32541/Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
321K
employees, 2023
321K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 2,905 US Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing business locations employed 321,068 people and paid $36.5 billion in annual payroll, $113,582 per employee on average. Employment was up 2.2% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
2,905
+0.8% vs 2022
Employees
321,068
+2.2% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$36.5B
+9.0% vs 2022
Average pay
$113,582
+6.7% 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 Pharmaceutical and Medicine 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 | 491 | 53,459 | $147,967 | 0.33% |
| New York | 147 | 24,906 | $96,182 | 0.28% |
| North Carolina | 78 | 24,370 | $94,639 | 0.57% |
| New Jersey | 197 | 19,611 | $103,623 | 0.50% |
| Pennsylvania | 106 | 17,203 | $149,503 | 0.30% |
| Massachusetts | 145 | 14,555 | $152,661 | 0.42% |
| Indiana | 35 | 13,799 | $122,449 | 0.47% |
| Michigan | 80 | 13,577 | $94,158 | 0.34% |
| Utah | 100 | 11,138 | $75,918 | 0.70% |
| Florida | 184 | 9,967 | $72,704 | 0.10% |
| Texas | 167 | 9,884 | $75,555 | 0.08% |
| Illinois | 69 | 9,879 | $103,155 | 0.17% |
| South Carolina | 34 | 7,545 | $76,954 | 0.36% |
| Washington | 56 | 7,215 | $198,311 | 0.24% |
| Maryland | 44 | 7,041 | $161,237 | 0.29% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 49.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 266 | 30,736 | $88,964 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 177 | 18,651 | $101,836 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 76 | 17,843* | $232,496 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 83 | 14,453 | $154,511 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 130 | 14,048 | $146,055 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 104 | 10,203 | $117,480 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 13 | 7,509 | $141,239 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 53 | 7,315 | $93,811 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 31 | 5,736 | $88,560 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 31 | 5,636 | $233,683 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 15 | 5,429 | $76,802 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 10 | 5,429 | $104,425 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 88 | 4,718 | $69,911 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 28 | 4,396 | $86,746 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 6 | 4,325* | $177,683 |
Business size
US Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 820 | 28.2% |
| 5 to 9 | 407 | 14.0% |
| 10 to 19 | 364 | 12.5% |
| 20 to 49 | 408 | 14.0% |
| 50 to 99 | 318 | 10.9% |
| 100 to 249 | 276 | 9.5% |
| 250 to 499 | 164 | 5.6% |
| 500 to 999 | 102 | 3.5% |
| 1,000 or more | 46 | 1.6% |
Related industries
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing and the 4 industries directly below it
Part of Manufacturing 31-33Chemical Manufacturing 325Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 3254
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 325412 | Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing | 170,029 | $114,378 |
| 325414 | Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing | 75,198 | $125,302 |
| 325413 | In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing | 45,459 | $115,404 |
| 325411 | Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing | 30,382 | $77,394 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing in the US?
321,068 people worked at 2,905 US Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing business locations in 2023, up 2.2% from 2022. That is 0.23% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing?
$113,582 a year per employee in 2023, from $36.5 billion in annual payroll (up 6.7% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing jobs?
California had the most, with 53,459 employees in 2023, followed by New York (24,906) and North Carolina (24,370).
Which metro areas have the most Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (30,736), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (18,651), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (17,843) had the most Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing employees in 2023.
Are most Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing businesses small?
54.8% of the 2,905 Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 148 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.