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Size of the US Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services industry

NAICS 56161, Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services. 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)
$46.8 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
870,710
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
24,661
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
11,575
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$29.0 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 870,710 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 798,8962019-Q2: 796,1122019-Q3: 812,3182019-Q4: 808,8662020-Q1: 789,0862020-Q2: 727,2872020-Q3: 746,6462020-Q4: 768,2002021-Q1: 760,1102021-Q2: 754,2082021-Q3: 772,9602021-Q4: 783,3442022-Q1: 784,1852022-Q2: 793,9092022-Q3: 827,5892022-Q4: 826,0712023-Q1: 832,6012023-Q2: 840,0482023-Q3: 858,1892023-Q4: 855,8002024-Q1: 859,6482024-Q2: 863,5372024-Q3: 882,4662024-Q4: 879,3262025-Q1: 874,5942025-Q2: 875,9472025-Q3: 890,2072025-Q4: 878,7472026-Q1: 870,710NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1870,7102022
2025-Q4878,7472022
2025-Q3890,2072022
2025-Q2875,9472022
2025-Q1874,5942022
2024-Q4879,3262022
2024-Q3882,4662022
2024-Q2863,5372022
2024-Q1859,6482022
2023-Q4855,8002022
2023-Q3858,1892022
2023-Q2840,0482022
2023-Q1832,6012022
2022-Q4826,0712022
2022-Q3827,5892022
2022-Q2793,9092022
2022-Q1784,1852022
2021-Q4783,3442017
2021-Q3772,9602017
2021-Q2754,2082017
2021-Q1760,1102017
2020-Q4768,2002017
2020-Q3746,6462017
2020-Q2727,2872017
2020-Q1789,0862017
2019-Q4808,8662017
2019-Q3812,3182017
2019-Q2796,1122017
2019-Q1798,8962017

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 866,822 · 2023
2017: 811,4822018: 843,3192019: 867,8912020: 862,9212021: 821,3432022: 834,3742023: 866,822
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023866,822
2022834,374
2021821,343
2020862,921
2019867,891
2018843,319
2017811,482

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 24,661 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 20,8622019-Q2: 20,9432019-Q3: 21,1932019-Q4: 21,3492020-Q1: 21,2992020-Q2: 21,2112020-Q3: 21,4192020-Q4: 21,6272021-Q1: 21,5142021-Q2: 21,7132021-Q3: 21,9752021-Q4: 22,3332022-Q1: 22,4372022-Q2: 22,7182022-Q3: 23,0382022-Q4: 23,2812023-Q1: 23,3322023-Q2: 23,4552023-Q3: 23,6382023-Q4: 23,9452024-Q1: 23,8292024-Q2: 23,9552024-Q3: 23,9732024-Q4: 24,0692025-Q1: 24,1362025-Q2: 24,1952025-Q3: 24,3652025-Q4: 24,5892026-Q1: 24,661NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q124,6612022
2025-Q424,5892022
2025-Q324,3652022
2025-Q224,1952022
2025-Q124,1362022
2024-Q424,0692022
2024-Q323,9732022
2024-Q223,9552022
2024-Q123,8292022
2023-Q423,9452022
2023-Q323,6382022
2023-Q223,4552022
2023-Q123,3322022
2022-Q423,2812022
2022-Q323,0382022
2022-Q222,7182022
2022-Q122,4372022
2021-Q422,3332017
2021-Q321,9752017
2021-Q221,7132017
2021-Q121,5142017
2020-Q421,6272017
2020-Q321,4192017
2020-Q221,2112017
2020-Q121,2992017
2019-Q421,3492017
2019-Q321,1932017
2019-Q220,9432017
2019-Q120,8622017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 15,880 · 2023
2017: 14,4622018: 14,5002019: 14,6782020: 14,7012021: 15,1992022: 15,5102023: 15,880
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202315,880
202215,510
202115,199
202014,701
201914,678
201814,500
201714,462

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $9.3 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $6.1 billion2019-Q2: $6.1 billion2019-Q3: $6.4 billion2019-Q4: $6.5 billion2020-Q1: $6.5 billion2020-Q2: $5.9 billion2020-Q3: $6.3 billion2020-Q4: $7.0 billion2021-Q1: $6.3 billion2021-Q2: $6.7 billion2021-Q3: $7.1 billion2021-Q4: $7.5 billion2022-Q1: $7.1 billion2022-Q2: $7.5 billion2022-Q3: $7.9 billion2022-Q4: $8.1 billion2023-Q1: $8.2 billion2023-Q2: $8.3 billion2023-Q3: $8.3 billion2023-Q4: $8.7 billion2024-Q1: $8.8 billion2024-Q2: $8.8 billion2024-Q3: $8.9 billion2024-Q4: $9.4 billion2025-Q1: $9.3 billion2025-Q2: $9.2 billion2025-Q3: $9.2 billion2025-Q4: $9.8 billion2026-Q1: $9.3 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$9.3 billion2022
2025-Q4$9.8 billion2022
2025-Q3$9.2 billion2022
2025-Q2$9.2 billion2022
2025-Q1$9.3 billion2022
2024-Q4$9.4 billion2022
2024-Q3$8.9 billion2022
2024-Q2$8.8 billion2022
2024-Q1$8.8 billion2022
2023-Q4$8.7 billion2022
2023-Q3$8.3 billion2022
2023-Q2$8.3 billion2022
2023-Q1$8.2 billion2022
2022-Q4$8.1 billion2022
2022-Q3$7.9 billion2022
2022-Q2$7.5 billion2022
2022-Q1$7.1 billion2022
2021-Q4$7.5 billion2017
2021-Q3$7.1 billion2017
2021-Q2$6.7 billion2017
2021-Q1$6.3 billion2017
2020-Q4$7.0 billion2017
2020-Q3$6.3 billion2017
2020-Q2$5.9 billion2017
2020-Q1$6.5 billion2017
2019-Q4$6.5 billion2017
2019-Q3$6.4 billion2017
2019-Q2$6.1 billion2017
2019-Q1$6.1 billion2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $29.0 billion · 2023
2017: $22.3 billion2018: $23.5 billion2019: $23.7 billion2020: $23.9 billion2021: $25.2 billion2022: $27.2 billion2023: $29.0 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$29.0 billion
2022$27.2 billion
2021$25.2 billion
2020$23.9 billion
2019$23.7 billion
2018$23.5 billion
2017$22.3 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 Wages870,7102026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages24,6612026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$9.3 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$29.0 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns866,82220232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns15,88020232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$27.6 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census893,38220222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census15,49520222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census11,57520222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$46.8 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
561611Investigation and Personal Background Check Services$6.2 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census37,3382026-Q1 · QCEW
561612Security Guards and Patrol Services$37.0 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census810,1982026-Q1 · QCEW
561613Armored Car Services$3.6 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census23,1742026-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.