56133/Professional Employer Organizations
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
3.78M
employees, 2023
3.78M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 4,343 US Professional Employer Organizations business locations employed 3.78 million people and paid $272.6 billion in annual payroll, $72,164 per employee on average. Employment was up 1.7% from 2022. Florida had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
4,343
+4.4% vs 2022
Employees
3,777,023
+1.7% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$272.6B
-4.9% vs 2022
Average pay
$72,164
-6.5% 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 Employer Organizations 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 592 | 1,684,968 | $63,859 | 16.87% |
| New York | 261 | 299,626 | $151,149 | 3.42% |
| Texas | 461 | 285,028 | $70,281 | 2.37% |
| California | 452 | 229,640 | $92,011 | 1.40% |
| South Carolina | 52 | 150,192 | $47,654 | 7.27% |
| New Jersey | 176 | 90,416 | $69,173 | 2.29% |
| Utah | 110 | 89,502 | $52,953 | 5.66% |
| Ohio | 121 | 84,267 | $54,331 | 1.66% |
| Arizona | 121 | 81,469 | $50,865 | 2.82% |
| Georgia | 131 | 75,067 | $76,123 | 1.70% |
| Michigan | 243 | 64,395 | $48,720 | 1.59% |
| Alabama | 55 | 47,316 | $54,527 | 2.60% |
| Colorado | 81 | 44,699 | $80,096 | 1.74% |
| Illinois | 144 | 41,517 | $71,454 | 0.73% |
| Tennessee | 58 | 37,605 | $52,181 | 1.27% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 50.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Professional Employer Organizations employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 231 | 9,490 | $80,928 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 82 | 6,361 | $66,839 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 100 | 5,635 | $69,517 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 135 | 5,398 | $74,166 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 103 | 4,592 | $80,640 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 92 | 4,500 | $76,529 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 72 | 4,372 | $67,710 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 81 | 4,342 | $64,625 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 82 | 4,169 | $58,438 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 56 | 3,467 | $54,636 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 109 | 2,788 | $74,438 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 30 | 2,683 | $57,593 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 21 | 2,666 | $43,721 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 50 | 2,616 | $145,716 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 38 | 2,507 | $46,436 |
Business size
US Professional Employer Organizations business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 1,148 | 26.4% |
| 5 to 9 | 462 | 10.6% |
| 10 to 19 | 441 | 10.2% |
| 20 to 49 | 529 | 12.2% |
| 50 to 99 | 374 | 8.6% |
| 100 to 249 | 393 | 9.0% |
| 250 to 499 | 258 | 5.9% |
| 500 to 999 | 221 | 5.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 517 | 11.9% |
Related industries
Professional Employer Organizations and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 56Administrative and Support Services 561Employment Services 5613
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 561330 | Professional Employer Organizations | 3,777,023 | $72,164 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Professional Employer Organizations in the US?
3.78 million people worked at 4,343 US Professional Employer Organizations business locations in 2023, up 1.7% from 2022. That is 2.70% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Professional Employer Organizations?
$72,164 a year per employee in 2023, from $272.6 billion in annual payroll (down 6.5% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Professional Employer Organizations jobs?
Florida had the most, with 1,684,968 employees in 2023, followed by New York (299,626) and Texas (285,028).
Which metro areas have the most Professional Employer Organizations jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (9,490), Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ (6,361), Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL (5,635) had the most Professional Employer Organizations employees in 2023.
Are most Professional Employer Organizations businesses small?
47.2% of the 4,343 Professional Employer Organizations business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 738 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.