Skip to content
PalanorPalanor

Size of the US Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers industry

NAICS 4238, Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers. 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)
$726 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
769,712
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
78,736
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
35,802
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$70.1 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 769,712 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 712,3432019-Q2: 721,1302019-Q3: 718,0792019-Q4: 720,2582020-Q1: 713,6842020-Q2: 681,4772020-Q3: 675,4192020-Q4: 682,9542021-Q1: 679,1682021-Q2: 687,7102021-Q3: 687,0752021-Q4: 703,0762022-Q1: 711,3792022-Q2: 724,7152022-Q3: 734,0922022-Q4: 745,7292023-Q1: 751,0522023-Q2: 764,7692023-Q3: 763,8052023-Q4: 772,5292024-Q1: 773,7682024-Q2: 780,5582024-Q3: 775,1912024-Q4: 776,5972025-Q1: 775,2992025-Q2: 776,4622025-Q3: 770,8342025-Q4: 775,2432026-Q1: 769,712NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1769,7122022
2025-Q4775,2432022
2025-Q3770,8342022
2025-Q2776,4622022
2025-Q1775,2992022
2024-Q4776,5972022
2024-Q3775,1912022
2024-Q2780,5582022
2024-Q1773,7682022
2023-Q4772,5292022
2023-Q3763,8052022
2023-Q2764,7692022
2023-Q1751,0522022
2022-Q4745,7292022
2022-Q3734,0922022
2022-Q2724,7152022
2022-Q1711,3792022
2021-Q4703,0762017
2021-Q3687,0752017
2021-Q2687,7102017
2021-Q1679,1682017
2020-Q4682,9542017
2020-Q3675,4192017
2020-Q2681,4772017
2020-Q1713,6842017
2019-Q4720,2582017
2019-Q3718,0792017
2019-Q2721,1302017
2019-Q1712,3432017

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 799,752 · 2023
2017: 758,8852018: 770,7412019: 786,5052020: 782,6542021: 750,4542022: 766,7282023: 799,752
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023799,752
2022766,728
2021750,454
2020782,654
2019786,505
2018770,741
2017758,885

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 78,736 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 70,0962019-Q2: 70,4272019-Q3: 70,8822019-Q4: 71,2562020-Q1: 71,0172020-Q2: 71,1882020-Q3: 71,5562020-Q4: 71,9022021-Q1: 71,6922021-Q2: 72,1052021-Q3: 72,6462021-Q4: 73,2162022-Q1: 73,7712022-Q2: 74,2882022-Q3: 74,9642022-Q4: 75,4862023-Q1: 75,9032023-Q2: 76,0442023-Q3: 76,6842023-Q4: 77,1232024-Q1: 76,9432024-Q2: 77,3622024-Q3: 77,7392024-Q4: 77,9702025-Q1: 77,6472025-Q2: 78,0382025-Q3: 78,2672025-Q4: 78,5012026-Q1: 78,736NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q178,7362022
2025-Q478,5012022
2025-Q378,2672022
2025-Q278,0382022
2025-Q177,6472022
2024-Q477,9702022
2024-Q377,7392022
2024-Q277,3622022
2024-Q176,9432022
2023-Q477,1232022
2023-Q376,6842022
2023-Q276,0442022
2023-Q175,9032022
2022-Q475,4862022
2022-Q374,9642022
2022-Q274,2882022
2022-Q173,7712022
2021-Q473,2162017
2021-Q372,6462017
2021-Q272,1052017
2021-Q171,6922017
2020-Q471,9022017
2020-Q371,5562017
2020-Q271,1882017
2020-Q171,0172017
2019-Q471,2562017
2019-Q370,8822017
2019-Q270,4272017
2019-Q170,0962017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 55,426 · 2023
2017: 58,6792018: 57,5562019: 56,4402020: 55,5462021: 55,3472022: 54,8862023: 55,426
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202355,426
202254,886
202155,347
202055,546
201956,440
201857,556
201758,679

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $20.3 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $13.6 billion2019-Q2: $13.1 billion2019-Q3: $13.0 billion2019-Q4: $14.8 billion2020-Q1: $13.9 billion2020-Q2: $12.3 billion2020-Q3: $12.3 billion2020-Q4: $14.9 billion2021-Q1: $13.1 billion2021-Q2: $13.3 billion2021-Q3: $13.6 billion2021-Q4: $16.5 billion2022-Q1: $15.3 billion2022-Q2: $15.1 billion2022-Q3: $16.1 billion2022-Q4: $18.1 billion2023-Q1: $17.9 billion2023-Q2: $16.7 billion2023-Q3: $16.8 billion2023-Q4: $19.5 billion2024-Q1: $19.1 billion2024-Q2: $17.8 billion2024-Q3: $17.6 billion2024-Q4: $20.1 billion2025-Q1: $19.4 billion2025-Q2: $18.4 billion2025-Q3: $18.3 billion2025-Q4: $21.0 billion2026-Q1: $20.3 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$20.3 billion2022
2025-Q4$21.0 billion2022
2025-Q3$18.3 billion2022
2025-Q2$18.4 billion2022
2025-Q1$19.4 billion2022
2024-Q4$20.1 billion2022
2024-Q3$17.6 billion2022
2024-Q2$17.8 billion2022
2024-Q1$19.1 billion2022
2023-Q4$19.5 billion2022
2023-Q3$16.8 billion2022
2023-Q2$16.7 billion2022
2023-Q1$17.9 billion2022
2022-Q4$18.1 billion2022
2022-Q3$16.1 billion2022
2022-Q2$15.1 billion2022
2022-Q1$15.3 billion2022
2021-Q4$16.5 billion2017
2021-Q3$13.6 billion2017
2021-Q2$13.3 billion2017
2021-Q1$13.1 billion2017
2020-Q4$14.9 billion2017
2020-Q3$12.3 billion2017
2020-Q2$12.3 billion2017
2020-Q1$13.9 billion2017
2019-Q4$14.8 billion2017
2019-Q3$13.0 billion2017
2019-Q2$13.1 billion2017
2019-Q1$13.6 billion2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $70.1 billion · 2023
2017: $51.9 billion2018: $54.9 billion2019: $57.2 billion2020: $55.9 billion2021: $58.3 billion2022: $64.4 billion2023: $70.1 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$70.1 billion
2022$64.4 billion
2021$58.3 billion
2020$55.9 billion
2019$57.2 billion
2018$54.9 billion
2017$51.9 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 Wages769,7122026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages78,7362026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$20.3 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$70.1 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns799,75220232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns55,42620232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$61.2 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census767,92920222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census54,83720222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census35,80220222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$726 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
42381Construction and Mining (except Oil Well) Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers$128 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census108,6122026-Q1 · QCEW
42382Farm and Garden Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers$143 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census110,7132026-Q1 · QCEW
42383Industrial Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers$282 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census341,4982026-Q1 · QCEW
42384Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers$94.6 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census107,6382026-Q1 · QCEW
42385Service Establishment Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers$28.6 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census57,1802026-Q1 · QCEW
42386Transportation Equipment and Supplies (except Motor Vehicle) Merchant Wholesalers$48.8 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census44,0712026-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.