4451/Grocery and Convenience Retailers
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
2.97M
employees, 2023
2.97M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 99,939 US Grocery and Convenience Retailers business locations employed 2.97 million people and paid $87.7 billion in annual payroll, $29,496 per employee on average. Employment was up 0.1% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
99,939
+0.9% vs 2022
Employees
2,974,201
+0.1% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$87.7B
+6.1% vs 2022
Average pay
$29,496
+6.0% 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 Grocery and Convenience Retailers 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 | 11,156 | 332,219 | $37,424 | 2.03% |
| Texas | 7,704 | 262,844 | $29,907 | 2.19% |
| Florida | 7,058 | 239,253 | $28,105 | 2.40% |
| New York | 12,584 | 191,013 | $30,112 | 2.18% |
| Pennsylvania | 4,058 | 132,025 | $24,537 | 2.31% |
| North Carolina | 2,916 | 123,549 | $25,270 | 2.89% |
| Illinois | 3,492 | 101,491 | $31,002 | 1.79% |
| Georgia | 3,668 | 98,528 | $27,025 | 2.24% |
| Massachusetts | 3,098 | 92,290 | $29,317 | 2.65% |
| Ohio | 3,420 | 90,623 | $26,572 | 1.78% |
| New Jersey | 3,872 | 87,775 | $32,668 | 2.22% |
| Virginia | 2,921 | 86,092 | $28,462 | 2.40% |
| Washington | 2,265 | 65,500 | $37,340 | 2.14% |
| Michigan | 2,527 | 60,920 | $27,784 | 1.51% |
| Maryland | 2,093 | 59,678 | $30,996 | 2.42% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Grocery and Convenience Retailers employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 12,828 | 180,251 | $32,086 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,500 | 108,693 | $37,668 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 2,719 | 80,400 | $33,134 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 2,455 | 73,251 | $29,333 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,168 | 68,739 | $28,805 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 2,314 | 67,590 | $29,371 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,508 | 64,407 | $28,068 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,942 | 62,683 | $33,137 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,876 | 59,498 | $28,392 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 2,262 | 58,550 | $31,071 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 1,543 | 43,364 | $39,899 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 684 | 39,749 | $27,865 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 759 | 35,792 | $34,075 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,028 | 35,761 | $35,370 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,061 | 35,576* | $26,694 |
Business size
US Grocery and Convenience Retailers business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 46,515 | 46.5% |
| 5 to 9 | 13,261 | 13.3% |
| 10 to 19 | 10,978 | 11.0% |
| 20 to 49 | 9,608 | 9.6% |
| 50 to 99 | 9,411 | 9.4% |
| 100 to 249 | 9,275 | 9.3% |
| 250 to 499 | 751 | 0.8% |
| 500 to 999 | 133 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 7 | 0.0% |
Related industries
Grocery and Convenience Retailers and the 2 industries directly below it
Part of Retail Trade 44-45Food and Beverage Retailers 445
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44511 | Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) | 2,808,118 | $29,817 |
| 44513 | Convenience Retailers and Vending Machine Operators | Not yet published | - |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Grocery and Convenience Retailers in the US?
2.97 million people worked at 99,939 US Grocery and Convenience Retailers business locations in 2023, up 0.1% from 2022. That is 2.13% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Grocery and Convenience Retailers?
$29,496 a year per employee in 2023, from $87.7 billion in annual payroll (up 6.0% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Grocery and Convenience Retailers jobs?
California had the most, with 332,219 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (262,844) and Florida (239,253).
Which metro areas have the most Grocery and Convenience Retailers jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (180,251), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (108,693), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (80,400) had the most Grocery and Convenience Retailers employees in 2023.
Are most Grocery and Convenience Retailers businesses small?
70.8% of the 99,939 Grocery and Convenience Retailers business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 140 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.