541720/Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
47K
employees, 2023
47K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 2,082 US Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities business locations employed 46,634 people and paid $4.3 billion in annual payroll, $91,802 per employee on average. Employment was down 2.7% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
2,082
-1.2% vs 2022
Employees
46,634
-2.7% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$4.3B
+6.2% vs 2022
Average pay
$91,802
+9.1% 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 Social Sciences and Humanities 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 | 269 | 6,180 | $100,305 | 0.04% |
| District of Columbia | 132 | 5,610 | $103,220 | 1.00% |
| Maryland | 62 | 5,216 | $92,132 | 0.21% |
| North Carolina | 58 | 4,941 | $105,324 | 0.12% |
| Virginia | 94 | 3,795 | $117,679 | 0.11% |
| Texas | 166 | 3,337* | $52,158 | 0.03% |
| Illinois | 67 | 2,861 | $80,991 | 0.05% |
| Massachusetts | 93 | 2,380 | $103,915 | 0.07% |
| New York | 145 | 2,090 | $96,626 | 0.02% |
| New Jersey | 39 | 1,125 | $102,433 | 0.03% |
| Pennsylvania | 68 | 1,068 | $97,676 | 0.02% |
| Florida | 133 | 1,008 | $65,372 | 0.01% |
| Michigan | 39 | 844 | $109,203 | 0.02% |
| West Virginia | 6 | 671* | $31,310 | 0.12% |
| Washington | 60 | 631 | $92,109 | 0.02% |
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 Social Sciences and Humanities employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 238 | 13,715 | $103,080 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 21 | 3,633* | $110,226 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 85 | 3,331 | $98,038 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 56 | 2,697 | $81,576 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 85 | 2,278 | $105,644 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 53 | 2,063* | $44,785 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 132 | 1,869 | $99,258 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 75 | 1,361 | $112,960 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 15 | 1,162 | $96,954 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 10 | 948 | $106,939 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 3 | 649* | $31,233 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 15 | 620 | $122,863 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 35 | 543* | $70,341 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 34 | 497 | $100,093 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 34 | 469 | $84,691 |
Business size
US Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 1,211 | 58.2% |
| 5 to 9 | 270 | 13.0% |
| 10 to 19 | 237 | 11.4% |
| 20 to 49 | 226 | 10.9% |
| 50 to 99 | 70 | 3.4% |
| 100 to 249 | 37 | 1.8% |
| 250 to 499 | 18 | 0.9% |
| 500 to 999 | 8 | 0.4% |
| 1,000 or more | 5 | 0.2% |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 54Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 541Scientific Research and Development Services 5417Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities 54172
Questions and answers
How many people work in Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities in the US?
46,634 people worked at 2,082 US Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities business locations in 2023, down 2.7% from 2022. That is 0.03% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities?
$91,802 a year per employee in 2023, from $4.3 billion in annual payroll (up 9.1% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities jobs?
California had the most, with 6,180 employees in 2023, followed by District of Columbia (5,610) and Maryland (5,216).
Which metro areas have the most Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities jobs?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (13,715), Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (3,633), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (3,331) had the most Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities employees in 2023.
Are most Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities businesses small?
82.5% of the 2,082 Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 13 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.