485/Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
459K
employees, 2023
459K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 20,377 US Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation business locations employed 458,871 people and paid $18.5 billion in annual payroll, $40,323 per employee on average. Employment was up 7.2% from 2022. New York had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
20,377
+3.4% vs 2022
Employees
458,871
+7.2% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$18.5B
+13.0% vs 2022
Average pay
$40,323
+5.5% 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 Transit and Ground Passenger 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 3,610 | 66,729 | $44,536 | 0.76% |
| California | 2,245 | 44,337 | $56,320 | 0.27% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,062 | 34,443 | $26,648 | 0.60% |
| Illinois | 1,002 | 25,835 | $32,828 | 0.46% |
| Massachusetts | 878 | 25,490 | $47,218 | 0.73% |
| New Jersey | 957 | 23,539 | $36,531 | 0.60% |
| Texas | 816 | 20,318 | $41,399 | 0.17% |
| Minnesota | 499 | 17,083 | $33,343 | 0.61% |
| Florida | 1,222 | 14,215 | $44,800 | 0.14% |
| Connecticut | 337 | 14,101 | $40,752 | 0.92% |
| Wisconsin | 527 | 13,252 | $26,195 | 0.50% |
| Maryland | 571 | 12,058 | $41,976 | 0.49% |
| Kansas | 135 | 10,336 | $28,525 | 0.83% |
| Ohio | 500 | 9,852 | $34,380 | 0.19% |
| Arizona | 307 | 9,335 | $48,757 | 0.32% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 3,697 | 67,878 | $46,049 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 844 | 19,951 | $33,892 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 626 | 17,803 | $52,985 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 889 | 17,519 | $48,865 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 391 | 13,477 | $34,167 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 253 | 11,264 | $37,096 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 378 | 8,934 | $51,311 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 328 | 8,155 | $93,406 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 150 | 8,107 | $37,712 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 183 | 7,841 | $26,609 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 253 | 7,781 | $39,792 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 229 | 7,478 | $50,090 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 245 | 6,878 | $39,510 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 450 | 5,623 | $51,692 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 96 | 5,593 | $41,607 |
Business size
US Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 11,107 | 54.5% |
| 5 to 9 | 2,532 | 12.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 2,231 | 10.9% |
| 20 to 49 | 2,345 | 11.5% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,097 | 5.4% |
| 100 to 249 | 806 | 4.0% |
| 250 to 499 | 194 | 1.0% |
| 500 to 999 | 58 | 0.3% |
| 1,000 or more | 7 | 0.0% |
Related industries
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation and the 6 industries directly below it
Part of Transportation and Warehousing 48-49
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4854 | School and Employee Bus Transportation | 221,741 | $32,105 |
| 4859 | Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation | 90,958 | $38,850 |
| 4853 | Taxi and Limousine Service | 51,826 | $49,844 |
| 4851 | Urban Transit Systems | 47,318 | $64,565 |
| 4855 | Charter Bus Industry | 29,436 | $47,856 |
| 4852 | Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation | 17,592 | $45,676 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation in the US?
458,871 people worked at 20,377 US Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation business locations in 2023, up 7.2% from 2022. That is 0.33% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation?
$40,323 a year per employee in 2023, from $18.5 billion in annual payroll (up 5.5% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation jobs?
New York had the most, with 66,729 employees in 2023, followed by California (44,337) and Pennsylvania (34,443).
Which metro areas have the most Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (67,878), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (19,951), Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (17,803) had the most Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation employees in 2023.
Are most Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation businesses small?
77.9% of the 20,377 Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 65 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.