11411/Fishing
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
4,581
employees, 2023
4,581
employees, 2023
In 2023, 2,503 US Fishing business locations employed 4,581 people and paid $404.1 million in annual payroll, $88,205 per employee on average. Employment was down 14.3% from 2022. Washington had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
2,503
-5.1% vs 2022
Employees
4,581
-14.3% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$404.1M
-9.6% vs 2022
Average pay
$88,205
+5.5% 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 Fishing 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 400 | 1,055 | $122,474 | 0.03% |
| Alaska | 440 | 479* | $119,019 | 0.18% |
| Maine | 474 | 452* | $52,701 | 0.08% |
| Virginia | 48 | 349 | $146,596 | 0.01% |
| Florida | 221 | 327 | $38,670 | 0.00% |
| Massachusetts | 153 | 262 | $68,324 | 0.01% |
| California | 137 | 241 | $57,846 | 0.00% |
| New Jersey | 57 | 239 | $63,732 | 0.01% |
| Oregon | 143 | 209 | $53,426 | 0.01% |
| Louisiana | 45 | 172* | $136,128 | 0.01% |
| Texas | 75 | 125* | $30,016 | 0.00% |
| Utah | 4 | 110* | $132,500 | 0.01% |
| Rhode Island | 23 | 75 | $64,453 | 0.02% |
| New York | 52 | 68 | $53,691 | 0.00% |
| Michigan | 13 | 62* | $77,161 | 0.00% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 36.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Fishing employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 220 | 733 | $143,472 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 83 | 197 | $61,731 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 83 | 147 | $52,102 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 32 | 144* | $235,049 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 24 | 131* | $172,580 |
| Newport, OR | 57 | 111 | $47,613 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 15 | 106 | $74,236 |
| Bellingham, WA | 50 | 79 | $124,051 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 51 | 75* | $34,573 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 84 | 73* | $52,068 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 53 | 72 | $80,667 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 39 | 68 | $68,338 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 32 | 62 | $87,226 |
| Key West-Key Largo, FL | 41 | 56 | $39,482 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 27 | 54 | $56,352 |
Business size
US Fishing business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 2,351 | 93.9% |
| 5 to 9 | 84 | 3.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 33 | 1.3% |
| 20 to 49 | 24 | 1.0% |
| 50 to 99 | 6 | 0.2% |
| 100 to 249 | 5 | 0.2% |
| 250 to 499 | Not published | - |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Fishing and the 3 industries directly below it
Part of Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 11Fishing, Hunting and Trapping 114Fishing 1141
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 114111 | Finfish Fishing | 2,739 | $99,463 |
| 114112 | Shellfish Fishing | 1,604 | $63,489 |
| 114119 | Other Marine Fishing | 238 | $125,214 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Fishing in the US?
4,581 people worked at 2,503 US Fishing business locations in 2023, down 14.3% from 2022. That is 0.00% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Fishing?
$88,205 a year per employee in 2023, from $404.1 million in annual payroll (up 5.5% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Fishing jobs?
Washington had the most, with 1,055 employees in 2023, followed by Alaska (479) and Maine (452).
Which metro areas have the most Fishing jobs?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (733), Providence-Warwick, RI-MA (197), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (147) had the most Fishing employees in 2023.
Are most Fishing businesses small?
98.6% of the 2,503 Fishing 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.