Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring Revenue Benchmarks
The average electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring business in the United States generates $5.8M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 1,917 electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring businesses in the U.S., employing 46,394 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 Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring Business Actually Do?
Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring: 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
$5.8M
per year
Profit Margin
10.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$242K
per year
Total Businesses
1,917
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$585K
small business avg
Labor Cost
22.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$59K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
0.6
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring Charge?
Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring: Manufacturers sell in bulk to wholesalers, distributors, or direct to businesses. Pricing is negotiated by SKU volume. The specifics vary within the electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring 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 electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring 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 electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring 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 | $2.8M | Steel, chemicals, electronics, packaging — the physical inputs that become the product. |
Wages & benefits | $22 | $1.3M | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $5 | $318K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $3 | $199K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $12 | $676K | Depreciation on equipment, energy, R&D, quality control, freight. |
Net profit | $10 | $585K | 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
4.34%
openings/year
Closure Rate
5.05%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+2.74%
annual
Businesses Closed
215
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
3 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring business do?
- Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring: Businesses that transform raw materials or components into finished products. Wholesalers, retailers, other manufacturers, and government.
- How much do electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring charge?
- Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring: Manufacturers sell in bulk to wholesalers, distributors, or direct to businesses. Pricing is negotiated by SKU volume. The specifics vary within the electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring 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 electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring make per year?
- The average electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring business generates $5.8M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $585K per year at a 10.0% profit margin.
- How many electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring businesses are there in the US?
- There are 1,917 electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 46,394 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring business?
- Startup costs for a electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring industry?
- The average employee in the electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring industry earns $59K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 2.7% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (4.3% entry vs 5.1% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 77% of electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 215 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring industry earns $59,372/year. This is near the national average of ~$65K. With 2,444 establishments employing 53,661 people, the typical business has about 22 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring industry has declined 16% since 2000 (from 5,428 to 4,572 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring revenue with other industries: