48821/Support Activities for Rail Transportation
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
49K
employees, 2023
49K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 1,695 US Support Activities for Rail Transportation business locations employed 49,372 people and paid $3.3 billion in annual payroll, $67,688 per employee on average. Employment was up 9.6% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
1,695
-3.7% vs 2022
Employees
49,372
+9.6% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$3.3B
+12.1% vs 2022
Average pay
$67,688
+2.3% 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 Support Activities for Rail Transportation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 237 | 8,901 | $65,871 | 0.07% |
| Illinois | 121 | 4,651 | $71,160 | 0.08% |
| Kentucky | 53 | 3,758 | $52,704 | 0.22% |
| California | 97 | 3,459 | $62,738 | 0.02% |
| Georgia | 90 | 2,669 | $63,598 | 0.06% |
| Ohio | 92 | 2,638 | $77,000 | 0.05% |
| Florida | 76 | 2,318 | $57,286 | 0.02% |
| Indiana | 50 | 1,909 | $80,854 | 0.07% |
| Pennsylvania | 55 | 1,650 | $66,039 | 0.03% |
| New Jersey | 28 | 1,581* | $86,668 | 0.04% |
| Alabama | 55 | 1,354 | $47,468 | 0.07% |
| Kansas | 30 | 1,208 | $84,052 | 0.10% |
| Missouri | 42 | 1,176 | $77,997 | 0.04% |
| Louisiana | 53 | 1,137 | $74,828 | 0.07% |
| Washington | 45 | 910 | $64,910 | 0.03% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 44.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Support Activities for Rail Transportation employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 89 | 4,408 | $71,760 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 45 | 2,988 | $70,764 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 20 | 2,648 | $44,788 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 78 | 2,635 | $66,794 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 31 | 1,773 | $61,588 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 42 | 1,725 | $62,834 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 30 | 1,581 | $53,860 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 28 | 1,178* | $91,778 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 14 | 930 | $61,741 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 32 | 896 | $79,731 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 12 | 839* | $49,437 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 23 | 745 | $79,954 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 35 | 720 | $76,421 |
| Columbus, OH | 22 | 656 | $65,098 |
| Pittsburg, KS | 4 | 578* | $108,777 |
Business size
US Support Activities for Rail Transportation business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 544 | 32.1% |
| 5 to 9 | 373 | 22.0% |
| 10 to 19 | 302 | 17.8% |
| 20 to 49 | 266 | 15.7% |
| 50 to 99 | 95 | 5.6% |
| 100 to 249 | 86 | 5.1% |
| 250 to 499 | 21 | 1.2% |
| 500 to 999 | 7 | 0.4% |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Support Activities for Rail Transportation and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Transportation and Warehousing 48-49Support Activities for Transportation 488Support Activities for Rail Transportation 4882
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 488210 | Support Activities for Rail Transportation | 49,372 | $67,688 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Support Activities for Rail Transportation in the US?
49,372 people worked at 1,695 US Support Activities for Rail Transportation business locations in 2023, up 9.6% from 2022. That is 0.04% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Support Activities for Rail Transportation?
$67,688 a year per employee in 2023, from $3.3 billion in annual payroll (up 2.3% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Support Activities for Rail Transportation jobs?
Texas had the most, with 8,901 employees in 2023, followed by Illinois (4,651) and Kentucky (3,758).
Which metro areas have the most Support Activities for Rail Transportation jobs?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (4,408), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (2,988), Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN (2,648) had the most Support Activities for Rail Transportation employees in 2023.
Are most Support Activities for Rail Transportation businesses small?
72.0% of the 1,694 Support Activities for Rail Transportation business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 7 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.