4452/Specialty Food Retailers
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
166K
employees, 2023
166K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 23,926 US Specialty Food Retailers business locations employed 166,164 people and paid $4.5 billion in annual payroll, $27,293 per employee on average. Employment was up 1.1% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
23,926
+0.6% vs 2022
Employees
166,164
+1.1% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$4.5B
+1.3% vs 2022
Average pay
$27,293
+0.3% 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 Specialty Food Retailers 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 | 2,903 | 20,639 | $30,561 | 0.13% |
| New York | 2,680 | 15,404 | $32,558 | 0.18% |
| Texas | 1,411 | 11,135 | $26,856 | 0.09% |
| Florida | 1,559 | 9,975 | $27,122 | 0.10% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,065 | 7,836 | $24,986 | 0.14% |
| New Jersey | 1,147 | 6,879 | $30,765 | 0.17% |
| Michigan | 927 | 6,526 | $24,694 | 0.16% |
| Illinois | 796 | 6,143 | $28,363 | 0.11% |
| Ohio | 703 | 5,961 | $23,572 | 0.12% |
| Washington | 607 | 4,783 | $30,153 | 0.16% |
| Wisconsin | 443 | 4,181 | $25,021 | 0.16% |
| Georgia | 562 | 4,057 | $21,366 | 0.09% |
| Massachusetts | 566 | 3,951 | $37,677 | 0.11% |
| Minnesota | 449 | 3,946 | $25,768 | 0.14% |
| Colorado | 423 | 3,415 | $25,520 | 0.13% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Specialty Food Retailers employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 3,049 | 17,325 | $32,458 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,032 | 6,909 | $32,812 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 629 | 4,718 | $28,338 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 585 | 4,556 | $27,352 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 448 | 3,387 | $23,741 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 417 | 3,047 | $34,298 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 372 | 2,960 | $32,588 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 370 | 2,936 | $25,620 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 538 | 2,835 | $30,486 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 260 | 2,497 | $25,367 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 316 | 2,458 | $28,794 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 312 | 2,440 | $19,172 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 289 | 2,423 | $32,945 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 358 | 2,240 | $26,811 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 269 | 2,011 | $25,671 |
Business size
US Specialty Food Retailers business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 13,140 | 54.9% |
| 5 to 9 | 5,602 | 23.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 3,489 | 14.6% |
| 20 to 49 | 1,480 | 6.2% |
| 50 to 99 | 173 | 0.7% |
| 100 to 249 | 38 | 0.2% |
| 250 to 499 | 4 | 0.0% |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Specialty Food Retailers and the 4 industries directly below it
Part of Retail Trade 44-45Food and Beverage Retailers 445
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44529 | Other Specialty Food Retailers | 83,722 | $23,757 |
| 44523 | Fruit and Vegetable Retailers | 21,062 | $33,180 |
| 44524 | Meat Retailers | Not yet published | - |
| 44525 | Fish and Seafood Retailers | Not yet published | - |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Specialty Food Retailers in the US?
166,164 people worked at 23,926 US Specialty Food Retailers business locations in 2023, up 1.1% from 2022. That is 0.12% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Specialty Food Retailers?
$27,293 a year per employee in 2023, from $4.5 billion in annual payroll (up 0.3% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Specialty Food Retailers jobs?
California had the most, with 20,639 employees in 2023, followed by New York (15,404) and Texas (11,135).
Which metro areas have the most Specialty Food Retailers jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (17,325), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (6,909), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (4,718) had the most Specialty Food Retailers employees in 2023.
Are most Specialty Food Retailers businesses small?
92.9% of the 23,926 Specialty Food Retailers business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 0 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.