561320/Temporary Help Services
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
3.65M
employees, 2023
3.65M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 38,254 US Temporary Help Services business locations employed 3.65 million people and paid $177.3 billion in annual payroll, $48,635 per employee on average. Employment was down 7.2% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
38,254
-2.8% vs 2022
Employees
3,645,678
-7.2% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$177.3B
+0.1% vs 2022
Average pay
$48,635
+7.9% 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 Temporary Help 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 | 3,939 | 726,142 | $69,664 | 4.43% |
| Texas | 3,393 | 297,444 | $43,296 | 2.48% |
| Illinois | 1,511 | 195,433 | $40,209 | 3.45% |
| Florida | 2,147 | 195,001 | $48,695 | 1.95% |
| New York | 1,431 | 155,394 | $51,229 | 1.77% |
| Georgia | 1,533 | 154,752 | $40,305 | 3.51% |
| Michigan | 2,780 | 143,666 | $37,002 | 3.56% |
| Ohio | 1,401 | 134,097 | $40,476 | 2.64% |
| New Jersey | 1,188 | 131,793 | $39,944 | 3.34% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,460 | 110,839 | $45,778 | 1.94% |
| North Carolina | 1,403 | 108,584 | $46,025 | 2.54% |
| Tennessee | 1,026 | 106,334 | $35,039 | 3.58% |
| Maryland | 688 | 95,149 | $52,852 | 3.85% |
| Massachusetts | 930 | 83,318 | $46,564 | 2.39% |
| Indiana | 801 | 78,310 | $32,909 | 2.68% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Temporary Help Services employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,664 | 80,763 | $57,271 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,071 | 75,536 | $44,514 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,286 | 74,505 | $44,458 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,176 | 66,516 | $44,234 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,009 | 61,039 | $45,222 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 928 | 47,829 | $52,311 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 682 | 32,020 | $62,627 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 731 | 30,821 | $52,311 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 670 | 29,916 | $68,416 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 782 | 29,598 | $54,737 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 601 | 29,535 | $57,554 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 608 | 29,522 | $44,909 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 463 | 27,997 | $50,527 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 657 | 26,315 | $55,301 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 365 | 25,950 | $44,897 |
Business size
US Temporary Help Services business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 14,228 | 37.2% |
| 5 to 9 | 3,323 | 8.7% |
| 10 to 19 | 3,331 | 8.7% |
| 20 to 49 | 5,610 | 14.7% |
| 50 to 99 | 4,581 | 12.0% |
| 100 to 249 | 4,437 | 11.6% |
| 250 to 499 | 1,628 | 4.3% |
| 500 to 999 | 699 | 1.8% |
| 1,000 or more | 417 | 1.1% |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 56Administrative and Support Services 561Employment Services 5613Temporary Help Services 56132
Questions and answers
How many people work in Temporary Help Services in the US?
3.65 million people worked at 38,254 US Temporary Help Services business locations in 2023, down 7.2% from 2022. That is 2.61% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Temporary Help Services?
$48,635 a year per employee in 2023, from $177.3 billion in annual payroll (up 7.9% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Temporary Help Services jobs?
California had the most, with 726,142 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (297,444) and Illinois (195,433).
Which metro areas have the most Temporary Help Services jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (80,763), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (75,536), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (74,505) had the most Temporary Help Services employees in 2023.
Are most Temporary Help Services businesses small?
54.6% of the 38,254 Temporary Help Services business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 1,116 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.