32212/Paper Mills
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
43K
employees, 2023
43K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 188 US Paper Mills business locations employed 42,893 people and paid $3.7 billion in annual payroll, $86,660 per employee on average. Employment was down 4.3% from 2022. Wisconsin had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
188
-6.9% vs 2022
Employees
42,893
-4.3% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$3.7B
+1.8% vs 2022
Average pay
$86,660
+6.4% 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 Mills 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 | 21 | 6,157 | $82,981 | 0.23% |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 3,364 | $93,724 | 0.06% |
| New York | 21 | 3,015 | $77,979 | 0.03% |
| South Carolina | 7 | 2,757* | $95,117 | 0.13% |
| Maine | 5 | 2,141 | $104,062 | 0.39% |
| Alabama | 4 | 2,118* | $98,199 | 0.12% |
| Florida | 10 | 1,858 | $70,205 | 0.02% |
| Arkansas | 4 | 1,856* | $72,452 | 0.17% |
| Kentucky | 6 | 1,836* | $88,814 | 0.11% |
| North Carolina | 7 | 1,817 | $62,417 | 0.04% |
| Michigan | 10 | 1,807* | $88,690 | 0.04% |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 1,774 | $90,254 | 0.12% |
| Oregon | 4 | 1,555* | $89,504 | 0.09% |
| Georgia | 7 | 1,530* | $88,308 | 0.03% |
| Tennessee | 6 | 1,451 | $91,208 | 0.05% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 24.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Paper Mills employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Bay, WI | 6 | 2,561 | $89,702 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 5 | 1,369 | $83,167 |
| Appleton, WI | 3 | 983 | $75,957 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 4 | 630* | $125,638 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 4 | 605 | $67,061 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 3 | 591 | $55,594 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 9 | 555 | $82,341 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 5 | 351* | $43,840 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3 | 56* | $60,804 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 3 | 38 | $108,868 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 3 | 11 | $58,909 |
Business size
US Paper Mills business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 23 | 12.2% |
| 5 to 9 | 12 | 6.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 8 | 4.3% |
| 20 to 49 | 19 | 10.1% |
| 50 to 99 | 27 | 14.4% |
| 100 to 249 | 41 | 21.8% |
| 250 to 499 | 30 | 16.0% |
| 500 to 999 | 23 | 12.2% |
| 1,000 or more | 5 | 2.7% |
Related industries
Paper Mills and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Manufacturing 31-33Paper Manufacturing 322Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills 3221
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 322120 | Paper Mills | Not yet published | - |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Paper Mills in the US?
42,893 people worked at 188 US Paper Mills business locations in 2023, down 4.3% from 2022. That is 0.03% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Paper Mills?
$86,660 a year per employee in 2023, from $3.7 billion in annual payroll (up 6.4% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Paper Mills jobs?
Wisconsin had the most, with 6,157 employees in 2023, followed by Pennsylvania (3,364) and New York (3,015).
Which metro areas have the most Paper Mills jobs?
Green Bay, WI (2,561), Glens Falls, NY (1,369), Appleton, WI (983) had the most Paper Mills employees in 2023.
Are most Paper Mills businesses small?
22.9% of the 188 Paper Mills business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 28 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.