61111/Elementary and Secondary Schools
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
1.18M
employees, 2023
1.18M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 23,201 US Elementary and Secondary Schools business locations employed 1.18 million people and paid $56.8 billion in annual payroll, $48,283 per employee on average. Employment was up 5.6% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
23,201
+3.7% vs 2022
Employees
1,176,824
+5.6% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$56.8B
+10.2% vs 2022
Average pay
$48,283
+4.4% 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 Elementary and Secondary Schools 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 | 2,752 | 145,054 | $58,501 | 0.88% |
| New York | 1,766 | 105,368 | $55,183 | 1.20% |
| Texas | 1,621 | 96,933 | $48,256 | 0.81% |
| Florida | 1,785 | 75,545 | $43,892 | 0.76% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,140 | 61,260 | $50,182 | 1.07% |
| New Jersey | 809 | 44,721 | $49,649 | 1.13% |
| Illinois | 886 | 40,244 | $47,597 | 0.71% |
| Ohio | 843 | 37,673 | $41,873 | 0.74% |
| Georgia | 715 | 37,449 | $41,835 | 0.85% |
| North Carolina | 674 | 36,815 | $39,008 | 0.86% |
| Massachusetts | 538 | 35,241 | $60,473 | 1.01% |
| Arizona | 620 | 31,364 | $46,267 | 1.09% |
| Michigan | 481 | 31,272 | $42,696 | 0.77% |
| Louisiana | 413 | 27,319 | $44,162 | 1.61% |
| Maryland | 442 | 24,578 | $49,915 | 1.00% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Elementary and Secondary Schools employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,928 | 119,408 | $55,908 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,114 | 61,325 | $59,106 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 624 | 39,855 | $52,336 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 713 | 35,616 | $49,779 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 564 | 32,694 | $62,589 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 634 | 28,416 | $48,445 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 458 | 26,864 | $50,404 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 412 | 26,638 | $62,453 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 443 | 26,244 | $45,381 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 386 | 25,138 | $52,155 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 418 | 22,987 | $47,971 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 445 | 21,918 | $70,078 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 325 | 16,157 | $45,193 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 147 | 13,233 | $50,015 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 198 | 12,441 | $47,871 |
Business size
US Elementary and Secondary Schools business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 3,531 | 15.2% |
| 5 to 9 | 2,548 | 11.0% |
| 10 to 19 | 3,657 | 15.8% |
| 20 to 49 | 6,489 | 28.0% |
| 50 to 99 | 4,128 | 17.8% |
| 100 to 249 | 2,310 | 10.0% |
| 250 to 499 | 430 | 1.9% |
| 500 to 999 | 77 | 0.3% |
| 1,000 or more | 31 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Elementary and Secondary Schools and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Educational Services 61Educational Services 611Elementary and Secondary Schools 6111
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 611110 | Elementary and Secondary Schools | 1,176,824 | $48,283 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Elementary and Secondary Schools in the US?
1.18 million people worked at 23,201 US Elementary and Secondary Schools business locations in 2023, up 5.6% from 2022. That is 0.84% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Elementary and Secondary Schools?
$48,283 a year per employee in 2023, from $56.8 billion in annual payroll (up 4.4% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Elementary and Secondary Schools jobs?
California had the most, with 145,054 employees in 2023, followed by New York (105,368) and Texas (96,933).
Which metro areas have the most Elementary and Secondary Schools jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (119,408), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (61,325), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (39,855) had the most Elementary and Secondary Schools employees in 2023.
Are most Elementary and Secondary Schools businesses small?
42.0% of the 23,201 Elementary and Secondary Schools business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 108 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. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.