Firm counts, employment, and wages for 40 small-business-typical industries reported in North Dakota by the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Click any industry for a national comparison.
Sorted by establishment count. Location quotient (LQ) compares North Dakota'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 | 577 | 12,053 | $25,616 | 0.72 | +4.3% |
| Quick-service restaurants | 515 | 9,778 | $21,977 | 0.64 | +0.8% |
| Electrical contractors | 458 | 4,145 | $86,497 | 1.52 | +0.4% |
| Plumbing, heating & AC contractors | 404 | 3,711 | $72,170 | 1.09 | +6.0% |
| Gas stations with convenience stores | 400 | 5,221 | $32,037 | 1.30 | +3.9% |
| Drinking places (bars) | 390 | 0 | $0 | 3.02 | -4.4% |
| Engineering services | 377 | 3,539 | $106,990 | 1.25 | +1.3% |
| Child day care | 360 | 4,099 | $23,582 | 1.50 | +3.4% |
| Offices of lawyers | 344 | 1,483 | $98,812 | 0.60 | -0.9% |
| Landscaping services | 316 | 1,644 | $45,665 | 0.85 | +2.3% |
| General auto repair | 302 | 1,498 | $62,574 | 1.16 | +1.3% |
| Janitorial services | 296 | 2,385 | $29,903 | 1.17 | +2.4% |
| Dental practices | 268 | 2,581 | $78,586 | 0.65 | +0.8% |
| Chiropractors | 233 | 794 | $46,604 | 1.95 | +0.0% |
| Beauty salons | 224 | 923 | $34,179 | 0.95 | -1.3% |
| CPA offices | 197 | 1,315 | $88,552 | 1.03 | -1.5% |
| Portfolio management & investment advice | 185 | 422 | $106,185 | 0.69 | +4.5% |
| Supermarkets & grocery | 169 | 5,254 | $26,281 | 0.95 | -3.4% |
| Auto body & paint | 164 | 886 | $66,213 | 1.53 | -1.8% |
| Other accounting services | 160 | 547 | $70,094 | 0.74 | +0.6% |
| Physical therapists | 146 | 1,266 | $52,512 | 0.93 | +4.3% |
| Other general-merchandise retailers | 142 | 0 | $0 | 0.73 | +3.6% |
| Other health practitioners | 130 | 0 | $0 | 1.09 | +20.4% |
| Fitness & recreational sports centers | 126 | 2,170 | $19,383 | 0.92 | +6.8% |
| Roofing contractors | 105 | 483 | $75,800 | 1.10 | +5.0% |
| Veterinary services | 85 | 1,111 | $54,999 | 0.79 | +0.0% |
| Pet care (except veterinary) | 80 | 603 | $26,107 | 0.97 | +11.1% |
| Optometrists | 72 | 731 | $65,342 | 1.11 | -2.7% |
| All other miscellaneous retailers | 61 | 288 | $49,582 | 0.61 | +7.0% |
| Motor-vehicle parts wholesale | 58 | 350 | $66,773 | 1.29 | +3.6% |
| Florists | 58 | 263 | $19,130 | 1.57 | +0.0% |
| Auto glass replacement | 31 | 125 | $56,246 | 1.43 | +6.9% |
| Barber shops | 26 | 129 | $38,359 | 1.04 | +8.3% |
| Religious organizations | 24 | 79 | $50,949 | 0.30 | +9.1% |
| Book retailers & news dealers | 15 | 115 | $20,928 | 0.63 | +0.0% |
| Convenience retailers | 13 | 59 | $42,074 | 0.12 | +0.0% |
| All other auto repair & maintenance | 13 | 30 | $53,709 | 0.56 | +44.4% |
| Drycleaning & laundry | 13 | 125 | $29,288 | 0.29 | -7.1% |
| Other similar organizations | 9 | 18 | $64,692 | 0.19 | +0.0% |
| Parking lots & garages | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0.21 | -16.7% |