7223/Special Food Services
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
806K
employees, 2023
806K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 55,221 US Special Food Services business locations employed 805,701 people and paid $24.2 billion in annual payroll, $30,080 per employee on average. Employment was up 10.3% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
55,221
+2.0% vs 2022
Employees
805,701
+10.3% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$24.2B
+14.2% vs 2022
Average pay
$30,080
+3.5% 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 Special Food Services 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 | 5,747 | 81,431 | $33,362 | 0.50% |
| New York | 4,133 | 68,428 | $32,549 | 0.78% |
| Texas | 4,061 | 66,455 | $29,361 | 0.55% |
| Florida | 3,558 | 48,959 | $28,867 | 0.49% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,718 | 42,441 | $29,138 | 0.74% |
| Illinois | 2,223 | 40,588 | $30,423 | 0.72% |
| New Jersey | 1,993 | 37,983 | $29,551 | 0.96% |
| Georgia | 1,407 | 26,722 | $31,741 | 0.61% |
| Michigan | 1,530 | 24,193 | $28,720 | 0.60% |
| Massachusetts | 1,837 | 24,141 | $37,516 | 0.69% |
| North Carolina | 1,588 | 23,325 | $30,083 | 0.55% |
| Ohio | 1,676 | 22,333 | $25,280 | 0.44% |
| Virginia | 1,406 | 21,777 | $32,057 | 0.61% |
| Arizona | 1,046 | 18,339 | $25,892 | 0.63% |
| Missouri | 1,129 | 16,796 | $23,478 | 0.64% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Special Food Services employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 4,174 | 79,039 | $33,748 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,752 | 36,084 | $30,946 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,950 | 32,757 | $30,339 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,417 | 22,594 | $31,571 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,291 | 21,598 | $34,232 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,008 | 20,441 | $29,513 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,428 | 19,336 | $38,718 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 928 | 18,029 | $32,417 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,248 | 17,548 | $30,738 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 996 | 17,154 | $35,608 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 885 | 16,261 | $30,790 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 746 | 14,315 | $26,220 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 716 | 12,772 | $29,792 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 805 | 12,746 | $38,580 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 827 | 11,114 | $28,835 |
Business size
US Special Food Services business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 29,451 | 53.3% |
| 5 to 9 | 9,359 | 16.9% |
| 10 to 19 | 7,436 | 13.5% |
| 20 to 49 | 5,826 | 10.6% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,978 | 3.6% |
| 100 to 249 | 871 | 1.6% |
| 250 to 499 | 203 | 0.4% |
| 500 to 999 | 75 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 22 | 0.0% |
Related industries
Special Food Services and the 3 industries directly below it
Part of Accommodation and Food Services 72Food Services and Drinking Places 722
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72231 | Food Service Contractors | 618,579 | $30,148 |
| 72232 | Caterers | 148,684 | $30,873 |
| 72233 | Mobile Food Services | 38,438 | $25,920 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Special Food Services in the US?
805,701 people worked at 55,221 US Special Food Services business locations in 2023, up 10.3% from 2022. That is 0.58% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Special Food Services?
$30,080 a year per employee in 2023, from $24.2 billion in annual payroll (up 3.5% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Special Food Services jobs?
California had the most, with 81,431 employees in 2023, followed by New York (68,428) and Texas (66,455).
Which metro areas have the most Special Food Services jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (79,039), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (36,084), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (32,757) had the most Special Food Services employees in 2023.
Are most Special Food Services businesses small?
83.7% of the 55,221 Special Food Services business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 97 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.