561611/Investigation and Personal Background Check Services
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
42K
employees, 2023
42K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 4,013 US Investigation and Personal Background Check Services business locations employed 41,686 people and paid $2.4 billion in annual payroll, $58,545 per employee on average. Employment was down 4.0% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
4,013
-1.8% vs 2022
Employees
41,686
-4.0% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$2.4B
-1.5% vs 2022
Average pay
$58,545
+2.6% 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 Investigation and Personal Background Check Services 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 | 621 | 5,798 | $85,469 | 0.04% |
| Florida | 510 | 3,740 | $44,452 | 0.04% |
| Texas | 304 | 3,303 | $58,280 | 0.03% |
| Virginia | 104 | 2,609 | $54,882 | 0.07% |
| New York | 302 | 2,545 | $52,412 | 0.03% |
| Ohio | 112 | 2,121 | $84,765 | 0.04% |
| Georgia | 147 | 1,987 | $52,786 | 0.05% |
| Pennsylvania | 101 | 1,882 | $51,349 | 0.03% |
| Illinois | 151 | 1,649 | $52,621 | 0.03% |
| Tennessee | 50 | 1,585* | $60,614 | 0.05% |
| Massachusetts | 99 | 1,465 | $50,836 | 0.04% |
| Michigan | 85 | 1,382 | $39,918 | 0.03% |
| North Carolina | 105 | 1,064 | $44,912 | 0.02% |
| New Jersey | 96 | 1,027 | $58,494 | 0.03% |
| Arizona | 95 | 876 | $55,439 | 0.03% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Investigation and Personal Background Check Services employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 252 | 2,637 | $134,974 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 96 | 2,481 | $60,879 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 270 | 2,275 | $51,695 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 90 | 1,818 | $61,870 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 103 | 1,601 | $41,304 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 109 | 1,600 | $49,607 |
| Cleveland, OH | 30 | 1,459 | $104,003 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 123 | 1,389 | $51,859 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 70 | 1,327 | $50,060 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 74 | 1,304 | $64,730 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 46 | 1,089 | $35,130 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 85 | 927 | $57,123 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 48 | 822 | $45,136 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 74 | 776 | $53,293 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 196 | 757 | $35,501 |
Business size
US Investigation and Personal Background Check Services business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 2,868 | 71.5% |
| 5 to 9 | 500 | 12.5% |
| 10 to 19 | 311 | 7.8% |
| 20 to 49 | 198 | 4.9% |
| 50 to 99 | 68 | 1.7% |
| 100 to 249 | 44 | 1.1% |
| 250 to 499 | 15 | 0.4% |
| 500 to 999 | 8 | 0.2% |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 56Administrative and Support Services 561Investigation and Security Services 5616Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services 56161
Questions and answers
How many people work in Investigation and Personal Background Check Services in the US?
41,686 people worked at 4,013 US Investigation and Personal Background Check Services business locations in 2023, down 4.0% from 2022. That is 0.03% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Investigation and Personal Background Check Services?
$58,545 a year per employee in 2023, from $2.4 billion in annual payroll (up 2.6% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Investigation and Personal Background Check Services jobs?
California had the most, with 5,798 employees in 2023, followed by Florida (3,740) and Texas (3,303).
Which metro areas have the most Investigation and Personal Background Check Services jobs?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (2,637), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (2,481), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (2,275) had the most Investigation and Personal Background Check Services employees in 2023.
Are most Investigation and Personal Background Check Services businesses small?
91.7% of the 4,012 Investigation and Personal Background Check Services business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 8 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.