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Size of the US Collection Agencies industry

NAICS 561440, Collection Agencies. 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)
$15.2 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
82,707
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
6,215
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
2,549
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$4.7 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 82,707 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 126,0572019-Q2: 125,2502019-Q3: 122,5042019-Q4: 121,3592020-Q1: 119,1092020-Q2: 105,1532020-Q3: 107,2872020-Q4: 110,1852021-Q1: 110,2562021-Q2: 106,8952021-Q3: 104,0432021-Q4: 104,0362022-Q1: 100,6062022-Q2: 99,2792022-Q3: 98,5532022-Q4: 97,2102023-Q1: 93,9472023-Q2: 92,4172023-Q3: 92,1542023-Q4: 91,7252024-Q1: 90,8802024-Q2: 89,9032024-Q3: 88,7102024-Q4: 87,4722025-Q1: 86,1942025-Q2: 85,2892025-Q3: 84,3922025-Q4: 83,8562026-Q1: 82,707NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q182,7072022
2025-Q483,8562022
2025-Q384,3922022
2025-Q285,2892022
2025-Q186,1942022
2024-Q487,4722022
2024-Q388,7102022
2024-Q289,9032022
2024-Q190,8802022
2023-Q491,7252022
2023-Q392,1542022
2023-Q292,4172022
2023-Q193,9472022
2022-Q497,2102022
2022-Q398,5532022
2022-Q299,2792022
2022-Q1100,6062022
2021-Q4104,0362017
2021-Q3104,0432017
2021-Q2106,8952017
2021-Q1110,2562017
2020-Q4110,1852017
2020-Q3107,2872017
2020-Q2105,1532017
2020-Q1119,1092017
2019-Q4121,3592017
2019-Q3122,5042017
2019-Q2125,2502017
2019-Q1126,0572017

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 91,811 · 2023
2017: 134,1652018: 135,2122019: 126,1762020: 125,7062021: 114,5652022: 106,1842023: 91,811
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202391,811
2022106,184
2021114,565
2020125,706
2019126,176
2018135,212
2017134,165

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 6,215 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 5,2062019-Q2: 5,1992019-Q3: 5,2132019-Q4: 5,2272020-Q1: 5,1512020-Q2: 5,2012020-Q3: 5,2812020-Q4: 5,3912021-Q1: 5,4212021-Q2: 5,5472021-Q3: 5,6642021-Q4: 5,7632022-Q1: 5,8462022-Q2: 5,9362022-Q3: 6,0672022-Q4: 6,1412023-Q1: 6,1682023-Q2: 6,2022023-Q3: 6,2622023-Q4: 6,2912024-Q1: 6,2512024-Q2: 6,2572024-Q3: 6,2732024-Q4: 6,2492025-Q1: 6,1722025-Q2: 6,1812025-Q3: 6,2122025-Q4: 6,1672026-Q1: 6,215NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q16,2152022
2025-Q46,1672022
2025-Q36,2122022
2025-Q26,1812022
2025-Q16,1722022
2024-Q46,2492022
2024-Q36,2732022
2024-Q26,2572022
2024-Q16,2512022
2023-Q46,2912022
2023-Q36,2622022
2023-Q26,2022022
2023-Q16,1682022
2022-Q46,1412022
2022-Q36,0672022
2022-Q25,9362022
2022-Q15,8462022
2021-Q45,7632017
2021-Q35,6642017
2021-Q25,5472017
2021-Q15,4212017
2020-Q45,3912017
2020-Q35,2812017
2020-Q25,2012017
2020-Q15,1512017
2019-Q45,2272017
2019-Q35,2132017
2019-Q25,1992017
2019-Q15,2062017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 2,877 · 2023
2017: 3,8992018: 3,6842019: 3,5022020: 3,4212021: 3,2892022: 3,0922023: 2,877
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
20232,877
20223,092
20213,289
20203,421
20193,502
20183,684
20173,899

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $1.7 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $1.6 billion2019-Q2: $1.5 billion2019-Q3: $1.4 billion2019-Q4: $1.6 billion2020-Q1: $1.6 billion2020-Q2: $1.3 billion2020-Q3: $1.4 billion2020-Q4: $1.6 billion2021-Q1: $1.5 billion2021-Q2: $1.5 billion2021-Q3: $1.4 billion2021-Q4: $1.6 billion2022-Q1: $1.5 billion2022-Q2: $1.4 billion2022-Q3: $1.5 billion2022-Q4: $1.5 billion2023-Q1: $1.6 billion2023-Q2: $1.4 billion2023-Q3: $1.4 billion2023-Q4: $1.5 billion2024-Q1: $1.6 billion2024-Q2: $1.4 billion2024-Q3: $1.4 billion2024-Q4: $1.6 billion2025-Q1: $1.7 billion2025-Q2: $1.4 billion2025-Q3: $1.4 billion2025-Q4: $1.6 billion2026-Q1: $1.7 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$1.7 billion2022
2025-Q4$1.6 billion2022
2025-Q3$1.4 billion2022
2025-Q2$1.4 billion2022
2025-Q1$1.7 billion2022
2024-Q4$1.6 billion2022
2024-Q3$1.4 billion2022
2024-Q2$1.4 billion2022
2024-Q1$1.6 billion2022
2023-Q4$1.5 billion2022
2023-Q3$1.4 billion2022
2023-Q2$1.4 billion2022
2023-Q1$1.6 billion2022
2022-Q4$1.5 billion2022
2022-Q3$1.5 billion2022
2022-Q2$1.4 billion2022
2022-Q1$1.5 billion2022
2021-Q4$1.6 billion2017
2021-Q3$1.4 billion2017
2021-Q2$1.5 billion2017
2021-Q1$1.5 billion2017
2020-Q4$1.6 billion2017
2020-Q3$1.4 billion2017
2020-Q2$1.3 billion2017
2020-Q1$1.6 billion2017
2019-Q4$1.6 billion2017
2019-Q3$1.4 billion2017
2019-Q2$1.5 billion2017
2019-Q1$1.6 billion2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $4.7 billion · 2023
2017: $5.6 billion2018: $5.6 billion2019: $5.4 billion2020: $5.3 billion2021: $5.5 billion2022: $5.4 billion2023: $4.7 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$4.7 billion
2022$5.4 billion
2021$5.5 billion
2020$5.3 billion
2019$5.4 billion
2018$5.6 billion
2017$5.6 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 Wages82,7072026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages6,2152026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$1.7 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$4.7 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns91,81120232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns2,87720232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$5.0 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census103,60920222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census3,06820222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census2,54920222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$15.2 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.