3361/Motor Vehicle Manufacturing
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
277K
employees, 2023
277K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 331 US Motor Vehicle Manufacturing business locations employed 277,328 people and paid $30.9 billion in annual payroll, $111,394 per employee on average. Employment was up 2.0% from 2022. Michigan had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
331
-7.8% vs 2022
Employees
277,328
+2.0% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$30.9B
+13.8% vs 2022
Average pay
$111,394
+11.6% 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 Motor Vehicle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 37 | 40,840 | $100,789 | 1.01% |
| California | 41 | 26,888* | $281,658 | 0.16% |
| Kentucky | 13 | 23,730 | $89,603 | 1.39% |
| Ohio | 23 | 21,518 | $85,808 | 0.42% |
| Indiana | 14 | 21,395 | $84,885 | 0.73% |
| Alabama | 11 | 20,041 | $95,068 | 1.10% |
| South Carolina | 8 | 15,678 | $85,826 | 0.76% |
| Illinois | 9 | 15,614 | $133,063 | 0.28% |
| Texas | 16 | 14,921 | $122,539 | 0.12% |
| Tennessee | 9 | 13,823* | $78,848 | 0.47% |
| Missouri | 7 | 11,336 | $96,724 | 0.43% |
| Nevada | 8 | 8,246* | $102,638 | 0.61% |
| Mississippi | 3 | 6,214 | $83,738 | 0.65% |
| North Carolina | 7 | 5,411* | $59,717 | 0.13% |
| Georgia | 10 | 4,808 | $72,810 | 0.11% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 31.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Motor Vehicle Manufacturing employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 23 | 32,034 | $102,466 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 3 | 23,978* | $301,264 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 3 | 11,981* | $94,238 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 6 | 9,505* | $98,950 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 3 | 8,529* | $88,151 |
| Reno, NV | 5 | 8,146* | $103,162 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 6 | 7,554 | $93,230 |
| Columbus, OH | 6 | 5,808* | $81,811 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 5 | 5,554* | $88,562 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 6 | 5,396* | $59,745 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 3 | 4,789* | $75,031 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 8 | 3,973* | $99,841 |
| Huntsville, AL | 3 | 3,841* | $63,510 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 6 | 3,798 | $124,919 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 3 | 3,761* | $92,452 |
Business size
US Motor Vehicle Manufacturing business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 93 | 28.1% |
| 5 to 9 | 34 | 10.3% |
| 10 to 19 | 31 | 9.4% |
| 20 to 49 | 35 | 10.6% |
| 50 to 99 | 24 | 7.3% |
| 100 to 249 | 27 | 8.2% |
| 250 to 499 | 12 | 3.6% |
| 500 to 999 | 13 | 3.9% |
| 1,000 or more | 62 | 18.7% |
Related industries
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing and the 2 industries directly below it
Part of Manufacturing 31-33Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33611 | Automobile and Light Duty Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 236,806 | $118,412 |
| 33612 | Heavy Duty Truck Manufacturing | 40,522 | $70,385 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Motor Vehicle Manufacturing in the US?
277,328 people worked at 331 US Motor Vehicle Manufacturing business locations in 2023, up 2.0% from 2022. That is 0.20% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Motor Vehicle Manufacturing?
$111,394 a year per employee in 2023, from $30.9 billion in annual payroll (up 11.6% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Motor Vehicle Manufacturing jobs?
Michigan had the most, with 40,840 employees in 2023, followed by California (26,888) and Kentucky (23,730).
Which metro areas have the most Motor Vehicle Manufacturing jobs?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (32,034), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (23,978), Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN (11,981) had the most Motor Vehicle Manufacturing employees in 2023.
Are most Motor Vehicle Manufacturing businesses small?
47.7% of the 331 Motor Vehicle Manufacturing business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 75 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.