336/Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
1.68M
employees, 2023
1.68M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 11,691 US Transportation Equipment Manufacturing business locations employed 1.68 million people and paid $139.1 billion in annual payroll, $82,654 per employee on average. Employment was up 1.7% from 2022. Michigan had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
11,691
+1.1% vs 2022
Employees
1,682,910
+1.7% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$139.1B
+6.9% vs 2022
Average pay
$82,654
+5.2% 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 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 951 | 180,036 | $73,063 | 4.46% |
| Indiana | 626 | 144,469 | $66,599 | 4.94% |
| California | 1,320 | 119,600 | $139,969 | 0.73% |
| Ohio | 629 | 111,559 | $72,581 | 2.20% |
| Texas | 747 | 90,747 | $97,311 | 0.76% |
| Washington | 347 | 80,865 | $107,754 | 2.65% |
| Alabama | 311 | 75,655 | $71,815 | 4.15% |
| Kentucky | 230 | 69,384 | $69,596 | 4.06% |
| Tennessee | 328 | 66,487 | $65,185 | 2.24% |
| South Carolina | 205 | 55,405 | $76,328 | 2.68% |
| Illinois | 350 | 53,904 | $89,893 | 0.95% |
| Missouri | 267 | 50,790 | $79,096 | 1.93% |
| Georgia | 316 | 47,989 | $73,789 | 1.09% |
| Virginia | 173 | 47,218 | $76,448 | 1.32% |
| Connecticut | 146 | 46,823 | $112,350 | 3.05% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Transportation Equipment Manufacturing employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 537 | 106,566 | $77,836 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 194 | 75,001 | $111,100 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 219 | 47,635 | $109,586 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 207 | 44,821 | $60,178 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 575 | 43,722 | $101,124 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 67 | 31,342* | $79,059 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 74 | 27,538* | $277,022 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 240 | 26,405 | $71,021 |
| Wichita, KS | 72 | 25,796 | $91,300 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 83 | 24,524 | $120,910 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 81 | 22,753 | $96,390 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 140 | 22,107 | $94,242 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 46 | 20,064 | $80,835 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 88 | 19,310 | $81,351 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 82 | 18,958 | $77,334 |
Business size
US Transportation Equipment Manufacturing business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 3,130 | 26.8% |
| 5 to 9 | 1,440 | 12.3% |
| 10 to 19 | 1,398 | 12.0% |
| 20 to 49 | 1,764 | 15.1% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,295 | 11.1% |
| 100 to 249 | 1,368 | 11.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 682 | 5.8% |
| 500 to 999 | 353 | 3.0% |
| 1,000 or more | 261 | 2.2% |
Related industries
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing and the 7 industries directly below it
Part of Manufacturing 31-33
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3363 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 587,237 | $61,894 |
| 3364 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 428,728 | $108,008 |
| 3361 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 277,328 | $111,394 |
| 3362 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 170,535 | $59,055 |
| 3366 | Ship and Boat Building | 150,621 | $68,504 |
| 3369 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 40,630 | $66,703 |
| 3365 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 27,831 | $88,238 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Transportation Equipment Manufacturing in the US?
1.68 million people worked at 11,691 US Transportation Equipment Manufacturing business locations in 2023, up 1.7% from 2022. That is 1.20% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Transportation Equipment Manufacturing?
$82,654 a year per employee in 2023, from $139.1 billion in annual payroll (up 5.2% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Transportation Equipment Manufacturing jobs?
Michigan had the most, with 180,036 employees in 2023, followed by Indiana (144,469) and California (119,600).
Which metro areas have the most Transportation Equipment Manufacturing jobs?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (106,566), Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (75,001), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (47,635) had the most Transportation Equipment Manufacturing employees in 2023.
Are most Transportation Equipment Manufacturing businesses small?
51.0% of the 11,691 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 614 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.