County Business Patterns
The Research Triangle Region is home to over 46,504 public and private establishments paying total wages of over $7.3 billion annually. Although the area is known for its large technology, education, and health & medicine employers, most establishments employ fewer than 50 workers.

3rd Quarter 2003 Average Annual Employment,

Establishments & Wages By Industry

Research Triangle Region

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting

  479

 5,051

$24,038

Mining

36

1,013

$50,078

Construction

5,676

46,585

$33,155

Manufacturing

1,668

 96,811

$54,949

Wholesale Trade

2,548

30,190

$56,468

Retail Trade

6,078

 87,873

$22,867

Transportation & Warehousing

  909

17,503

$36,706

Public Utilities

66

3,520

$64,757

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

4,133

34,888

$42,081

Healthcare & Social Assistance

3,499

101,187

$36,319

Services

20,155

368,678

$34,913

Government

1,257

150,351

$42,917

Total

46,504

943,650

$41,604

 

 

 

 

Chatham County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting

22

407

$30,754

Construction

174

  711

$27,790

Manufacturing

84

5,577

$28,598

Wholesale Trade

62

419

$32,158

Retail Trade

153

1,823

$21,620

Transportation & Warehousing

33

345

$29,656

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

84

312

$29,972

Healthcare & Social Assistance

84

1,866

$22,166

Services

447

4,243

$24,221

Government

59

2,010

$31,807

Total

2,282

33,891

$27,780

 

 

 

 

Durham County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting

   11

    69

$32,003

Construction

508

5,408

$36,395

Manufacturing

  196

 30,965

$87,147

Wholesale Trade

  294

 5,443

$67,604

Retail Trade

   826

 12,545

$21,059

Transportation & Warehousing

   96

 2,153

$36,642

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

  590

 5,859

$46,027

Healthcare & Social Assistance

  530

 29,215

$40,653

Services

 3,055

 69,034

$38,362

Government

   80

 16,575

$44,893

Total

6,186

177,266

$45,079

 

 

 

 

Franklin County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting

   38

    277

$22,388

Construction

197

  876

$26,796

Manufacturing

60

2,024

$44,733

Wholesale Trade

   51

   318

$38,527

Retail Trade

   114

  1,044

$19,880

Transportation & Warehousing

   31

    142

$30,929

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

   42

   210

$27,013

Healthcare & Social Assistance

   62

  1,114

$23,266

Services

   333

  3,522

$22,184

Government

   62

  2,045

$33,817

Total

990

 11,572

$28,953

 

 

 

 

Granville County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting

   19

    133

$23,885

Construction

125

  685

$28,185

Manufacturing

59

5,966

$34,913

Wholesale Trade

   26

   202

$33,116

Retail Trade

   135

  1,264

$22,046

Transportation & Warehousing

   29

    231

$34,352

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

   66

   291

$23,990

Healthcare & Social Assistance

   65

  4,289

$29,630

Services

   304

  5,935

$18,784

Government

   72

  7,303

$36,209

Total

900

 26,299

$28,511

 

 

 

 

Harnett County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Mining

   35

    386

$24,899

Construction

284

  1,800

$25,976

Manufacturing

59

2,493

$27,329

Wholesale Trade

   66

   723

$29,083

Retail Trade

   252

  2,744

$17,922

Transportation & Warehousing

   36

    965

$38,124

Public Utilities

5

132

$54,215

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

   125

   861

$25,170

Healthcare & Social Assistance

   137

  2,628

$28,136

Services

   540

  8,806

$22,575

Government

   82

  4,542

$33,627

Total

1,621

 26,080

$29,732

 

 

 

 

Johnston County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting

   95

    1,096

$14,899

Construction

596

3,101

$25,359

Manufacturing

110

6,586

$47,825

Wholesale Trade

   123

1,340

$25,963

Retail Trade

   456

  5,174

$19,573

Transportation & Warehousing

   100

    1,065

$36,272

Public Utilities

4

102

$55,537

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

   179

   1,013

$27,666

Healthcare & Social Assistance

   188

  3,556

$27,140

Services

   934

  13,532

$23,309

Government

   121

  6,678

$33,436

Total

2,906

 43,243

$30,634

 

 

 

 

