Sales Financing Revenue Benchmarks
The average sales financing business in the United States generates $14.2M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 2,477 sales financing businesses in the U.S., employing 99,396 workers with an average profit margin of 15.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $120K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Sales Financing Business Actually Do?
Sales Financing: Businesses that handle money — lending, investing, insuring risk, or facilitating financial transactions.
Who buys: Consumers, businesses, and institutional clients.
Sector-level description — a more specific write-up is available for high-traffic industries.
Average Revenue
$14.2M
per year
Profit Margin
15.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$353K
per year
Total Businesses
2,477
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$2.1M
small business avg
Labor Cost
30.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$120K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
0.7
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Sales Financing Charge?
Sales Financing: Financial services earn AUM fees, commissions, spreads, or hourly fees. The specifics vary within the sales financing category — the ranges below are typical for the sector.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Investment mgmt (AUM) | 0.5–1.5% of assets/year |
Financial planning (hourly) | $150–500/hour |
Financial planning (flat) | $1,500–7,500 one-time |
Insurance commission | 5–15% of premium first year |
Sector-typical ranges — individual services within this industry may fall higher or lower.
Complete sales financing business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a sales financing 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 sales financing 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Claims & interest paid | $8 | $1.2M | Insurance claim payouts, interest paid to depositors, or securities transaction costs. |
Wages & benefits | $30 | $4.2M | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $11 | $1.6M | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $8 | $1.2M | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $28 | $3.9M | Compliance, technology, professional liability, licensing fees. |
Net profit | $15 | $2.1M | 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
9.97%
openings/year
Closure Rate
15.54%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
-15.3%
annual
Businesses Closed
1,267
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Sales Financing Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
1 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a sales financing business do?
- Sales Financing: Businesses that handle money — lending, investing, insuring risk, or facilitating financial transactions. Consumers, businesses, and institutional clients.
- How much do sales financing charge?
- Sales Financing: Financial services earn AUM fees, commissions, spreads, or hourly fees. The specifics vary within the sales financing 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 sales financing make per year?
- The average sales financing business generates $14.2M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $2.1M per year at a 15.0% profit margin.
- How many sales financing businesses are there in the US?
- There are 2,477 sales financing businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 99,396 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a sales financing business?
- Startup costs for a sales financing business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the sales financing industry?
- The average employee in the sales financing industry earns $120K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The sales financing industry is contracting — losing jobs at a net rate of 15.3% per year. More establishments are closing (15.5%) than opening (10.0%), suggesting market challenges.
Approximately 43% of sales financing businesses survive their first 5 years. This is below the national average (~50%) — new entrants face elevated risk of failure. Ensure adequate capitalization. In 2023, 1,267 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the sales financing industry earns $119,901/year. This is significantly above the national average of ~$65K, reflecting the skilled nature of this work. With 6,477 establishments employing 85,169 people, the typical business has about 13 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The sales financing industry has declined 32% since 2000 (from 17,905 to 12,088 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Sales Financing revenue with other industries: