Updated October 14, 2026. Data: U.S. Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, quarterly count of jobs and wages from employer tax records, first quarter 2026 vs. first quarter 2025. Figures are preliminary. Second-quarter 2026 figures are due in December.
Warehouses and storage companies employed about 1.88 million people in early 2026, down 1.0% from a year earlier, even as the number of warehouse locations grew 3.6%. Jobs grew fastest in Utah (+18.2%), Oregon (+16.6%) and South Dakota (+12.9%). Among larger states, the biggest drops were in Maryland (-20.0%), Georgia (-11.7%) and California (-11.6%).
Change in jobs in each state
The biggest employers are California (215,483 jobs), Texas (184,677 jobs) and Pennsylvania (123,261 jobs).
Every state: jobs, locations and pay
Click a column to sort. Jobs are the average of January, February and March.
| State | Jobs, Q1 2026 | Jobs, Q1 2025 | Change | Locations, Q1 2026 | Locations change | Average weekly pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | 1,883,936 | 1,903,787 | -1.0% | 23,848 | +3.6% | $1,077 |
| Alabama | 20,825 | 22,932 | -9.2% | 317 | +4.6% | $1,016 |
| Alaska | 608 | 541 | +12.3% | 29 | -3.3% | $974 |
| Arizona | 51,263 | 52,703 | -2.7% | 347 | +1.8% | $974 |
| Arkansas | 16,209 | 15,272 | +6.1% | 217 | +0.5% | $923 |
| California | 215,483 | 243,801 | -11.6% | 2,860 | +5.6% | $1,107 |
| Colorado | 25,835 | 24,525 | +5.3% | 317 | +8.6% | $1,047 |
| Connecticut | 23,376 | 25,697 | -9.0% | 192 | -0.5% | $1,017 |
| Delaware | 12,551 | 12,799 | -1.9% | 130 | -4.4% | $976 |
| District of Columbia | 46 | 104 | -55.4% | 40 | +11.1% | $1,572 |
| Florida | 105,712 | 103,728 | +1.9% | 1,291 | +5.5% | $1,037 |
| Georgia | 79,484 | 90,006 | -11.7% | 1,191 | +7.0% | $1,065 |
| Hawaii | 1,292 | 1,293 | -0.1% | 59 | +3.5% | $1,279 |
| Idaho | 2,402 | 2,387 | +0.6% | 140 | -5.4% | $1,124 |
| Illinois | 79,757 | 78,482 | +1.6% | 879 | +3.7% | $1,104 |
| Indiana | 68,484 | 67,333 | +1.7% | 544 | -0.4% | $1,032 |
| Iowa | 19,926 | 19,370 | +2.9% | 340 | +2.7% | $1,053 |
| Kansas | 19,993 | 21,101 | -5.2% | 305 | +5.9% | $1,032 |
| Kentucky | 38,196 | 38,663 | -1.2% | 431 | +0.7% | $1,107 |
| Louisiana | 14,843 | 14,830 | +0.1% | 327 | +0.6% | $1,128 |
| Maine | 3,642 | 3,836 | -5.0% | 74 | +1.4% | $1,174 |
| Maryland | 25,908 | 32,389 | -20.0% | 243 | -0.4% | $1,037 |
| Massachusetts | 20,903 | 20,243 | +3.3% | 253 | +4.1% | $1,388 |
| Michigan | 41,567 | 41,214 | +0.9% | 589 | +4.4% | $1,112 |
| Minnesota | 18,474 | 17,804 | +3.8% | 316 | +0.3% | $1,244 |
| Mississippi | 26,061 | 24,464 | +6.5% | 306 | +1.7% | $1,001 |
| Missouri | 27,545 | 26,392 | +4.4% | 539 | +3.9% | $1,039 |
| Montana | 425 | 425 | -0.1% | 55 | +7.8% | $1,131 |
| Nebraska | 8,880 | 8,250 | +7.6% | 164 | +5.8% | $991 |
| Nevada | 41,402 | 42,598 | -2.8% | 614 | -0.2% | $1,014 |
| New Hampshire | 3,168 | 3,322 | -4.6% | 96 | +3.2% | $3,551 |
| New Jersey | 75,303 | 75,742 | -0.6% | 943 | +5.2% | $1,143 |
| New Mexico | 5,904 | 5,571 | +6.0% | 62 | -6.1% | $823 |
| New York | 55,450 | 54,323 | +2.1% | 833 | +1.3% | $1,012 |
| North Carolina | 54,465 | 53,837 | +1.2% | 632 | +11.3% | $1,057 |
| North Dakota | 1,316 | 1,536 | -14.3% | 61 | +1.7% | $1,171 |
| Ohio | 101,119 | 96,203 | +5.1% | 1,056 | +6.0% | $1,073 |
| Oklahoma | 19,920 | 19,657 | +1.3% | 188 | +1.6% | $895 |
| Oregon | 17,879 | 15,338 | +16.6% | 270 | +1.5% | $1,012 |
| Pennsylvania | 123,261 | 124,276 | -0.8% | 1,198 | +3.0% | $1,121 |
| Rhode Island | 5,267 | 4,768 | +10.5% | 43 | +13.2% | $978 |
| South Carolina | 25,911 | 27,652 | -6.3% | 528 | -1.5% | $1,073 |
