Palavir · State of US Industries, 2026 Edition
State of Wholesale Trade in North Carolina, 2026 Edition
NAICS 42
May 28, 2026
1. Market sizing (2022)
Establishments
11,333
Employees
200,926
Annual payroll
$17.57B
2. National context
North Carolina accounts for 2.92% of the 388,706 US establishments in this sector and ranks 10th out of 51 reporting states.
3. Workforce wages
NC avg annual wage
$87,460
US avg annual wage
$87,120
North Carolina sector wages are +0.4% versus the national average for NAICS 42.
4. Federal exclusion overlay (state-wide)
OIG LEIE individuals + entities
1,827
SAM debarred/excluded
2,618
Exclusion counts are state-wide across all NAICS, not specific to Wholesale Trade. Sourced from OIG LEIE and SAM exclusion lists, as of 2026-05-27.
5. Top 3 counties by establishment count
| Rank | County | Establishments | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mecklenburg County | 2,051 | 38,444 |
| #2 | Wake County | 1,431 | 29,591 |
| #3 | Guilford County | 1,062 | 17,299 |
GovBids
Federal contract opportunities and awards. Filter by NAICS, agency, set-aside.