The Census Bureau does not define small or large business, but provides statistics that allow users to define business categories in any of several ways:
Employers and nonemployers | Employment size of firms | Employment size of establishments | Receipts size of firms |
Independently, the Small Business Administration defines size standards for each NAICS industry [PDF] to determine which businesses are eligible for its programs.
Find the resources to jump start your business @ Business USA
About three quarters of all U.S. business firms have no payroll. Most are self-employed persons operating unincorporated businesses, and may or may not be the owner's principal source of income. Because nonemployers account for only about 3.4 percent of business receipts, they are not included in most business statistics, for example, most reports from the Economic Census.
Nonemployer Statistics annually classify nonemployer firms by industry and geographic area (U.S., states, counties, and metropolitan areas.)
Firms | Estab- lish- ments |
Sales or Receipts ($1,000) |
|
---|---|---|---|
All firms | 27,757,676 | 29,413,039 | 30,738.533,467 |
Nonemployers (firms with no payroll) | 21,708,021 | 21,708,021 | 991,791,563 |
Employers (firms with payroll) | 6,049,655 | 7,705,018 | 29,746,741,904 |
Employment size of enterprise | Firms | Estab- lish- ments |
Paid employees |
Annual payroll ($1,000) |
Sales or Receipts ($1,000) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
n/a - Receipts data are available for employers only for the years for which an economic census is taken (2007, 2002, 1997). | |||||
All firms | 27,281,452 | 28,952,489 | 120,903,551 | 5,130,509,178 | n/a |
Nonemployer firms | 21,351,320 | 21,351,320 | n/a | n/a | 962,791,527 |
Employer firms | 5,930,132 | 7,601,169 | 120,903,551 | 5,130,509,178 | n/a |
Firms with 1 to 4 employees (or with no employees as of Mar 12) | 3,617,764 | 3,624,614 | 6,086,291 | 232,062,907 | n/a |
Firms with 5 to 9 employees | 1,044,065 | 1,056,947 | 6,878,051 | 222,504,912 | n/a |
Firms with 10 to 19 employees | 633,141 | 667,463 | 8,497,391 | 293,534,352 | n/a |
Firms with 20 to 99 employees | 526,307 | 705,430 | 20,684,691 | 774,589,335 | n/a |
Firms with 100 to 499 employees | 90,386 | 359,902 | 17,547,567 | 706,476,693 | n/a |
Firms with 500 employees or more | 18,469 | 1,186,813 | 61,209,560 | 2,901,340,979 | n/a |
Firms with 500 to 749 employees | 6,060 | 72,676 | 3,681,760 | 156,491,764 | n/a |
Firms with 750 to 999 employees | 3,038 | 48,005 | 2,617,087 | 114,635,897 | n/a |
Firms with 1,000 to 1,499 employees | 3,044 | 64,556 | 3,720,654 | 167,658,791 | n/a |
Firms with 1,500 to 1,999 employees | 1,533 | 45,062 | 2,653,392 | 121,800,728 | n/a |
Firms with 2,000 to 2,499 employees | 904 | 36,081 | 2,011,244 | 94,406,916 | n/a |
Firms with 2,500 to 4,999 employees | 1,934 | 120,416 | 6,726,611 | 329,188,349 | n/a |
Firms with 5,000 employees or more | 1,956 | 800,017 | 39,798,812 | 1,917,158,534 | n/a |
Firms with 5,000 to 9,999 employees | 975 | 121,835 | 6,773,466 | 337,598,036 | n/a |
Firms with 10,000 employees or more | 981 | 678,182 | 33,025,346 | 1,579,560,498 | n/a |
Source: Statistics of U.S. Businesses (See industry and state detail) and Nonemployer Statistics
Employment size of enterprise | Firms | Estab- lish- ments |
Paid employees |
Annual payroll ($1,000) |
Sales or Receipts ($1,000) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
All firms | 27,757,676 | 29,413,039 | 120,604,265 | 5,026,778,232 | 30,738.533,467 |
Nonemployer firms | 21,708,021 | 21,708,021 | n/a | n/a | 991,791,563 |
Employer firms | 6,049,655 | 7,705,018 | 120,604,265 | 5,026,778,232 | 29,746,741,904 |
Firms with 1 to 4 employees (or with no employees as of Mar 12) | 3,705,275 | 3,710,700 | 6,139,463 | 234,921,325 | 1,434,680,823 |
Firms with 5 to 9 employees | 1,060,250 | 1,073,875 | 6,974,591 | 222,419,546 | 1,144,930,232 |
Firms with 10 to 19 employees | 644,842 | 682,410 | 8,656,182 | 292,088,277 | 1,395,498,431 |
Firms with 20 to 99 employees | 532,391 | 723,385 | 20,922,960 | 768,546,555 | 3,792,920,977 |
