334511/Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
128K
employees, 2023
128K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 522 US Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing business locations employed 127,864 people and paid $14.3 billion in annual payroll, $111,528 per employee on average. Employment was up 1.4% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
522
+3.8% vs 2022
Employees
127,864
+1.4% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$14.3B
+16.3% vs 2022
Average pay
$111,528
+14.7% 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 Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing 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 | 104 | 18,327 | $105,185 | 0.11% |
| Texas | 39 | 12,215* | $132,048 | 0.10% |
| Maryland | 11 | 10,586 | $104,346 | 0.43% |
| Massachusetts | 28 | 9,141* | $100,208 | 0.26% |
| Iowa | 7 | 9,088* | $105,331 | 0.64% |
| Florida | 46 | 6,535 | $96,944 | 0.07% |
| Kansas | 10 | 5,943* | $119,800 | 0.48% |
| New Jersey | 14 | 5,898 | $169,257 | 0.15% |
| Virginia | 18 | 4,787 | $128,769 | 0.13% |
| Ohio | 18 | 4,598* | $149,438 | 0.09% |
| Utah | 6 | 4,362* | $108,723 | 0.28% |
| New York | 21 | 4,080 | $104,648 | 0.05% |
| Nevada | 6 | 4,045* | $126,950 | 0.30% |
| Minnesota | 8 | 3,808 | $84,258 | 0.14% |
| Arizona | 19 | 3,770 | $103,804 | 0.13% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 36.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 19 | 11,745* | $134,499 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 48 | 11,650 | $106,030 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 8 | 10,424 | $103,918 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 24 | 7,538* | $98,603 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 5 | 5,802* | $121,096 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 14 | 4,631 | $142,204 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 4 | 4,184* | $109,204 |
| Reno, NV | 3 | 4,041* | $127,003 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 8 | 3,808 | $84,258 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 4 | 3,747* | $165,638 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 14 | 3,597 | $109,253 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 5 | 3,372 | $105,623 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 21 | 3,216 | $159,593 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 15 | 3,100 | $104,659 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 13 | 2,499 | $117,056 |
Business size
US Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 121 | 23.2% |
| 5 to 9 | 52 | 10.0% |
| 10 to 19 | 60 | 11.5% |
| 20 to 49 | 89 | 17.0% |
| 50 to 99 | 55 | 10.5% |
| 100 to 249 | 54 | 10.3% |
| 250 to 499 | 33 | 6.3% |
| 500 to 999 | 23 | 4.4% |
| 1,000 or more | 35 | 6.7% |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Manufacturing 31-33Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 3345Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 33451
Questions and answers
How many people work in Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing in the US?
127,864 people worked at 522 US Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing business locations in 2023, up 1.4% from 2022. That is 0.09% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing?
$111,528 a year per employee in 2023, from $14.3 billion in annual payroll (up 14.7% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing jobs?
California had the most, with 18,327 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (12,215) and Maryland (10,586).
Which metro areas have the most Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing jobs?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (11,745), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (11,650), Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD (10,424) had the most Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing employees in 2023.
Are most Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing businesses small?
44.6% of the 522 Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 58 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.