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Size of the US Wired Telecommunications Carriers industry

NAICS 517311, Wired Telecommunications Carriers. 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. This is a NAICS 2017 code that the 2022 edition replaced; the Census surveys that still publish on the 2017 basis keep it alive.

Key figures

Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)
$321 billion
2017 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Revenue, not seasonally adjusted
$69.6 billion
2026-Q2 · Quarterly Services Survey
Employer firms, current dollars
Employment
593,911
2023 · County Business Patterns
Paid employees in the pay period including March 12
Establishments
28,618
2023 · County Business Patterns
Firms
3,396
2017 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$58.3 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Revenue, seasonally adjusted · Quarterly Services SurveyLatest $69.7 billion · 2026-Q2
2012-Q3: $71.3 billion2012-Q4: $71.8 billion2013-Q1: $71.9 billion2013-Q2: $72.2 billion2013-Q3: $72.5 billion2013-Q4: $73.1 billion2014-Q1: $74.1 billion2014-Q2: $74.5 billion2014-Q3: $75.0 billion2014-Q4: $75.3 billion2015-Q1: $75.9 billion2015-Q2: $76.6 billion2015-Q3: $76.9 billion2015-Q4: $79.9 billion2016-Q1: $82.4 billion2016-Q2: $82.7 billion2016-Q3: $82.8 billion2016-Q4: $82.6 billion2017-Q1: $81.9 billion2017-Q2: $80.8 billion2017-Q3: $79.7 billion2017-Q4: $78.4 billion2018-Q1: $77.5 billion2018-Q2: $76.6 billion2018-Q3: $77.6 billion2018-Q4: $77.4 billion2019-Q1: $77.9 billion2019-Q2: $78.0 billion2019-Q3: $78.0 billion2019-Q4: $77.8 billion2020-Q1: $76.6 billion2020-Q2: $75.6 billion2020-Q3: $76.2 billion2020-Q4: $77.6 billion2021-Q1: $78.0 billion2021-Q2: $78.1 billion2021-Q3: $77.9 billion2021-Q4: $77.8 billion2022-Q1: $77.9 billion2022-Q2: $77.8 billion2022-Q3: $77.3 billion2022-Q4: $76.6 billion2023-Q1: $76.0 billion2023-Q2: $75.3 billion2023-Q3: $75.0 billion2023-Q4: $74.2 billion2024-Q1: $74.0 billion2024-Q2: $73.1 billion2024-Q3: $73.1 billion2024-Q4: $72.9 billion2025-Q1: $72.0 billion2025-Q2: $71.5 billion2025-Q3: $70.5 billion2025-Q4: $70.1 billion2026-Q1: $70.2 billion2026-Q2: $69.7 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2026-Q2$69.7 billion
2026-Q1$70.2 billion
2025-Q4$70.1 billion
2025-Q3$70.5 billion
2025-Q2$71.5 billion
2025-Q1$72.0 billion
2024-Q4$72.9 billion
2024-Q3$73.1 billion
2024-Q2$73.1 billion
2024-Q1$74.0 billion
2023-Q4$74.2 billion
2023-Q3$75.0 billion
2023-Q2$75.3 billion
2023-Q1$76.0 billion
2022-Q4$76.6 billion
2022-Q3$77.3 billion
2022-Q2$77.8 billion
2022-Q1$77.9 billion
2021-Q4$77.8 billion
2021-Q3$77.9 billion
2021-Q2$78.1 billion
2021-Q1$78.0 billion
2020-Q4$77.6 billion
2020-Q3$76.2 billion
2020-Q2$75.6 billion
2020-Q1$76.6 billion
2019-Q4$77.8 billion
2019-Q3$78.0 billion
2019-Q2$78.0 billion
2019-Q1$77.9 billion
2018-Q4$77.4 billion
2018-Q3$77.6 billion
2018-Q2$76.6 billion
2018-Q1$77.5 billion
2017-Q4$78.4 billion
2017-Q3$79.7 billion
2017-Q2$80.8 billion
2017-Q1$81.9 billion
2016-Q4$82.6 billion
2016-Q3$82.8 billion
2016-Q2$82.7 billion
2016-Q1$82.4 billion
2015-Q4$79.9 billion
2015-Q3$76.9 billion
2015-Q2$76.6 billion
2015-Q1$75.9 billion
2014-Q4$75.3 billion
2014-Q3$75.0 billion
2014-Q2$74.5 billion
2014-Q1$74.1 billion
2013-Q4$73.1 billion
2013-Q3$72.5 billion
2013-Q2$72.2 billion
2013-Q1$71.9 billion
2012-Q4$71.8 billion
2012-Q3$71.3 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Services Survey · Employer firms, current dollars · Agency label: Wired Telecommunications Carriers

