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Size of the US Utilities industry

NAICS 221, Utilities. 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)
$766 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
611,267
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
25,485
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
7,314
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$84.9 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 611,267 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 549,0022019-Q2: 552,0632019-Q3: 547,4712019-Q4: 548,0392020-Q1: 545,3582020-Q2: 543,9792020-Q3: 542,4802020-Q4: 543,0802021-Q1: 541,9172021-Q2: 544,6512021-Q3: 542,8752021-Q4: 545,5472022-Q1: 549,2372022-Q2: 554,0422022-Q3: 556,9642022-Q4: 560,7672023-Q1: 568,9702023-Q2: 579,0342023-Q3: 580,1452023-Q4: 583,0842024-Q1: 587,1542024-Q2: 590,7582024-Q3: 589,1112024-Q4: 592,8152025-Q1: 598,2122025-Q2: 604,1682025-Q3: 603,5122025-Q4: 607,0322026-Q1: 611,267NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1611,2672022
2025-Q4607,0322022
2025-Q3603,5122022
2025-Q2604,1682022
2025-Q1598,2122022
2024-Q4592,8152022
2024-Q3589,1112022
2024-Q2590,7582022
2024-Q1587,1542022
2023-Q4583,0842022
2023-Q3580,1452022
2023-Q2579,0342022
2023-Q1568,9702022
2022-Q4560,7672022
2022-Q3556,9642022
2022-Q2554,0422022
2022-Q1549,2372022
2021-Q4545,5472017
2021-Q3542,8752017
2021-Q2544,6512017
2021-Q1541,9172017
2020-Q4543,0802017
2020-Q3542,4802017
2020-Q2543,9792017
2020-Q1545,3582017
2019-Q4548,0392017
2019-Q3547,4712017
2019-Q2552,0632017
2019-Q1549,0022017

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 667,277 · 2023
2017: 644,7032018: 646,9302019: 641,7002020: 637,0582021: 633,7382022: 645,2142023: 667,277
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023667,277
2022645,214
2021633,738
2020637,058
2019641,700
2018646,930
2017644,703

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 25,485 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 18,7032019-Q2: 18,7872019-Q3: 18,9242019-Q4: 19,0272020-Q1: 19,1632020-Q2: 19,3882020-Q3: 19,5962020-Q4: 19,8322021-Q1: 20,0952021-Q2: 20,3832021-Q3: 20,7352021-Q4: 21,0332022-Q1: 21,5442022-Q2: 21,8822022-Q3: 22,2562022-Q4: 22,6892023-Q1: 23,1532023-Q2: 23,4252023-Q3: 23,7362023-Q4: 23,9762024-Q1: 24,1452024-Q2: 24,4932024-Q3: 24,5572024-Q4: 24,7052025-Q1: 24,6932025-Q2: 24,9212025-Q3: 25,0452025-Q4: 25,2312026-Q1: 25,485NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q125,4852022
2025-Q425,2312022
2025-Q325,0452022
2025-Q224,9212022
2025-Q124,6932022
2024-Q424,7052022
2024-Q324,5572022
2024-Q224,4932022
2024-Q124,1452022
2023-Q423,9762022
2023-Q323,7362022
2023-Q223,4252022
2023-Q123,1532022
2022-Q422,6892022
2022-Q322,2562022
2022-Q221,8822022
2022-Q121,5442022
2021-Q421,0332017
2021-Q320,7352017
2021-Q220,3832017
2021-Q120,0952017
2020-Q419,8322017
2020-Q319,5962017
2020-Q219,3882017
2020-Q119,1632017
2019-Q419,0272017
2019-Q318,9242017
2019-Q218,7872017
2019-Q118,7032017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 20,379 · 2023
2017: 18,9652018: 19,0282019: 19,1462020: 19,4842021: 19,8962022: 20,4252023: 20,379
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202320,379
202220,425
202119,896
202019,484
201919,146
201819,028
201718,965

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $27.7 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $18.8 billion2019-Q2: $14.4 billion2019-Q3: $14.3 billion2019-Q4: $14.7 billion2020-Q1: $18.8 billion2020-Q2: $14.3 billion2020-Q3: $14.6 billion2020-Q4: $16.0 billion2021-Q1: $18.6 billion2021-Q2: $15.2 billion2021-Q3: $15.1 billion2021-Q4: $16.1 billion2022-Q1: $19.7 billion2022-Q2: $15.8 billion2022-Q3: $16.5 billion2022-Q4: $16.7 billion2023-Q1: $22.1 billion2023-Q2: $17.3 billion2023-Q3: $16.9 billion2023-Q4: $17.7 billion2024-Q1: $23.7 billion2024-Q2: $18.3 billion2024-Q3: $18.1 billion2024-Q4: $19.3 billion2025-Q1: $25.6 billion2025-Q2: $19.8 billion2025-Q3: $19.1 billion2025-Q4: $20.6 billion2026-Q1: $27.7 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$27.7 billion2022
2025-Q4$20.6 billion2022
2025-Q3$19.1 billion2022
2025-Q2$19.8 billion2022
2025-Q1$25.6 billion2022
2024-Q4$19.3 billion2022
2024-Q3$18.1 billion2022
2024-Q2$18.3 billion2022
2024-Q1$23.7 billion2022
2023-Q4$17.7 billion2022
2023-Q3$16.9 billion2022
2023-Q2$17.3 billion2022
2023-Q1$22.1 billion2022
2022-Q4$16.7 billion2022
2022-Q3$16.5 billion2022
2022-Q2$15.8 billion2022
2022-Q1$19.7 billion2022
2021-Q4$16.1 billion2017
2021-Q3$15.1 billion2017
2021-Q2$15.2 billion2017
2021-Q1$18.6 billion2017
2020-Q4$16.0 billion2017
2020-Q3$14.6 billion2017
2020-Q2$14.3 billion2017
2020-Q1$18.8 billion2017
2019-Q4$14.7 billion2017
2019-Q3$14.3 billion2017
2019-Q2$14.4 billion2017
2019-Q1$18.8 billion2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $84.9 billion · 2023
2017: $67.4 billion2018: $70.0 billion2019: $71.8 billion2020: $73.6 billion2021: $74.8 billion2022: $78.7 billion2023: $84.9 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$84.9 billion
2022$78.7 billion
2021$74.8 billion
2020$73.6 billion
2019$71.8 billion
2018$70.0 billion
2017$67.4 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 Wages611,2672026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages25,4852026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$27.7 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$84.9 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns667,27720232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns20,37920232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$80.3 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census699,16820222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census20,96320222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census7,31420222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$766 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Utilities

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
2211Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution$563 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census430,1942026-Q1 · QCEW
2212Natural Gas Distribution$183 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census118,1822026-Q1 · QCEW
2213Water, Sewage and Other Systems$20.0 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census62,8912026-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.