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Size of the US Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry

NAICS 3251, Basic Chemical Manufacturing. 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)
$298 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
160,141
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
4,210
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
1,374
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$18.6 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 160,141 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 151,3812019-Q2: 152,4182019-Q3: 151,1862019-Q4: 151,2502020-Q1: 150,8142020-Q2: 148,0712020-Q3: 147,1582020-Q4: 146,9562021-Q1: 146,6042021-Q2: 146,8372021-Q3: 146,2492021-Q4: 148,4272022-Q1: 149,9082022-Q2: 151,2102022-Q3: 152,8672022-Q4: 153,8042023-Q1: 153,6722023-Q2: 155,5982023-Q3: 153,9612023-Q4: 154,0272024-Q1: 154,4322024-Q2: 155,1252024-Q3: 155,1882024-Q4: 155,8962025-Q1: 155,2022025-Q2: 155,0722025-Q3: 153,5062025-Q4: 153,1922026-Q1: 160,141NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1160,1412022
2025-Q4153,1922022
2025-Q3153,5062022
2025-Q2155,0722022
2025-Q1155,2022022
2024-Q4155,8962022
2024-Q3155,1882022
2024-Q2155,1252022
2024-Q1154,4322022
2023-Q4154,0272022
2023-Q3153,9612022
2023-Q2155,5982022
2023-Q1153,6722022
2022-Q4153,8042022
2022-Q3152,8672022
2022-Q2151,2102022
2022-Q1149,9082022
2021-Q4148,4272017
2021-Q3146,2492017
2021-Q2146,8372017
2021-Q1146,6042017
2020-Q4146,9562017
2020-Q3147,1582017
2020-Q2148,0712017
2020-Q1150,8142017
2019-Q4151,2502017
2019-Q3151,1862017
2019-Q2152,4182017
2019-Q1151,3812017

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 168,047 · 2023
2017: 156,3702018: 154,8752019: 155,4882020: 158,5222021: 154,4912022: 163,9002023: 168,047
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023168,047
2022163,900
2021154,491
2020158,522
2019155,488
2018154,875
2017156,370

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 4,210 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 3,2792019-Q2: 3,2982019-Q3: 3,3212019-Q4: 3,3252020-Q1: 3,3482020-Q2: 3,3702020-Q3: 3,3952020-Q4: 3,4172021-Q1: 3,4432021-Q2: 3,4562021-Q3: 3,4962021-Q4: 3,5372022-Q1: 3,5812022-Q2: 3,6362022-Q3: 3,6882022-Q4: 3,7342023-Q1: 3,7872023-Q2: 3,8062023-Q3: 3,8932023-Q4: 3,9422024-Q1: 3,9672024-Q2: 4,0152024-Q3: 4,0572024-Q4: 4,0722025-Q1: 4,0782025-Q2: 4,0992025-Q3: 4,1212025-Q4: 4,1652026-Q1: 4,210NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q14,2102022
2025-Q44,1652022
2025-Q34,1212022
2025-Q24,0992022
2025-Q14,0782022
2024-Q44,0722022
2024-Q34,0572022
2024-Q24,0152022
2024-Q13,9672022
2023-Q43,9422022
2023-Q33,8932022
2023-Q23,8062022
2023-Q13,7872022
2022-Q43,7342022
2022-Q33,6882022
2022-Q23,6362022
2022-Q13,5812022
2021-Q43,5372017
2021-Q33,4962017
2021-Q23,4562017
2021-Q13,4432017
2020-Q43,4172017
2020-Q33,3952017
2020-Q23,3702017
2020-Q13,3482017
2019-Q43,3252017
2019-Q33,3212017
2019-Q23,2982017
2019-Q13,2792017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 2,621 · 2023
2017: 2,4202018: 2,4402019: 2,4462020: 2,4752021: 2,4382022: 2,6452023: 2,621
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
20232,621
20222,645
20212,438
20202,475
20192,446
20182,440
20172,420

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $6.1 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $4.7 billion2019-Q2: $3.8 billion2019-Q3: $3.7 billion2019-Q4: $3.9 billion2020-Q1: $4.4 billion2020-Q2: $3.6 billion2020-Q3: $3.7 billion2020-Q4: $4.1 billion2021-Q1: $4.2 billion2021-Q2: $3.8 billion2021-Q3: $3.9 billion2021-Q4: $4.3 billion2022-Q1: $4.9 billion2022-Q2: $4.1 billion2022-Q3: $4.3 billion2022-Q4: $4.4 billion2023-Q1: $5.3 billion2023-Q2: $4.5 billion2023-Q3: $4.3 billion2023-Q4: $4.8 billion2024-Q1: $5.7 billion2024-Q2: $4.6 billion2024-Q3: $4.5 billion2024-Q4: $4.7 billion2025-Q1: $5.7 billion2025-Q2: $4.8 billion2025-Q3: $4.7 billion2025-Q4: $4.9 billion2026-Q1: $6.1 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$6.1 billion2022
2025-Q4$4.9 billion2022
2025-Q3$4.7 billion2022
2025-Q2$4.8 billion2022
2025-Q1$5.7 billion2022
2024-Q4$4.7 billion2022
2024-Q3$4.5 billion2022
2024-Q2$4.6 billion2022
2024-Q1$5.7 billion2022
2023-Q4$4.8 billion2022
2023-Q3$4.3 billion2022
2023-Q2$4.5 billion2022
2023-Q1$5.3 billion2022
2022-Q4$4.4 billion2022
2022-Q3$4.3 billion2022
2022-Q2$4.1 billion2022
2022-Q1$4.9 billion2022
2021-Q4$4.3 billion2017
2021-Q3$3.9 billion2017
2021-Q2$3.8 billion2017
2021-Q1$4.2 billion2017
2020-Q4$4.1 billion2017
2020-Q3$3.7 billion2017
2020-Q2$3.6 billion2017
2020-Q1$4.4 billion2017
2019-Q4$3.9 billion2017
2019-Q3$3.7 billion2017
2019-Q2$3.8 billion2017
2019-Q1$4.7 billion2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $18.6 billion · 2023
2017: $14.0 billion2018: $14.5 billion2019: $15.0 billion2020: $15.2 billion2021: $15.9 billion2022: $17.8 billion2023: $18.6 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$18.6 billion
2022$17.8 billion
2021$15.9 billion
2020$15.2 billion
2019$15.0 billion
2018$14.5 billion
2017$14.0 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 Wages160,1412026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages4,2102026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$6.1 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$18.6 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns168,04720232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns2,62120232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$15.8 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census162,84020222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census2,78320222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census1,37420222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$298 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Basic Chemical Manufacturing

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
32511Petrochemical Manufacturing$77.6 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census25,5712026-Q1 · QCEW
32512Industrial Gas Manufacturing$16.4 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census21,9862026-Q1 · QCEW
32513Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing$6.4 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census9,0462026-Q1 · QCEW
32518Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing$41.9 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census49,2282026-Q1 · QCEW
32519Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing$156 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census54,3102026-Q1 · QCEW

Companies

Public companies in this industry

Companies Palanor tracks whose GICS classification maps to NAICS 3251. The mapping is Palanor’s, one GICS sub-industry to one NAICS code; a company’s own mix of business can span several.

  • DOW Dow Inc.
  • VVV Valvoline

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.