4237/Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
291K
employees, 2023
291K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 20,116 US Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers business locations employed 291,227 people and paid $25.0 billion in annual payroll, $85,731 per employee on average. Employment was up 5.3% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
20,116
-0.8% vs 2022
Employees
291,227
+5.3% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$25.0B
+9.2% vs 2022
Average pay
$85,731
+3.7% 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 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 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 | 2,131 | 31,084 | $93,887 | 0.19% |
| Texas | 1,902 | 26,571 | $89,853 | 0.22% |
| Florida | 1,505 | 18,957 | $88,134 | 0.19% |
| Ohio | 770 | 13,943 | $72,077 | 0.27% |
| Illinois | 840 | 13,230 | $88,348 | 0.23% |
| Georgia | 632 | 12,400 | $92,785 | 0.28% |
| New York | 1,000 | 12,073 | $84,743 | 0.14% |
| Pennsylvania | 803 | 11,199 | $87,616 | 0.20% |
| North Carolina | 766 | 11,061 | $81,278 | 0.26% |
| Michigan | 584 | 9,138 | $82,526 | 0.23% |
| New Jersey | 530 | 8,222 | $92,980 | 0.21% |
| Wisconsin | 368 | 8,089 | $83,951 | 0.31% |
| Indiana | 463 | 7,435 | $78,864 | 0.25% |
| South Carolina | 319 | 7,412* | $86,277 | 0.36% |
| Missouri | 391 | 5,813 | $83,234 | 0.22% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 974 | 11,637 | $92,007 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 853 | 11,444 | $98,013 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 670 | 10,879 | $91,845 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 557 | 8,889 | $91,950 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 500 | 8,027 | $99,880 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 525 | 8,020 | $98,727 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 394 | 7,984 | $94,466 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 399 | 5,123 | $86,079 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 246 | 4,707 | $84,772 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 76 | 4,653* | $91,057 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 281 | 4,252 | $98,346 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 262 | 4,187 | $92,438 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 151 | 4,179 | $57,512 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 234 | 4,116 | $95,455 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 320 | 4,036 | $90,860 |
Business size
US Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 7,828 | 38.9% |
| 5 to 9 | 5,461 | 27.1% |
| 10 to 19 | 3,595 | 17.9% |
| 20 to 49 | 2,244 | 11.2% |
| 50 to 99 | 635 | 3.2% |
| 100 to 249 | 261 | 1.3% |
| 250 to 499 | 62 | 0.3% |
| 500 to 999 | 24 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 6 | 0.0% |
Related industries
Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers and the 4 industries directly below it
Part of Wholesale Trade 42Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 423
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42371 | Hardware Merchant Wholesalers | 99,773 | $77,949 |
| 42373 | Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 94,849 | $95,470 |
| 42372 | Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers | 84,257 | $84,924 |
| 42374 | Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 12,348 | $79,312 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers in the US?
291,227 people worked at 20,116 US Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers business locations in 2023, up 5.3% from 2022. That is 0.21% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers?
$85,731 a year per employee in 2023, from $25.0 billion in annual payroll (up 3.7% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers jobs?
California had the most, with 31,084 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (26,571) and Florida (18,957).
Which metro areas have the most Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (11,637), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (11,444), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (10,879) had the most Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers employees in 2023.
Are most Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers businesses small?
83.9% of the 20,116 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 30 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.