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Size of the US Inland Water Transportation industry

NAICS 48321, Inland Water Transportation. 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)
$8.3 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
27,206
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
962
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
565
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$1.9 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 27,206 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 24,9542019-Q2: 26,9302019-Q3: 26,9112019-Q4: 25,7392020-Q1: 25,9952020-Q2: 24,7632020-Q3: 24,4812020-Q4: 24,4102021-Q1: 24,0422021-Q2: 25,7022021-Q3: 25,3342021-Q4: 24,9792022-Q1: 24,8942022-Q2: 26,8622022-Q3: 26,9302022-Q4: 26,4512023-Q1: 26,5822023-Q2: 28,3042023-Q3: 27,5782023-Q4: 26,7912024-Q1: 26,5412024-Q2: 27,9332024-Q3: 27,9352024-Q4: 27,3032025-Q1: 27,0392025-Q2: 28,4732025-Q3: 28,4982025-Q4: 27,3302026-Q1: 27,206NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q127,2062022
2025-Q427,3302022
2025-Q328,4982022
2025-Q228,4732022
2025-Q127,0392022
2024-Q427,3032022
2024-Q327,9352022
2024-Q227,9332022
2024-Q126,5412022
2023-Q426,7912022
2023-Q327,5782022
2023-Q228,3042022
2023-Q126,5822022
2022-Q426,4512022
2022-Q326,9302022
2022-Q226,8622022
2022-Q124,8942022
2021-Q424,9792017
2021-Q325,3342017
2021-Q225,7022017
2021-Q124,0422017
2020-Q424,4102017
2020-Q324,4812017
2020-Q224,7632017
2020-Q125,9952017
2019-Q425,7392017
2019-Q326,9112017
2019-Q226,9302017
2019-Q124,9542017

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 21,136 · 2023
2017: 20,3122018: 19,4332019: 20,1562020: 20,0242021: 18,7392022: 19,4562023: 21,136
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202321,136
202219,456
202118,739
202020,024
201920,156
201819,433
201720,312

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 962 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 7822019-Q2: 7942019-Q3: 8052019-Q4: 8102020-Q1: 8022020-Q2: 8002020-Q3: 8022020-Q4: 8102021-Q1: 8092021-Q2: 8262021-Q3: 8452021-Q4: 8512022-Q1: 8422022-Q2: 8652022-Q3: 8842022-Q4: 8942023-Q1: 9332023-Q2: 9442023-Q3: 9492023-Q4: 9402024-Q1: 9382024-Q2: 9542024-Q3: 9612024-Q4: 9642025-Q1: 9532025-Q2: 9492025-Q3: 9562025-Q4: 9582026-Q1: 962NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q19622022
2025-Q49582022
2025-Q39562022
2025-Q29492022
2025-Q19532022
2024-Q49642022
2024-Q39612022
2024-Q29542022
2024-Q19382022
2023-Q49402022
2023-Q39492022
2023-Q29442022
2023-Q19332022
2022-Q48942022
2022-Q38842022
2022-Q28652022
2022-Q18422022
2021-Q48512017
2021-Q38452017
2021-Q28262017
2021-Q18092017
2020-Q48102017
2020-Q38022017
2020-Q28002017
2020-Q18022017
2019-Q48102017
2019-Q38052017
2019-Q27942017
2019-Q17822017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 692 · 2023
2017: 5922018: 5982019: 5992020: 6312021: 6802022: 6852023: 692
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023692
2022685
2021680
2020631
2019599
2018598
2017592

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $710.4 million · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $513.2 million2019-Q2: $501.5 million2019-Q3: $535.4 million2019-Q4: $557.4 million2020-Q1: $536.9 million2020-Q2: $504.1 million2020-Q3: $499.3 million2020-Q4: $534.9 million2021-Q1: $479.3 million2021-Q2: $488.5 million2021-Q3: $513.2 million2021-Q4: $567.3 million2022-Q1: $528.0 million2022-Q2: $547.9 million2022-Q3: $587.6 million2022-Q4: $629.5 million2023-Q1: $637.2 million2023-Q2: $623.9 million2023-Q3: $609.2 million2023-Q4: $680.0 million2024-Q1: $663.0 million2024-Q2: $675.7 million2024-Q3: $668.6 million2024-Q4: $738.3 million2025-Q1: $701.0 million2025-Q2: $733.3 million2025-Q3: $710.9 million2025-Q4: $778.6 million2026-Q1: $710.4 millionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$710.4 million2022
2025-Q4$778.6 million2022
2025-Q3$710.9 million2022
2025-Q2$733.3 million2022
2025-Q1$701.0 million2022
2024-Q4$738.3 million2022
2024-Q3$668.6 million2022
2024-Q2$675.7 million2022
2024-Q1$663.0 million2022
2023-Q4$680.0 million2022
2023-Q3$609.2 million2022
2023-Q2$623.9 million2022
2023-Q1$637.2 million2022
2022-Q4$629.5 million2022
2022-Q3$587.6 million2022
2022-Q2$547.9 million2022
2022-Q1$528.0 million2022
2021-Q4$567.3 million2017
2021-Q3$513.2 million2017
2021-Q2$488.5 million2017
2021-Q1$479.3 million2017
2020-Q4$534.9 million2017
2020-Q3$499.3 million2017
2020-Q2$504.1 million2017
2020-Q1$536.9 million2017
2019-Q4$557.4 million2017
2019-Q3$535.4 million2017
2019-Q2$501.5 million2017
2019-Q1$513.2 million2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $1.9 billion · 2023
2017: $1.5 billion2018: $1.5 billion2019: $1.6 billion2020: $1.6 billion2021: $1.5 billion2022: $1.7 billion2023: $1.9 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$1.9 billion
2022$1.7 billion
2021$1.5 billion
2020$1.6 billion
2019$1.6 billion
2018$1.5 billion
2017$1.5 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 Wages27,2062026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages9622026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$710.4 million2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$1.9 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns21,13620232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns69220232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$1.6 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census19,52020222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census63920222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census56520222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$8.3 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Inland Water Transportation

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
483211Inland Water Freight Transportation$7.6 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census23,3182026-Q1 · QCEW
483212Inland Water Passenger Transportation$680.9 millionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census3,8882026-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.