322/Paper Manufacturing
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
351K
employees, 2023
351K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 3,813 US Paper Manufacturing business locations employed 351,485 people and paid $26.5 billion in annual payroll, $75,350 per employee on average. Employment was down 1.1% from 2022. Wisconsin had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
3,813
-0.2% vs 2022
Employees
351,485
-1.1% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$26.5B
+3.6% vs 2022
Average pay
$75,350
+4.8% 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 Paper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 200 | 26,617 | $76,801 | 1.01% |
| Pennsylvania | 224 | 21,606 | $73,109 | 0.38% |
| Ohio | 252 | 19,980 | $68,520 | 0.39% |
| California | 339 | 18,652 | $74,445 | 0.11% |
| Georgia | 157 | 18,160 | $83,809 | 0.41% |
| North Carolina | 169 | 17,492 | $71,272 | 0.41% |
| Texas | 226 | 15,619 | $76,537 | 0.13% |
| Illinois | 214 | 15,067 | $75,520 | 0.27% |
| New York | 176 | 14,117 | $72,316 | 0.16% |
| Tennessee | 123 | 12,056 | $70,830 | 0.41% |
| Michigan | 145 | 11,908 | $69,322 | 0.29% |
| Alabama | 62 | 11,257 | $93,718 | 0.62% |
| Kentucky | 68 | 10,947 | $75,731 | 0.64% |
| South Carolina | 78 | 10,501 | $86,392 | 0.51% |
| Indiana | 117 | 9,955 | $69,134 | 0.34% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 45.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Paper Manufacturing employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 179 | 12,620 | $75,741 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 166 | 8,328 | $70,570 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 152 | 7,908 | $78,693 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 110 | 7,075 | $74,498 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 79 | 6,007 | $77,374 |
| Green Bay, WI | 32 | 5,878 | $79,406 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 72 | 5,793 | $81,583 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 72 | 5,360 | $69,310 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 69 | 5,199 | $73,706 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 28 | 4,226 | $80,445 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 24 | 4,004 | $72,351 |
| Cleveland, OH | 52 | 3,772 | $68,270 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 40 | 3,664 | $75,445 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 40 | 3,593 | $59,073 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 33 | 3,266 | $63,399 |
Business size
US Paper Manufacturing business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 468 | 12.3% |
| 5 to 9 | 276 | 7.2% |
| 10 to 19 | 394 | 10.3% |
| 20 to 49 | 783 | 20.5% |
| 50 to 99 | 754 | 19.8% |
| 100 to 249 | 834 | 21.9% |
| 250 to 499 | 210 | 5.5% |
| 500 to 999 | 86 | 2.3% |
| 1,000 or more | 8 | 0.2% |
Related industries
Paper Manufacturing and the 2 industries directly below it
Part of Manufacturing 31-33
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3222 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 260,693 | $68,760 |
| 3221 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 90,792 | $94,271 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Paper Manufacturing in the US?
351,485 people worked at 3,813 US Paper Manufacturing business locations in 2023, down 1.1% from 2022. That is 0.25% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Paper Manufacturing?
$75,350 a year per employee in 2023, from $26.5 billion in annual payroll (up 4.8% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Paper Manufacturing jobs?
Wisconsin had the most, with 26,617 employees in 2023, followed by Pennsylvania (21,606) and Ohio (19,980).
Which metro areas have the most Paper Manufacturing jobs?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (12,620), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (8,328), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (7,908) had the most Paper Manufacturing employees in 2023.
Are most Paper Manufacturing businesses small?
29.8% of the 3,813 Paper Manufacturing business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 94 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.