| South Dakota | 3,391 | 3,004 | +12.9% | 42 | +5.0% | $987 |
| Tennessee | 53,453 | 54,850 | -2.5% | 670 | +5.3% | $1,161 |
| Texas | 184,677 | 173,349 | +6.5% | 2,213 | +3.3% | $1,078 |
| Utah | 13,893 | 11,757 | +18.2% | 283 | -0.7% | $1,132 |
| Vermont | 984 | 1,042 | -5.6% | 44 | +7.3% | $1,054 |
| Virginia | 52,929 | 50,474 | +4.9% | 536 | +3.1% | $1,003 |
| Washington | 35,842 | 35,796 | +0.1% | 478 | +1.9% | $1,130 |
| West Virginia | 3,356 | 3,579 | -6.2% | 98 | +0.0% | $941 |
| Wisconsin | 33,399 | 32,555 | +2.6% | 440 | +2.8% | $1,045 |
| Wyoming | 1,958 | 1,976 | -0.9% | 25 | +13.6% | $986 |
What the numbers show, and what they don’t
- Jobs moved more than they disappeared. The national drop was small, but some states gained or lost a tenth or more of their warehouse jobs. One large distribution center opening, closing or changing who runs it can do that.
- Washington, DC, is left out of the rankings. It had only about 46 warehouse jobs, down from 104, so its -55% change is based on very small numbers.
- What’s included: general warehousing, refrigerated storage, farm product storage and other storage businesses. Some large retailers’ and online sellers’ distribution centers are counted under retail or delivery instead, so this isn’t every warehouse worker.
- Other factors that can move these numbers include shifts in shipping and import volumes, automation, and companies consolidating into fewer, bigger sites.
For owners and would-be owners
- Trucking follows warehouses. See how diesel costs are squeezing trucking.
- Factory jobs often move with distribution. Compare with manufacturing jobs in each state.
- Small logistics businesses like courier, moving and freight brokerage firms often grow near new distribution hubs.
Starting a logistics or delivery business?
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How we counted
- Source: U.S. Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, industry 493 (warehousing and storage), privately owned businesses, first quarter of 2026 and 2025.
- Jobs are the average of the three monthly counts and include full- and part-time workers on payroll. Owners with no payroll and self-employed people aren’t counted.
- Locations are individual work sites (establishments), not companies. One company with ten offices counts ten times.
- State is where the job is located as reported by the employer.
- Preliminary: first-quarter 2026 figures can be revised.
Sources
Cite this data
Reporters and bloggers may use these numbers and charts. Please credit StartBusinessByState and link to this page.
Source: StartBusinessByState, “Warehouse Jobs Fell 20% in Maryland and Rose 18% in Utah,” https://startbusinessbystate.com/warehouse-jobs/ (updated October 14, 2026).
FAQ
Are warehouse jobs declining?
Slightly. Private warehousing and storage jobs were 1.0% lower in the first quarter of 2026 than a year earlier, about 1,883,936 jobs, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
Where are warehouse jobs growing?
Utah (+18.2%), Oregon (+16.6%) and South Dakota (+12.9%).
Which states lost the most warehouse jobs?
Among states with at least 20,000 warehouse jobs, Maryland (-20.0%), Georgia (-11.7%) and California (-11.6%).
Does this include Amazon warehouses?
Some, but not all. Many large company distribution centers are classified under retail or delivery, not warehousing.
Where is this data from?
The U.S. Labor Department’s quarterly count of jobs from employer unemployment-insurance tax records, which covers nearly all payroll jobs.
Last updated October 14, 2026 by StartBusinessByState.