Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) Revenue Benchmarks
The average wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) business in the United States generates $9.0M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 5,380 wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) businesses in the U.S., employing 270,285 workers with an average profit margin of 18.0%.
What Does a Wireless Telecommunications Carriers Business Actually Do?
Mobile phone carriers — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, plus MVNOs (Cricket, Metro, Mint, Visible). Post-consolidation industry, three national carriers plus dozens of resellers.
Who buys: Consumers and businesses buying mobile service.
Average Revenue
$9.0M
per year
Profit Margin
18.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$178K
per year
Total Businesses
5,380
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$1.6M
small business avg
Labor Cost
40.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
N/A
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
1.6
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) Charge?
Mobile carriers price by monthly plan with unlimited data now standard.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Prepaid single line | $20–50/month |
Postpaid single line (major carrier) | $60–100/month |
Family plan (4 lines) | $120–250/month |
Premium unlimited (with perks) | $85–120/line/month |
Business plans (per line) | $30–90/line/month |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete wireless telecommunications carriers business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) 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 wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Hosting & third-party services | $6 | $564K | Cloud infrastructure (AWS/Azure/GCP), APIs, content licensing, payment processing. |
Wages & benefits | $40 | $3.6M | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $6 | $564K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $8 | $752K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $21 | $1.9M | R&D, software licenses, sales commissions, customer support tools. |
Net profit | $18 | $1.6M | 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
6.96%
openings/year
Closure Rate
10.44%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
-4.68%
annual
Businesses Closed
1,112
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Wireless Telecommunications Carriers Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
1 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) business do?
- Mobile phone carriers — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, plus MVNOs (Cricket, Metro, Mint, Visible). Post-consolidation industry, three national carriers plus dozens of resellers. Consumers and businesses buying mobile service.
- How much do wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) charge?
- Mobile carriers price by monthly plan with unlimited data now standard. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) make per year?
- The average wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) business generates $9.0M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $1.6M per year at a 18.0% profit margin.
- How many wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) businesses are there in the US?
- There are 5,380 wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 270,285 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) business?
- Startup costs for a wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
Industry Growth & Survival
The wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) industry is contracting — losing jobs at a net rate of 4.7% per year. More establishments are closing (10.4%) than opening (7.0%), suggesting market challenges.
Approximately 58% of wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) businesses survive their first 5 years. This is near the national average (~50%), with typical business risk. In 2023, 1,112 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) industry has declined 10% since 2000 (from 7,965 to 7,166 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) revenue with other industries: