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Size of the US Waste Treatment and Disposal industry

NAICS 56221, Waste Treatment and Disposal. 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)
$24.8 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
110,519
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
4,797
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
1,630
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$5.1 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 110,519 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 98,0232019-Q2: 99,3192019-Q3: 99,5382019-Q4: 101,1752020-Q1: 100,0812020-Q2: 97,6002020-Q3: 97,8182020-Q4: 98,3232021-Q1: 98,1162021-Q2: 98,7532021-Q3: 99,4702021-Q4: 100,5082022-Q1: 99,1302022-Q2: 100,2472022-Q3: 100,6042022-Q4: 101,7772023-Q1: 104,3192023-Q2: 106,1432023-Q3: 106,3862023-Q4: 107,3342024-Q1: 106,3982024-Q2: 108,1612024-Q3: 108,1662024-Q4: 109,3952025-Q1: 109,6872025-Q2: 110,0062025-Q3: 109,8862025-Q4: 110,8082026-Q1: 110,519NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1110,5192022
2025-Q4110,8082022
2025-Q3109,8862022
2025-Q2110,0062022
2025-Q1109,6872022
2024-Q4109,3952022
2024-Q3108,1662022
2024-Q2108,1612022
2024-Q1106,3982022
2023-Q4107,3342022
2023-Q3106,3862022
2023-Q2106,1432022
2023-Q1104,3192022
2022-Q4101,7772022
2022-Q3100,6042022
2022-Q2100,2472022
2022-Q199,1302022
2021-Q4100,5082017
2021-Q399,4702017
2021-Q298,7532017
2021-Q198,1162017
2020-Q498,3232017
2020-Q397,8182017
2020-Q297,6002017
2020-Q1100,0812017
2019-Q4101,1752017
2019-Q399,5382017
2019-Q299,3192017
2019-Q198,0232017

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 62,599 · 2023
2017: 57,8672018: 58,7512019: 59,3832020: 61,1282021: 61,5692022: 62,7622023: 62,599
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202362,599
202262,762
202161,569
202061,128
201959,383
201858,751
201757,867

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 4,797 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 3,9882019-Q2: 3,9932019-Q3: 4,0162019-Q4: 4,0232020-Q1: 4,0392020-Q2: 4,0462020-Q3: 4,0742020-Q4: 4,1002021-Q1: 4,1152021-Q2: 4,1512021-Q3: 4,1792021-Q4: 4,2172022-Q1: 4,2512022-Q2: 4,3112022-Q3: 4,2782022-Q4: 4,3282023-Q1: 4,5982023-Q2: 4,5972023-Q3: 4,6212023-Q4: 4,6912024-Q1: 4,6952024-Q2: 4,7002024-Q3: 4,6962024-Q4: 4,7142025-Q1: 4,7302025-Q2: 4,7552025-Q3: 4,7832025-Q4: 4,7892026-Q1: 4,797NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q14,7972022
2025-Q44,7892022
2025-Q34,7832022
2025-Q24,7552022
2025-Q14,7302022
2024-Q44,7142022
2024-Q34,6962022
2024-Q24,7002022
2024-Q14,6952022
2023-Q44,6912022
2023-Q34,6212022
2023-Q24,5972022
2023-Q14,5982022
2022-Q44,3282022
2022-Q34,2782022
2022-Q24,3112022
2022-Q14,2512022
2021-Q44,2172017
2021-Q34,1792017
2021-Q24,1512017
2021-Q14,1152017
2020-Q44,1002017
2020-Q34,0742017
2020-Q24,0462017
2020-Q14,0392017
2019-Q44,0232017
2019-Q34,0162017
2019-Q23,9932017
2019-Q13,9882017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 3,326 · 2023
2017: 2,6602018: 2,6302019: 2,6702020: 2,7272021: 3,0702022: 3,2142023: 3,326
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
20233,326
20223,214
20213,070
20202,727
20192,670
20182,630
20172,660

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $2.9 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $2.0 billion2019-Q2: $1.8 billion2019-Q3: $1.8 billion2019-Q4: $1.9 billion2020-Q1: $2.1 billion2020-Q2: $1.8 billion2020-Q3: $1.8 billion2020-Q4: $2.0 billion2021-Q1: $2.0 billion2021-Q2: $1.9 billion2021-Q3: $2.0 billion2021-Q4: $2.2 billion2022-Q1: $2.1 billion2022-Q2: $2.1 billion2022-Q3: $2.2 billion2022-Q4: $2.2 billion2023-Q1: $2.5 billion2023-Q2: $2.2 billion2023-Q3: $2.3 billion2023-Q4: $2.4 billion2024-Q1: $2.7 billion2024-Q2: $2.4 billion2024-Q3: $2.4 billion2024-Q4: $2.6 billion2025-Q1: $2.9 billion2025-Q2: $2.5 billion2025-Q3: $2.5 billion2025-Q4: $2.6 billion2026-Q1: $2.9 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$2.9 billion2022
2025-Q4$2.6 billion2022
2025-Q3$2.5 billion2022
2025-Q2$2.5 billion2022
2025-Q1$2.9 billion2022
2024-Q4$2.6 billion2022
2024-Q3$2.4 billion2022
2024-Q2$2.4 billion2022
2024-Q1$2.7 billion2022
2023-Q4$2.4 billion2022
2023-Q3$2.3 billion2022
2023-Q2$2.2 billion2022
2023-Q1$2.5 billion2022
2022-Q4$2.2 billion2022
2022-Q3$2.2 billion2022
2022-Q2$2.1 billion2022
2022-Q1$2.1 billion2022
2021-Q4$2.2 billion2017
2021-Q3$2.0 billion2017
2021-Q2$1.9 billion2017
2021-Q1$2.0 billion2017
2020-Q4$2.0 billion2017
2020-Q3$1.8 billion2017
2020-Q2$1.8 billion2017
2020-Q1$2.1 billion2017
2019-Q4$1.9 billion2017
2019-Q3$1.8 billion2017
2019-Q2$1.8 billion2017
2019-Q1$2.0 billion2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $5.1 billion · 2023
2017: $3.8 billion2018: $3.9 billion2019: $4.1 billion2020: $4.3 billion2021: $4.5 billion2022: $4.7 billion2023: $5.1 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$5.1 billion
2022$4.7 billion
2021$4.5 billion
2020$4.3 billion
2019$4.1 billion
2018$3.9 billion
2017$3.8 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 Wages110,5192026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages4,7972026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$2.9 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$5.1 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns62,59920232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns3,32620232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$4.6 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census67,00420222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census3,26020222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census1,63020222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$24.8 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Waste Treatment and Disposal

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
562211Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal$9.0 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census45,4882026-Q1 · QCEW
562212Solid Waste Landfill$12.3 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census38,1062026-Q1 · QCEW
562213Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators$1.5 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census4,4502026-Q1 · QCEW
562219Other Nonhazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal$2.0 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census22,4752026-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.