Palavir · State of US Industries, 2026 Edition
State of Retail Trade in North Carolina, 2026 Edition
NAICS 44-45
May 28, 2026
1. Market sizing (2022)
Establishments
35,465
Employees
522,306
Annual payroll
$17.00B
2. National context
North Carolina accounts for 3.39% of the 1,045,890 US establishments in this sector and ranks 8th out of 51 reporting states.
3. Workforce wages
NC avg annual wage
$32,550
US avg annual wage
$36,685
North Carolina sector wages are -11.3% versus the national average for NAICS 44-45.
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 Retail 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 | 3,614 | 62,224 |
| #2 | Wake County | 3,595 | 65,696 |
| #3 | Guilford County | 1,879 | 29,288 |
GovBids
Federal contract opportunities and awards. Filter by NAICS, agency, set-aside.