452/General Merchandise Stores
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
2.67M
employees, 2023
2.67M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 59,516 US General Merchandise Stores business locations employed 2.67 million people and paid $81.8 billion in annual payroll, $30,677 per employee on average. Employment was down 1.1% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
59,516
+1.4% vs 2022
Employees
2,666,463
-1.1% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$81.8B
+6.1% vs 2022
Average pay
$30,677
+7.3% 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 General Merchandise 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 | 3,536 | 245,741 | $34,895 | 1.50% |
| Texas | 5,530 | 232,596 | $31,534 | 1.94% |
| Florida | 3,735 | 169,526 | $31,556 | 1.70% |
| New York | 2,978 | 109,271 | $31,424 | 1.25% |
| Illinois | 2,130 | 106,012 | $29,917 | 1.87% |
| Ohio | 2,647 | 101,769 | $28,594 | 2.00% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,535 | 98,974 | $27,961 | 1.73% |
| Michigan | 2,225 | 98,950 | $28,348 | 2.45% |
| Georgia | 2,575 | 92,794 | $28,873 | 2.11% |
| North Carolina | 2,651 | 90,327 | $28,036 | 2.11% |
| Virginia | 1,572 | 72,630 | $29,489 | 2.03% |
| Indiana | 1,581 | 69,139* | $28,255 | 2.36% |
| Tennessee | 1,881 | 62,995 | $29,696 | 2.12% |
| Missouri | 1,441 | 61,711 | $29,550 | 2.35% |
| New Jersey | 1,246 | 60,961 | $30,912 | 1.55% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most General Merchandise Stores employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,315 | 93,876 | $32,848 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,199 | 76,604 | $34,499 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,182 | 69,510 | $30,153 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,159 | 65,086 | $31,818 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,061 | 50,057 | $29,745 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1,036 | 47,950 | $31,697 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 884 | 42,328 | $28,133 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 526 | 40,699 | $34,329 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 791 | 39,105 | $33,268 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 394 | 38,793 | $26,948 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 761 | 38,147 | $28,511 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 566 | 38,104 | $31,100 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 473 | 32,637 | $34,640 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 242 | 27,259 | $37,570 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 512 | 26,165 | $29,133 |
Business size
US General Merchandise Stores business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 7,475 | 12.6% |
| 5 to 9 | 24,612 | 41.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 13,041 | 21.9% |
| 20 to 49 | 4,298 | 7.2% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,915 | 3.2% |
| 100 to 249 | 4,001 | 6.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 4,090 | 6.9% |
| 500 to 999 | 82 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
General Merchandise Stores and the 2 industries directly below it
Part of Retail Trade 44-45
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4523 | General Merchandise Stores, including Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters | 2,470,790 | $30,744 |
| 4522 | Department Stores | 195,673 | $29,836 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in General Merchandise Stores in the US?
2.67 million people worked at 59,516 US General Merchandise Stores business locations in 2023, down 1.1% from 2022. That is 1.91% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in General Merchandise Stores?
$30,677 a year per employee in 2023, from $81.8 billion in annual payroll (up 7.3% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most General Merchandise Stores jobs?
California had the most, with 245,741 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (232,596) and Florida (169,526).
Which metro areas have the most General Merchandise Stores jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (93,876), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (76,604), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (69,510) had the most General Merchandise Stores employees in 2023.
Are most General Merchandise Stores businesses small?
75.8% of the 59,514 General Merchandise Stores business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 82 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.