Industrial Building Construction Revenue Benchmarks
The average industrial building construction business in the United States generates $6.4M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 3,007 industrial building construction businesses in the U.S., employing 69,225 workers with an average profit margin of 7.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $96K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Industrial Building Construction Business Actually Do?
General contractors specializing in industrial buildings — warehouses, factories, distribution centers, data centers.
Who buys: Manufacturers, logistics/3PL companies, tech companies (data centers), industrial developers.
Average Revenue
$6.4M
per year
Profit Margin
7.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$277K
per year
Total Businesses
3,007
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$446K
small business avg
Labor Cost
30.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$96K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
0.9
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Industrial Building Construction Charge?
Industrial builders quote per square foot for warehouses, factories, and manufacturing facilities.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Basic warehouse (per sqft) | $50–120/sqft |
Manufacturing facility (per sqft) | $150–350/sqft |
Cold storage / refrigerated | $200–400/sqft |
Data center (per sqft) | $300–1,000+/sqft |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete industrial building construction business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a industrial building construction 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 industrial building construction 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Materials & subcontractors | $38 | $2.4M | Lumber, concrete, fixtures, subcontracted trades — the physical scope of the job. |
Wages & benefits | $30 | $1.9M | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $5 | $321K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $3 | $201K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $17 | $1.1M | Equipment rentals, insurance (very high in construction), permits, vehicles, fuel. |
Net profit | $7 | $446K | 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
8.81%
openings/year
Closure Rate
8.7%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+3.8%
annual
Businesses Closed
2,824
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Industrial Building Construction Business?
Startup Cost
$25K – $150K
Break-Even
2 months
5-Year Survival Rate
52.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a industrial building construction business do?
- General contractors specializing in industrial buildings — warehouses, factories, distribution centers, data centers. Manufacturers, logistics/3PL companies, tech companies (data centers), industrial developers.
- How much do industrial building construction charge?
- Industrial builders quote per square foot for warehouses, factories, and manufacturing facilities. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average industrial building construction make per year?
- The average industrial building construction business generates $6.4M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $446K per year at a 7.0% profit margin.
- How many industrial building construction businesses are there in the US?
- There are 3,007 industrial building construction businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 69,225 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a industrial building construction business?
- Startup costs for a industrial building construction business typically range from $25K to $150K, with a 5-year survival rate of 52.0%.
- What is the average salary in the industrial building construction industry?
- The average employee in the industrial building construction industry earns $96K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The industrial building construction industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 3.8% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (8.8% entry vs 8.7% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 63% of industrial building construction businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 2,824 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the industrial building construction industry earns $96,078/year. This is significantly above the national average of ~$65K, reflecting the skilled nature of this work. With 6,674 establishments employing 154,210 people, the typical business has about 23 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The industrial building construction industry has declined 10% since 2000 (from 40,555 to 36,302 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Industrial Building Construction revenue with other industries: