Skip to content
PalanorPalanor

Size of the US Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers industry

NAICS 4242, Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers. 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)
$1.28 trillion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
261,158
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
22,738
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
6,632
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$48.4 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 261,158 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 236,7422019-Q2: 237,0502019-Q3: 236,5292019-Q4: 240,1742020-Q1: 237,4422020-Q2: 231,9742020-Q3: 234,7702020-Q4: 241,1442021-Q1: 240,9122021-Q2: 243,0682021-Q3: 243,6212021-Q4: 252,6762022-Q1: 252,7982022-Q2: 254,4802022-Q3: 256,5202022-Q4: 261,1702023-Q1: 258,3972023-Q2: 259,2742023-Q3: 258,9602023-Q4: 262,9822024-Q1: 258,9522024-Q2: 258,4252024-Q3: 257,8612024-Q4: 261,0922025-Q1: 261,1292025-Q2: 259,1682025-Q3: 258,9992025-Q4: 263,1762026-Q1: 261,158NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1261,1582022
2025-Q4263,1762022
2025-Q3258,9992022
2025-Q2259,1682022
2025-Q1261,1292022
2024-Q4261,0922022
2024-Q3257,8612022
2024-Q2258,4252022
2024-Q1258,9522022
2023-Q4262,9822022
2023-Q3258,9602022
2023-Q2259,2742022
2023-Q1258,3972022
2022-Q4261,1702022
2022-Q3256,5202022
2022-Q2254,4802022
2022-Q1252,7982022
2021-Q4252,6762017
2021-Q3243,6212017
2021-Q2243,0682017
2021-Q1240,9122017
2020-Q4241,1442017
2020-Q3234,7702017
2020-Q2231,9742017
2020-Q1237,4422017
2019-Q4240,1742017
2019-Q3236,5292017
2019-Q2237,0502017
2019-Q1236,7422017

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 302,952 · 2023
2017: 304,6062018: 307,2152019: 301,2132020: 301,6602021: 306,6012022: 311,5802023: 302,952
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023302,952
2022311,580
2021306,601
2020301,660
2019301,213
2018307,215
2017304,606

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 22,738 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 19,7182019-Q2: 20,0572019-Q3: 20,2632019-Q4: 20,4432020-Q1: 20,6942020-Q2: 20,8092020-Q3: 21,0752020-Q4: 21,3512021-Q1: 21,4862021-Q2: 21,7822021-Q3: 22,1482021-Q4: 22,4722022-Q1: 22,6982022-Q2: 22,9302022-Q3: 23,1252022-Q4: 23,2272023-Q1: 23,1922023-Q2: 23,2512023-Q3: 23,4142023-Q4: 23,4012024-Q1: 22,9582024-Q2: 22,9842024-Q3: 22,9792024-Q4: 22,9892025-Q1: 22,5682025-Q2: 22,5522025-Q3: 22,6522025-Q4: 22,7252026-Q1: 22,738NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q122,7382022
2025-Q422,7252022
2025-Q322,6522022
2025-Q222,5522022
2025-Q122,5682022
2024-Q422,9892022
2024-Q322,9792022
2024-Q222,9842022
2024-Q122,9582022
2023-Q423,4012022
2023-Q323,4142022
2023-Q223,2512022
2023-Q123,1922022
2022-Q423,2272022
2022-Q323,1252022
2022-Q222,9302022
2022-Q122,6982022
2021-Q422,4722017
2021-Q322,1482017
2021-Q221,7822017
2021-Q121,4862017
2020-Q421,3512017
2020-Q321,0752017
2020-Q220,8092017
2020-Q120,6942017
2019-Q420,4432017
2019-Q320,2632017
2019-Q220,0572017
2019-Q119,7182017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 8,919 · 2023
2017: 10,2812018: 10,4212019: 10,5242020: 10,3632021: 10,3422022: 9,9592023: 8,919
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
20238,919
20229,959
202110,342
202010,363
201910,524
201810,421
201710,281

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $15.4 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $8.8 billion2019-Q2: $7.1 billion2019-Q3: $6.8 billion2019-Q4: $7.4 billion2020-Q1: $9.6 billion2020-Q2: $7.6 billion2020-Q3: $7.2 billion2020-Q4: $8.3 billion2021-Q1: $10.0 billion2021-Q2: $8.3 billion2021-Q3: $8.0 billion2021-Q4: $8.8 billion2022-Q1: $11.2 billion2022-Q2: $9.3 billion2022-Q3: $8.9 billion2022-Q4: $9.1 billion2023-Q1: $12.6 billion2023-Q2: $9.8 billion2023-Q3: $9.1 billion2023-Q4: $10.5 billion2024-Q1: $13.3 billion2024-Q2: $10.4 billion2024-Q3: $9.5 billion2024-Q4: $9.9 billion2025-Q1: $14.4 billion2025-Q2: $10.7 billion2025-Q3: $10.2 billion2025-Q4: $10.6 billion2026-Q1: $15.4 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$15.4 billion2022
2025-Q4$10.6 billion2022
2025-Q3$10.2 billion2022
2025-Q2$10.7 billion2022
2025-Q1$14.4 billion2022
2024-Q4$9.9 billion2022
2024-Q3$9.5 billion2022
2024-Q2$10.4 billion2022
2024-Q1$13.3 billion2022
2023-Q4$10.5 billion2022
2023-Q3$9.1 billion2022
2023-Q2$9.8 billion2022
2023-Q1$12.6 billion2022
2022-Q4$9.1 billion2022
2022-Q3$8.9 billion2022
2022-Q2$9.3 billion2022
2022-Q1$11.2 billion2022
2021-Q4$8.8 billion2017
2021-Q3$8.0 billion2017
2021-Q2$8.3 billion2017
2021-Q1$10.0 billion2017
2020-Q4$8.3 billion2017
2020-Q3$7.2 billion2017
2020-Q2$7.6 billion2017
2020-Q1$9.6 billion2017
2019-Q4$7.4 billion2017
2019-Q3$6.8 billion2017
2019-Q2$7.1 billion2017
2019-Q1$8.8 billion2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $48.4 billion · 2023
2017: $38.8 billion2018: $38.3 billion2019: $38.8 billion2020: $42.0 billion2021: $44.5 billion2022: $45.6 billion2023: $48.4 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$48.4 billion
2022$45.6 billion
2021$44.5 billion
2020$42.0 billion
2019$38.8 billion
2018$38.3 billion
2017$38.8 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 Wages261,1582026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages22,7382026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$15.4 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$48.4 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns302,95220232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns8,91920232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$43.1 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census308,06520222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census8,84420222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census6,63220222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$1.28 trillion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
42421Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers$1.28 trillionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census261,1582026-Q1 · QCEW

Companies

Public companies in this industry

Companies Palanor tracks whose GICS classification maps to NAICS 4242. The mapping is Palanor’s, one GICS sub-industry to one NAICS code; a company’s own mix of business can span several.

  • CAH Cardinal Health
  • COR Cencora
  • HSIC Henry Schein
  • MCK McKesson Corporation

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.