311991/Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
74K
employees, 2023
74K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 1,032 US Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing business locations employed 73,598 people and paid $3.8 billion in annual payroll, $51,476 per employee on average. Employment was down 0.9% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
1,032
+8.1% vs 2022
Employees
73,598
-0.9% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$3.8B
+12.6% vs 2022
Average pay
$51,476
+13.6% 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 Perishable Prepared Food 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 215 | 19,040 | $58,595 | 0.12% |
| Texas | 78 | 5,349 | $48,699 | 0.04% |
| Ohio | 29 | 4,077 | $50,744 | 0.08% |
| Arizona | 14 | 3,441 | $38,108 | 0.12% |
| Illinois | 44 | 2,868 | $51,261 | 0.05% |
| Minnesota | 21 | 2,641 | $63,514 | 0.09% |
| Massachusetts | 22 | 2,573 | $62,030 | 0.07% |
| Georgia | 22 | 2,508 | $37,880 | 0.06% |
| New York | 71 | 2,248 | $48,449 | 0.03% |
| Pennsylvania | 47 | 2,185 | $48,277 | 0.04% |
| Washington | 25 | 2,091 | $49,901 | 0.07% |
| New Jersey | 38 | 1,876 | $48,615 | 0.05% |
| Tennessee | 14 | 1,857 | $60,292 | 0.06% |
| Florida | 43 | 1,772 | $44,275 | 0.02% |
| Wisconsin | 18 | 1,655 | $57,605 | 0.06% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 43.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 73 | 4,980 | $51,584 |
| Salinas, CA | 20 | 4,857 | $77,661 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 22 | 3,290 | $56,153 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 35 | 2,432 | $52,960 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 15 | 2,227 | $52,955 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 3 | 2,176* | $56,238 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 16 | 2,152 | $36,694 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 13 | 2,146 | $53,946 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 26 | 2,103 | $52,359 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 80 | 2,095 | $48,068 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 10 | 2,063 | $35,884 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 15 | 2,006 | $57,466 |
| Yuma, AZ | 4 | 1,378 | $41,436 |
| Topeka, KS | 4 | 1,300* | $47,115 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 6 | 1,252* | $63,130 |
Business size
US Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 345 | 33.4% |
| 5 to 9 | 148 | 14.3% |
| 10 to 19 | 139 | 13.5% |
| 20 to 49 | 144 | 14.0% |
| 50 to 99 | 74 | 7.2% |
| 100 to 249 | 98 | 9.5% |
| 250 to 499 | 53 | 5.1% |
| 500 to 999 | 25 | 2.4% |
| 1,000 or more | 6 | 0.6% |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Manufacturing 31-33Food Manufacturing 311Other Food Manufacturing 3119All Other Food Manufacturing 31199
Questions and answers
How many people work in Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing in the US?
73,598 people worked at 1,032 US Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing business locations in 2023, down 0.9% from 2022. That is 0.05% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing?
$51,476 a year per employee in 2023, from $3.8 billion in annual payroll (up 13.6% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing jobs?
California had the most, with 19,040 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (5,349) and Ohio (4,077).
Which metro areas have the most Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing jobs?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (4,980), Salinas, CA (4,857), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (3,290) had the most Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing employees in 2023.
Are most Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing businesses small?
61.2% of the 1,032 Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 31 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.