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Size of the US Management Consulting Services industry

NAICS 54161, Management Consulting Services. 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)
$360 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
1,507,046
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
363,412
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
178,871
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$158 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 1,507,046 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 1,218,4922019-Q2: 1,244,5782019-Q3: 1,253,4192019-Q4: 1,289,2792020-Q1: 1,264,3312020-Q2: 1,230,5802020-Q3: 1,245,0052020-Q4: 1,297,1932021-Q1: 1,295,3802021-Q2: 1,337,6372021-Q3: 1,365,4432021-Q4: 1,442,2032022-Q1: 1,443,6342022-Q2: 1,490,0892022-Q3: 1,522,1582022-Q4: 1,560,0402023-Q1: 1,525,9122023-Q2: 1,544,0592023-Q3: 1,535,0582023-Q4: 1,564,3222024-Q1: 1,525,1562024-Q2: 1,535,4332024-Q3: 1,535,7902024-Q4: 1,570,5022025-Q1: 1,523,1322025-Q2: 1,526,6882025-Q3: 1,515,0872025-Q4: 1,558,5122026-Q1: 1,507,046NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q11,507,0462022
2025-Q41,558,5122022
2025-Q31,515,0872022
2025-Q21,526,6882022
2025-Q11,523,1322022
2024-Q41,570,5022022
2024-Q31,535,7902022
2024-Q21,535,4332022
2024-Q11,525,1562022
2023-Q41,564,3222022
2023-Q31,535,0582022
2023-Q21,544,0592022
2023-Q11,525,9122022
2022-Q41,560,0402022
2022-Q31,522,1582022
2022-Q21,490,0892022
2022-Q11,443,6342022
2021-Q41,442,2032017
2021-Q31,365,4432017
2021-Q21,337,6372017
2021-Q11,295,3802017
2020-Q41,297,1932017
2020-Q31,245,0052017
2020-Q21,230,5802017
2020-Q11,264,3312017
2019-Q41,289,2792017
2019-Q31,253,4192017
2019-Q21,244,5782017
2019-Q11,218,4922017

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 1,467,031 · 2023
2017: 1,048,1052018: 1,107,7892019: 1,145,5652020: 1,210,9922021: 1,242,9162022: 1,367,9662023: 1,467,031
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
20231,467,031
20221,367,966
20211,242,916
20201,210,992
20191,145,565
20181,107,789
20171,048,105

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 363,412 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 212,7802019-Q2: 215,7012019-Q3: 219,1922019-Q4: 224,4482020-Q1: 224,9052020-Q2: 229,3152020-Q3: 235,5962020-Q4: 244,0322021-Q1: 248,6342021-Q2: 256,2422021-Q3: 265,5732021-Q4: 277,1042022-Q1: 286,0162022-Q2: 293,8782022-Q3: 302,4622022-Q4: 311,9132023-Q1: 316,7442023-Q2: 320,5942023-Q3: 326,8692023-Q4: 334,6972024-Q1: 335,2612024-Q2: 340,5872024-Q3: 344,2412024-Q4: 351,0082025-Q1: 346,2502025-Q2: 350,1062025-Q3: 355,1832025-Q4: 362,2292026-Q1: 363,412NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1363,4122022
2025-Q4362,2292022
2025-Q3355,1832022
2025-Q2350,1062022
2025-Q1346,2502022
2024-Q4351,0082022
2024-Q3344,2412022
2024-Q2340,5872022
2024-Q1335,2612022
2023-Q4334,6972022
2023-Q3326,8692022
2023-Q2320,5942022
2023-Q1316,7442022
2022-Q4311,9132022
2022-Q3302,4622022
2022-Q2293,8782022
2022-Q1286,0162022
2021-Q4277,1042017
2021-Q3265,5732017
2021-Q2256,2422017
2021-Q1248,6342017
2020-Q4244,0322017
2020-Q3235,5962017
2020-Q2229,3152017
2020-Q1224,9052017
2019-Q4224,4482017
2019-Q3219,1922017
2019-Q2215,7012017
2019-Q1212,7802017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 188,206 · 2023
2017: 139,7152018: 146,1752019: 151,6162020: 160,2012021: 170,9482022: 178,3592023: 188,206
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023188,206
2022178,359
2021170,948
2020160,201
2019151,616
2018146,175
2017139,715

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $53.0 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $31.5 billion2019-Q2: $28.7 billion2019-Q3: $29.6 billion2019-Q4: $35.7 billion2020-Q1: $34.2 billion2020-Q2: $29.1 billion2020-Q3: $30.2 billion2020-Q4: $38.8 billion2021-Q1: $35.5 billion2021-Q2: $34.6 billion2021-Q3: $35.0 billion2021-Q4: $46.3 billion2022-Q1: $43.4 billion2022-Q2: $40.8 billion2022-Q3: $42.2 billion2022-Q4: $48.1 billion2023-Q1: $47.7 billion2023-Q2: $42.5 billion2023-Q3: $41.9 billion2023-Q4: $50.2 billion2024-Q1: $49.3 billion2024-Q2: $44.4 billion2024-Q3: $43.4 billion2024-Q4: $51.5 billion2025-Q1: $51.1 billion2025-Q2: $45.4 billion2025-Q3: $44.3 billion2025-Q4: $52.8 billion2026-Q1: $53.0 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$53.0 billion2022
2025-Q4$52.8 billion2022
2025-Q3$44.3 billion2022
2025-Q2$45.4 billion2022
2025-Q1$51.1 billion2022
2024-Q4$51.5 billion2022
2024-Q3$43.4 billion2022
2024-Q2$44.4 billion2022
2024-Q1$49.3 billion2022
2023-Q4$50.2 billion2022
2023-Q3$41.9 billion2022
2023-Q2$42.5 billion2022
2023-Q1$47.7 billion2022
2022-Q4$48.1 billion2022
2022-Q3$42.2 billion2022
2022-Q2$40.8 billion2022
2022-Q1$43.4 billion2022
2021-Q4$46.3 billion2017
2021-Q3$35.0 billion2017
2021-Q2$34.6 billion2017
2021-Q1$35.5 billion2017
2020-Q4$38.8 billion2017
2020-Q3$30.2 billion2017
2020-Q2$29.1 billion2017
2020-Q1$34.2 billion2017
2019-Q4$35.7 billion2017
2019-Q3$29.6 billion2017
2019-Q2$28.7 billion2017
2019-Q1$31.5 billion2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $158 billion · 2023
2017: $90.9 billion2018: $98.8 billion2019: $106 billion2020: $113 billion2021: $128 billion2022: $146 billion2023: $158 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$158 billion
2022$146 billion
2021$128 billion
2020$113 billion
2019$106 billion
2018$98.8 billion
2017$90.9 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 Wages1,507,0462026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages363,4122026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$53.0 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$158 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns1,467,03120232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns188,20620232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$139 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census1,516,70320222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census186,88120222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census178,87120222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$360 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Management Consulting Services

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
541611Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services$219 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census824,5102026-Q1 · QCEW
541612Human Resources Consulting Services$24.6 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census88,8802026-Q1 · QCEW
541613Marketing Consulting Services$77.5 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census312,6972026-Q1 · QCEW
541614Process, Physical Distribution, and Logistics Consulting Services$26.0 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census157,5872026-Q1 · QCEW
541618Other Management Consulting Services$12.9 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census123,3722026-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.