33243/Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
33K
employees, 2023
33K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 422 US Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing business locations employed 32,602 people and paid $2.6 billion in annual payroll, $79,769 per employee on average. Employment was up 2.0% from 2022. Ohio had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
422
-6.4% vs 2022
Employees
32,602
+2.0% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$2.6B
+12.8% vs 2022
Average pay
$79,769
+10.6% 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 Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 34 | 4,004 | $94,632 | 0.08% |
| Illinois | 33 | 3,152 | $76,507 | 0.06% |
| Pennsylvania | 24 | 2,767 | $71,589 | 0.05% |
| Texas | 29 | 2,198 | $81,151 | 0.02% |
| California | 43 | 2,149 | $81,821 | 0.01% |
| Wisconsin | 15 | 1,434 | $78,905 | 0.05% |
| Missouri | 10 | 1,192* | $68,127 | 0.05% |
| Indiana | 16 | 1,120 | $73,343 | 0.04% |
| Florida | 20 | 1,108 | $63,080 | 0.01% |
| New York | 12 | 1,070 | $81,725 | 0.01% |
| North Carolina | 9 | 997 | $147,048 | 0.02% |
| Colorado | 15 | 978 | $90,822 | 0.04% |
| Georgia | 5 | 968* | $72,011 | 0.02% |
| Iowa | 12 | 938* | $68,758 | 0.07% |
| Virginia | 9 | 721 | $81,899 | 0.02% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 37.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 23 | 2,201 | $80,588 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | 3 | 1,051* | $70,760 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 13 | 1,033 | $84,802 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 8 | 811 | $88,118 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 8 | 747* | $81,680 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | 3 | 661* | $140,292 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3 | 589* | $92,711 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 14 | 585* | $70,133 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 14 | 585 | $64,974 |
| Modesto, CA | 5 | 539 | $68,653 |
| Columbus, OH | 3 | 529* | $65,019 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | 3 | 496* | $85,282 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 3 | 479 | $67,983 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 7 | 455 | $80,451 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 3 | 398* | $90,786 |
Business size
US Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 90 | 21.3% |
| 5 to 9 | 52 | 12.3% |
| 10 to 19 | 34 | 8.1% |
| 20 to 49 | 66 | 15.6% |
| 50 to 99 | 58 | 13.7% |
| 100 to 249 | 97 | 23.0% |
| 250 to 499 | 22 | 5.2% |
| 500 to 999 | 3 | 0.7% |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing and the 2 industries directly below it
Part of Manufacturing 31-33Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing 3324
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 332431 | Metal Can Manufacturing | 22,475 | $88,119 |
| 332439 | Other Metal Container Manufacturing | 10,127 | $61,240 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing in the US?
32,602 people worked at 422 US Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing business locations in 2023, up 2.0% from 2022. That is 0.02% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing?
$79,769 a year per employee in 2023, from $2.6 billion in annual payroll (up 10.6% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing jobs?
Ohio had the most, with 4,004 employees in 2023, followed by Illinois (3,152) and Pennsylvania (2,767).
Which metro areas have the most Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing jobs?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (2,201), Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA (1,051), Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (1,033) had the most Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing employees in 2023.
Are most Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing businesses small?
41.7% of the 422 Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 3 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.