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Size of the US Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) industry

NAICS 5171, Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite). 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)
$641 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
522,107
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
28,432
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
9,628
2022 · Economic Census

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 522,107 · 2026-Q1
2022-Q1: 608,9872022-Q2: 608,2562022-Q3: 610,5552022-Q4: 606,6972023-Q1: 602,6962023-Q2: 599,2602023-Q3: 590,3602023-Q4: 583,4262024-Q1: 575,5962024-Q2: 567,5612024-Q3: 559,8392024-Q4: 551,2662025-Q1: 543,8992025-Q2: 542,0032025-Q3: 532,4892025-Q4: 531,5862026-Q1: 522,107
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2026-Q1522,107
2025-Q4531,586
2025-Q3532,489
2025-Q2542,003
2025-Q1543,899
2024-Q4551,266
2024-Q3559,839
2024-Q2567,561
2024-Q1575,596
2023-Q4583,426
2023-Q3590,360
2023-Q2599,260
2023-Q1602,696
2022-Q4606,697
2022-Q3610,555
2022-Q2608,256
2022-Q1608,987

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 28,432 · 2026-Q1
2022-Q1: 31,2532022-Q2: 31,4142022-Q3: 31,5412022-Q4: 31,4642023-Q1: 31,2632023-Q2: 31,3742023-Q3: 30,0472023-Q4: 29,9722024-Q1: 29,6602024-Q2: 29,3472024-Q3: 29,2092024-Q4: 29,0432025-Q1: 28,5952025-Q2: 28,4872025-Q3: 28,6802025-Q4: 28,4812026-Q1: 28,432
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2026-Q128,432
2025-Q428,481
2025-Q328,680
2025-Q228,487
2025-Q128,595
2024-Q429,043
2024-Q329,209
2024-Q229,347
2024-Q129,660
2023-Q429,972
2023-Q330,047
2023-Q231,374
2023-Q131,263
2022-Q431,464
2022-Q331,541
2022-Q231,414
2022-Q131,253

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $19.9 billion · 2026-Q1
2022-Q1: $18.6 billion2022-Q2: $14.4 billion2022-Q3: $15.1 billion2022-Q4: $15.0 billion2023-Q1: $19.2 billion2023-Q2: $14.8 billion2023-Q3: $14.7 billion2023-Q4: $15.2 billion2024-Q1: $19.2 billion2024-Q2: $14.6 billion2024-Q3: $14.3 billion2024-Q4: $15.0 billion2025-Q1: $19.9 billion2025-Q2: $14.4 billion2025-Q3: $14.6 billion2025-Q4: $14.9 billion2026-Q1: $19.9 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2026-Q1$19.9 billion
2025-Q4$14.9 billion
2025-Q3$14.6 billion
2025-Q2$14.4 billion
2025-Q1$19.9 billion
2024-Q4$15.0 billion
2024-Q3$14.3 billion
2024-Q2$14.6 billion
2024-Q1$19.2 billion
2023-Q4$15.2 billion
2023-Q3$14.7 billion
2023-Q2$14.8 billion
2023-Q1$19.2 billion
2022-Q4$15.0 billion
2022-Q3$15.1 billion
2022-Q2$14.4 billion
2022-Q1$18.6 billion

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

The ledger

Every published measure

MeasureSourceLatestPeriodHistory
EmploymentPrivate-sector jobs in the third month of each quarterQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages522,1072026-Q12022-Q1–2026-Q1 · 17 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages28,4322026-Q12022-Q1–2026-Q1 · 17 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$19.9 billion2026-Q12022-Q1–2026-Q1 · 17 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$80.0 billion20222022–2022 · 1 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census1,005,11220222022–2022 · 1 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census59,06920222022–2022 · 1 published
FirmsEconomic Census9,62820222022–2022 · 1 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$641 billion20222022–2022 · 1 published

Breakdown

Industries within Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite)

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
51711Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite)$606 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census487,5772026-Q1 · QCEW
51712Telecommunications Resellers and Agents for Wireless Telecommunication Services$35.1 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census34,5302026-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.