51731/Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
836K
employees, 2023
836K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 52,887 US Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers business locations employed 835,631 people and paid $76.8 billion in annual payroll, $91,850 per employee on average. Employment was down 3.3% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
52,887
-3.1% vs 2022
Employees
835,631
-3.3% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$76.8B
+2.8% vs 2022
Average pay
$91,850
+6.4% 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 Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers 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 | 4,712 | 89,943 | $93,864 | 0.75% |
| California | 5,076 | 75,772 | $97,673 | 0.46% |
| Florida | 3,479 | 55,274 | $79,283 | 0.55% |
| New York | 3,081 | 48,911 | $92,349 | 0.56% |
| Colorado | 1,165 | 38,111 | $116,693 | 1.49% |
| Georgia | 1,819 | 37,894 | $103,194 | 0.86% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,091 | 36,769 | $88,511 | 0.64% |
| North Carolina | 1,507 | 32,084 | $78,696 | 0.75% |
| New Jersey | 1,418 | 28,116 | $128,411 | 0.71% |
| Illinois | 2,025 | 26,383 | $93,138 | 0.47% |
| Ohio | 1,918 | 25,463 | $74,816 | 0.50% |
| Missouri | 1,123 | 23,553 | $96,760 | 0.90% |
| Washington | 1,193 | 21,904 | $144,288 | 0.72% |
| Virginia | 1,424 | 20,880 | $105,699 | 0.58% |
| South Carolina | 750 | 16,429 | $70,184 | 0.79% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,970 | 52,813 | $115,779 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,224 | 37,547 | $121,948 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,103 | 28,298 | $114,377 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,674 | 27,475 | $98,076 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,015 | 25,535 | $95,863 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 619 | 25,045* | $134,658 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,331 | 19,871 | $99,576 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 948 | 17,254 | $125,565 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 917 | 16,531 | $71,639 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 574 | 15,143 | $175,782 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1,218 | 14,329 | $71,659 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 429 | 13,878 | $83,626 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 493 | 13,527* | $108,743 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 550 | 11,100 | $101,923 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 480 | 10,398 | $72,865 |
Business size
US Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 28,618 | 54.1% |
| 5 to 9 | 10,254 | 19.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 7,811 | 14.8% |
| 20 to 49 | 3,657 | 6.9% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,303 | 2.5% |
| 100 to 249 | 757 | 1.4% |
| 250 to 499 | 275 | 0.5% |
| 500 to 999 | 163 | 0.3% |
| 1,000 or more | 49 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers and the 2 industries directly below it
Part of Information 51Telecommunications 517Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers 5173
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 517311 | Wired Telecommunications Carriers | 593,911 | $98,208 |
| 517312 | Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) | 241,720 | $76,228 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers in the US?
835,631 people worked at 52,887 US Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers business locations in 2023, down 3.3% from 2022. That is 0.60% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers?
$91,850 a year per employee in 2023, from $76.8 billion in annual payroll (up 6.4% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers jobs?
Texas had the most, with 89,943 employees in 2023, followed by California (75,772) and Florida (55,274).
Which metro areas have the most Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (52,813), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (37,547), Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (28,298) had the most Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers employees in 2023.
Are most Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers businesses small?
88.3% of the 52,887 Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 212 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.