42461/Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
33K
employees, 2023
33K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 2,519 US Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers business locations employed 33,494 people and paid $3.0 billion in annual payroll, $89,438 per employee on average. Employment was up 1.5% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
2,519
-2.4% vs 2022
Employees
33,494
+1.5% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$3.0B
+1.3% vs 2022
Average pay
$89,438
-0.2% 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 Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 250 | 3,980 | $101,208 | 0.03% |
| Ohio | 130 | 3,051 | $87,605 | 0.06% |
| California | 304 | 3,005 | $87,539 | 0.02% |
| Pennsylvania | 96 | 2,190 | $94,494 | 0.04% |
| Illinois | 126 | 2,021 | $97,415 | 0.04% |
| New York | 126 | 1,894 | $112,492 | 0.02% |
| Michigan | 105 | 1,719 | $83,511 | 0.04% |
| South Carolina | 36 | 1,501 | $51,041 | 0.07% |
| Florida | 175 | 1,302 | $75,652 | 0.01% |
| Georgia | 87 | 1,093 | $103,689 | 0.02% |
| New Jersey | 109 | 1,079 | $104,763 | 0.03% |
| North Carolina | 76 | 962 | $84,612 | 0.02% |
| Indiana | 51 | 754 | $90,511 | 0.03% |
| Connecticut | 43 | 704 | $119,837 | 0.05% |
| Massachusetts | 55 | 696 | $92,530 | 0.02% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 48.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 113 | 2,250 | $106,068 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 168 | 2,012 | $117,265 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 104 | 1,809 | $105,854 |
| Cleveland, OH | 36 | 1,656 | $97,296 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 169 | 1,633 | $89,528 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 57 | 1,311 | $90,600 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 60 | 940 | $95,865 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 64 | 718 | $112,380 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 54 | 657 | $85,884 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 42 | 515 | $82,511 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 42 | 515 | $72,047 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 39 | 461 | $108,503 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 39 | 451 | $98,900 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 19 | 428 | $125,815 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 7 | 375 | $81,211 |
Business size
US Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 1,126 | 44.7% |
| 5 to 9 | 603 | 24.0% |
| 10 to 19 | 418 | 16.6% |
| 20 to 49 | 253 | 10.1% |
| 50 to 99 | 80 | 3.2% |
| 100 to 249 | 30 | 1.2% |
| 250 to 499 | 7 | 0.3% |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Wholesale Trade 42Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods 424Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers 4246
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 424610 | Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers | 33,494 | $89,438 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers in the US?
33,494 people worked at 2,519 US Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers business locations in 2023, up 1.5% from 2022. That is 0.02% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers?
$89,438 a year per employee in 2023, from $3.0 billion in annual payroll (down 0.2% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers jobs?
Texas had the most, with 3,980 employees in 2023, followed by Ohio (3,051) and California (3,005).
Which metro areas have the most Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers jobs?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (2,250), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (2,012), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (1,809) had the most Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers employees in 2023.
Are most Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers businesses small?
85.3% of the 2,517 Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 0 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.