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 478,106 · 2021-Q4
2019-Q1: 528,1132019-Q2: 521,5112019-Q3: 513,0362019-Q4: 511,6052020-Q1: 508,6302020-Q2: 498,9062020-Q3: 490,4512020-Q4: 487,4972021-Q1: 485,0622021-Q2: 481,4142021-Q3: 477,9982021-Q4: 478,106
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2021-Q4478,106
2021-Q3477,998
2021-Q2481,414
2021-Q1485,062
2020-Q4487,497
2020-Q3490,451
2020-Q2498,906
2020-Q1508,630
2019-Q4511,605
2019-Q3513,036
2019-Q2521,511
2019-Q1528,113

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 593,911 · 2023
2017: 702,5052018: 738,2492019: 703,1052020: 666,4402021: 604,4282022: 603,8022023: 593,911
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023593,911
2022603,802
2021604,428
2020666,440
2019703,105
2018738,249
2017702,505

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 19,426 · 2021-Q4
2019-Q1: 19,0902019-Q2: 19,3422019-Q3: 18,9962019-Q4: 19,4232020-Q1: 19,5232020-Q2: 19,4802020-Q3: 19,3472020-Q4: 19,2962021-Q1: 19,2632021-Q2: 19,2822021-Q3: 19,2882021-Q4: 19,426
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2021-Q419,426
2021-Q319,288
2021-Q219,282
2021-Q119,263
2020-Q419,296
2020-Q319,347
2020-Q219,480
2020-Q119,523
2019-Q419,423
2019-Q318,996
2019-Q219,342
2019-Q119,090

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 28,618 · 2023
2017: 30,2912018: 32,1642019: 32,4392020: 32,5522021: 31,3132022: 28,7582023: 28,618
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202328,618
202228,758
202131,313
202032,552
201932,439
201832,164
201730,291

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $12.0 billion · 2021-Q4
2019-Q1: $14.6 billion2019-Q2: $11.1 billion2019-Q3: $11.2 billion2019-Q4: $11.0 billion2020-Q1: $14.8 billion2020-Q2: $11.2 billion2020-Q3: $11.3 billion2020-Q4: $11.9 billion2021-Q1: $14.4 billion2021-Q2: $11.3 billion2021-Q3: $11.6 billion2021-Q4: $12.0 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2021-Q4$12.0 billion
2021-Q3$11.6 billion
2021-Q2$11.3 billion
2021-Q1$14.4 billion
2020-Q4$11.9 billion
2020-Q3$11.3 billion
2020-Q2$11.2 billion
2020-Q1$14.8 billion
2019-Q4$11.0 billion
2019-Q3$11.2 billion
2019-Q2$11.1 billion
2019-Q1$14.6 billion

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $58.3 billion · 2023
2017: $57.0 billion2018: $58.9 billion2019: $59.4 billion2020: $58.9 billion2021: $56.9 billion2022: $55.7 billion2023: $58.3 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$58.3 billion
2022$55.7 billion
2021$56.9 billion
2020$58.9 billion
2019$59.4 billion
2018$58.9 billion
2017$57.0 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 Wages478,1062021-Q42019-Q1–2021-Q4 · 12 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages19,4262021-Q42019-Q1–2021-Q4 · 12 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$12.0 billion2021-Q42019-Q1–2021-Q4 · 12 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$58.3 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns593,91120232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns28,61820232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$56.7 billion20172017–2017 · 1 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census707,44820172017–2017 · 1 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census30,33220172017–2017 · 1 published
FirmsEconomic Census3,39620172017–2017 · 1 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$321 billion20172017–2017 · 1 published
Revenue, not seasonally adjustedEmployer firms, current dollarsQuarterly Services Survey$69.6 billion2026-Q22012-Q3–2026-Q2 · 56 published
Revenue, seasonally adjustedEmployer firms, current dollarsQuarterly Services Survey$69.7 billion2026-Q22012-Q3–2026-Q2 · 56 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.