Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers Revenue Benchmarks
The average industrial supplies merchant wholesalers business in the United States generates $11.5M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 5,819 industrial supplies merchant wholesalers businesses in the U.S., employing 105,127 workers with an average profit margin of 4.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $91K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers Business Actually Do?
Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers: Businesses that buy goods in bulk from manufacturers and resell them to retailers or other businesses.
Who buys: Retailers, manufacturers, institutional buyers.
Sector-level description — a more specific write-up is available for high-traffic industries.
Average Revenue
$11.5M
per year
Profit Margin
4.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$636K
per year
Total Businesses
5,819
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$459K
small business avg
Labor Cost
12.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$91K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
1.8
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers Charge?
Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers: Wholesalers earn a spread of 5–20% between what they pay manufacturers and what they charge retailers. The specifics vary within the industrial supplies merchant wholesalers category — the ranges below are typical for the sector.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Commodity wholesale (food, chemicals) | 3–8% gross margin |
Specialty wholesale (electronics, medical) | 12–25% gross margin |
Distribution fee (3PL) | 3–7% of goods handled |
Sector-typical ranges — individual services within this industry may fall higher or lower.
Complete industrial supplies merchant wholesalers business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a industrial supplies merchant wholesalers 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 supplies merchant wholesalers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost of goods sold | $66 | $7.5M | Cost of inventory bought from manufacturers for resale to retailers or businesses. |
Wages & benefits | $12 | $1.4M | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $8 | $965K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $3 | $386K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $7 | $772K | Warehouse operating costs, freight, insurance, POS/ERP systems. |
Net profit | $4 | $459K | 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
4.99%
openings/year
Closure Rate
5.94%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+3.59%
annual
Businesses Closed
2,081
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
4 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a industrial supplies merchant wholesalers business do?
- Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers: Businesses that buy goods in bulk from manufacturers and resell them to retailers or other businesses. Retailers, manufacturers, institutional buyers.
- How much do industrial supplies merchant wholesalers charge?
- Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers: Wholesalers earn a spread of 5–20% between what they pay manufacturers and what they charge retailers. The specifics vary within the industrial supplies merchant wholesalers 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 industrial supplies merchant wholesalers make per year?
- The average industrial supplies merchant wholesalers business generates $11.5M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $459K per year at a 4.0% profit margin.
- How many industrial supplies merchant wholesalers businesses are there in the US?
- There are 5,819 industrial supplies merchant wholesalers businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 105,127 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a industrial supplies merchant wholesalers business?
- Startup costs for a industrial supplies merchant wholesalers business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the industrial supplies merchant wholesalers industry?
- The average employee in the industrial supplies merchant wholesalers industry earns $91K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The industrial supplies merchant wholesalers industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 3.6% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (5.0% entry vs 5.9% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 74% of industrial supplies merchant wholesalers businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 2,081 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the industrial supplies merchant wholesalers industry earns $90,567/year. This is significantly above the national average of ~$65K, reflecting the skilled nature of this work. With 13,280 establishments employing 105,845 people, the typical business has about 8 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The industrial supplies merchant wholesalers industry has declined 30% since 2000 (from 48,281 to 33,683 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers revenue with other industries: