Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers Revenue Benchmarks
The average wholesale trade agents and brokers business in the United States generates $3.9M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 34,158 wholesale trade agents and brokers businesses in the U.S., employing 235,399 workers with an average profit margin of 4.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $126K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers Business Actually Do?
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers: 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
$3.9M
per year
Profit Margin
4.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$559K
per year
Total Businesses
34,158
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$154K
small business avg
Labor Cost
12.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$126K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
10.3
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers Charge?
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers: Wholesalers earn a spread of 5–20% between what they pay manufacturers and what they charge retailers. The specifics vary within the wholesale trade agents and brokers 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 wholesale trade agents and brokers business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a wholesale trade agents and brokers 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 wholesale trade agents and brokers 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 | $2.5M | Cost of inventory bought from manufacturers for resale to retailers or businesses. |
Wages & benefits | $12 | $463K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $8 | $324K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $3 | $130K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $7 | $259K | Warehouse operating costs, freight, insurance, POS/ERP systems. |
Net profit | $4 | $154K | 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
10.22%
openings/year
Closure Rate
10.85%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+3.55%
annual
Businesses Closed
2,812
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
12 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a wholesale trade agents and brokers business do?
- Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers: Businesses that buy goods in bulk from manufacturers and resell them to retailers or other businesses. Retailers, manufacturers, institutional buyers.
- How much do wholesale trade agents and brokers charge?
- Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers: Wholesalers earn a spread of 5–20% between what they pay manufacturers and what they charge retailers. The specifics vary within the wholesale trade agents and brokers 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 wholesale trade agents and brokers make per year?
- The average wholesale trade agents and brokers business generates $3.9M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $154K per year at a 4.0% profit margin.
- How many wholesale trade agents and brokers businesses are there in the US?
- There are 34,158 wholesale trade agents and brokers businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 235,399 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a wholesale trade agents and brokers business?
- Startup costs for a wholesale trade agents and brokers business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the wholesale trade agents and brokers industry?
- The average employee in the wholesale trade agents and brokers industry earns $126K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The wholesale trade agents and brokers industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 3.5% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (10.2% entry vs 10.8% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 56% of wholesale trade agents and brokers businesses survive their first 5 years. This is near the national average (~50%), with typical business risk. In 2023, 2,812 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the wholesale trade agents and brokers industry earns $125,899/year. This is significantly above the national average of ~$65K, reflecting the skilled nature of this work. With 122,460 establishments employing 511,666 people, the typical business has about 4 employees. Most businesses in this industry are small operations — often owner-operated with minimal staff.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The wholesale trade agents and brokers industry has declined 15% since 2000 (from 33,544 to 28,451 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers revenue with other industries: