54171/Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
957K
employees, 2023
957K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 20,321 US Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences business locations employed 957,341 people and paid $149.8 billion in annual payroll, $156,464 per employee on average. Employment was up 6.0% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
20,321
+1.2% vs 2022
Employees
957,341
+6.0% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$149.8B
+8.1% vs 2022
Average pay
$156,464
+2.0% 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 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences 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 | 4,495 | 206,672 | $192,713 | 1.26% |
| Massachusetts | 1,732 | 97,905 | $208,268 | 2.81% |
| New Jersey | 619 | 45,702 | $184,791 | 1.16% |
| Minnesota | 315 | 43,928 | $118,033 | 1.57% |
| North Carolina | 790 | 41,844 | $132,075 | 0.98% |
| Maryland | 837 | 39,709 | $143,403 | 1.61% |
| New York | 954 | 38,880 | $129,610 | 0.44% |
| Texas | 1,185 | 36,970 | $152,627 | 0.31% |
| Michigan | 373 | 33,371 | $129,831 | 0.83% |
| Pennsylvania | 727 | 33,159 | $138,393 | 0.58% |
| Illinois | 454 | 32,774 | $192,551 | 0.58% |
| New Mexico | 147 | 31,214 | $100,117 | 4.74% |
| Virginia | 601 | 29,837 | $131,754 | 0.83% |
| Ohio | 424 | 22,378 | $107,407 | 0.44% |
| Washington | 534 | 20,756 | $151,425 | 0.68% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,628 | 91,577 | $213,074 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 1,296 | 67,463 | $210,008 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,037 | 57,548 | $179,485 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 978 | 48,107 | $144,874 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 947 | 47,874 | $174,414 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,033 | 37,000 | $174,396 |
| Rochester, MN | 18 | 36,860* | $117,120 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 624 | 31,354 | $225,345 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 369 | 31,331 | $197,034 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 588 | 30,597 | $156,770 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 153 | 22,856 | $137,820 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 263 | 19,262 | $139,730 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 87 | 17,093 | $77,357 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 300 | 16,690 | $131,537 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 398 | 14,110 | $167,783 |
Business size
US Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 10,213 | 50.3% |
| 5 to 9 | 2,978 | 14.7% |
| 10 to 19 | 2,255 | 11.1% |
| 20 to 49 | 2,280 | 11.2% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,070 | 5.3% |
| 100 to 249 | 902 | 4.4% |
| 250 to 499 | 353 | 1.7% |
| 500 to 999 | 139 | 0.7% |
| 1,000 or more | 131 | 0.6% |
Related industries
Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences and the 3 industries directly below it
Part of Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 54Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 541Scientific Research and Development Services 5417
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 541715 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) | 596,332 | $147,945 |
| 541714 | Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) | 194,991 | $184,984 |
| 541713 | Research and Development in Nanotechnology | 166,018 | $153,565 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences in the US?
957,341 people worked at 20,321 US Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences business locations in 2023, up 6.0% from 2022. That is 0.68% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences?
$156,464 a year per employee in 2023, from $149.8 billion in annual payroll (up 2.0% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences jobs?
California had the most, with 206,672 employees in 2023, followed by Massachusetts (97,905) and New Jersey (45,702).
Which metro areas have the most Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences jobs?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (91,577), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (67,463), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (57,548) had the most Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences employees in 2023.
Are most Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences businesses small?
76.0% of the 20,321 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 270 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.