517/Telecommunications
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
913K
employees, 2023
913K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 58,992 US Telecommunications business locations employed 912,645 people and paid $83.9 billion in annual payroll, $91,984 per employee on average. Employment was down 2.9% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
58,992
-2.0% vs 2022
Employees
912,645
-2.9% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$83.9B
+2.6% vs 2022
Average pay
$91,984
+5.7% 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 Telecommunications 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 | 5,317 | 97,501 | $92,097 | 0.81% |
| California | 5,828 | 84,257 | $98,962 | 0.51% |
| Florida | 4,052 | 62,599 | $83,023 | 0.63% |
| New York | 3,386 | 52,285 | $93,239 | 0.60% |
| Georgia | 2,017 | 41,118 | $102,031 | 0.93% |
| Colorado | 1,315 | 39,030 | $115,790 | 1.52% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,304 | 38,966 | $89,143 | 0.68% |
| North Carolina | 1,662 | 34,957 | $80,902 | 0.82% |
| New Jersey | 1,571 | 31,172 | $128,291 | 0.79% |
| Illinois | 2,298 | 30,146 | $90,344 | 0.53% |
| Ohio | 2,079 | 27,416 | $74,115 | 0.54% |
| Virginia | 1,601 | 25,099 | $114,998 | 0.70% |
| Missouri | 1,192 | 24,027 | $96,144 | 0.91% |
| Washington | 1,263 | 22,643 | $143,439 | 0.74% |
| Arizona | 1,087 | 18,294 | $77,678 | 0.63% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Telecommunications employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 3,320 | 58,126 | $116,339 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,363 | 40,228 | $119,090 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,228 | 31,160 | $112,412 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,937 | 29,828 | $98,453 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,153 | 26,591 | $96,118 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 690 | 25,541* | $133,971 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,529 | 23,137 | $96,145 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,125 | 21,664 | $134,303 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,136 | 20,224 | $87,785 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1,335 | 15,841 | $75,122 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 617 | 15,697 | $173,987 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 471 | 14,369 | $84,279 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 678 | 13,875 | $78,662 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 534 | 13,818* | $108,049 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 813 | 13,227 | $104,799 |
Business size
US Telecommunications business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 32,283 | 54.7% |
| 5 to 9 | 11,530 | 19.5% |
| 10 to 19 | 8,393 | 14.2% |
| 20 to 49 | 3,972 | 6.7% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,448 | 2.5% |
| 100 to 249 | 840 | 1.4% |
| 250 to 499 | 299 | 0.5% |
| 500 to 999 | 176 | 0.3% |
| 1,000 or more | 51 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Telecommunications and the 3 industries directly below it
Part of Information 51
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5174 | Satellite Telecommunications | 9,919 | $152,953 |
| 5171 | Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) | Not yet published | - |
| 5178 | All Other Telecommunications | Not yet published | - |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Telecommunications in the US?
912,645 people worked at 58,992 US Telecommunications business locations in 2023, down 2.9% from 2022. That is 0.65% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Telecommunications?
$91,984 a year per employee in 2023, from $83.9 billion in annual payroll (up 5.7% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Telecommunications jobs?
Texas had the most, with 97,501 employees in 2023, followed by California (84,257) and Florida (62,599).
Which metro areas have the most Telecommunications jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (58,126), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (40,228), Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (31,160) had the most Telecommunications employees in 2023.
Are most Telecommunications businesses small?
88.5% of the 58,992 Telecommunications business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 227 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.