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Size of the US Animal Slaughtering and Processing industry

NAICS 31161, Animal Slaughtering and Processing. Every figure on this page was published by a federal statistical agency and carries its source and period. Palanor does not estimate: a period the agency didn’t publish shows as missing, and a figure it withheld shows as withheld.

Key figures

Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)
$304 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
550,550
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
4,715
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
3,149
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$28.4 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 550,550 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 525,6442019-Q2: 525,8242019-Q3: 531,0162019-Q4: 538,9892020-Q1: 535,9802020-Q2: 524,5962020-Q3: 528,7802020-Q4: 536,3372021-Q1: 530,2832021-Q2: 511,1562021-Q3: 512,2272021-Q4: 525,7182022-Q1: 522,4952022-Q2: 525,4072022-Q3: 537,9322022-Q4: 546,3662023-Q1: 543,5582023-Q2: 547,5762023-Q3: 547,4822023-Q4: 549,8512024-Q1: 551,0852024-Q2: 554,0162024-Q3: 557,9602024-Q4: 559,9632025-Q1: 557,0792025-Q2: 557,8102025-Q3: 553,8842025-Q4: 558,4092026-Q1: 550,550NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1550,5502022
2025-Q4558,4092022
2025-Q3553,8842022
2025-Q2557,8102022
2025-Q1557,0792022
2024-Q4559,9632022
2024-Q3557,9602022
2024-Q2554,0162022
2024-Q1551,0852022
2023-Q4549,8512022
2023-Q3547,4822022
2023-Q2547,5762022
2023-Q1543,5582022
2022-Q4546,3662022
2022-Q3537,9322022
2022-Q2525,4072022
2022-Q1522,4952022
2021-Q4525,7182017
2021-Q3512,2272017
2021-Q2511,1562017
2021-Q1530,2832017
2020-Q4536,3372017
2020-Q3528,7802017
2020-Q2524,5962017
2020-Q1535,9802017
2019-Q4538,9892017
2019-Q3531,0162017
2019-Q2525,8242017
2019-Q1525,6442017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter

Employment · County Business PatternsLatest 556,205 · 2023
2017: 515,1632018: 528,3232019: 532,5752020: 544,0712021: 546,3292022: 534,1562023: 556,205
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023556,205
2022534,156
2021546,329
2020544,071
2019532,575
2018528,323
2017515,163

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns · Paid employees in the pay period including March 12

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 4,715 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 4,0802019-Q2: 4,0802019-Q3: 4,0892019-Q4: 4,1032020-Q1: 4,0702020-Q2: 4,0822020-Q3: 4,1272020-Q4: 4,1622021-Q1: 4,1852021-Q2: 4,1932021-Q3: 4,2332021-Q4: 4,2692022-Q1: 4,3512022-Q2: 4,3722022-Q3: 4,4062022-Q4: 4,4542023-Q1: 4,5232023-Q2: 4,5412023-Q3: 4,5712023-Q4: 4,6032024-Q1: 4,6842024-Q2: 4,6902024-Q3: 4,6952024-Q4: 4,6932025-Q1: 4,6792025-Q2: 4,6852025-Q3: 4,7022025-Q4: 4,6912026-Q1: 4,715NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q14,7152022
2025-Q44,6912022
2025-Q34,7022022
2025-Q24,6852022
2025-Q14,6792022
2024-Q44,6932022
2024-Q34,6952022
2024-Q24,6902022
2024-Q14,6842022
2023-Q44,6032022
2023-Q34,5712022
2023-Q24,5412022
2023-Q14,5232022
2022-Q44,4542022
2022-Q34,4062022
2022-Q24,3722022
2022-Q14,3512022
2021-Q44,2692017
2021-Q34,2332017
2021-Q24,1932017
2021-Q14,1852017
2020-Q44,1622017
2020-Q34,1272017
2020-Q24,0822017
2020-Q14,0702017
2019-Q44,1032017
2019-Q34,0892017
2019-Q24,0802017
2019-Q14,0802017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 3,716 · 2023
2017: 3,5242018: 3,4802019: 3,5012020: 3,4422021: 3,5732022: 3,6632023: 3,716
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
20233,716
20223,663
20213,573
20203,442
20193,501
20183,480
20173,524