Firms with 100 to 499 employees | 88,586 | 355,853 | 17,173,728 | 686,862,018 | 3,612,050,221 |
Firms with 500 employees or more | 18,311 | 1,158,795 | 60,737,341 | 2,821,940,511 | 18,366,661,220 |
Firms with 500 to 749 employees | 6,094 | 71,702 | 3,695,682 | 152,059,022 | 800,475,934 |
Firms with 750 to 999 employees | 2,970 | 45,990 | 2,561,972 | 109,833,289 | 636,199,229 |
Firms with 1,000 to 1,499 employees | 2,916 | 59,311 | 3,552,259 | 153,957,992 | 792,993,702 |
Firms with 1,500 to 1,999 employees | 1,542 | 46,221 | 2,664,416 | 120,606,441 | 695,739,349 |
Firms with 2,000 to 2,499 employees | 942 | 36,388 | 2,094,728 | 94,001,450 | 544,038,807 |
Firms with 2,500 to 4,999 employees | 1,920 | 118,282 | 6,687,266 | 320,640,371 | 1,979,674,138 |
Firms with 5,000 employees or more | 1,927 | 780,901 | 39,481,018 | 1,870,841,946 | 12,917,540,061 |
Firms with 5,000 to 9,999 employees | 952 | 115,222 | 6,628,415 | 324,791,017 | 2,263,012,551 |
Firms with 10,000 employees or more | 975 | 665,679 | 32,852,603 | 1,546,050,929 | 10,654,527,510 |
While most of these data are published every year, receipts data are available for employers only for the years for which an economic census is taken (2007, 2002, 1997). |
Source: Statistics of U.S. Businesses (See industry and state detail) and Nonemployer Statistics
More data |
Year | Firms by employment size of enterprise | Paid employees by employment size of enterprise | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 20 + | 100 + | 500 + | Total | 20 + | 100 + | 500 + | ||
2008 | 5,930,132 | 10.7% | 1.8% | 0.3% | 120,903,551 | 82.2% | 65.1% | 50.6% | |
2007 | 6,049,655 | 10.6% | 1.8% | 0.3% | 120,604,265 | 81.9% | 64.6% | 50.4% | |
2006 | 6,022,127 | 10.7% | 1.8% | 0.3% | 119,917,165 | 82.0% | 64.4% | 49.8% | |
2005 | 5,983,546 | 10.5% | 1.8% | 0.3% | 116,317,003 | 81.7% | 64.1% | 49.6% | |
2004 | 5,885,784 | 10.7% | 1.8% | 0.3% | 115,074,924 | 81.6% | 63.6% | 49.1% | |
2003 | 5,767,127 | 10.7% | 1.8% | 0.3% | 113,398,043 | 81.6% | 63.8% | 49.3% | |
2002 | 5,697,759 | 10.7% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 112,400,654 | 81.7% | 64.0% | 49.9% | |
2001 | 5,657,774 | 11.0% | 1.8% | 0.3% | 115,061,184 | 82.1% | 64.4% | 50.1% | |
2000 | 5,652,544 | 10.9% | 1.8% | 0.3% | 114,064,976 | 82.0% | 64.2% | 49.9% | |
1999 | 5,607,743 | 10.7% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 110,705,661 | 81.6% | 63.8% | 49.7% | |
1998 | 5,579,177 | 10.6% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 108,117,731 | 81.2% | 63.3% | 49.1% | |
1997 | 5,541,918 | 10.5% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 105,299,123 | 80.9% | 62.7% | 48.2% | |
1996 | 5,478,047 | 10.4% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 102,187,297 | 80.5% | 62.3% | 48.0% | |
1995 | 5,369,068 | 10.5% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 100,314,946 | 80.5% | 62.1% | 47.5% | |
1994 | 5,276,964 | 10.2% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 96,721,594 | 80.2% | 61.9% | 47.3% | |
1993 | 5,193,642 | 10.2% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 94,773,913 | 79.9% | 61.5% | 46.9% | |
1992 | 5,095,356 | 10.3% | 1.6% | 0.3% | 92,825,797 | 79.8% | 61.3% | 47.0% | |
1991 | 5,051,025 | 10.3% | 1.6% | 0.3% | 92,307,559 | 79.7% | 61.2% | 46.9% | |
1990 | 5,073,795 | 10.6% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 93,469,275 | 79.8% | 60.8% | 46.3% | |
1989 | 5,021,315 | 10.5% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 91,626,094 | 79.7% | 60.7% | 46.1% | |
1988 | 4,954,645 | 10.3% | 1.6% | 0.3% | 87,844,303 | 79.1% | 60.0% | 45.5% |
A number of sources provide information by employment size of establishment: several reports from with national data from the 2007 Economic Census, and the annual County Business Patterns which includes statistics by state. metro area, county, and ZIP Code. Most scholars prefer to define small business in terms of the size of the entire company or firm, not individual establishments. For example, most researchers would prefer to classify a large fast-food chain as a large company rather than as a collection of small establishments.
