Lumber, Plywood, Millwork, and Wood Panel Merchant Wholesalers — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the lumber, plywood, millwork, and wood panel merchant wholesalers industry earns $85,556 per year ($41.13/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Lumber, Plywood, Millwork, and Wood Panel Merchant Wholesalers Workers Earn?
At $85,556/year (equivalent to $41.13/hour for a full-time worker), lumber, plywood, millwork, and wood panel merchant wholesalers wages are significantly above the national average of ~$65,000.
Higher wages in this industry typically reflect specialized skills, professional certifications, or technical expertise required for the work. Employers competing for talent in this space face elevated labor costs.
The typical lumber, plywood, millwork, and wood panel merchant wholesalers business employs 12 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average lumber, plywood, millwork, and wood panel merchant wholesalers business generating $17.2M/year with 12 employees at $85,556 each, total payroll represents roughly 6.0% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a lumber, plywood, millwork, and wood panel merchant wholesalersbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $111,223/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 12 employees = ~$1,026,672/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $41.13/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $17.2M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Lumber, Plywood, Millwork, and Wood Panel Merchant Wholesalers revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do lumber, plywood, millwork, and wood panel merchant wholesalers employees make?
- The average lumber, plywood, millwork, and wood panel merchant wholesalers employee earns $85,556 per year, which is equivalent to $41.13/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is above the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the lumber, plywood, millwork, and wood panel merchant wholesalers industry?
- The lumber, plywood, millwork, and wood panel merchant wholesalers industry employs 114,011 workers across 9,505 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 12 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).