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Size of the US Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) industry

NAICS 541715, Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology). 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)
$196 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
554,566
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
28,890
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
10,504
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$88.2 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 554,566 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 423,3452019-Q2: 436,8302019-Q3: 435,4552019-Q4: 441,2172020-Q1: 449,6092020-Q2: 453,3452020-Q3: 454,6722020-Q4: 462,0282021-Q1: 471,8972021-Q2: 484,7652021-Q3: 486,1462021-Q4: 496,4912022-Q1: 503,7982022-Q2: 517,4332022-Q3: 521,2622022-Q4: 526,6472023-Q1: 531,5122023-Q2: 547,0642023-Q3: 542,8522023-Q4: 543,2572024-Q1: 544,1762024-Q2: 552,7642024-Q3: 548,3012024-Q4: 545,8092025-Q1: 549,7842025-Q2: 556,1642025-Q3: 548,9712025-Q4: 547,3902026-Q1: 554,566NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1554,5662022
2025-Q4547,3902022
2025-Q3548,9712022
2025-Q2556,1642022
2025-Q1549,7842022
2024-Q4545,8092022
2024-Q3548,3012022
2024-Q2552,7642022
2024-Q1544,1762022
2023-Q4543,2572022
2023-Q3542,8522022
2023-Q2547,0642022
2023-Q1531,5122022
2022-Q4526,6472022
2022-Q3521,2622022
2022-Q2517,4332022
2022-Q1503,7982022
2021-Q4496,4912017
2021-Q3486,1462017
2021-Q2484,7652017
2021-Q1471,8972017
2020-Q4462,0282017
2020-Q3454,6722017
2020-Q2453,3452017
2020-Q1449,6092017
2019-Q4441,2172017
2019-Q3435,4552017
2019-Q2436,8302017
2019-Q1423,3452017

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 596,332 · 2023
2017: 465,6802018: 478,5232019: 499,5092020: 511,6292021: 521,5092022: 571,2322023: 596,332
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023596,332
2022571,232
2021521,509
2020511,629
2019499,509
2018478,523
2017465,680

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 28,890 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 15,9462019-Q2: 16,3352019-Q3: 16,7022019-Q4: 17,0422020-Q1: 17,2692020-Q2: 17,7442020-Q3: 18,3342020-Q4: 18,8662021-Q1: 19,3602021-Q2: 20,1192021-Q3: 20,8852021-Q4: 21,6982022-Q1: 22,6132022-Q2: 23,2212022-Q3: 23,9462022-Q4: 24,5092023-Q1: 25,1772023-Q2: 25,6932023-Q3: 26,2142023-Q4: 26,5332024-Q1: 26,6602024-Q2: 27,0732024-Q3: 27,5102024-Q4: 27,7722025-Q1: 27,7682025-Q2: 28,0242025-Q3: 28,4872025-Q4: 28,7122026-Q1: 28,890NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q128,8902022
2025-Q428,7122022
2025-Q328,4872022
2025-Q228,0242022
2025-Q127,7682022
2024-Q427,7722022
2024-Q327,5102022
2024-Q227,0732022
2024-Q126,6602022
2023-Q426,5332022
2023-Q326,2142022
2023-Q225,6932022
2023-Q125,1772022
2022-Q424,5092022
2022-Q323,9462022
2022-Q223,2212022
2022-Q122,6132022
2021-Q421,6982017
2021-Q320,8852017
2021-Q220,1192017
2021-Q119,3602017
2020-Q418,8662017
2020-Q318,3342017
2020-Q217,7442017
2020-Q117,2692017
2019-Q417,0422017
2019-Q316,7022017
2019-Q216,3352017
2019-Q115,9462017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 12,929 · 2023
2017: 10,0322018: 9,8832019: 11,1592020: 11,3242021: 11,8402022: 12,4742023: 12,929
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202312,929
202212,474
202111,840
202011,324
201911,159
20189,883
201710,032

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $29.2 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $15.3 billion2019-Q2: $13.6 billion2019-Q3: $13.4 billion2019-Q4: $14.7 billion2020-Q1: $17.1 billion2020-Q2: $14.5 billion2020-Q3: $14.7 billion2020-Q4: $17.2 billion2021-Q1: $17.7 billion2021-Q2: $16.6 billion2021-Q3: $16.5 billion2021-Q4: $19.3 billion2022-Q1: $20.4 billion2022-Q2: $19.0 billion2022-Q3: $19.1 billion2022-Q4: $20.7 billion2023-Q1: $22.4 billion2023-Q2: $20.0 billion2023-Q3: $19.4 billion2023-Q4: $21.0 billion2024-Q1: $24.7 billion2024-Q2: $21.4 billion2024-Q3: $21.1 billion2024-Q4: $22.3 billion2025-Q1: $26.0 billion2025-Q2: $21.8 billion2025-Q3: $22.7 billion2025-Q4: $24.0 billion2026-Q1: $29.2 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$29.2 billion2022
2025-Q4$24.0 billion2022
2025-Q3$22.7 billion2022
2025-Q2$21.8 billion2022
2025-Q1$26.0 billion2022
2024-Q4$22.3 billion2022
2024-Q3$21.1 billion2022
2024-Q2$21.4 billion2022
2024-Q1$24.7 billion2022
2023-Q4$21.0 billion2022
2023-Q3$19.4 billion2022
2023-Q2$20.0 billion2022
2023-Q1$22.4 billion2022
2022-Q4$20.7 billion2022
2022-Q3$19.1 billion2022
2022-Q2$19.0 billion2022
2022-Q1$20.4 billion2022
2021-Q4$19.3 billion2017
2021-Q3$16.5 billion2017
2021-Q2$16.6 billion2017
2021-Q1$17.7 billion2017
2020-Q4$17.2 billion2017
2020-Q3$14.7 billion2017
2020-Q2$14.5 billion2017
2020-Q1$17.1 billion2017
2019-Q4$14.7 billion2017
2019-Q3$13.4 billion2017
2019-Q2$13.6 billion2017
2019-Q1$15.3 billion2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $88.2 billion · 2023
2017: $56.3 billion2018: $60.5 billion2019: $65.5 billion2020: $69.4 billion2021: $76.0 billion2022: $82.4 billion2023: $88.2 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$88.2 billion
2022$82.4 billion
2021$76.0 billion
2020$69.4 billion
2019$65.5 billion
2018$60.5 billion
2017$56.3 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 Wages554,5662026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages28,8902026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$29.2 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$88.2 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns596,33220232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns12,92920232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$83.3 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census669,82520222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census13,20320222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census10,50420222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$196 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

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.