Economic Census Establishment and Firm Size reports, present national data classified by NAICS industry.
Receipts Size of Enterprise | Firms | Estab- lish- ments |
Paid employees |
Annual payroll ($1,000) |
Sales or Receipts ($1,000) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Employer firms | 6,049,655 | 7,705,018 | 120,604,265 | 5,026,778,232 | 29,746,741,904 |
Less than $100,000 | 1,305,233 | 1,305,986 | 1,819,621 | 25,960,943 | 61,210,592 |
$100,000-499,999 | 2,394,168 | 2,401,076 | 8,146,397 | 173,879,138 | 608,894,770 |
$500,000-999,999 | 908,635 | 923,958 | 6,723,289 | 182,060,621 | 641,553,968 |
$1,000,000-2,499,999 | 758,595 | 813,052 | 10,317,058 | 322,308,981 | 1,177,399,522 |
$2,500,000-4,999,999 | 311,271 | 376,161 | 7,757,850 | 276,120,363 | 1,086,482,976 |
$5,000,000-7,499,999 | 115,476 | 164,063 | 4,530,513 | 172,852,732 | 701,673,005 |
$7,500,000-9,999,999 | 58,822 | 95,294 | 3,086,011 | 121,758,219 | 508,020,210 |
$10,000,000-14,999,999 | 62,468 | 119,982 | 4,338,364 | 173,887,341 | 758,667,466 |
$15,000,000-19,999,999 | 32,292 | 76,520 | 2,961,726 | 120,919,167 | 556,844,154 |
$20,000,000-24,999,999 | 20,137 | 54,079 | 2,201,318 | 92,339,910 | 448,894,669 |
$25,000,000-29,999,999 | 13,678 | 41,723 | 1,800,640 | 75,540,186 | 373,746,067 |
$30,000,000-34,999,999 | 9,807 | 31,918 | 1,507,405 | 61,765,492 | 317,129,331 |
$35,000,000-39,999,999 | 7,289 | 27,176 | 1,230,398 | 52,340,200 | 272,513,425 |
$40,000,000-44,999,999 | 5,767 | 23,604 | 1,075,209 | 45,739,259 | 243,892,639 |
$45,000,000-49,999,999 | 4,547 | 20,055 | 943,369 | 39,528,117 | 215,490,512 |
$50,000,000-74,999,999 | 14,026 | 72,501 | 3,573,919 | 153,521,056 | 852,712,438 |
$75,000,000-99,999,999 | 6,839 | 49,649 | 2,463,475 | 106,072,301 | 591,372,207 |
$100,000,000 or more | 20,605 | 1,108,221 | 56,127,703 | 2,830,184,206 | 20,330,243,953 |
Source: Statistics of U.S. Businesses, 2007
Statistics of U.S. Businesses tables showing receipt size by NAICS industry of the establishment are accessible as spreadsheets for 2007, 2002 and 1997. Receipts size detail is less than shown in Establishment and Firm Size reports cited below.
Economic Census Establishment and Firm Size reports, present national data classified by the NAICS industry of the establishment.
Corresponding data for 1992, from 1992 Enterprise Statistics, differ somewhat in methodology. The PDF presents these statistics by SIC industry of the parent company. (Enterprise Statistics was not funded for years after 1992.)
[PDF] or denotes a file in Adobe’s Portable Document Format. To view the file, you will need the Adobe® Reader® available free from Adobe.