2371/Utility System Construction
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
627K
employees, 2023
627K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 20,109 US Utility System Construction business locations employed 627,151 people and paid $54.7 billion in annual payroll, $87,180 per employee on average. Employment was up 4.5% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
20,109
+2.0% vs 2022
Employees
627,151
+4.5% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$54.7B
+9.8% vs 2022
Average pay
$87,180
+5.1% 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 Utility System Construction 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 | 2,621 | 126,977 | $84,332 | 1.06% |
| Louisiana | 408 | 50,177 | $78,406 | 2.96% |
| California | 1,483 | 46,240 | $110,757 | 0.28% |
| Florida | 1,306 | 29,819 | $74,567 | 0.30% |
| Colorado | 515 | 25,595 | $72,004 | 1.00% |
| North Carolina | 829 | 25,252 | $81,505 | 0.59% |
| Pennsylvania | 568 | 18,701 | $87,759 | 0.33% |
| Minnesota | 450 | 18,568 | $107,258 | 0.66% |
| Illinois | 576 | 16,406 | $101,748 | 0.29% |
| Ohio | 526 | 15,679 | $82,950 | 0.31% |
| Georgia | 752 | 14,165 | $74,941 | 0.32% |
| Arizona | 393 | 13,638 | $88,521 | 0.47% |
| New York | 592 | 13,582 | $111,919 | 0.15% |
| Michigan | 542 | 12,941 | $93,481 | 0.32% |
| Missouri | 420 | 12,335 | $90,487 | 0.47% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Utility System Construction employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 594 | 45,851 | $91,811 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 88 | 32,286 | $71,056 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 487 | 19,175 | $79,616 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 175 | 17,699 | $83,781 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 491 | 13,343 | $118,999 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 209 | 13,217 | $89,078 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 203 | 12,774 | $110,212 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 368 | 11,131 | $107,571 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 264 | 11,079 | $132,442 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 259 | 10,834 | $92,396 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 260 | 9,102 | $90,590 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 377 | 8,502 | $80,600 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 150 | 8,312 | $93,317 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 241 | 7,504 | $94,179 |
| Mount Airy, NC | 9 | 7,020* | $89,425 |
Business size
US Utility System Construction business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 8,443 | 42.0% |
| 5 to 9 | 3,708 | 18.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 3,038 | 15.1% |
| 20 to 49 | 2,765 | 13.8% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,109 | 5.5% |
| 100 to 249 | 682 | 3.4% |
| 250 to 499 | 217 | 1.1% |
| 500 to 999 | 91 | 0.5% |
| 1,000 or more | 56 | 0.3% |
Related industries
Utility System Construction and the 3 industries directly below it
Part of Construction 23Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 237
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23713 | Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | 292,604 | $90,207 |
| 23712 | Oil and Gas Pipeline and Related Structures Construction | 167,820 | $88,525 |
| 23711 | Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction | 166,727 | $80,513 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Utility System Construction in the US?
627,151 people worked at 20,109 US Utility System Construction business locations in 2023, up 4.5% from 2022. That is 0.45% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Utility System Construction?
$87,180 a year per employee in 2023, from $54.7 billion in annual payroll (up 5.1% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Utility System Construction jobs?
Texas had the most, with 126,977 employees in 2023, followed by Louisiana (50,177) and California (46,240).
Which metro areas have the most Utility System Construction jobs?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (45,851), Baton Rouge, LA (32,286), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (19,175) had the most Utility System Construction employees in 2023.
Are most Utility System Construction businesses small?
75.5% of the 20,109 Utility System Construction business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 147 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.