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Size of the US Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers industry

NAICS 425, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers. 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)
$786 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
411,361
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
102,982
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
32,160
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$17.5 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 411,361 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 526,5432019-Q2: 529,3782019-Q3: 528,6942019-Q4: 537,0982020-Q1: 505,7692020-Q2: 480,1092020-Q3: 484,3782020-Q4: 499,0172021-Q1: 479,9082021-Q2: 492,0632021-Q3: 495,6292021-Q4: 514,9412022-Q1: 503,3962022-Q2: 515,3332022-Q3: 523,3502022-Q4: 531,8402023-Q1: 507,2762023-Q2: 512,2282023-Q3: 511,2692023-Q4: 517,7242024-Q1: 489,1792024-Q2: 491,4782024-Q3: 490,8502024-Q4: 495,1802025-Q1: 443,3842025-Q2: 444,6622025-Q3: 441,1232025-Q4: 445,9312026-Q1: 411,361NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1411,3612022
2025-Q4445,9312022
2025-Q3441,1232022
2025-Q2444,6622022
2025-Q1443,3842022
2024-Q4495,1802022
2024-Q3490,8502022
2024-Q2491,4782022
2024-Q1489,1792022
2023-Q4517,7242022
2023-Q3511,2692022
2023-Q2512,2282022
2023-Q1507,2762022
2022-Q4531,8402022
2022-Q3523,3502022
2022-Q2515,3332022
2022-Q1503,3962022
2021-Q4514,9412017
2021-Q3495,6292017
2021-Q2492,0632017
2021-Q1479,9082017
2020-Q4499,0172017
2020-Q3484,3782017
2020-Q2480,1092017
2020-Q1505,7692017
2019-Q4537,0982017
2019-Q3528,6942017
2019-Q2529,3782017
2019-Q1526,5432017

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 243,788 · 2023
2017: 291,4582018: 284,4202019: 273,0052020: 265,6922021: 239,7512022: 250,0472023: 243,788
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023243,788
2022250,047
2021239,751
2020265,692
2019273,005
2018284,420
2017291,458

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 102,982 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 147,6002019-Q2: 146,3042019-Q3: 145,1732019-Q4: 144,3262020-Q1: 139,5162020-Q2: 138,4172020-Q3: 138,0812020-Q4: 137,8772021-Q1: 133,1522021-Q2: 132,7132021-Q3: 132,6522021-Q4: 132,6632022-Q1: 130,1652022-Q2: 129,4992022-Q3: 129,3202022-Q4: 129,0352023-Q1: 123,6432023-Q2: 122,5902023-Q3: 122,2322023-Q4: 121,3742024-Q1: 116,6132024-Q2: 116,3602024-Q3: 115,8122024-Q4: 115,6412025-Q1: 108,5102025-Q2: 107,6372025-Q3: 107,2492025-Q4: 106,5192026-Q1: 102,982NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1102,9822022
2025-Q4106,5192022
2025-Q3107,2492022
2025-Q2107,6372022
2025-Q1108,5102022
2024-Q4115,6412022
2024-Q3115,8122022
2024-Q2116,3602022
2024-Q1116,6132022
2023-Q4121,3742022
2023-Q3122,2322022
2023-Q2122,5902022
2023-Q1123,6432022
2022-Q4129,0352022
2022-Q3129,3202022
2022-Q2129,4992022
2022-Q1130,1652022
2021-Q4132,6632017
2021-Q3132,6522017
2021-Q2132,7132017
2021-Q1133,1522017
2020-Q4137,8772017
2020-Q3138,0812017
2020-Q2138,4172017
2020-Q1139,5162017
2019-Q4144,3262017
2019-Q3145,1732017
2019-Q2146,3042017
2019-Q1147,6002017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 34,962 · 2023
2017: 40,1902018: 39,0392019: 38,0072020: 36,8152021: 36,6622022: 36,2062023: 34,962
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202334,962
202236,206
202136,662
202036,815
201938,007
201839,039
201740,190

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: $14.0 billion2019-Q2: $12.7 billion2019-Q3: $12.7 billion2019-Q4: $14.3 billion2020-Q1: $14.1 billion2020-Q2: $11.9 billion2020-Q3: $12.2 billion2020-Q4: $14.9 billion2021-Q1: $14.0 billion2021-Q2: $13.5 billion2021-Q3: $13.8 billion2021-Q4: $16.4 billion2022-Q1: $16.0 billion2022-Q2: $14.7 billion2022-Q3: $15.4 billion2022-Q4: $16.7 billion2023-Q1: $17.2 billion2023-Q2: $15.1 billion2023-Q3: $15.2 billion2023-Q4: $16.9 billion2024-Q1: $16.9 billion2024-Q2: $15.1 billion2024-Q3: $14.7 billion2024-Q4: $16.7 billion2025-Q1: $16.1 billion2025-Q2: $14.0 billion2025-Q3: $14.0 billion2025-Q4: $15.6 billion2026-Q1: $15.4 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$15.4 billion2022
2025-Q4$15.6 billion2022
2025-Q3$14.0 billion2022
2025-Q2$14.0 billion2022
2025-Q1$16.1 billion2022
2024-Q4$16.7 billion2022
2024-Q3$14.7 billion2022
2024-Q2$15.1 billion2022
2024-Q1$16.9 billion2022
2023-Q4$16.9 billion2022
2023-Q3$15.2 billion2022
2023-Q2$15.1 billion2022
2023-Q1$17.2 billion2022
2022-Q4$16.7 billion2022
2022-Q3$15.4 billion2022
2022-Q2$14.7 billion2022
2022-Q1$16.0 billion2022
2021-Q4$16.4 billion2017
2021-Q3$13.8 billion2017
2021-Q2$13.5 billion2017
2021-Q1$14.0 billion2017
2020-Q4$14.9 billion2017
2020-Q3$12.2 billion2017
2020-Q2$11.9 billion2017
2020-Q1$14.1 billion2017
2019-Q4$14.3 billion2017
2019-Q3$12.7 billion2017
2019-Q2$12.7 billion2017
2019-Q1$14.0 billion2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $17.5 billion · 2023
2017: $15.5 billion2018: $15.7 billion2019: $15.5 billion2020: $15.0 billion2021: $16.1 billion2022: $17.5 billion2023: $17.5 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$17.5 billion
2022$17.5 billion
2021$16.1 billion
2020$15.0 billion
2019$15.5 billion
2018$15.7 billion
2017$15.5 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 Wages411,3612026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages102,9822026-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$17.5 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns243,78820232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns34,96220232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$15.8 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census246,12520222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census34,21920222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census32,16020222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$786 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
4251Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers$786 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census411,3612026-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.