4234/Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
670K
employees, 2023
670K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 29,863 US Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers business locations employed 670,408 people and paid $78.8 billion in annual payroll, $117,516 per employee on average. Employment was up 0.3% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
29,863
-11.3% vs 2022
Employees
670,408
+0.3% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$78.8B
+4.4% vs 2022
Average pay
$117,516
+4.0% 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 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 4,388 | 111,126 | $143,628 | 0.68% |
| Texas | 2,337 | 43,103 | $120,049 | 0.36% |
| Florida | 2,865 | 41,070 | $101,845 | 0.41% |
| Illinois | 1,183 | 40,030 | $110,579 | 0.71% |
| New York | 1,821 | 35,557 | $106,700 | 0.41% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,086 | 32,675 | $108,876 | 0.57% |
| New Jersey | 1,019 | 30,744 | $123,697 | 0.78% |
| Massachusetts | 725 | 28,602 | $139,170 | 0.82% |
| Minnesota | 558 | 26,449 | $156,917 | 0.94% |
| North Carolina | 921 | 25,230 | $107,851 | 0.59% |
| Georgia | 925 | 24,763 | $92,537 | 0.56% |
| Ohio | 1,003 | 23,621 | $96,566 | 0.46% |
| Colorado | 603 | 15,771 | $138,623 | 0.61% |
| Tennessee | 567 | 13,722 | $93,942 | 0.46% |
| Washington | 598 | 13,669 | $131,577 | 0.45% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,016 | 44,559 | $122,589 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,100 | 43,771 | $122,503 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,040 | 33,632 | $110,751 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 615 | 22,078 | $146,334 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 655 | 19,013 | $108,332 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 700 | 18,416 | $92,657 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 325 | 18,203 | $237,606 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 569 | 15,999 | $142,149 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 798 | 15,693 | $136,529 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,447 | 15,066 | $95,288 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 451 | 14,279 | $128,849 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 475 | 10,767 | $157,049 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 182 | 8,331 | $116,948 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 437 | 7,759 | $132,892 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 263 | 7,751 | $147,457 |
Business size
US Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 16,241 | 54.4% |
| 5 to 9 | 4,862 | 16.3% |
| 10 to 19 | 3,547 | 11.9% |
| 20 to 49 | 2,832 | 9.5% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,210 | 4.1% |
| 100 to 249 | 773 | 2.6% |
| 250 to 499 | 222 | 0.7% |
| 500 to 999 | 123 | 0.4% |
| 1,000 or more | 53 | 0.2% |
Related industries
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers and the 7 industries directly below it
Part of Wholesale Trade 42Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 423
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42345 | Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 272,209 | $125,412 |
| 42343 | Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers | 193,943 | $143,080 |
| 42342 | Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | 83,163 | $77,877 |
| 42344 | Other Commercial Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | 49,828 | $74,823 |
| 42349 | Other Professional Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 44,956 | $100,811 |
| 42346 | Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers | 19,689 | $77,262 |
| 42341 | Photographic Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 6,620 | $96,353 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers in the US?
670,408 people worked at 29,863 US Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers business locations in 2023, up 0.3% from 2022. That is 0.48% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers?
$117,516 a year per employee in 2023, from $78.8 billion in annual payroll (up 4.0% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers jobs?
California had the most, with 111,126 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (43,103) and Florida (41,070).
Which metro areas have the most Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers jobs?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (44,559), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (43,771), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (33,632) had the most Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers employees in 2023.
Are most Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers businesses small?
82.5% of the 29,863 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 176 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. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.