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $7.9 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $5.5 billion2019-Q2: $5.5 billion2019-Q3: $5.7 billion2019-Q4: $6.1 billion2020-Q1: $5.9 billion2020-Q2: $6.0 billion2020-Q3: $6.2 billion2020-Q4: $7.0 billion2021-Q1: $6.0 billion2021-Q2: $6.1 billion2021-Q3: $6.6 billion2021-Q4: $7.4 billion2022-Q1: $6.7 billion2022-Q2: $6.7 billion2022-Q3: $7.4 billion2022-Q4: $7.6 billion2023-Q1: $7.4 billion2023-Q2: $6.9 billion2023-Q3: $7.1 billion2023-Q4: $7.5 billion2024-Q1: $7.5 billion2024-Q2: $7.2 billion2024-Q3: $7.6 billion2024-Q4: $8.0 billion2025-Q1: $7.8 billion2025-Q2: $7.6 billion2025-Q3: $7.8 billion2025-Q4: $8.3 billion2026-Q1: $7.9 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$7.9 billion2022
2025-Q4$8.3 billion2022
2025-Q3$7.8 billion2022
2025-Q2$7.6 billion2022
2025-Q1$7.8 billion2022
2024-Q4$8.0 billion2022
2024-Q3$7.6 billion2022
2024-Q2$7.2 billion2022
2024-Q1$7.5 billion2022
2023-Q4$7.5 billion2022
2023-Q3$7.1 billion2022
2023-Q2$6.9 billion2022
2023-Q1$7.4 billion2022
2022-Q4$7.6 billion2022
2022-Q3$7.4 billion2022
2022-Q2$6.7 billion2022
2022-Q1$6.7 billion2022
2021-Q4$7.4 billion2017
2021-Q3$6.6 billion2017
2021-Q2$6.1 billion2017
2021-Q1$6.0 billion2017
2020-Q4$7.0 billion2017
2020-Q3$6.2 billion2017
2020-Q2$6.0 billion2017
2020-Q1$5.9 billion2017
2019-Q4$6.1 billion2017
2019-Q3$5.7 billion2017
2019-Q2$5.5 billion2017
2019-Q1$5.5 billion2017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $28.4 billion · 2023
2017: $19.8 billion2018: $20.5 billion2019: $21.5 billion2020: $24.1 billion2021: $25.4 billion2022: $27.2 billion2023: $28.4 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$28.4 billion
2022$27.2 billion
2021$25.4 billion
2020$24.1 billion
2019$21.5 billion
2018$20.5 billion
2017$19.8 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

The ledger

Every published measure

MeasureSourceLatestPeriodHistory
EmploymentPrivate-sector jobs in the third month of each quarterQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages550,5502026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages4,7152026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$7.9 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$28.4 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns556,20520232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns3,71620232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$27.2 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census535,13420222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census3,87020222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census3,14920222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$304 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Animal Slaughtering and Processing

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
311611Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering$125 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census143,1262026-Q1 · QCEW
311612Meat Processed from Carcasses$81.1 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census150,3872026-Q1 · QCEW
311613Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing$7.9 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census7,0552026-Q1 · QCEW
311615Poultry Processing$89.9 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census249,9822026-Q1 · QCEW

Sources

Where every number comes from

Figures are in current dollars and are the agencies’ own, revised when they revise. Each program defines its universe differently (employer firms, private ownership, all establishments), so figures from different sources are not meant to add up. This page is not endorsed by the Census Bureau, BEA or BLS. The same data is in the Palanor API (/v1/industries) and the MCP (palanor_get_industry). All industries.