10,818 | $153,663 | 0.09% |
| Illinois | 149 | 8,246 | $145,491 | 0.15% |
| California | 429 | 7,828 | $162,597 | 0.05% |
| Pennsylvania | 127 | 6,326 | $120,067 | 0.11% |
| Alabama | 51 | 5,933* | $139,820 | 0.33% |
| Arizona | 92 | 5,805* | $131,158 | 0.20% |
| Michigan | 128 | 5,195 | $139,284 | 0.13% |
| Massachusetts | 131 | 5,053* | $137,556 | 0.14% |
| New York | 198 | 4,714 | $144,482 | 0.05% |
| Georgia | 99 | 4,471* | $128,011 | 0.10% |
| North Carolina | 118 | 4,211* | $135,442 | 0.10% |
| Ohio | 101 | 3,808 | $121,347 | 0.07% |
| Louisiana | 103 | 3,773* | $129,873 | 0.22% |
| South Carolina | 66 | 3,508* | $127,204 | 0.17% |
| New Jersey | 91 | 3,141 | $163,884 | 0.08% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Electric Power Generation employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 51 | 4,714* | $134,234 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 122 | 4,416 | $167,977 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 81 | 4,261 | $161,432 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 91 | 3,893 | $154,811 |
| Birmingham, AL | 15 | 3,657* | $146,300 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 80 | 3,515* | $135,702 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 65 | 2,351 | $209,570 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 9 | 2,156* | $162,678 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 35 | 2,087 | $142,742 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 116 | 2,040 | $170,763 |
| Syracuse, NY | 20 | 1,754* | $126,337 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 34 | 1,603* | $141,219 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | 4 | 1,459* | $98,026 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 35 | 1,374* | $145,782 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 35 | 1,241* | $121,384 |
Business size
US Electric Power Generation business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 2,007 | 47.9% |
| 5 to 9 | 578 | 13.8% |
| 10 to 19 | 559 | 13.3% |
| 20 to 49 | 550 | 13.1% |
| 50 to 99 | 232 | 5.5% |
| 100 to 249 | 155 | 3.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 56 | 1.3% |
| 500 to 999 | 47 | 1.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 8 | 0.2% |
Related industries
Electric Power Generation and the 8 industries directly below it
Part of Utilities 22Utilities 221Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 2211
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 221112 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | 68,230 | $132,204 |
| 221113 | Nuclear Electric Power Generation | 38,822 | $135,984 |
| 221115 | Wind Electric Power Generation | 9,251 | $157,200 |
| 221114 | Solar Electric Power Generation | 8,867 | $137,930 |
| 221111 | Hydroelectric Power Generation | 4,156 | $120,624 |
| 221117 | Biomass Electric Power Generation | 2,268 | $120,639 |
| 221116 | Geothermal Electric Power Generation | 1,565 | $127,334 |
| 221118 | Other Electric Power Generation | 1,411 | $161,403 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Electric Power Generation in the US?
134,570 people worked at 4,192 US Electric Power Generation business locations in 2023, up 2.8% from 2022. That is 0.10% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Electric Power Generation?
$135,087 a year per employee in 2023, from $18.2 billion in annual payroll (up 2.7% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Electric Power Generation jobs?
Texas had the most, with 10,818 employees in 2023, followed by Illinois (8,246) and California (7,828).
Which metro areas have the most Electric Power Generation jobs?
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ (4,714), Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (4,416), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (4,261) had the most Electric Power Generation employees in 2023.
Are most Electric Power Generation businesses small?
75.0% of the 4,192 Electric Power Generation business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 55 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.