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Size of the US Airport Operations industry

NAICS 48811, Airport Operations. 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)
$14.5 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
130,965
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
2,501
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
1,095
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$5.5 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 130,965 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 108,5592019-Q2: 109,5482019-Q3: 109,9432019-Q4: 111,9292020-Q1: 110,3242020-Q2: 64,0822020-Q3: 71,7722020-Q4: 79,3202021-Q1: 81,0342021-Q2: 85,3202021-Q3: 91,2182021-Q4: 99,1442022-Q1: 100,9042022-Q2: 105,8972022-Q3: 111,3872022-Q4: 115,3042023-Q1: 117,4572023-Q2: 121,3662023-Q3: 122,0152023-Q4: 123,5772024-Q1: 123,6092024-Q2: 127,6742024-Q3: 129,7052024-Q4: 131,7522025-Q1: 127,7452025-Q2: 129,4162025-Q3: 129,0252025-Q4: 129,8452026-Q1: 130,965NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1130,9652022
2025-Q4129,8452022
2025-Q3129,0252022
2025-Q2129,4162022
2025-Q1127,7452022
2024-Q4131,7522022
2024-Q3129,7052022
2024-Q2127,6742022
2024-Q1123,6092022
2023-Q4123,5772022
2023-Q3122,0152022
2023-Q2121,3662022
2023-Q1117,4572022
2022-Q4115,3042022
2022-Q3111,3872022
2022-Q2105,8972022
2022-Q1100,9042022
2021-Q499,1442017
2021-Q391,2182017
2021-Q285,3202017
2021-Q181,0342017
2020-Q479,3202017
2020-Q371,7722017
2020-Q264,0822017
2020-Q1110,3242017
2019-Q4111,9292017
2019-Q3109,9432017
2019-Q2109,5482017
2019-Q1108,5592017

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 142,448 · 2023
2017: 114,4462018: 122,8202019: 130,0662020: 127,3172021: 103,2272022: 117,5852023: 142,448
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023142,448
2022117,585
2021103,227
2020127,317
2019130,066
2018122,820
2017114,446

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 2,501 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 2,1492019-Q2: 2,1562019-Q3: 2,1682019-Q4: 2,1892020-Q1: 2,2692020-Q2: 2,2722020-Q3: 2,2762020-Q4: 2,2822021-Q1: 2,2672021-Q2: 2,2732021-Q3: 2,2822021-Q4: 2,3032022-Q1: 2,3252022-Q2: 2,3422022-Q3: 2,3502022-Q4: 2,3522023-Q1: 2,3462023-Q2: 2,3302023-Q3: 2,3392023-Q4: 2,3692024-Q1: 2,3852024-Q2: 2,3902024-Q3: 2,3832024-Q4: 2,4062025-Q1: 2,4262025-Q2: 2,4162025-Q3: 2,4322025-Q4: 2,4522026-Q1: 2,501NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q12,5012022
2025-Q42,4522022
2025-Q32,4322022
2025-Q22,4162022
2025-Q12,4262022
2024-Q42,4062022
2024-Q32,3832022
2024-Q22,3902022
2024-Q12,3852022
2023-Q42,3692022
2023-Q32,3392022
2023-Q22,3302022
2023-Q12,3462022
2022-Q42,3522022
2022-Q32,3502022
2022-Q22,3422022
2022-Q12,3252022
2021-Q42,3032017
2021-Q32,2822017
2021-Q22,2732017
2021-Q12,2672017
2020-Q42,2822017
2020-Q32,2762017
2020-Q22,2722017
2020-Q12,2692017
2019-Q42,1892017
2019-Q32,1682017
2019-Q22,1562017
2019-Q12,1492017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 2,585 · 2023
2017: 2,2052018: 2,1982019: 2,2292020: 2,2022021: 2,3002022: 2,4102023: 2,585
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
20232,585
20222,410
20212,300
20202,202
20192,229
20182,198
20172,205

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $1.5 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $887.6 million2019-Q2: $907.5 million2019-Q3: $927.3 million2019-Q4: $952.0 million2020-Q1: $950.2 million2020-Q2: $566.6 million2020-Q3: $599.3 million2020-Q4: $731.0 million2021-Q1: $691.0 million2021-Q2: $801.7 million2021-Q3: $916.5 million2021-Q4: $1.1 billion2022-Q1: $990.7 million2022-Q2: $1.1 billion2022-Q3: $1.2 billion2022-Q4: $1.2 billion2023-Q1: $1.2 billion2023-Q2: $1.2 billion2023-Q3: $1.3 billion2023-Q4: $1.3 billion2024-Q1: $1.3 billion2024-Q2: $1.3 billion2024-Q3: $1.4 billion2024-Q4: $1.4 billion2025-Q1: $1.4 billion2025-Q2: $1.4 billion2025-Q3: $1.5 billion2025-Q4: $1.5 billion2026-Q1: $1.5 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$1.5 billion2022
2025-Q4$1.5 billion2022
2025-Q3$1.5 billion2022
2025-Q2$1.4 billion2022
2025-Q1$1.4 billion2022
2024-Q4$1.4 billion2022
2024-Q3$1.4 billion2022
2024-Q2$1.3 billion2022
2024-Q1$1.3 billion2022
2023-Q4$1.3 billion2022
2023-Q3$1.3 billion2022
2023-Q2$1.2 billion2022
2023-Q1$1.2 billion2022
2022-Q4$1.2 billion2022
2022-Q3$1.2 billion2022
2022-Q2$1.1 billion2022
2022-Q1$990.7 million2022
2021-Q4$1.1 billion2017
2021-Q3$916.5 million2017
2021-Q2$801.7 million2017
2021-Q1$691.0 million2017
2020-Q4$731.0 million2017
2020-Q3$599.3 million2017
2020-Q2$566.6 million2017
2020-Q1$950.2 million2017
2019-Q4$952.0 million2017
2019-Q3$927.3 million2017
2019-Q2$907.5 million2017
2019-Q1$887.6 million2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $5.5 billion · 2023
2017: $3.6 billion2018: $3.9 billion2019: $4.2 billion2020: $3.4 billion2021: $3.9 billion2022: $4.8 billion2023: $5.5 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$5.5 billion
2022$4.8 billion
2021$3.9 billion
2020$3.4 billion
2019$4.2 billion
2018$3.9 billion
2017$3.6 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 Wages130,9652026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages2,5012026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$1.5 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$5.5 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns142,44820232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns2,58520232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$4.6 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census109,56620222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census2,43120222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census1,09520222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$14.5 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Airport Operations

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
488111Air Traffic Control$205.7 millionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census2,0452026-Q1 · QCEW
488119Other Airport Operations$14.3 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census128,9202026-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.