Lee County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Mining

   29

    167 

$26,976

Construction

178

1,365

$28,625

Manufacturing

 96

10,203

$36,060

Wholesale Trade

   72

1,059

$48,424

Retail Trade

   235

2,774 

$22,018

Transportation & Warehousing

    31

      325

$35,339

Public Utilities

7

226

$52,580

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

   132

   557 

$27,611

Healthcare & Social Assistance

   123

  2,543

$27,159

Services

   467

   7,232

$20,496

Government

    55

  2,858

$34,701

Total

1,425

 29,309

$32,726

 

 

 

 

Moore County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Mining

   43 

    487 

$22,967

Construction

282

1,729

$28,929

Manufacturing

 94

 2,306

$29,130

Wholesale Trade

   104

  458

$38,282

Retail Trade

   314

4,122 

$21,318

Transportation & Warehousing

    45

      570

$35,931

Public Utilities

6

124

$59,993

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

   213

   915 

$37,363

Healthcare & Social Assistance

   209

  6,459

$35,648

Services

   927

   13,043

$25,524

Government

    107

  4,237

$32,327

Total

2,344

 34,450

$33,401

 

 

 

 

Orange County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Mining

   31 

    214 

$28,302

Construction

356

1,893

$29,082

Manufacturing

 82

 1,876

$42,018

Wholesale Trade

   116

  669

$58,051

Retail Trade

   388

6,239 

$21,118

Transportation & Warehousing

    34

      532

$39,362

Public Utilities

7

341

$41,814

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

   276

   3,206

$41,009

Healthcare & Social Assistance

   295

  9,873

$40,867

Services

   1,678

   14,769

$31,902

Government

     88

  28,325

$43,767

Total

3,351

 67,937

$37,936

 

 

 

 

Person County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting

   20 

    140 

$21,388

Construction

136

  628

$24,668

Manufacturing

 36

 3,122

$36,009

Wholesale Trade

    33

  271

$32,430

Retail Trade

   143

1,513 

$19,612

Transportation & Warehousing

    29

      127

$31,637

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

    54

     276

$25,104

Healthcare & Social Assistance

    74

   1,385

$23,778

Services

     262

    3,738

$18,111

Government

     56

   2,147

$32,691

Total

843

 13,347

$26,543

 

 

 

 

Vance County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting

   20 

    130 

$18,994

Construction

101

  693

$23,750

Manufacturing

 37

 3,026

$29,325

Wholesale Trade

    37

  473

$28,503

Retail Trade

   200

3,010 

$22,602

Transportation & Warehousing

    43

      662

$28,561

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

    94

     433

$27,432

Healthcare & Social Assistance

    94

   2,074

$28,235

Services

     308

    5,406

$22,663

Government

     59

   3,020

$33,627

Total

993

 18,927

$26,369

 

 

 

 

Wake County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Mining

   97 

    2,038

$45,790

Construction

2,697

  27,371

$35,641

Manufacturing

 741

 22,015

$47,584

Wholesale Trade

    1,555

  18,788

$59,497

Retail Trade

   2,815

45,274

$24,794

Transportation & Warehousing

    383

      10,292

$37,599

Public Utilities

22

1,770

$76,162

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

    2,251

     20,866

$44,202

Healthcare & Social Assistance

    1,615

  35,850

$36,831

Services

     10,693

    197,643

$35,703

Government

     378

   69,312

$41,912

Total

23,225

449,449

$40,955

 

 

 

 

Warren County

Establishments

Employment

Avg. Annual Wage*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting

   44 

      378

$21,561

Construction

 42 

     325

$24,967

Manufacturing

  14

    652

$26,151

Wholesale Trade

          9

      27

$30,383

Retail Trade

      47

   347

$16,650

Transportation & Warehousing

    19

          94

$29,814

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

       27

            89

$22,078

Healthcare & Social Assistance

        23

     335

$23,635

Services

     108  

    1,749   

$17,105

Government

     38

   1,299

$30,091

Total

371

  5,295

$24,244

Notes: Data are for employment covered by NC Employment Law-about 95% of total employment. Industry data from other sources are not comparable. Source: Employment Security Commission, Employment and Wages, *Average annual wage is calculated by taking the average weekly salary of the establishment and multiplying it by 52 weeks.
Source: NC ESC: 3rd Qtr. 2003


Research Triangle Regional Partnership
PO Box 80756 - RDU Airport, NC 27623 - Voice (919) 840-7372 - Fax (919) 840-0142