Small business density in Massachusetts 40 industries · 2024 annual averages · private ownership

Firm counts, employment, and wages for 40 small-business-typical industries reported in Massachusetts by the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Click any industry for a national comparison.

Industries
40
Total Firms
56,574
Total Employment
684,061
State
MA

By industry

Sorted by establishment count. Location quotient (LQ) compares Massachusetts's industry concentration to the national average — LQ > 1 means denser than national; LQ < 1 means thinner.

Industry Firms Employment Avg Pay LQ YoY %
Full-service restaurants 5,880 134,590 $35,312 0.95 -1.7%
Quick-service restaurants 5,130 66,878 $28,784 0.82 -2.5%
Offices of lawyers 4,269 28,234 $165,530 0.96 -3.3%
Landscaping services 4,114 24,710 $62,804 1.42 -3.6%
Plumbing, heating & AC contractors 3,048 32,280 $98,468 1.06 -1.6%
Dental practices 2,988 25,545 $76,321 0.93 -2.2%
Electrical contractors 2,591 25,995 $98,525 1.11 -1.7%
Beauty salons 2,295 12,418 $39,355 1.25 -4.5%
Portfolio management & investment advice 2,208 28,518 $356,338 1.07 -0.1%
Engineering services 2,043 29,392 $146,919 0.87 +1.1%
Child day care 1,988 30,810 $40,564 1.07 -0.6%
General auto repair 1,830 7,530 $61,681 0.91 -4.2%
Janitorial services 1,784 31,596 $40,241 0.91 -4.1%
Convenience retailers 1,714 5,812 $28,660 2.07 -2.8%
Fitness & recreational sports centers 1,282 19,082 $25,281 1.21 -1.6%
Gas stations with convenience stores 1,272 8,854 $35,710 0.53 -1.6%
CPA offices 1,245 14,715 $138,136 0.84 -2.0%
Other accounting services 1,038 5,871 $102,977 0.62 +1.4%
Supermarkets & grocery 994 74,899 $33,526 0.72 -1.2%
Auto body & paint 910 5,929 $68,913 1.09 -7.0%
Physical therapists 881 10,534 $53,019 0.72 +2.1%
Pet care (except veterinary) 762 5,225 $34,360 1.19 -0.8%
Other general-merchandise retailers 735 8,362 $31,149 0.49 +3.8%
Chiropractors 601 2,125 $50,274 0.65 -3.8%
Veterinary services 600 9,921 $71,330 0.71 +4.5%
All other miscellaneous retailers 566 4,441 $47,393 0.72 +1.4%
Other health practitioners 531 2,641 $61,875 0.58 +9.3%
Drinking places (bars) 516 5,760 $27,821 0.51 -6.7%
Drycleaning & laundry 434 2,088 $33,895 1.24 -8.1%
Roofing contractors 406 3,637 $92,716 0.55 -3.8%
Optometrists 308 2,059 $66,319 0.61 -1.9%
Florists 262 1,452 $37,932 0.91 -7.4%
Other similar organizations 248 783 $56,982 0.69 -2.0%
Motor-vehicle parts wholesale 223 2,285 $68,073 0.64 -5.9%
Book retailers & news dealers 213 2,603 $39,771 1.15 -0.5%
All other auto repair & maintenance 162 477 $52,066 0.91 +0.0%
Barber shops 152 403 $42,682 0.79 -7.9%
Parking lots & garages 134 4,511 $41,665 0.73 -1.5%
Auto glass replacement 109 774 $66,209 0.65 -18.7%
Religious organizations 108 322 $49,120 0.18 +5.9%
Reading the table. Each row links to a detailed breakdown of that industry in Massachusetts, with national comparison and state ranking. YoY % is year-over-year change in establishment count from 2023 to 2024 — positive means more firms opening than closing on net.

SMB Density · firm counts, employment, and wages by industry × state · data from BLS QCEW 2024 annual (private ownership, state-level; mostly 6-digit NAICS, 3 specialty-trade industries at 5-digit aggregation) · data.json