Boat Building Revenue Benchmarks
The average boat building business in the United States generates $12.1M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 848 boat building businesses in the U.S., employing 43,186 workers with an average profit margin of 10.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $59K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Boat Building Business Actually Do?
Boat Building: Businesses that transform raw materials or components into finished products.
Who buys: Wholesalers, retailers, other manufacturers, and government.
Sector-level description — a more specific write-up is available for high-traffic industries.
Average Revenue
$12.1M
per year
Profit Margin
10.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$237K
per year
Total Businesses
848
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$1.2M
small business avg
Labor Cost
22.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$59K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
0.3
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Boat Building Charge?
Boat Building: Manufacturers sell in bulk to wholesalers, distributors, or direct to businesses. Pricing is negotiated by SKU volume. The specifics vary within the boat building category — the ranges below are typical for the sector.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Contract manufacturing markup | 15–35% over materials + labor |
Own-brand product margin | 25–60% gross margin |
Custom / low-volume run | 40–150% over direct costs |
Sector-typical ranges — individual services within this industry may fall higher or lower.
Complete boat building business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a boat building business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the boat building industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Raw materials & components | $48 | $5.7M | Steel, chemicals, electronics, packaging — the physical inputs that become the product. |
Wages & benefits | $22 | $2.7M | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $5 | $656K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $3 | $410K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $12 | $1.4M | Depreciation on equipment, energy, R&D, quality control, freight. |
Net profit | $10 | $1.2M | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
7.6%
openings/year
Closure Rate
6.46%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+1.62%
annual
Businesses Closed
75
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Boat Building Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
1 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a boat building business do?
- Boat Building: Businesses that transform raw materials or components into finished products. Wholesalers, retailers, other manufacturers, and government.
- How much do boat building charge?
- Boat Building: Manufacturers sell in bulk to wholesalers, distributors, or direct to businesses. Pricing is negotiated by SKU volume. The specifics vary within the boat building category — the ranges below are typical for the sector. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average boat building make per year?
- The average boat building business generates $12.1M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $1.2M per year at a 10.0% profit margin.
- How many boat building businesses are there in the US?
- There are 848 boat building businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 43,186 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a boat building business?
- Startup costs for a boat building business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the boat building industry?
- The average employee in the boat building industry earns $59K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The boat building industry is relatively stable — with a net job growth rate of 1.6%. Entry and exit rates are balanced at 7.6% and 6.5% respectively.
Approximately 72% of boat building businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 75 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the boat building industry earns $58,795/year. This is near the national average of ~$65K. With 1,126 establishments employing 49,448 people, the typical business has about 44 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The boat building industry has declined 22% since 2000 (from 1,500 to 1,174 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Boat Building revenue with other industries: